What did you do with your time during the coronavirus lockdown?
My church had a large box of donated paperback copies of The Great Controversy which had sat in the church office for the longest time. With the extra time I had at home during the coronavirus lockdown, I decided to hand out as many as possible to the people in my neighborhood — believing that one day they will be picked up and read. I began using the Amazing Facts COVID Impact Survey (see below for the survey questions) and found myself REALLY enjoying the experience of knocking on doors and sharing The Great Controversy. This wasn’t always the case.
Many years ago, I spent a whole summer in Salt Lake City doing literature evangelism. To be honest, I didn’t enjoy the experience. I did it so I could get more stars in my crown, and all the other good reasons they give you for why you should spend your summer selling books. It was TOUGH! Now I am looking forward to getting The Great Controversy into homes using the short six-question Amazing Facts COVID Impact Survey. Of the people that will go through the survey, four out of five individuals will take the book — and of those who take the book, roughly half of them are grateful for it or will tell me they will read it.
COVID Impact Survey Successes
One afternoon I met a girl in her early twenties with light green hair and black fingernail polish. I went through the survey and to my surprise she said, “I’ll read it. I like the cover. It looks dope” (i.e. it looks cool). This experience reminded me of a preacher who used to be a purple-haired punk rocker before his life was changed by The Great Controversy.
Because of the positive experiences I was having with the Amazing Facts COVID Impact survey, I began encouraging others to try it out. A friend of mine who received the survey texted me the following: “I have never knocked on anyone’s door, but would like to be able to use this with patients as well. . .” Her words stuck in my mind and two days later I decided to encourage my twin brother, Calvin Kim, a dentist, to try out the survey with his patients. This is his testimony:
“Of all the books that I hand out to my patients, the least favorite of mine was The Great Controversy. It’s a rather large book as opposed to a GLOW tract or a pocketbook. My patients never seemed excited about receiving it. I was recently encouraged to try out the COVID Impact survey. The last question reads like this: ‘If one day you started hearing on the news about the government mandating Sunday as a day of rest, do you think it would make you recall our conversation today?’ To my surprise, my patients would respond very positively to this question, and when I would hand them The Great Controversy, unlike in the past when the patient would seem apathetic, they now seemed eager and very receptive to receive this book. It has made me more bold and confident about sharing The Great Controversy with my patients. This underscores to me again just how important the method of delivery is. I would encourage others to try out this Amazing Facts COVID Impact survey as our current pandemic provides a great opportunity to share with people who are uncertain about the future.”
It’s Time
I believe with all my heart that NOW IS THE TIME to get The Great Controversy out to as many people as we possibly can! We are told:
“The work which the church has failed to do in a time of peace and prosperity, she will have to do in a terrible crisis, under most discouraging, forbidding, circumstances.”1
My friend, Joe Kim, MD, a pain management specialist, who used to be a very successful colporteur back in his college days, took a look at the survey and shared the following: “I’ll use it too. . .I like what they did with going right at Sunday. Two years ago, I would have veered away from it out of caution, but I agree with whoever wrote this, that I feel it's time.”
The idea behind the Amazing Facts COVID Impact Survey comes from John 14:29 where Jesus said, “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe.” What if someone told you that something unlikely would happen in the future and it actually came to pass? Would that person have your full attention? Would you be more interested in other information this person has to say?
You Knew and You Didn’t Tell Us?
“Not long ago a very impressive scene passed before me. I saw an immense ball of fire falling among some beautiful mansions, causing their instant destruction. I heard someone say, ‘We knew that the judgments of God were coming upon the earth, but we did not know that they would come so soon.’ Others said, ‘You knew? Why then did you not tell us? We did not know.’ On every side I heard such words spoken. . .”2
I certainly don’t want my friends, neighbors, or co-workers coming to me saying, “Why didn’t you tell us?” I want to make each day count and live my life so I will have no regrets.
Call to Action
Now is the time to scatter The Great Controversy like the leaves of autumn with others around the world!
Join me in sharing The Great Controversy far and wide using the Amazing Facts COVID Impact Survey!
Amazing Facts COVID Impact Survey
Hello. My name is _____________. Today I am representing a television and radio program called Amazing Facts. I’m doing a short COVID Impact survey of six questions. I’m not selling anything and this will only take a few minutes.
Have any of your family members lost jobs or experienced financial hardship during this COVID crisis? (2nd option: On a scale of 1-10, how much does COVID bother you?)
When you watch local and international news, are you apprehensive about the future?
Because of COVID and the increase of natural disasters and catastrophes related to climate change, there are climate activists and religious leaders who are advocating for a universal day of rest. Have you heard anything about this?
How would you feel if our local or national government one day started mandating rest on Sunday and even worship on Sunday because they believe it’s the solution to our environmental issues?
Have you heard that the book of Revelation in the Bible speaks of the United States' role in current world events and will actually one day play a key role in mandating a universal day of rest?
Last question: If one day you started hearing on the news about the government mandating Sunday as a day of rest, do you think it would make you recall our conversation today? And do you think you would wonder, “I wonder what that guy knew”?
I would like to leave you with a book (hand them the book). This book covers the last 2000 years and shows how Bible prophecies have been fulfilling. It comes down to the present showing how America and current world events fit it. I would love for you to read this book. But if you decide not to read it, I want to encourage you to put it on your bookshelf and let it collect dust. But if one day you started hearing on the news about Sunday rest being mandated, I want to invite you to pick up this book and read it. How does this sound?
“Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, with all the zeal you can, as long as ever you can.” — John Wesley
Martin Kim
Martin Kim is an evangelist with Amazing Facts.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church Vol. 5 (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1882), p.463.
Ellen G. White, Maranatha (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1976), p.25.
This article was originally published on timetogetready.org.