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Unfruitful letter writing campaign?

Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by evangelist6589, Nov 19, 2017.

  1. evangelist6589

    evangelist6589 Well-Known Member
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    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.
     
  2. Don

    Don Well-Known Member
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    So - did the former apostate pastor repent because of a letter someone sent him?
     
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  3. evangelist6589

    evangelist6589 Well-Known Member
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    No idea of the details.
     
  4. Don

    Don Well-Known Member
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    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.
     
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  5. evangelist6589

    evangelist6589 Well-Known Member
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    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!
     
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  6. Don

    Don Well-Known Member
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    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.
     
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  7. Sapper Woody

    Sapper Woody Well-Known Member

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

    Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
     
  8. TCassidy

    TCassidy Late-Administator Emeritus
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    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?
     
  9. evangelist6589

    evangelist6589 Well-Known Member
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    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?
     
    #9 evangelist6589, Nov 19, 2017
    Last edited: Nov 19, 2017
  10. evangelist6589

    evangelist6589 Well-Known Member
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    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.
     
  11. JonC

    JonC Moderator
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    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. :Biggrin
     
  12. evangelist6589

    evangelist6589 Well-Known Member
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    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.
     
  13. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    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????
     
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  14. TCassidy

    TCassidy Late-Administator Emeritus
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    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?
     
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  15. TCassidy

    TCassidy Late-Administator Emeritus
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    Actually he had 7 results, who went on to repopulate the entire world. That sure looks like results to me!
     
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  16. TCassidy

    TCassidy Late-Administator Emeritus
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    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?
     
  17. evangelist6589

    evangelist6589 Well-Known Member
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    I did not remember. One person got saved and one person wanted to get saved. Besides that only God knows the results.
     
  18. evangelist6589

    evangelist6589 Well-Known Member
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    Besides his family
     
  19. evangelist6589

    evangelist6589 Well-Known Member
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    That’s not what I said. I said he is wrong for being against contact Evangelism.
     
  20. TCassidy

    TCassidy Late-Administator Emeritus
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    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.
     
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