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The Preface

A Real Problem

A Biblical Solution

Understanding the Tools

Visual Aids

Common Blunders

Ideas that Really Work

Final Thoughts

Let me conclude with a story from a sharp young lady who participated in one of the TERM studies I conducted. Upon completing the lessons she wrote the following:

"I grew up in a [religious] home—please notice I did not say a Christian home. To me, the whole concept of who God was, well, it wasn't a good picture. He was very foreign and distant to me. It was very difficult for me to understand that there was this God who loved me. I experienced great contrasts in growing up, none of which balanced each other out (i.e. going to church every week, attending a [religious] school, and growing up in an extremely abusive home.) In looking back though I am very thankful for all these experiences because as I entered college, the Lord began to tug on my life and caused me to ask many questions—and ultimately the most important question—what must I do to be saved? I was directed to 'ask Jesus into my heart.'"

Let me inject additional information here. As a result of her seeking, she visited a church and went forward when the altar call was given. Though she said the "sinner's prayer," she told me that she really did not understand what it was all about. She came away from that experience feeling that she now had "permission to read the Bible" for herself. She continued to attend this church and began to help in the church ministry. I will let her continue her story.

"It was not difficult for me to live the 'good Christian life,' as I never was a real rebellious person. I have struggled, though, over the past three years in knowing if I was truly saved. No one I sought counsel with was able to leave me with satisfaction as to what my eternal destiny was—this is a terrifying thought in light of my position¹ at the church."

She told me how she went to the pastor seeking counsel on the issue of "assurance of salvation." He read her several Bible verses and they prayed. But still the doubts persisted. The session was repeated, as was the prayer. After several such meetings she was referred to an assistant pastor. Eventually she became so discouraged by this struggle for assurance, the pastoral staff recommended she see a Christian psychologist. This she did for a couple of years. She was diagnosed as having "chronic depression" and counseled and treated accordingly. When she finally attended the TERM seminar she was deep in financial debt as a result of this diagnosis. All this time she was helping out in the church and eventually ended up in a responsible position on the mission's committee.

As I taught the TERM seminar, I knew none of this lady's background. I carefully laid the foundation of the gospel through the Old Testament. She told me later that much of what I was teaching her was brand new information. She said that she did not understand where I was going with all this material, but she did understand the content being taught up to that day.

As we progressed into the New Testament, things began to fall into place for her. She now understood that she was a helpless sinner who could do nothing to please a holy God. Sin demanded death, both a physical separation from the body and an eternal separation from God. God's wrath abided on her because of her sin, and that wrath would be experienced for eternity in the lake of fire. But then God showed a kindness she did not deserve and provided a way to escape that holy anger on sin. He came to earth as the God-man Jesus and lived a perfect, spotless life. He had no sin-debt of His own to pay so He did not need to die. Out of His great love and mercy He took all her sin upon Himself and paid her death penalty for her. Jesus died in her place, as a substitute. God's justice was completely satisfied by that death, and Jesus was powerfully resurrected back to life. The question that remained for her was this, "Would she rest in, rely upon, put faith in that payment as being entirely sufficient for her? Would she trust in the One who had died and been resurrected so that she might live eternally?" She wrote,

"Only after this time of seeing clearly in God's Word who I am in relationship to Him and what He has done for me, have I come to grasp the reality of the finished work on the cross for me."

She told me later, "When you read how Jesus cried out on the cross, 'It is finished,' I knew, oh I knew, it truly was finished for me too. Jesus paid it all."

I asked her about her doubts. She said simply, "They're gone. I don't think I would ever have had them if I had understood the gospel. The reason I was depressed was because seemingly no one could help me with my doubts, and I knew Christians weren't supposed to doubt. But the reason I had the doubts was because no one took the time to clearly explain the gospel."

We should also note that it wasn't the hasty sinner's prayer at the church altar that saved her. Faith is built on facts and this lady didn't even know enough to understand what prayer she had prayed. To her it was no different than many other religious rituals she had performed at her church without understanding.

So just when was she born from above? I don't know "when," but obviously it was at the moment she trusted in what Jesus Christ had done for her on the cross. And since faith is always based on facts, and understanding the meaning of the gospel is directly connected to the power of the gospel, we would have to ask her when she understood the message. Only when she understood and then believed was the power of the gospel—the living Christ—evident in her life. Up till then she was still living in darkness.

