Almighty God,
Your law condemns us. It is the constant reminder that we have failed to uphold what is good and just. It shouts at us and convicts us that we have no hope in life apart from your saving grace. In your law your holiness is proclaimed, by it our sins are exposed for the detestable things that they are, and through it we realize that we are justly damned. But yet the good news of the gospel gives us hope. In it your mercies are declared, by it our souls find hope of redemption, and through it we gain eternal life. We praise you that you did not leave us in our poor, miserable state to be lost forever. We thank you that you had compassion on us and have opened for us a way of salvation through your Son and through His cross. And we do turn to you now, acknowledging our sins and confessing the evil of them. And we do so not because we wish simply to obtain good things from you. But because we want to make amends. We are saddened because by our sins we have ruined our relationship with you. It grieves us that we have upset you, insulted you, and acted so treacherously against you. O God, we are sorry, not that we have been caught and not because we the threat of death looms over us—No, we are forlorn because we have slighted the Most High God. We have disgraced ourselves because we have not honored you and given you the glory and the reverence that you deserve. And it is this that we confess this morning and this is why we plead your forgiveness. This is why we ask you for cleansing and mercy: because we have profaned your name and failed to please you as we ought. And we take our confidence in this one thing: that you have sent your Son into this world on our behalf. Our only hope is in the one who died in our place and rose with healing in His wings. Our faith rests solely upon the infinite measures of your grace and the pardon that you pledge by it.
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Before the world was formed or filled,
Before I e're was born, The Lord decreed to save my soul; His grace to me was sworn. In fullness of eternal time The Savior humbly came. He gave His life in sacrifice, And took away my shame! When once the Spirit quickened me and roused my deadened heart. I came to life and grasped by faith The grace He did impart. Eternity is mine to have; Though nothing have I done! It's solely through the work of God; The bless-ed Three in One! Over the years I have written a number of gospel tracts. Now I'm making them available to anyone who would like to download and distribute them. They are available on the Gospel Tracts page. And don't forget: They are completely free! I've designed these tracts to engage readers. They have a nice, large font. They have good hooks to draw the reader's curiosity. They also have all the church's contact information (which can be customized, if another church would like to use them). The church's name and website are also located strategically on the front and back. So, if they are folded correctly, they can also serve as good advertisements. Most of all, I hope you will (and the people you evangelize) will find them intriguing to read. From time to time I will do a google search for some quality, Reformed gospel tracts. I am usually disappointed at what I find. I admit that I never dug through the deep recesses of google's results. But the top hits are certainly less than helpful. The tracts that you find are either fitted for the 18th century or poorly written/designed. I hope that these will provide some eager evangelists with some good material to hit the streets. (I also hope they don't get buried in the deep recesses of google search results!) “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” 1 Timothy 1:15 These words are perhaps some of the most stunning words that have ever been written. They comprise a simple sentence, but the concept are monumental. And if you pause to grasp the significance of them, you will have a greater appreciation for the magnitude of Christmas. If you read these words correctly, it will sound like an alien invasion. Read it again: “Christ Jesus came into the world.” Doesn’t it sound like something extraterrestrial? In a sense, that is what is being communicated. This is part of what makes Christmas so astounding. Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ. But this was no ordinary baby; this was God come in the flesh. As God, Jesus is not originally from this world. His rightful dwelling place is heaven. Yet this passage tells us that He left this resplendent home in order to come to earth! But what would possess him to do that? You wouldn’t leave the Hilton Suite to vacation in the slums of New York, would you? Certainly not! So why would Jesus deprive himself of these blessed conditions and take up residence in this sorrow filled world? The verse says that he came “to save sinners.” He left the joys and safety of his heavenly abode so that he could bring life and salvation to people like us. I recognize that this might catch you off guard, but it has to be said. You are a sinner. The truth is we have offended God, and we are guilty of breaking his law. For instance, have you ever told a lie? Of course you have. You’ve probably told thousands of them. Now, having offended God’s law, you deserve to be punished. This is the good news though! Jesus came into the world to take the punishment that is due to us for our sin. The whole reason he was born was so that He might provide a way to escape the penalty of sin. When Jesus came into the world, it was for one purpose. It was so that he could die. At the end of his life he was crucified. And there on that cross Jesus endured the wrath and curse of God as the perfect sacrifice for sin. Perhaps now you are starting to see the magnitude of Christmas: God entered history; He took on human flesh; He died to save those who had offended him! More than that, this salvation can be yours! Christmas can become to be even more monumental because Christ can be your savior. You must understand that you will never be good enough for God. Neither can your offenses be overlooked. The only way to be made right with God is by having your sins forgiven. The promise of God is this: if you confess your wrongdoing and trust Jesus, you will be saved. Jesus came into the world for this very thing. Feel free to download and distribute this tract.
