“21.But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal. 22. And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 23. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee as being king.”

King Saul has been given some very clear direction! Go into Amalek and destroy everything; I Samuel 15:3 “Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.” Amalek has been an enemy of Israel since the departure from Egypt. God has had enough of them and He has given direction to wipe this sinful nation away. We can all apply this thought to our lives of sin. God does not want us to live with any sin in our lives at all. When we deal with sin, we must remove it all. When we refuse to deal with all the sin in our lives it is most certain it will begin to grow again! The mistake king Saul made is that he looked to the things that he thought were good and kept them for himself. King Saul would have been wise to hearken unto the voice of God, but He chose to follow his eyes and his heart. Going back to the garden of Eden we can remember that Eve made this same mistake, rather than obey God, she chose to take a peak at what she thought was good; Genesis 3:6 “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” We must obey God, when we begin to look at the things God tells us to get away from, we will find ourselves in a world of destruction. Sin always hinders us from God’s work. Verse 22 of the main context is the focus of today; “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” Israel thought that offering these animals of the Amalekites as a sacrifice would please God, but God was more interested in obedience than the offering. A good example in todays world would be like skipping church on Sunday to go hunting so you could provide the wild game at your church dinner at the end of the month, or even being able to be a blessing to others in your church by giving them some wild game. That thought may be good, but God is more interested in obedience. Look at what God says about being in church; Hebrews 10:25 “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is;…” Another example could be playing the lottery. Some say to themselves, “If I could just win the lottery I could give more to the church.” God is more concerned about obeying than how much you can give.” I Timothy 6:8-10 “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Don’t overlook the simple things that God wants from us. Obey God! Trust Him, even when you may not understand! Many times our intentions may be good, but if its against God’s leading, its nothing more that sin. “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice…”

Memory Verse Week 1/13/19

I Samuel 15:22

“And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”

“18. And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people say it, they removed, and stood afar off. 19. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. 20. And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.”

God has just given the children of Israel the Ten Commandments. Starting in vs. 18 we can also take note that they are also seeing the glory and power of our Almighty Creator. Vs. 18 and 19 makes it clear that Israel is terrified of the presence of God. They want Moses to speak on their behalf because the fear of death has set in so deeply. Vs. 20 is the key to today’s devotion, notice how Moses first says to “Fear not”, but then he says “that his fear may be before your faces”. There are many believers today that are afraid to be in the presence of God, the reason is, they have no fear of sin and they have no fear of the outcome of their sinful lifestyle. What does it take for you to put sin out of your life? Do you really want to see God get your attention through His presence? In this context of scripture we can first see that Moses is a great picture of Jesus Christ. He has stepped in between the people and God for communication. If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour there is no possible way of communication with God. I Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” Please visit the Lost Page of our website for a clear understanding of salvation. Back to the believer, do you fear the result of sin? Look at the children of Israel again, they are in great fear of the wrath of God. They are probably under conviction because the Ten Commandments have just been given. God starts out by saying “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Does hunting consume you? When hunting is more important to you than your relationship with God that would make hunting a false god in you life! Look at the next commandment, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image…” Most believers instantly think that would mean like a statue of buddha, or a statue of Mary. What is your trophy room like? Do you have a big buck hanging up that you gloat about? A lot of hunters think that their trophy room success is what defines them. Your beginning to push the envelope of a graven image. Pride is also consuming your life! God hates pride, but that’s for another devotion. What about honoring your father and mother? That was part of the Ten! Are you respectful to them? Do you love them like you should? What about adultery? Stealing? Bearing a false witness(lying)? Coveting after things that are not yours? Its seems that God is pouring out conviction to all of His children and then He follows up by showing them His power through thunder and lightning. Have you ever had thunder rumble so close that you jump out of your skin? What about lighting. Just one time, observe lightning strike an object close to you. Your heart and your nerves will turn inside out. Look also at the power of God, Exodus 24:17 “And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.” Israel is convicted about their sin, the presence of God makes them feel like they want to die, but notice again what Moses says, “Fear not”. God loves the human race so much that He suffered a terrible death to pay for all of man’s sin. In this context of scripture God is saying, I love you, I want to have a true relationship with you, don’t be afraid to be in My presence. The rest of the verse gives us the reason for the Ten Commandments and the presence of God; “For God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.” God is trying them so they will keep sin out of their life! God loves us so much, but He hates the open sin that we continually commit. When we learn to keep sin out of our lives, we are able to have a relationship with God that you cant even begin to explain. Proverbs 28:13 “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” What is keeping you from the presence of God today? God loves you and God will help you overcome any sin or sins that is holding you down. If He forgave King David of murder and adultery, He will most certainly forgive you of anything! God is faithful and God wants to have a relationship with you, but you must put sin out of your life!