Could that not be the reason why we have so many people who claim to be Christians, but show no evidence of it in their lives? They simply have never understood its message in the first place. May our hearts be so gripped with that fact, that in all we say and do, we may be found teaching a clear gospel. Let us not be discouraged but take heart in what the Apostle Paul penned 2000 years ago:

"When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power." 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Footnotes:

1 She had come to hold a significant position in a church of 3000 attendees.

Appendix

How can I help out?

Our needs occur in two primary areas—prayer and facilitators.

1) Prayer

GoodSeed is solely a gospel ministry, not only reaching those on our doorsteps but also extending outward into parts of the world that are very hostile to a Christian witness. As part of those who emphasize a clear gospel, we believe we are a target for the enemy's attacks. We value specific and timely prayer for all aspects of our ministry. If you desire to join our prayer team, and are willing to pray for us both as an organization and as individuals then we will do the following:

1. For those having access to a fax or E-mail, we will place you on a weekly update list that keeps abreast of pertinent prayer needs.
2. For those wishing to pray for individuals, we will team you with a GoodSeed staff member who you can pray for specifically.

2) Facilitators

1. Waiting Rooms: Are you a professional who has an office with a waiting room? Then why not place an edition of The Stranger on the coffee table in the waiting room. We will place a special stamp inside the front cover that tells how one can order a copy of the book.

Whether you have such an office or not, you can facilitate these tools being placed in waiting rooms. All you have to do is obtain the appropriate permissions. As a facilitator you will need to follow-up on the placing of books to make sure they are still in place and in good shape.

2. Church Greeter: Along with the pastor this job could well be the most important responsibility in the local church. A church greeter is in a position to offer newcomers copies of The Stranger to read in the privacy of their homes. It can be explained that The Stranger will help them gain a better understanding of what your church is all about.
3. Retirement Centers: Retirees are often great readers. They can also be very lonely. Your visit and the offer of a book will often be much appreciated.
4. Libraries: As a facilitator, you can work towards placing at least one copy of these tools in various libraries. There are schools, churches, colleges, ministries, prisons, halfway houses, rescue missions, municipalities, counties that have libraries, and are often willing to receive a copy of the various books or audio tapes. (The book should be filed under "A Bible Overview" and will often be placed in the "Religion" section.)
5. Translations: Translations of The Stranger, All the Prophets and The Lamb are available in other languages because churches and individuals served as facilitators. At any given time GoodSeed has more translations in the works than we have sponsors. It is exciting for a church to get behind a translation and make it their own—to hold the final product in hand and know that a clear gospel message is being presented in another language. We have had groups of churches combine their resources to make The Stranger available in a language. As a facilitator, you can help draw together those who would be interested in such an opportunity—those who would be interested in providing the seed money for a translation. (Note: GoodSeed has structured its translations so that once the initial seed money is provided for a particular language group, the sales from the books provide for future reprints. Often the books can be sold at very minimal cost.)
6. Organization: GoodSeed is a ministry of the Lord. As an organization we rely on gifts from individuals and groups who share our goals. We are not sponsored financially by any denomination or other affiliation. All proceeds from the sale of books and videos are used for the on going development of the worldwide ministry of GoodSeed. No author receives any benefits from the sale of books. As a facilitator you can help sponsor this ministry as a blessing to the body of Christ as a whole.
7. Personnel Partners: Most of our GoodSeed personnel have served as overseas missionaries prior to joining this ministry and have family members and close friends who are ministering in remote places around the world. They know from experience the kind of tools missionaries need and have the technical skills to produce them. They have also seen what happens when missionaries do not have the tools they need.

To keep body and soul together while creating these tools, GoodSeed ministry personnel rely upon God's provision through sponsors who partner with them. While some of our personnel are based overseas, most reside in North America. Traditionally, Christian workers in the homeland are not as well supported as those who serve overseas. We need sponsors who will get behind those who have given their lives to see the gospel reach the ends of the earth. We have staff, often living on minimal support, working part-time to make ends meet. If you are a dentist, mechanic, farmer—anyone who can help facilitate the ministry of our staff by relieving living costs, this will certainly be appreciated.

NOTE: GoodSeed does not deduct administrative fees from sponsorship donations.

He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Luke 10:2

What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. 1 Corinthians 7:29