Just be sure to change the contact information to your church. I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth. Revelation 3:15-16 Despite her mother and my persistent prohibitions, my daughter once put some dishwasher detergent in her mouth. She was two at the time, so I would suspect the white powder was akin to sugar in her mind. Mere seconds after ingesting it though, her stomach lurched and out came the soap… along with the rest of the sizable dinner she had just eaten. Poison Control assured us that our daughter would be okay considering she swallowed such a small amount and immediately expelled it. However, I’ve never gotten over how a few flakes of detergent could evoke such a grisly and drastic response. That episode vividly portrays the reaction that Christ has to a certain group of people in his church. The Bible describes them in terms of tepid water. They are “neither cold nor hot,” which means they are rather indifferent to Christ. On the one hand, they don’t necessarily hate him. At the same time, they are not all that passionate about him either. Today, we might call such a person a “nominal Christian.” I’m sure you know the type. It is the kind of person who is pretty familiar with Christianity, but not overly concerned about it. Most likely they know the lingo and are familiar with some of the doctrines of the church. They feel comfortable in a church setting, and they even attend quite regularly. All agree too that they are your easy-to-get-along-with kind of people. But, if we could unlock the doors of their chest, we would see that there is no fire for Christ there. A spiritual X-ray would reveal no zeal for his worship or passion for his presence. Peering inside we would find that church is nothing but a formality to them. It is much like a divine tax that they must pay each week to a governing official. They sing the songs and bow their heads in prayer, but the outward act is the extent of their devotion. Inwardly they neither long for his glory to be advanced nor thirst for the Scripture that drips from the pulpit. Their religion is as neuter as tepid waters. If you find this in any way descriptive of you, you need to be aware that you nauseate Christ. Your half-hearted affection and noncommittal spirit aggravate him to no end, even more than the vilest of sinners. Indeed, he prefers cold blooded murderers and rapists over you. He even finds the flagrant atheist much more tolerable than you. You might think that all is well with you. You might think that Christ is pleased to have your vague allegiance, but you must understand that it irritants him immensely. It makes him vomit! Moreover, you will be that vomit if you do not repent. If you do not stoke the flames of love for him, you will one day find yourself expelled from his presence. On the Day when he comes again you will be cast out, and forever excluded from the pleasures of his eternal kingdom. Like a loyal lover, Christ holds out his hand and offers to forgive your languid spirit. His devotion burns bright and he is ready to receive you into his arms. His only requirement is that you kindle the fires of fondness. You must give yourself to him, and not hold back. You must pledge to live in obedience to him and not seek the things that now draw your affection away. If you desire life, you must not sicken Him any longer. You must do away with your lukewarm faith, and let the embers of your heart burn hot for him. Feel free to download and distribute this tract.