Memory Verse 1/6/19

Exodus 20:20

“And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.”

“15. And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: 16. And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. 17. But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.”

The days of pleasant living are going by the wayside for the Hebrew nation. Joseph has died and there is also a new Pharaoh over the land of Egypt. This Pharaoh is very concerned about these foreigners(Israel/Hebrews) because God is with them and they are multiplying above the Egyptians. Pharaoh sends out an order to the midwives to have these innocent little male children murdered, but give very important attention to vs. 17 “But the midwives feared God,” We are living in a day where believers no longer have a fear of God. Day by day its always about finding worldly pleasure for happiness. How is your walk today? Do you have a true fear of God in your life? How is your workplace? Are you more concerned about what people think of you than what God thinks of you? In the last few months how many times have you been a part of filthy conversation and refused to separate yourself from it? How many Sunday’s or important church functions did you miss this past year because you were more concerned about pleasing yourself in the field? Do you truly fear God? What sin are you battling today, but yet refusing to put it out of your life? Could it be that you have no fear of God? Many churches today are getting to the place that the pastor wont even preach real truth. The truth about God is that He hates sin! Hebrews 12:29 “For our God is a consuming fire.” These midwives could have chosen to follow man and commit murder, but the Bible says they feared God. We all need the power of God in our lives to overcome sin! Its not always easy to stand against wickedness, but God has given us His Word so we all can have victory. Notice again in vs 17 “…and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them,” Proverbs 29:25 “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.” We need to stop worrying about what people think and start having a true fear of God! Don’t let sin hold you down today! Stop trying to fit in with the crowd and stop trying to use worldly gain for happiness. You will end up looking like a coyote with a snare around his neck and unable to get away. What comes next? The bullet of course! Sometimes believers live a shortened life because they choose the way of sin, rather than pleasing God. When you fear God, you may feel afflicted for a while, but God will bless you for it! Look at the result of the midwives; Exodus 1:20-21 “Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty. And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.” God is so faithful! How many blessings will you miss because of your fear being of man rather than God? God will bless you and will always take care of you if you will live in fear towards Him and put sin out of your life! “But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.”

Memory Verse Week 1/1/20

Proverbs 29:25

“The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.”

“12. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13. For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.”

In Isaiah 14 we find the only place in the entire Bible that the name Lucifer is mentioned. Its hard to believe that Satan was once a righteous angel, but here in Isaiah we see the first sin ever committed. Adam and Eve did not commit the first sin believe it or not! It was Lucifer! He thought to much of himself. As the world still turns today we see this same sin of pride destroying the human race as we get closer to the end. What exactly are you trying to accomplish as a hunter? Every hunting video or social media post promotes nothing more than the hunter himself or herself. Its always painting the picture, “look at what I did.” If you are a believer in Jesus Christ we all need to realize that this life is not about “I”. Its about Him! When you kill an animal, why are you so quick to snap a picture of yourself with it and send it to everyone? Do you have the right intent or are you trying to prove to everyone how great of a hunter you are? In these verses of scripture we see where pride began, Vs 13 “For thou hast said in thine heart,” God has been so good to us by giving us the opportunity to chase wild animals, but our pride quickly arises after the kill takes place and we then begin to look like Lucifer himself. Five times we see the thoughts that arise in his heart; “I will ascend”, “I will exalt”, “I will sit”, “I will ascend”, “I will be like the most High”. Does this language remind you of anyone? There are many hunters out there that kill a world class buck and they think they were God’s gift from heaven. All they ever do is brag and boast about how great they are. Do you realize that even when you don’t speak with your mouth you can allow sin to destroy you by being lifted up in your heart?

