“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
At 12 years old I still remember my first close bow encounter with a whitetail very well. As I sat in the stand that evening I had a small 6 point step out of the cornfield into a little weeded area that bordered the corner of the hardwoods I was sitting in. It was my first real experience of buck fever and I don’t think I could have made a good shot even if he would have presented an opportunity. All night long I would grunt at this buck and his curiosity would draw him to 20 yards, but he would never jump the fence. As the night faded away, I found myself sitting in the dark and the only thing that ran through my mind is that this deer is now going to jump the fence and attack me as I adventure back to grandma’s house in the dark. With very little light left, I began waving my hands and yelling so the deer would run off before I got to the bottom of my ladder. My dad picked me up on his way home from work that evening and was very disappointed at my actions because we were planning to hunt there again the next morning. At 12 years old there was a lot I didn’t understand about whitetails. I didn’t realize that they would intentionally avoid that specific area for days, weeks, or even months due to the danger that was presented that night. Over the years I have come to learn a lot about whitetail hunting and the decision I made that night was a terrible one. What does it take to become a better hunter? That’s an easy answer: Time! The more time you spend in the stand, the more time you read, and the more time you listen to others can change your hunting success drastically. There are many believers today that accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour, but as they grow older they are never successful in their walk with Christ because they refuse to spend time learning who Jesus Christ is. There are many people that have been saved for years, but when they have conversation with a muslim, jehovah witness, or even a catholic they don’t know how to defend their faith because they spend no time studying God’s Word. Who is Jesus Christ? Some say that he was just a prophet, some say that he was just a son of God, but what does the Bible say? If someone told you that Jesus Christ was/is not God, could you defend that with scriptures? The great news about this truth is that its all over the Bible. Before we read this verse in Matthew we can see a great prophecy hundreds of years before Christ is even born; Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the LORD himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Jesus Christ was a man, but the Bible says He was God in the flesh. Remember, Emmanuel(according to Matthew) means “God with us.” We can even go a little further and see what John had to say: I John 5:7 “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” The Word is the Son of God who is Jesus Christ. Some want to say that these three agree in one, but the Bible says they “are one.” You might say, “explain that one.” There are some things in the Bible we wont be able to fully understand until we get to heaven, this is one of them, but we must believe it by faith. John 1:1 tells us again that God and Jesus are the same: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Word is Jesus Christ and John 1:14 shows us that clearly: “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. In John 20:28 we can see Thomas identifying with Jesus who He truly was: “And Thomas answered and said unto him, my Lord and my God.” Time is so valuable to a Christian! Are you spending time studying the Bible? Do you know how to defend against the false teachers? The Bible says that Emmanuel means “God with us.” If you have a desire to see others saved you will encounter this in your witness maybe sooner than later. What are you going to say when someone tells you that Jesus Christ is not God? Are you prepared? Have you been spending your time studying the Word? Its not about what I think or what you think or what man thinks! Its about what the Bible says! Do you feel like you are becoming a successful Christian? How many people have you won to Christ lately or even just witnessed to them? I Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”
Memory Verse Week 8/12/19
I Peter 3:15
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”