Just make sure to change the church information to your church. If someone were to ask you if you were a good person, what would you say? Most likely, you would say yes. If you are like most people, you consider yourself as relatively good person. But let’s put that to the test. In the Bible we read about God’s standard for good in the 10 commandments. We can take a look at them and see just how good we are. One of those commandments is “You shall not lie.” Answer honestly: Have you ever told a lie? Sure you have. Probably too many to count. Now, what do you call someone who tells lies? That’s right, a liar. Another commandment is “You shall not steal.” Have you ever stolen anything? Did you ever take candy from a store when you were a kid? Have you ever downloaded a pirated song or show from the internet? Ok, then. What does that make you? That’s right, a thief. Another one of the commandments is “You shall not commit adultery.” Now, you may never have cheated on your spouse. But Jesus says that if you look upon a guy or girl with lust you’ve committed adultery in your heart. Recognizing that the law of God penetrates to even your thought life, what does that make you? Yep, that’s right: An adulterer at heart. Let’s do one more. The law of God says, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” Have you ever used God’s name as an expletive? Or maybe said “OMG” or an equivalent of it? This is called blasphemy and it is a very serious offense in the Bible. So, by your own admission, you are a lying, thieving, blaspheming, adulterer at heart. Now, if you were to be judged by God, would he find you guilty or innocent? Doesn’t sound good, does it? Because God is a good judge, he cannot allow sin to go unpunished. The wages of sin is death and hell. But here’s the good news! God has sent his Son, Jesus, into the world to pay the price for our sins. Jesus never sinned all his life. What’s more, he offered himself up as a sacrifice for sin. By his death Jesus satisfied God’s wrath and justice. He paid the penalty we justly deserve. Then, three days later, He rose from the dead showing his victory over sin and death. The truth is, you cannot earn eternal life. We just are not good enough. Eternal life is God’s gift, and the good news is that God gives this gift to anyone who will humble himself and come to Jesus Christ. Of course, the only way to receive this salvation is by turning from your life of sin to the Lord Jesus. If you do that, God promises to forgive your sin and give you a new heart with new desires. If you trust Jesus, you can be assured that the Lord will wash away all your sin and not count one of them against you. If this is something that appeals to you, pray to the Lord right now. Ask him to forgive you and help you live the way he wants. It is also important to get a Bible and find a good church. We would be more than happy to help you do that. You can use the contact information below to reach us. Give us a call or send us a text or email. We would love to talk to you more about God’s way to eternal life. Feel free to download and distribute this tract.
Just be sure to change the church information to your own church! Surveys say that 10 out of 10 people die. As a matter of fact 150,000 people die every day. And guess what: Someday, you are going to die too. But what gives? Why do people die? Better yet, is there any way to get off this crazy train? A lot of people think that death is just a natural part of living. In the old words of Elton John, “It’s the ciiiirrrcle of life!” (Sorry to stick that in your brain for the rest of the day). It is interesting how angry a piece of paper can make someone.
I have coached my daughter's teams for years now, and each season I pass out a gospel tract to each of the parents. I include it with the forms and parent information at the beginning of the season. Typically the tract is read, but nothing ever comes of it. Not until this past week, at least. A parent became enraged at the tract and emailed the league. From what I'm told, this parent even threatened to take action against the soccer association. YIKES! Now, recognize that it was simply a piece of paper--a gospel tract. It could have easily been crumpled up and thrown away. The parent could have given it back to me with a frown or a simple "I don't appreciate this." For that matter, they didn't even have to read it! But that little paper brought about a very different reaction. Below you may view this insidious little piece of paper. As far as I know, the situation has been diffused. The league head was able to calm the parent down. At this point he will not be going after the league. They have also placed the daughter on another team so as to accommodate the family. "Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." Isa 55:1-3 ESV In these verses we are told that the Lord is the worst salesman that ever lived. The Lord is pictured at the market offering to sell his wares for no cost. In other words, he’s offering to give it away for free and without any expectation of getting anything in return. A friend of mine in business once said that the way you calculate a price for your goods is take what you paid for it, double it, and then add 99 cents. That way you are ensured a profit. Even if you have a monstrous sale and offer 30, 40, or even 50% off, you still make a good return on your investment. But here in this passage we see the Lord defies all commercial sense. His advertisement is an absolute failure from a marketing point of view. He simply gives his wares away. The Bible thunders with the pronouncements of prophets regarding things like oppression and taking care of the needy. Because of the Scripture’s clarity on these issues Christians have long understood the call of God to engage in justice and mercy ministry.
One of the main factors for the early church’s growth was due to the fact that many abandoned babies rescued and given proper care. In the Middle Ages hospitals begin to emerge on the scene as Christians engage in “hospitality” to the sick and dying. During the Reformation era Christians battled tyranny in both church and state. In the 17-1800’s it may be said that the social work of Christians began to expand. Orphanages, prison reform, abolition of the slave trade, and educational movements pronouncedly rise on the scene of the Western world. Today, there is just as much opportunity for justice and mercy ministries. Issues—such as racism, poverty, hunger, abortion, homosexuality, environmental care, sex trade, immigration, divorce & family disintegration—abound, and each one has their own particular parachurch ministry (or ministries) that has developed a niche for it. The church’s engagement with the cultural ills of the day is certainly clear, both from the Biblical command and the apparent cultural breakdown occurring all around us. The question simply becomes, how does the church engage? |
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