You must realize their is a penalty for sin. After Lucifer commits this awful sin look at what the Bible says, “Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” What would happen if you murdered someone? The penalty would possibly be life in prison or even death. There is a penalty for so many things in life; stealing, unfaithfulness, hunting without a license, over bagging, drinking and driving, not making your house payments, hunting without hunter orange, etc. When someone chooses to do wrong there will always be a penalty! Looking at the Bible you must realize that God’s penalty for sin is far worse than anything you could possibly face on earth. One day Lucifer will suffer for all of eternity because of the pride in his heart. Revelation 20:10 “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone,…and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Revelation 20 doesn’t stop at verse 10, if you would continue reading, the Bible will show you that man will next be judged for their sin at the great white throne of judgement. Look at how the chapter ends in vs 15, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Have you ever been saved or has your pride kept you from the love of God? After Adam and Eve sinned the Bible says that man became separated from God and now every human soul is born into this world with a direction of eternal damnation. Though we deserve hell, God still made a way for us to overcome pride and the sins that destroy us; Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” The Bible says that Jesus Christ was God and that He willingly suffered on the cross to pay for our sin. Don’t let your pride keep you out of heaven! The Bible says that salvation is by believing with your heart and confessing with your mouth that Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose again the third day to pay for our sins. We encourage you at this very moment to confess Jesus Christ to be your Saviour if you’ve never been saved. Can you answer this question? Are you a sinner? Look at what Romans 10:9, 10, and 13 says; “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Just take a moment and pray to the Lord in your own words and confess Jesus Christ to be your Saviour! So is pride really worth it? What is that big buck going to do for you? Will it help you draw closer to the Lord, or will it cause you to say “I will be like the most High”?

Memory Verse Week 12/16/19

Revelation 20:15

“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

“6. Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. 7. And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. 8. And the LORD , he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not neither be dismayed.”

Moses is coming to the end of his life. Israel has wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, but now, the great promise land is just ahead. As Moses passes the torch to Joshua, he leaves the nation with some very powerful words that we still need to apply in our lives today. Israel has many battles to face in order to inherit the promise land. They start with Jericho, then to AI, and many others after that. Many of us would like to have an easy walk as a Christian, but the truth is, its not easy. When you do God’s work, you must realize that there is a battle ahead, but the best news is that God has said “…he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” God has great things in store for your life, but don’t expect to see any of it if you don’t get in the battle. You might be thinking “what battle?” Are you taking a stand on biblical truth? Are you warning your family and friends that if they don’t repent and believe that they will die and go to hell. Listen, the people you think are your friends will quickly reject you when they see you’re in love with Jesus Christ. Even your saved friends that coast through life will look at you and reject you when you devote your life to the Word of God and serving Him with all your heart. If your saved today, God wants you to get into the battle. He wants you to stand for truth and not go with the flow. He wants to put good people in your life that will help guide you in making spiritual decisions in your life. God wants His children to stand up and say ” I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ…”, or maybe to a friend, “hey, there are more important things in life than just hunting all the time”, or even, “I am not going to be a part of your filthy conversation”. Most Christians would rather choose to just go with the flow because they are more afraid of what people think, than what God knows. God is with you! He will give you strength to fight battles you never thought of fighting and He will reward you with victories that you never thought possible. God is faithful! Stop having a fear of being a Christian in public! The children of Israel inherited the promise land because they were faithful to God’s Word. When He said, “I will be with you” they believed Him. What blessings will you miss in life due to your fear? Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

Memory Verse Week 11/25/19

Deuteronomy 31:6

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

“1. Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 3. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. 4. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.”

