In the apostle Paul's 2nd letter to the Corinthians 2:16, we read, "To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life." He was pointing out the two different ways the world responds to those whose faith and life are in whom they identify themselves with, Jesus Christ. The "we" he was referring to are people like us: Christians.
I think the same can be said of a gospel tract . To one it's trash, to another it's treasure. As a matter of fact, the following amazing story is proof of just that.
Recently, street evangelist Tony Miano, of Santa Clarita, California, received an e-mail from a young lady who found his contact information at the bottom of a gospel tract he distributes that someone had recieved, read, crumpled up in disgust and threw down onto the sidewalk. She picked it up from the sidewalk, read her trashed tract with interest and kept it for a month, pondering its content before feeling compelled to get in touch with Tony.
In her email to Tony, she told him how she came across his gospel tract; that she had read it, sought more information on his website and confessed to him that she had always considered herself to be a Christian, doing all the churchy things Christians do; that because she "accepted Jesus" into her heart one time she considered herself to be a "born again Christian". But the crumpled gospel tract and the info on Tony's website seemed to have caused her to reconsider her true standing with God. And out of concern for her soul, she sought Tony out for counsel.
Her last two paragraphs of her email to him read:
"With all that said, what I've read on your website is NOT the same as what I believe. I think I'm wrong. It saddens me that I might not be saved, according to what I've read. I think I've fashioned a Jesus according to what I want him to be like...not according to the Bible. I've never read, or heard exactly any of this.
I'm pretty sure that I'm wrong on everything. Would you point me to Scripture verses concerning this please? It'd be terrible to think you're going to heaven and then find out you're not, when you stand before God. I don't want that for myself, and I don't want that for anyone else that I come in contact with.
Thank you very much."
"With all that said, what I've read on your website is NOT the same as what I believe. I think I'm wrong. It saddens me that I might not be saved, according to what I've read. I think I've fashioned a Jesus according to what I want him to be like...not according to the Bible. I've never read, or heard exactly any of this.
I'm pretty sure that I'm wrong on everything. Would you point me to Scripture verses concerning this please? It'd be terrible to think you're going to heaven and then find out you're not, when you stand before God. I don't want that for myself, and I don't want that for anyone else that I come in contact with.
Thank you very much."
Tony immediately responded with a detailed letter and lovingly pointed out the the areas in which he perceived her problems to be regarding her faith and her doubts of her salvation. He corrected her on certain important issues to help clear up the meaning of what she was believing. He not only told her but pointed her to the very Scriptures that backed what he was teaching her. His response to her finished off with an exhortation for her to come to true faith in Jesus Christ alone for her salvation.
Here is is the astounding email Tony received from her as a response to his letter:
Tony,
Never heard this before. No, I had never repented of my sins, and placed my trust in Jesus alone. I didn't know I needed to, because I hadn't been taught that way. I thought salvation was through works. Thank you for explaining it to me!
I was on my way to Hell. Yes, I was trusting in my good works to save me, and the simple acknowledgement of Jesus Christ as God. I NEVER saw these Scriptures in the Bible, for all my years of reading them.
Trying to do good works, is like checking off a list...did I do enough today? You always feel like you can't do enough, and that would be right! You can't do enough "good" things!
Well, that changed this morning. I turned from my sin, and placed my trust in Jesus Christ alone! It makes total sense. I cried over my sin, and turned my back on my sin.
Wow, didn't even realize how much of a sinner I was..until today! Truth is, I see now that I was under bondage of my sin. I don't feel like that anymore. A weight has been lifted from my shoulders, that I didn't know I had!!!
Who'd of thought, that a crinkled up piece of paper that I almost threw away, because I thought it was trash....ended up being a tract, which led to your website...would end up with me TRULY being saved!!! Praise God. :) Keep passing out those tracts! And DON'T let anyone tell you it's NOT worth it. A crinkled piece of paper with a soul- saving message! You never know who might find one, and be led to the Truth. I'm Eternally grateful! Oh, I cry at the thought of it!!!
You seem familiar. Are you out and about alot handing out tracts? I think I've heard your name before.
God bless you. Now TRULY, your sister in Christ
Glory to God!
Moral of the story: never underestimate the powerful ways in which God can work in the heart of a person through a simple gospel tract. Even if it has been discarded. One man's trash is another man's treasure. Remember, this young lady found the gospel tract all crumpled up on the ground, thrown away by someone else and kept it for a month before feeling compelled to contact the person whose name was on the bottom of it.
As the Lord says in Isaiah 55:11,
"(My word), it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
Here is is the astounding email Tony received from her as a response to his letter:
Tony,
Never heard this before. No, I had never repented of my sins, and placed my trust in Jesus alone. I didn't know I needed to, because I hadn't been taught that way. I thought salvation was through works. Thank you for explaining it to me!
I was on my way to Hell. Yes, I was trusting in my good works to save me, and the simple acknowledgement of Jesus Christ as God. I NEVER saw these Scriptures in the Bible, for all my years of reading them.
Trying to do good works, is like checking off a list...did I do enough today? You always feel like you can't do enough, and that would be right! You can't do enough "good" things!
Well, that changed this morning. I turned from my sin, and placed my trust in Jesus Christ alone! It makes total sense. I cried over my sin, and turned my back on my sin.
Wow, didn't even realize how much of a sinner I was..until today! Truth is, I see now that I was under bondage of my sin. I don't feel like that anymore. A weight has been lifted from my shoulders, that I didn't know I had!!!
Who'd of thought, that a crinkled up piece of paper that I almost threw away, because I thought it was trash....ended up being a tract, which led to your website...would end up with me TRULY being saved!!! Praise God. :) Keep passing out those tracts! And DON'T let anyone tell you it's NOT worth it. A crinkled piece of paper with a soul- saving message! You never know who might find one, and be led to the Truth. I'm Eternally grateful! Oh, I cry at the thought of it!!!
You seem familiar. Are you out and about alot handing out tracts? I think I've heard your name before.
God bless you. Now TRULY, your sister in Christ
Glory to God!
Moral of the story: never underestimate the powerful ways in which God can work in the heart of a person through a simple gospel tract. Even if it has been discarded. One man's trash is another man's treasure. Remember, this young lady found the gospel tract all crumpled up on the ground, thrown away by someone else and kept it for a month before feeling compelled to contact the person whose name was on the bottom of it.
As the Lord says in Isaiah 55:11,
"(My word), it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
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