Unfruitful letter writing campaign?

[evangelist6589]

I just read a story on social media of a former apostate pastor who repented. I say this because I am involved in the sending of hundreds of letters and gospel tracts to individuals in an effort to get them to repent. One poster on this board said this is a unfruitful letter writing campaign. He says this because he wants instant results because he is a follower of the instant gratification generation. For results one must be patient. Or he may not see the results in his lifetime. I am reading a book called "As it was in the Days of Noah" and Noah certainly did not have any results besides his own household, but he was rewarded by God for his faithfulness and listed in the book of Hebrews hall of faith.

 

[Don]

I just read a story on social media of a former apostate pastor who repented. I say this because I am involved in the sending of hundreds of letters and gospel tracts to individuals in an effort to get them to repent. One poster on this board said this is a unfruitful letter writing campaign. He says this because he wants instant results because he is a follower of the instant gratification generation. For results one must be patient. Or he may not see the results in his lifetime. I am reading a book called "As it was in the Days of Noah" and Noah certainly did not have any results besides his own household, but he was rewarded by God for his faithfulness and listed in the book of Hebrews hall of faith.

So - did the former apostate pastor repent because of a letter someone sent him?

 

[evangelist6589]

So - did the former apostate pastor repent because of a letter someone sent him?

No idea of the details.

 

[Don]

No idea of the details.

Your OP makes it sound as if he's a justification for your letter writing; when in reality, because you've admitted you don't know the source of the pastor's change, his story has nothing to do with your OP.

You've invalidated this thread before it got started.

 

[evangelist6589]

Your OP makes it sound as if he's a justification for your letter writing; when in reality, because you've admitted you don't know the source of the pastor's change, his story has nothing to do with your OP.

You've invalidated this thread before it got started.

Wrong! I am pointing out that anything can bring a person to repentance including a letter! Paul wrote them! So did many in the past!

 

[Don]

Uh..not wrong. You opened with one sentence about an apostate pastor who repented; then you spent the rest of your post justifying writing letters.

Stop worrying about what others think. If God has called you to write letters, then write letters. Stop asking for the approval of mere mortals.

 

[Sapper Woody]

Noah certainly did not have any results besides his own household, .

Emphasis mine, and I believe it's self explanatory.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

 

[TCassidy]

One poster on this board said this is a unfruitful letter writing campaign.

How many new converts coming to Christ, being baptized, and being discipled have you seen in your ministry? If none, wouldn't you call that "fruitless?"

He says this because he wants instant results because he is a follower of the instant gratification generation.

And who is it that you are accusing. Name him/her. Give us a thread and post number where is person wants instant results and that he/she is a follower of the instant gratification generation.

For results one must be patient.

Yes. But God's word promises us that if we are obedient we will bear fruit, much fruit, and fruit that remains. So, if you see no fruit over years of "ministry" could the fault possibly lie in the fact that you have not been obedient and this God has withheld His hand of blessing from your "ministry?"

Or he may not see the results in his lifetime.

None at all? Was Jesus wrong in John 15:5?

 

[evangelist6589]

How many new converts coming to Christ, being baptized, and being discipled have you seen in your ministry? If none, wouldn't you call that "fruitless?"

And who is it that you are accusing. Name him/her. Give us a thread and post number where is person wants instant results and that he/she is a follower of the instant gratification generation.

Yes. But God's word promises us that if we are obedient we will bear fruit, much fruit, and fruit that remains. So, if you see no fruit over years of "ministry" could the fault possibly lie in the fact that you have not been obedient and this God has withheld His hand of blessing from your "ministry?"

None at all? Was Jesus wrong in John 15:5?

You place too much of an emphasis on results and so misinterpret what it means to have fruit. Noah did not have a single convert in his 120 years of preaching and God does not always guarantee visible results for us to see.

And who says I have had no fruit?

 

[evangelist6589]

How many new converts coming to Christ, being baptized, and being discipled have you seen in your ministry? If none, wouldn't you call that "fruitless?"

And who is it that you are accusing. Name him/her. Give us a thread and post number where is person wants instant results and that he/she is a follower of the instant gratification generation.

Yes. But God's word promises us that if we are obedient we will bear fruit, much fruit, and fruit that remains. So, if you see no fruit over years of "ministry" could the fault possibly lie in the fact that you have not been obedient and this God has withheld His hand of blessing from your "ministry?"

None at all? Was Jesus wrong in John 15:5?

This person has not yet shown up to the thread. You think this person is going to actually admit that he is a part of the instant gratification generation? No he said in a thread recently that he tried EE and the tract method and saw no or little results and so switched to a different form of evangelism that saw results. That statement right there indicates that he wants instant results and is a part of the instant gratification generation, or maybe gratification is not the correct term. Whatever he wants instant results and does not want to wait. Tract distribution and contact evangelism as defined by Jon Speed in his book "Evangelism in the NT" does not always see visible results so fast. The results will be seen in heaven.