In this context of scripture we see the name of Saul, this is actually the great Apostle Paul. He is at the beginning of his first missionary journey. When we look at Paul’s life anyone would have to say, “what a man of God.” He suffered so much for the cause of Christ and lost souls. Paul finished well, when we fast forward to the end of his life we find him at his end in II Timothy 4:6-7 “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” Paul is one of the greatest missionaries we will ever read about. God used him to give us a lot of the New Testament, and even today, Paul’s life is still being used in the lives of so many. So how did it start? When we look back at the context of our devotion today, we see a great power that is much overlooked in the life of many believers. What are you struggling with today? Are you looking for God’s direction in your life? Are you asking Him to save a family member, or even heal someone that is sick? Have you ever tried to fast? Fasting is so powerful! The Word of Life Encyclopedia by David Cloud says that biblical fasting is the freewill practice of abstaining from food and/or pleasantries of life for the purpose of devoting oneself to God and concentrating on spiritual goals, particularly the goal of defeating spiritual enemies and overcoming the lusts of the flesh. Look at vs 2 again, “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said…” When you begin to afflict your soul for God’s moving, you may see God answer your prayers a lot sooner than later. Through this fast with Saul and Barnabas God gave them direction to start their missionary journey! What are you prating for today? Have you considered doing a fast? Maybe God has called you to ministry, but you’re not sure yet what to do; have you tried fasting? Maybe your in need of a job, or someone close to you is headed for hell; has fasting even crossed your mind? God is faithful, and God will answer you according to His will! Don’t overlook this powerful tool in prayer! What are some ways to fast? A total food fast is a good way to start, maybe just for one meal, or maybe even a day. Let God lead you in your fast. Have you ever considered giving up the first day of your hunting season to be a better soul winner or to even just spend more time in prayer and Bible study. Maybe food fasting is a difficult start for you(regardless, it wont be comfortable), but its not that tough to put some pleasure to the side for a bit! Do you want God to direct your life? Do you want His will? Fasting will do things for you that you never thought possible! What is weighing heavy on your mind? Give it a try! How about coffee for three days, or no meat for a week? Maybe your next opportunity to the field you could give to the Lord? Do you really want God to answer these needs on your heart? God is faithful, and fasting is powerful! I Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

Memory Verse Week 11/18/19

I Peter 5:6-7

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

“10. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 11. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope to the end: 12. That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 13. For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, 14. Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. 15. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.”

Give attention to vs 12: “That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” In this passage of scripture God uses the example of Abraham to show his faithfulness to His children. Genesis chapter 12 tells the time God made a promise to Abraham that one day He would bless him with a son. If you’re not familiar with the story it actually took 25 years before God’s Word came to pass! That’s a long time. During that time Abraham made some terrible mistakes, but yet God was still faithful. Three little words that we find so powerful throughout the scriptures: God is faithful! What are you waiting on from God today? Has He given you a promise? Have you found your calling? One thing you will come to find when God leads you, is that its not on your time table and thought process, but on His time table and His will for your life! Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways, saith the Lord.” Remember, God is faithful! Two important things that we can pull from this verse of scripture in Hebrews is that we need to have faith in the Word of God and we must be patient. If God has giving you a calling, made you a promise, or given you direction how to handle a certain situation, stop trying to rush things! It is most certain you will mess everything up! So many times, God commands us to be patient with Him, but notice what He says we should not be doing when we are waiting; “That ye be not slothful…” Don’t be lazy about the work God has placed in your life when your waiting on Him to answer prayer! Stick with it! Keep witnessing! Stay faithful in your daily walk! Don’t put down your Bible! Don’t stop your prayer life! Have faith and keep having patience. Did you know God gives us scripture concerning a slothful hunter? Proverbs 12:27 “The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious. Listen, if you don’t kick enough brush piles, you may never see a rabbit or pheasant. If you don’t spend enough hours in the stand you may never see a deer and you most certainly wont kill one. What does it take to be successful? You must believe that you will find success and you must be patient. There is a great reward that comes from it. Sometimes its a full limit of squirrel or even the buck of a lifetime. The same thing applies in our spiritual walk. Do you want to see God’s success and promises in your life? Believe that He is able! That’s faith! Wait on God! That’s patience! Last, don’t be lazy while you’re waiting and trusting! Get busy serving God and one day the blessings will come! Hebrews 6:12 “That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” God is faithful!

