Wrapping up 2015 with a Candy Cane Tract

Here's a candy cane gospel message we made to give out over the Christmas holiday season, in hopes of redeeming the time and pointing as many people as possible to the Savior.

I looked up various versions of "The Candy Cane Story" on the internet, and using these as a reference I wrote the story in my own way using Microsoft Publisher. We used a local print shop to make about 200 cards. We donated a bunch for family gift packages for our church's bus ministry children, our friends Aquila & Priscilla Sletten took a box full over the the Iowa Veteran's Home. The rest we've been giving out around town. May the Holy Spirit water this seed sown, that many would come to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The text of this message is below:

We Hope You Enjoy this Candy Cane! 

As you take it in your hand, turn it upside down: you will see
the J that reminds us of Jesus, who left Heaven’s glory 2000 years ago, and was born in a lowly stable in Bethlehem, just as the prophets had written many years before.
Turn it back upright, and you will see the shepherd’s crook, that reminds us that he is the Good Shepard who loves and cares for all who will follow him. The stripes remind us that he was wounded for our sins: the red speaks to his blood shed on Calvary’s cross to pay the penalty for our sin, and the white tells us how only he can wash away our sins, and make us white as snow. For all have broken God’s Law, the 10 Commandments, and all deserve the punishment … eternity in Hell. But God wants all to be rescued from this fate, and this is why Jesus came into the world.

We are glad you accepted this candy cane as a gift from us, but even more, I hope you will accept the gift of forgiveness and eternal life that comes, not from religion, a church, your sincerity, or by being a good person, but from trusting in this same Jesus as your own Savior. If you have not done so, why not turn to him today?

Jesus Paid It Some?

Someone once wrote a list of "Songs of the Lukewarm Church." They took the titles of good doctrinal hymns of the past & re-wrote them for the modern church. For example (correct title is in parenthesis):

• A Comfy Mattress Is Our God (A Mighty Fortress Is Our God)
• Take My Wife and Let Me Be (Take My Life and Let It Be)
• Pillow of Ages, Fluffed for Me (Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me)
• Above Average is Thy Faithfulness (Great is Thy Faithfulness)
• I Surrender Some (I Surrender All)

Kind of funny, but kind of sad given the lack of zeal we see around us, or sometimes in ourselves.

There's another good hymn I was thinking of, one that flies in the face of the false teaching that Jesus has not done everything required to secure one's salvation. As a Roman Catholic, I was taught that Jesus indeed had done something significant: His death on the cross opened the door to Heaven, if I can say it that way, but we have to do our part to make it in...that salvation by faith alone in Jesus Christ is damnable heresy. Of course, our part is a whole bunch of good religious works, and even then the poor Catholic soul has no assurance of salvation.

(Click this LINK to see how Rome denies justification by faith alone.)

No, the hymn I am thinking of is not "Jesus Paid it Some", it is...

JESUS PAID IT ALL!

So it was with this in mind on Saturday, June 27th, that God gave me a place to stand and speak publicly of the so-great salvation we have, by grace alone through faith alone on the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ alone. If you care to listen to what goes on in public ministry, you can listen to the audio by clicking HERE.

G.O.S.P.E.L.

It stands for...
God. Our. Sins. Paying. Everyone. Life.
This brother spells it out quite well. Check it out...

Did you watch it? Wasn't that great?

Okay...now, will you take the joyful, hopeful, awesome, wonderful message of the gospel out of your room, and out of your house, and out of your church building, and share it with:

• Your family
• Your friends
• Your enemies
• Neighbors
• Strangers
• The lady that rings up your groceries at the supermarket
• Thy kid behind the counter at the gas station
• Your boss...yeah, your boss (or, do you care about your annual raise more than his eternal soul?)
• The waitress at Perkins
• The people in town who do not speak like you, look like you, or dress like you
• The people in town who do

Will you pray for opportunities, and even go out of your way to take advantage of and make opportunities, to share the gospel with someone today, either by conversation or through gospel literature, Bibles or DVD's?

In other words, let's take Mark 16:15 seriously. Because that's the point of the gospel. And because Jesus Christ is worth it....

Love ya,

Paul