One of my friends read one in the restroom at work, and God Saved him.
ineffective?
I remember hearing the gospel and rolling my eyes. I remember Lauging at street preachers.
I thought street preachers were just madmen.
I thought televangelists were all robbers.
I thought tracts were useless trash.
I remember being given tracts and reading half and throwing it in the bin.
I would listen to street preachers just long enough to feel justified in silently mocking them and moving on.
But I still heard, and I still saw the gospel.
Foolishness to those who perish, it is not the cleverness of the preacher, or the attractiveness of the method, but rather the simplicity of the gospel that is the power of God unto salvation.
Seeds were sown. Many out of season. And here I am, a believer of around 30 years now.
Saved one day, without a preacher, or a tract, or a believer in sight.
No intention of thinking about the gospel.
Not looking for God.
Not convinced by clever apologetics.
Not won over by trendy Christian concerts.
Not lured in by loving Christian friends.
Not moved by prayers or traditional worship services.
Not moved by emotional appeals or testimonies.
Not convicted by hell-fire sermons.
I did not find God through any of these.
But then again... Maybe it was through them all...
I dont believe those gospel seeds that were sown into my life failed to produce a harvest at all. Whatever the method, or the intent of the giver or the speaker or the preacher.
I believe every one who tried to tell me I needed Jesus as my Saviour, succeeded. Some planted and some watered, and most of them will never know until we die, that I eventually got saved. But when I meet them in heaven, I sure hope I remember what they all did, and get to thank each and every one of them.