Going to Jesus

Gospel Tracts

 Select a tract to read:

• Tracts 1-50

  1. How I Received the Holy Ghost 2. Jesus Is Coming Again 3. You Must Be Born Again 4. Stir Up the Gift of God 5. The World’s Most Dreaded Hour 6. What is Salvation? 7. Stand Still in Jordan 9. Grieved Hearts 10. The Second Death 11. The Father and the Son 12. Suffering and the Saints 13. Cancer Conquered 14. The Church? 15. How Shall They Preach, Except They Be Sent? 16. Have You Received the Holy Ghost Since You Believed? 17. Patience 18. Alone With God 19. Tithes and Offerings 20. Prayer 21. The True Sabbath 22. The Besetting Sin 23. The Cry of the Righteous 24. What Will the Harvest Be? 25. Marriage and Divorce 26. Taking the Name of the Lord 27. The Keys of the Kingdom 28. Works 29. Politics and Believers 30. Unequally Yoked in Marriage 31. Coming Out of Babylon 32. The Forgiven Woman 33. The New Earth 34. The Sin of Silence 35. Freedom 36. Gods of the Gentiles 37. Why Some Are Not Healed 38. The Seven Pillars 39. Life, More Abundantly 40. Fear 41. The Comforter’s Testimony 42. This is My Friend 43. Conversion 44. The Time Is Drawing Near? 45. Songs in the Night 46. The Master’s Net 47. Trials are Opportunities 48. Receiving the Messenger 49. Seven Messages to the Seven Pastors 50. Keep Yourself Pure

• Tracts 51-100

  51. The New Birth 52. John the Baptist and Jesus 53. Denying Jesus 54. Bruised Reeds 56. The Wise and the Foolish 57. Holiness 58. Is Jesus God? 59. Christ or Christianity 60. Have Faith In God 61. Worthy to Suffer 63. Four Kinds of Soil 64. Communion 65. The Fullness of Time 66. Baptism 68. No Room 69. Crucified With Christ 70. Homosexuality and the Bible 71. The Kingdom of God 72. The Gospel of Christ 74. Perseverance 75. The Resurrection 76. Salvation 77. Sanctification 78. New Commandments 79. The Sacrifice of Christ 81. The Sound of the Spirit 82. The Wrath of God 84. God’s Compass 85. Perfection 86. The Abomination of Desolation 87. Antichrist 88. The Way of Grace 90. Relationships 91. The Vineyard of God 93. Subdued 94. The Spirit of Christ 95. The Blood of Christ 96. Spirit of a Serpent, Spirit of a Dove 97. Gluttony 98. The Lost Lamb 99. Scripture Burners 100. Bleating and Lowing

 

From these scriptures we see that four of our Lord’s apostles were fishermen. This is a worthy occupation; nevertheless, Jesus wanted these four men, along with all whom he chooses to preach the gospel, to leave their nets (occupations) and to follow him in fishing for the men and women who are dying in a sea of sin and despair.

Of course, not every fish will be caught and rescued from the sea (the sea is the peoples of the earth – Rev. 17:15). Indeed, this kingdom net holds only a small number of fish in comparison to those left in the sea; and yet, not all those who are brought out of the sea will be saved in the end, for there are some bad fish in the net of the kingdom of God (Mt. 13:47-48) as well as good. When the net was full, our text tells us, “they drew up on the shore; and when they sat down, they gathered the good ones [obedient believers] into vessels, but threw the bad ones [disobedient believers] away. This is how it will be at the close of the age.”

Many saints are constantly vexed by the presence of these trouble-making bad fish, or “foolish virgins” (Mt. 25:1-12), among us. But do not fret yourselves, faithful ones. It won’t be long. “For in just a very little while, ‘He who is coming will come, and he will not tarry.’ ” (Heb. 10:37). In the appointed time, foolish virgins will be cast out of the kingdom of God. The whole point of Jesus’ parable of the net is that some who are born of the Spirit will be damned in the Final Judgment because they have been disobedient children of God since their new birth experience. “So, judge nothing before the time, but wait until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will expose the intentions of hearts” (1Cor. 4:5).

God’s kingdom must bear among its citizens both good and bad until the harvest. Remember, the servants of God “when those servants went out on the roads, they gathered together all, as many as they found, both evil and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.” We are also told that “when the king came in to view the guests, he saw a man there not clothed with wedding garments. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you enter here not having wedding garments?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to his ministers, ‘Bind his hands and feet, take him away and cast him into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called but few are chosen” (Mt. 22:11-14). Yes, thank God, the time is near when “The Son of man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom [net] all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness. . . . Then will the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Mt. 13:41; 43). God will purge His family of all disobedience before the end of this age.

Sinner, you have one thing especially for which to thank God, and that is, His net is still in the water. However, the net is being drawn nearer to shore each day. The day is approaching when we shall hear Him say, “Bring near the fish which you have now caught.”

This same truth is revealed in a parable which Paul explained to the saints in Galatia: “For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one [Ishmael] by a servant-girl [Hagar] and another [Isaac] by a free woman [Sarah]; however, the one by the servant-girl was begotten after the flesh, while the one by the free woman was begotten through promise. Which things are used for an allegory [a story which is told to explain something else]” (Gal. 4:22-24). In this allegory, Abraham typified God the Father. He was father to both Ishmael and Isaac, who symbolized the foolish and wise among the children of God today. To those who walk in the liberty of Christ, Paul continued, “Now we, brothers, are children of promise [the Spirit], as was Isaac, but just as then, the one who was born after the flesh [Ishmael] persecuted the one born after the spirit, so it is now as well. But then, what does the scripture say? ‘Cast out this slave-girl with her son! For the son of this slave-girl will not inherit’ with the son of the free woman.”

Do you recall how it grieved Abraham when he had to “cast out this slave-girl and her son”? Yes, “the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son [Ishmael]” (Gen. 21:11). Nevertheless, he had to give him up. Friend, don’t you know that it will be grievous to God when He casts some of His children out of His kingdom?

May God help Isaac to grow and be weaned from the ceremonies and traditions of men which so heavily burden the body of Christ. It was when Isaac was weaned that Sarah saw Ishmael mocking! Oh, how the foolish virgins now mock the few who have been wise enough to withdraw themselves from “commandments and teachings of men. Which things, though having an appearance of wisdom in a self-willed religion, humility, and abuse of the body”, but “are all headed for destruction by the use” (Col. 2:22-23). The separation of the foolish and the wise in God’s family is drawing near. Sarah is about to cry, “Cast out this slave- girl and her son!” According to Jesus’ parable of the tares in the field (Mt. 13:24-30, 36-43), this separation will occur before the coming of the Lord! Pray, my friend, to be found worthy to escape the “strong delusion” which God will soon send, which delusion will deceive every stubborn soul in His kingdom, every heart not completely yielded to Christ.

The gospel ship has been launched into the sea of humanity. The net has been cast on the right side of the ship and is being filled with the souls of men. Hurry, sinner, ere you be left in the sea to perish in the destruction of the earth. Hurry, lukewarm child of God! Prepare your heart to be tried by the Almighty. On that day, may we all be able to say, “Thou, O God, hast proved us. Thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net. Thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads. We went through the fire and through water, but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place” (Ps. 66:10-12).

May every true fisherman stay by the net, with hands steady in faith, until we hear the words of the Master, “Bring of the fish which you have now caught.”