Memory Verse Week 11/11/19

“That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

“It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.”

We are in a very dangerous month! November? How could you say November is dangerous? This is the most sought out month for hunters in the Midwest to kill a big buck! So where does the danger come in? Why are you striving to kill a big one? Is it for your own glory? If God blesses you with a big one, who will have more glory? You or God? Don’t let the devil lure you into a trap! You say, “No, God will be glorified”, but how many people have you thought about showing your buck to already? You haven’t even killed him and all you can think about is showing him to your friends! If God lets you kill a big one, give Him the glory and don’t boast about it. It may be best for you to have an unfilled tag at the end of the year. Don’t let pride destroy you! Look at the verse again “…so for men to search their own glory is not glory.” Don’t let a blessing become a barrier in your relationship with God! Think about the nation of Israel, God gave them the land flowing with milk and honey, but through their blessing they turned to their own way and then God had to correct them! Blessings can hurt you if your not careful! May God have the glory for all that He blesses you with this season!

Memory Verse Week 11/4/19

John 12:24

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”

“23. And Jesus answered them, saying, the hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. 24. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”

In this context of scripture we see the for told events of Jesus Christ. He is telling the disciples of His death. He must die for all men to live! Can you answer this question truthfully? Are you born-again? Can you go to that time and place that Jesus Christ changed your life forever? If you are a believer today, you should be living your life just as Jesus Christ commands us, For Him! How can we live like Jesus? Listen, you must study the Word of God daily! Its days like today when you read across verses of scripture, like in John 12. Lets take a closer look at verse 24; a corn of wheat is simply referring to a seed. The word corn is defined(Webster 1828) as a single seed of certain plants, as wheat, etc; a grain. If a seed never gets planted, it is basically worthless. A seed must get planted to bear fruit! Just from a quick read through the internet it appears that one seed of wheat can produce anywhere from 20 to 60 grains of wheat. That is amazing! Do you see what Jesus Christ is saying? If you want to bear fruit(that is winning others to Jesus Christ) you must die to yourself. In order for the seed to become fruit, it must be planted in the ground(that signifies the burial after death), it must die so it can bring forth more fruit! How many people have you witnessed to this past week? Have you died today? To yourself that is? How long have you been saved? Now remember Jesus Christ died to bring forth life. If we want to be true Christians we must live like Christ! Here’s the truth again, Christ died so you could have life! Its sad that some people have been saved for 20 years, but have never once won anyone to the Lord. Until you die to yourself, God can never use you. Why do believers refuse to die to their self will? We are in the last days! We see Christians choosing to live more like the world than followers of Jesus Christ. II Timothy 3:1-2 “This know also, that in the last days perilous(dangerous; hazardous) times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud…” The next two verses speak of all the negative ways man will live, but give attention here to the end of verse 4; …lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.” Are you a lover of pleasure more than a lover of God? What do you think about more than anything? Is it hunting? Is it your big bucks on the wall? Is it how many tags you will fill this year? Is it your gun collection? Is it your trips to the lake on your boat? Here is the biggest problem; there are too many believers that choose not to plant their seed. They never die to themselves, and as a result, they never win anyone to Jesus Christ. This is a hard one to grab a hold of, but please listen; your not taking your trophy room with you, your boat in your driveway or at the dock will still be there when you take your last breath. Someone else will enjoy your gun collection. Your hunting land will probably get sold to someone else. At that moment, you will stand in the presence of God and the only thing that will matter, is whether or not you died to yourself and brought forth fruit. What are you taking with you? What if today is your last day? Are you ready? Lets end with verse 24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”

Memory Verse Week 11/4/19

John 12:24

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”