The GOSPEL (I Corinthians 15:1-5)
2. Christ buried—He blotted out my sins.
3. Christ risen—He saves completely.
4. Christ manifested—He is coming again.
The gospel "is the power of God unto salvation to
every one that believeth" (Romans 1:16).
every one that believeth" (Romans 1:16).
This is the back cover of the tract:
"The Way of Life Made Plain" gospel tract is still in print! Contact the Pilgrim Tract Society, P.O. Box 126, Randleman, North Carolina, 27317, USA. Phone: (336) 495-1241. Email: pilgrim@northstate.net, Website: www.PilgrimTract.org.
The following account is related in an article titled "Sermon Illustrations":
ReplyDeleteSaved by a Tract
We feel strongly that there is a great need of causing all Bible-loving Christians to realize the importance of distributing the Gospel message in print, and thereby combating the many errors that are propagated so largely by various religious cults and atheistic organizations, as well as arousing the careless and indifferent. One of the "weak things" which God is pleased to use is a Gospel tract—a little piece of paper on which is printed His Word—given in faith and love to the passer-by.
The following incident shows that God blesses such a ministry:
Recently a young Lithuanian was ordained to the Gospel ministry in Chicago. He had passed a creditable examination as to his salvation, his call to the ministry, and his knowledge of the Bible. This, in brief, is his story:
He was reared in the Roman Catholic faith in his native land. He came to this country when quite young. He became a confirmed gambler; one night in desperation he made a last plunge, and lost. After midnight he left the gambling hall intending to end it all in the lake. Walking down the street, someone handed him a tract entitled, "The Way of Life Made Plain." This tract has a diagram illustrating the two ways, the broad and the narrow—with the Red Cross at the parting of the ways. It shows clearly the need of salvation, bringing the reader to the definite question, "Which way do you choose?"
The young Lithuanian stopped to look at the leaflet that had been given him. He read: "We must all meet God. Are you prepared? Are you saved? This is a very important question. Your happiness or misery for all eternity is involved in it." He was startled by the word "eternity" which seemed to stand out in bold letters. He was convicted of his lost condition and of his great need. He continued reading. He saw the way of life clearly pointed out. He called upon the Lord to save him, and God heard his cry. The work was begun in his heart, and soon he was rejoicing in the consciousness of sins forgiven and a new life imparted. He is now devoting all of his time in telling his fellow countrymen the good news of salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.—Selected.
The following description of Norman H. Camp's gospel tract titled "The Way of Life Made Plain" is excerpted from "The Evangelical Beacon and Evangelist" magazine (Vol. 1, No. 15, November 7, 1950) of the Evangelical Free Church of America:
ReplyDelete"The Way of Life
Made Plain"
by N. H. Camp
The Moody Press has just published a
new edition of the WAY OF LIFE tract
in English and this makes more than
15,000,000 copies of this tract which has
been published in fifteen different languages.
This tract was prepared by Norman
H. Camp some years ago to assist in personal
work as well as for general distribution.
The diagram with the red cross in
the center enables the reader to see plainly
his need of salvation (not religion) and
what he needs to be saved from; namely,
an evil, perishing WORLD; from SATAN,
the God of this world; from the guilt and
power of SIN; from DEATH, the wages of
sin; from JUDGMENT; from ETERNAL
PUNISHMENT; and from HELL, and that
He as a sinner is unable to save himself
from all these enemies that surround and
bind him. He is then made to understand
that he can be saved by the living Christ
who was raised from the dead after He
gave himself a perfect sacrifice for sin at
Calvary's Cross, tasted death for every
man, and overcame the devil and this evil
world, and has all power in heaven and
in earth, and is able to save to the uttermost
"seeing he ever liveth to make intercession
for us" (Heb. 7:25). The reader
is brought face to face with the question,
"Which way do you choose?" the
broad way that leads to destruction, or
the narrow way that leads to everlasting
life.
Here's an excerpt from a leaflet published by the Pilgrim Tract Society, Randleman, NC. The leaflet is titled: "The Influence Of A Tract".
