What Are Gospel Tracts?

by Tony Miano
edited by Matt Slick

The dictionary defines the word “tract” as: “a piece of writing expressing a strong belief, usually about religion or politics.”1 Therefore, a gospel tract is a piece of writing expressing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

One source dates the use of gospel tracts as far back as the 13th century.

“The distribution of tracts predates the development of the printing press, with the term being applied by scholars to religious and political works at least as early as the 13th century. They were used to disseminate the teachings of John Wycliffe in the 14th century. As a political tool, they proliferated throughout Europe during the 17th century. They were printed as persuasive religious material from the time of Gutenberg's invention.”2

Gospel tracts come in various shapes3 and sizes.4 The content of gospel tracts varies based on the author’s or publishing organization’s theological perspectives. By and large, a good gospel tract contains a succinct presentation of the law and the gospel with a call for the reader to repent and receive Jesus Christ (John 1:12) as his or her Lord and Savior.

• 1.http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/tract
• 2.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tract_(literature)
• 3.http://www.shop.onemilliontracts.com/The-Fish-Tract-50-ct-pckg-066.htm
• 4.http://www.shop.onemilliontracts.com/ACCEPTED-Tri-fold-Gospel-Tract-25ct-pckg-55-x-85-TRI-001.htm

http://carm.org/what-gospel-tracts

My favorite CHRISTmas Gospel Tract

Hi folks, 

Hope you all had a very and blessed Merry CHRISTmas! Sorry I haven't posted for awhile. Mostly doing mom things, working part-time outside of home plus, a few other things on my plate. But, as God would orchestrate it, I always had time to give out a few Gospel tracts.   

I wanted to share my all time favorite Christmas Gospel Tract.  I used this a lot since the onset of the holiday season. If your interested in ordering for next season (God willing) I'll leave you with the web site.  They also have a lot of other fun tracts for you to enjoy. Check them out...www.customtractsource.com.  Here's what the tract says on the back.

╰☆╮He’s making a list, he’s checking it twice... he’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice! If Santa used the Ten Commandments for his standard, how would you do? Let's find out... Have you ever lied? Have you ever stolen anything? (No matter the value.) Ever used God's name in vain? Ever hated anybody? The Bible says “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer”

╰☆╮If you are guilty of these things, it shows that in your heart, you are a lying, thieving, blasphemous, murderer-at- heart. Many people don't know that God will use the Ten Commandments to judge the world. Forget about Santa, "naughty" and "nice"... how will you do on Judgment Day? If you are found guilty, that means an eternity in Hell... 2,000 years ago, God sent Jesus to the earth to pay for your sins. When Jesus died on the cross, He took the punishment that you deserve for breaking His Law (The Ten Commandments). God's wrath came down on Jesus, instead of on you. The Bible says, "God commands all men everywhere to repent, because God has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness."

╰☆╮Remember if you try to get to Heaven on your own, you must keep every Commandment in thought, word, and deed! Jesus paid the penalty for your sins on the cross. Then He defeated the power of sin and death when He rose from the dead. Repent (turn away) from your sins. Place your faith in Jesus Christ alone to save you. God will grant you eternal life. Read your Bible daily and obey what you read.

Don't be Afraid to Share Your Faith

Once back home from his overseas mission trip, Eddie didn't talk about Jesus in America. "Evangelism was a thing you did over there,  not here at home where people actually know you."  ~Eddie Roman

Here's a GREAT way to share the Gospel for Halloween.

I added a link here so that you can get a close up of the tract I ordered for Halloween.  It's easy since the kids are already coming to your door.  Oh... and don't forget to view the video below for a great tip!  Try it!

Darth Vader Bills (Jumbo)

Seeing a man on a street corner standing on a riser to read aloud the Scriptures and to open air preach the Christian gospel is not a common thing for most people to witness, as 'open air' anything is a rarity in most places. Seeing a woman doing the same thing is even more rare.

As you may remember, since the genesis of my new and improved blog site, my heart's desire is to encourage Christian women to go and share their faith.  At this time, I know I'm jumping into scary territory by introducing open-air preaching but, it is not my intent to push anyone to begin this way.  In the near future I do want to introduce a more simpler way to share your faith in the next few posts but, for now, I deem this video important...first, for the God-given message and secondly, that a woman, is sharing the Good News.  

Kim's husband, Paul, writes from his web site at http://www.thewordstreetjournal.com...This video is of Kim stationed at the gates to the University of Ottawa on Sept 17, 2012. She spent much time in prayer, research and preparation in order to build her confidence and her trust was in God to see her through her presentation. It is our hope that this video will be a source of encouragement to other Christian women who sense a calling to do the same. 

A Very Special Post Today About A Kid Named Logan...this is what it's all about from the heart of a child.

Do you know that Jesus spoke of Heaven AND Hell? (Part 2))

If we feed the hungry, clothe the destitute, and house the homeless, but we never share the gospel with them, then all we have accomplished is making them warm and filled on their way to Hell.  ~Tony Miano

Part 2 - Yes, Jesus talks about Hell

Based on the above quote, it got me thinking about Heaven and Hell. Grant it, it's not easy to think about Hell but it sure is easy to ponder on Heaven.  But with the Scriptures I provided below, I wanted to show you that Jesus speaks of Hell and refers to Hell several times.  