 

[JonC]

This person has not yet shown up to the thread. You think this person is going to actually admit that he is a part of the instant gratification generation? No he said in a thread recently that he tried EE and the tract method and saw no or little results and so switched to a different form of evangelism that saw results. That statement right there indicates that he wants instant results and is a part of the instant gratification generation, or maybe gratification is not the correct term. Whatever he wants instant results and does not want to wait. Tract distribution and contact evangelism as defined by Jon Speed in his book "Evangelism in the NT" does not always see visible results so fast. The results will be seen in heaven.

It almost sounds like Paul to me. At one time EE's strength was that door to door visits were common (it was expected). Now not so much. WOTM's strength was that people in general accepted the Ten Commandments as a moral code. Now not so much. I think we do need to change in order to reach people with the message of Christ - NOT by incorporating the world but my measuring how effectively we are communicating. Results are a good measure of this effectiveness.

BTW, you can quote the other member's comments or even invite him to this thread if it is something you'd like to discuss. There is no shame in being a part of the "instant gratification generation"....in fact, I wish I were a member.....I felt much better 30 years ago.

 

[evangelist6589]

It almost sounds like Paul to me. At one time EE's strength was that door to door visits were common (it was expected). Now not so much. WOTM's strength was that people in general accepted the Ten Commandments as a moral code. Now not so much. I think we do need to change in order to reach people with the message of Christ - NOT by incorporating the world but my measuring how effectively we are communicating. Results are a good measure of this effectiveness.

BTW, you can quote the other member's comments or even invite him to this thread if it is something you'd like to discuss. There is no shame in being a part of the "instant gratification generation"....in fact, I wish I were a member.....I felt much better 30 years ago.

This again is why I am WOTM Preferred and not WOTM only. You think I do not see the value in using apologetic arguments? I bought some of these tracts recently.

Is There a God? (ESV), Pack of 25 Tracts

I also have been known to use these type of arguments in my open air preaching. Ray Comfort does not do this unfortunately. However he wrote a book on this topic.

The tract helps my preaching get straight to the point. Look people must see that their is a God and there is evidence for Him and his existence. Then after they see this can they be opened.

 

[annsni]

No he said in a thread recently that he tried EE and the tract method and saw no or little results and so switched to a different form of evangelism that saw results. That statement right there indicates that he wants instant results and is a part of the instant gratification generation, or maybe gratification is not the correct term. Whatever he wants instant results and does not want to wait.

Wait - what? You're saying that this man is wrong because he actually saw people come to faith in Christ and he should have stayed with speaking to the wind and not had any converts??? Seriously????

 

[TCassidy]

No he said in a thread recently that he tried EE and the tract method and saw no or little results and so switched to a different form of evangelism that saw results. That statement right there indicates that he wants instant results and is a part of the instant gratification generation, or maybe gratification is not the correct term.

Are you saying that wanting results, and praying that God gives results, is wrong? Doesn't God's word say that when we are obedient He gives results? Some 30 fold, some 60 fold, some 100 fold.

Why is trusting God for results a sin?

 

[TCassidy]

Noah did not have a single convert in his 120 years of preaching and God does not always guarantee visible results for us to see.

Actually he had 7 results, who went on to repopulate the entire world. That sure looks like results to me!

 

[TCassidy]

And who says I have had no fruit?

You did. You admitted that in the years you have been street preaching and handing out tracts you have not seen a single convert be saved, baptized, and discipled. You were telling the truth, weren't you?

 

[evangelist6589]

You did. You admitted that in the years you have been street preaching and handing out tracts you have not seen a single convert be saved, baptized, and discipled. You were telling the truth, weren't you?

I did not remember. One person got saved and one person wanted to get saved. Besides that only God knows the results.

 

[evangelist6589]

Actually he had 7 results, who went on to repopulate the entire world. That sure looks like results to me!

Besides his family

 

[evangelist6589]

Wait - what? You're saying that this man is wrong because he actually saw people come to faith in Christ and he should have stayed with speaking to the wind and not had any converts??? Seriously????

That’s not what I said. I said he is wrong for being against contact Evangelism.

 

[TCassidy]

Besides his family

Okay. So winning family members to Christ doesn't count? So when Andrew brought Peter to Christ, that didn't count?

Every Christian's ministry starts at home. And a man's family are the credentials that God expects to confirm his ministry. By abandoning his family a man abandons his ministry and the confirmation of his ministry.

Family are our most important converts.