ReplyDeleteA TRACT GIVEN
ON A CHICAGO STREET—
A NATION GETS THE GOSPEL!
It was not many years ago that someone handed a tract to a Lithuanian lad on one of Chicago's busy streets. That tract worker will probably never know 'til he gets to Heaven, that his tract brought about the salvation of A.J. Gillies, then an unknown lad from the little country of the Baltic. When our Saviour introduces this tract worker to Brother Gillies, imagine his surprise to learn that his convert originated the only large fundamental Christian missionary work that we know to exist among this neglected people.
As there are more Lithuanians in Chicago than in the capital of Lithuania (100,000), Brother Gillies was able to make a good start on his work there. It began in 1928. In 1937, Mr. and Mrs. Gillies entered the homeland with their son John and a companion in the work, Mr. George Thomas. There the work was firmly established in the hands of resident believers by the time World War II forced them to leave. The Lord used this to spread the work even farther, and the Gillies left for Argentina, where the next largest Lithuanian population (outside Lithuania and the U.S.) is found. It went on to Uruguay and Brazil before the Gillies returned to America to resume their work here with open air meetings, evangelistic campaigns in industrial cities, and a great ministry with the printed word.
Not forgetting his own conversion thru the printed word, Brother Gillies has used the printers ink extensively in winning many Lithuanians to Christ. Weekly Gospel articles in the Largest Lithuanian newspaper reach a quarter-million of these people each week. A monthly magazine takes the Gospel in Lithuanian to ten countries. The Word of God is not yet fully translated into the Lithuanian tongue, but work is progressing toward that end, and portions that are available, such as the Gospel of John, are being used to good advantage.
[continued below...]
Brother Gillies was born in Onushkis in Lithuania, was brought up in the Roman Catholic faith. Came to America when but a lad. In Chicago he had a good trade and was making money. In the hope of getting rich quick he drew out all of his money and went to a gambling house where large sums could be won or lost. He lost all. But read his own story of what happened that night:
ReplyDelete"I left the place disgusted and despondent. I walked slowly down the street, not knowing just what to do. I looked around with this thought in mind—'What shall I do now?' As I was wondering whether God would help me, if I should call upon Him, a young man approached me with a message. He handed me a tract, asking me to read it carefully, and then walked away. The title of this tract is 'Way of Life Made Plain,' written by Rev. Norman H. Camp. Indeed, the way of life was made plain to me that night! After reading the tract, I realized my lost condition and with tears cried for mercy, confessing my sins to Jesus for the first time in my life. I asked God to save me for Jesus' sake. This great transaction with the Lord took place on a street corner, beneath a lamp post, at the early hour of two o'clock, in the fall of the year 1920.
The Word of God says:—'Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved' (Acts 2:12). I know I was saved then and there. I had the most wonderful time with the Lord. An unspeakable joy came into my heart, and an experience such as I never had before. Everything looked brighter—the stars, the moon and even the electric lights. I went to my room a new man in Christ Jesus, rejoicing, praising God, and thanking Him for what He had done for me. 'Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.' (2 Cor. 5:17).
The next morning found me in the Lord. I soon began to do some housecleaning. I burned all the cigars, cigarettes, tobacco, cards, and dice which I had in my pockets. Thanks be to God, from that day to this, there has been no desire for those things which I had loved before. 'Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy' (Jude 24)."
Here's another testimony to the influence of Norman H. Camp's gospel tract titled "The Way of Life Made Plain". The following account is given in the Moody Bible Institute's "Christian Workers Magazine" from October 1916 (vol. 17, no. 2, p. 314):
ReplyDelete"A GOD-BLESSED LEAFLET
God is continuing to honor the little tract by Evangelist N. H. Camp entitled 'The Way of Life,' and another 100,000 copies has just been printed. One of the Christian workers in the 'Billy' Sunday campaign recently ordered 10,000 for distribution in his work, having previously gotten 2,500 copies. He stated that God was blessing the tract greatly. A sample copy of 'The Way of Life' tract will be gladly sent to anyone who wishes to see it. Mr. Camp's address is 5416 Winthrop Ave., Chicago."