The information below comes from Bible and Scripture reference is provided so that YOU can look them up yourselves.  It is imperative that you do so that you will not be swayed away from your faith.

A word search won't help you gather all of the instances that Jesus talked about Hell because Jesus didn't use the word "Hell" all the time, as demonstrated by Matthew 3:12 "Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
And, Matthew 25:30,41 - And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. [...] 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.
However, that being said, a word search yeilds the following: 

Mat 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 

Mat 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 

Mat 5:30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 

Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 

Mat 11:23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down tohell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 

Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 

Mat 18:9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. 

Mat 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. 

Mat 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 

Mark 9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 

Mark 9:45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 

Mark 9:47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 

Luke 10:15 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.

Luke 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. 

Luke 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
So, by my count, there are 15 places in the Bible where Jesus is recorded as using the word "hell" while He was on Earth. 

Now, if you include John's vision in Revelation 1:18--- "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death"---then, that would put the sum total at 16.

Do you know that Jesus spoke of Heaven AND Hell? (Part 1)

It is interesting to know that for many Christians, Heaven is a place they can understand and easily believe in.   I want to reaffirm your belief because it is Scriptural to know there is a Heaven. Part 2 coming soon.

(Part 1-Bible Scriptures Describing Heaven)

Matthew 18:10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.

John 14:2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

Revelation 5:9-13 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

Revelation 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Revelation 22:1-5  Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

Heaven Our True and Eternal Home Bible Scriptures

1 Kings 8:30 And listen to the plea of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen in heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive

1 Corinthians 2:7-9 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written,”What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”

2 Corinthians 5:8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

Philippians 1:21-23 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.

Philippians 3:20-21 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Jesus Is the Only Way To Heaven Bible Verses

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 17:3 And this is eternal life,that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Read more: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/bible-verses-about-heaven-15-scripture-quotes/#ixzz26lZUHH5J

In a sense, the woman at the well was like a fisher of men...

In many ways the woman at the well, after encountering the Living Water--Jesus Christ, she was also likened to a fisher of men.  This, in the Scriptures are also known as the Great Commission.  


Question: "What does it mean to be 'fishers of men'?"

Answer: The phrase “fishers of men” was spoken by Jesus when He was calling two of His disciples, Simon Peter and Andrew, to follow Him. “As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him” (Mark 1:16-18; see also Matthew 4:19).

The idea behind fishing is to know the fish you are looking for and attract it so you can make the catch. To catch a fish we must know what equipment to use, the habitat and depth of the water we are fishing in, as well as the kind of bait the fish will go after. After we understand everything we need for real fishing, then how do we relate that to being fishers of men?

God asks us to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20). Just as we need equipment to be fishermen, we need equipment to be fishers of men. Putting on the armor of God is one way to be ready at all times with everything we need (Ephesians 6:10-18). Especially important are the shield of faith with which we ward off the opposition from demonic forces who don’t want to see men saved by the gospel of Christ (v. 16), and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (v. 17). Without these two pieces of spiritual equipment, we will find fishing for men’s souls impossible.

Not only must we have the armor of God as our equipment, but we must also know the fish we are trying to attract. Knowing the lost condition of the people around us will help us to understand that no matter how good we are at fishing, we will never ‘catch’ the fish on our own. No reasoned argument will convert the soul of a darkened mind, because “the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). But God can and frequently does penetrate the darkness with the glorious gospel, and He uses us to do it. He knows which ‘fish’ are His; therefore, we are to seek His wisdom and His guidance on all our fishing expeditions. Prayer is essential.

Lastly we must offer the only effective bait—the gospel of Jesus Christ. To those who are perishing, the message of the cross is foolishness, but to us, it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). The gospel message has the power to change lives, shine light into darkness, and deliver evil men from hell. There is power in no other message and no other ‘bait’ can catch the fish of God. “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Romans 1:16). This was Jesus’ message to Peter and Andrew—follow Me, learn of Me, know and understand My mission and My message. Only then will you be able to be fishers of men.

Today's Assignment...

Today's assignment...dust off that old Bible and keep it at your bedside,  near your computer, laptop, or any other means of media.  You can also, check out on the internet Bible apps for your your computers, phones or ipads.  This will be your reference.

The Genesis Of A New And Improved Blogsite

Greetings!

I'm so excited to begin a new blog site to encourage women to share their biblical faith.  It is here that I will introduce a new and improved blog site and share new and borrowed ideas, with examples, of how to share your faith.  Here is the verse in the Holy Scriptures that refers to the theme of this blogsite, John 4: 1-30...

• When Jesus gives you living water, you want to share it!

When you come face to face with the Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and surrender to Him as your savior, you want to "leave your pot" and go out and tell everyone (vv. 28-30). "Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Messiah, is it?" The next verse gives a panoramic picture of a long procession of people in the city of Sychar who kept coming to Jesus. When Christ changes your life, you want to go and tell others that they too may come and see for themselves.

Before I move on to the next post, I would like you all to have a chance to refresh and or renew your faith.
2Corinthians 13:5...Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you-- unless indeed you fail the test?

Please remember it's NOT about religion it's about our relationship to Christ.
Please visit here to see if you are in biblical faith...  www.NeedGod.com

Until next time.
dede <><

Even if you are a believer this is what the Gospel sounds like...tune in to Ray Comfort as he eloquently shares the Good News.