The Law and the Gospel is now finding its way into peoples' hands, lives and homes in a predominately "soccer-mad" country. Most people take the tract thinking it has details pertaining to the future event being the World Cup, not realising that it deals with the ultimate future event of death and Judgment Day. We then transition from the natural to the spiritual by letting them know that it is a Gospel tract that deals with one's life and death.
Mark preaching during one of our "Tuesday lunch-time sessions" opposite the City HallMy dear brother-in-Christ and faithful fishing buddy Dr. Mark McDonogh (pictured above) - yeah, a real life doctor like the Apostle Luke - has a wonderful opening line when handing out the 2010 tract that says, "What is the goal of your life?" The springboard is that just as with the game of soccer has the object that you score goals, so is it with your life - before you die the goal of your life should be that you are in right standing with God.
Here is the contents of the 2010 Gospel Tract - proclaiming the Law and the Gospel of Grace --
You find yourself daily trusting in planes, trains and automobiles, mechanical equipment and human decisions. Just getting to this place you possibly placed your trust and life in the hands of persons you had not met before and man made things.
Statistics reveal that as many as 150 000 people die daily in any 24 hour period. You might be wondering why this information is being made available to you. The reason is that daily we are a breath away from dying and the reality is that we will some day meet this inevitable event. Will you be ready to pass on into eternity?
Think for a moment of the following three sporting tragedies that took place 'somewhat unexpectantly':
∙ 1958 - The Munich Disaster - On 6 February the Manchester United team were on their way back from a European Cup-tie in Belgrade. They had stopped in Munich and were taking off again in bitterly cold, bleak conditions when the plane suddenly dipped and crashed even before it was clear of the airport. Eight players, eight journalists and seven others, including United officials and air crew, lost their lives.
∙ April 15, 1989 at the Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield England, 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death when fans arriving after kick-off, at an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, packed into an already overcrowded standing terracing area crushing the unsuspecting supporters in the front row up against metal fencing resulting in many deaths from suffocation.
∙ April 11, 2001 at the Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, a stampede at an 'Orlando Derby' soccer match between arch rivals Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates led to the death of 43 supporters.
You might be wondering at this point what the foregoing incidents have to do with "Your Winner's Medal". If you were to place yourself at the scene of one of the tragedies minutes before mayhem erupted around you and the chances were 1-in-1 that you would be a victim of early death would you want to be warned in advance of the events that would unfold - to warn you of your soul passing through death prematurely into eternity. The reality is that those souls who lost their lives under such tragic circumstances never knew their time had arrived.
You could find yourself sitting in a stadium enjoying worldly entertainment and trusting the seat you are in not knowing that death awaits you minutes away.
Have you ever considered what happens to you when you die? What were the victims thinking of leading up to their deaths? Had they considered their eternal destination? Do you think they considered where their spirit would spend eternity? How about you? Have you thought about heaven and hell and whether these places do exist? Or do you think when you die it is just "Game Over".
You have received this because someone cares and loves you enough to ask that you will please read the information contained herein as it will not only save your life if applied, but also save you much pain.
The million dollar question to you is - Would you consider yourself to be a good person?
You have a conscience so please listen to the inner voice that tells you what is right action and what is wrong action. If you answered "Yes" - or something similar to being 'good' - it would not be out of the ordinary to see if that is in fact true. The way YOU can evaluate your 'goodness' is by using God's Moral Law (The Ten Commandments), His Standards. Do you think you have kept them? Let's see how you will fare...
Have you ever told a lie? Even as a supporter or athlete have you ever tried to deceive the referee / umpire or an opponent by trying to gain an unfair advantage - that is lying. What about, have you ever stolen anything? The value or size of the object is irrelevant. Be honest and listen to your conscience.
Have you ever committed adultery? You don't have to be married to break this law. Jesus said, "Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart" - Matthew 5:28. Have you looked with lust / sexual desire? This is also an offence to women who look with lust at men. A woman who dresses seductively to seduce men's eyes and cause them to lust after her is called an adulteress (Proverbs 6:24-29). Or have you had sex outside of marriage (fornication)? Have you ever used God's Holy name in vain - as a swear word? This is blasphemy and God's Word says He will hold all who violate this law to be guilty. Possibly you have hated someone by calling them names - you will be judged as a murderer for you have committed murder in your heart. What about abortion?
If you have answered "yes" to any of the above questions God sees you as a liar, a thief, an adulterer-at-heart, a blasphemer and a murderer. These are only five of the Ten Commandments that you have answered to, and there are still five more cannons of God's Law pointed at you. Have you always placed God as number one in your life or do you bow the knee or worship idols and false gods? This is idolatry and the Bible says idolaters will be cast into the lake of fire. The Word of God says that if you break one commandment at any point, you have broken the whole Law (at every level). Therefore you have broken all the commandments and wrath is against you. If God were to judge you by His Moral Standards on the Day of Judgment do you think you will be innocent or guilty? And if you are reasonable and you are guilty, do you think you will go to heaven or hell? Breaking God's Law will make it reasonable that you will go to hell - His prison. Does this concern you?
It should concern you, because I am concerned for you too. The Bible says: Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. - 1 Corinthians 6:9,10.
And in Revelation 21:8 the Holy Scriptures read: "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars - their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second death."
At this point, take note that it is not the will of God to want to send you to hell. Do you know what God did for you 2000 years ago? Do not deceive yourself - you are not good. You are a sinner; evil and wicked just as the rest of us are. God is Good. In His mercy and grace towards you and all humanity God became a Man to die in your place. It is like this - you broke God's Law and He paid your fine in His Son's precious life's blood. Jesus Christ the sent Messiah was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin named Mary and who came to dwell amongst us as Immanuel (God with us). In obedience to His Father, the Lord Jesus lay down His life for all sinners and was sacrificed in your and humanity's place upon the cross at Calvary. He was crucified, bruised and crushed for our lawlessness. Jesus the sent Saviour of the world took the full extent of God's Law upon Himself to die in your place. He was laid in a tomb and on the third day He was raised to life by the power of the Holy Spirit defeating death and the grave. There were on many occasions witnessing that He was raised from the dead and Jesus ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of God the Father interceding on our behalf from where He will one day return to "judge the world in Righteousness." - Acts 17:31
The Bible says that the only way to enter into heaven is to be reborn of the Spirit and be baptised in water. You need to humble yourself as a sinner before God and ask Him to forgive your lawless sins, repent of (turn away and forsake) your sin and put your trust and faith only in the Lord Jesus as your Saviour and Redeemer who saved you from death. Then you will move from death to life and you will be reconciled to God as His child and God will grant you His gift of eternal life. God will not forsake you as it is impossible for God to lie. Then read your Bible daily and believe and live out what it tells you.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16
Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6
So, why wait for 2010 to be a 'winner'? Get right with God today.
Behold, now is the day of salvation - 2 Corinthians 6:2.
