“7. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. 8. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. 9. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. 10. And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.”

You may be familiar with the story of The Great Flood and the accomplishments of Noah. We look back and see Noah’s obedience and the big things he accomplished through his faith in what God told him to do. As believers, we set out with the same mindset to do great things for God, just like Noah did. Take a hunter for example. Every year, we see someone shoot a big monster buck. It flies around social media as maybe being the biggest deer that will be killed in the season. For days and years the hunter begins to dream about what it would be like to kill one that big! There are times when a brand new hunter gets an unusual opportunity at a giant, but for the most part, it takes time, work, knowledge, and experience to sufficiently kill big whitetails. Preparation is always a factor that leads to the day of success. Its starts with the time to purchase your hunting license on the internet, but also spending time in the yard tuning in your hunting equipment making sure it will hit the mark your aiming for. Right now is a good time to have out a salt lick and trail camera to see what’s living on your hunting grounds. We all dream about the day when that big monster will take his last breath, but don’t forget about the time and preparation that in necessary for the big day to come.

Looking at the Christian walk we can easily make a similar comparison. We have a lot of believers walking around wanting to do big things for God, just like Noah did. The God of the Bible is the God of order. As we read through the scriptures we can see that every word is perfect and in its right place. Noah was complete in his service to the LORD. As we stand today, we are still talking about what Noah did, but please realize there are some things mentioned about Noah that we need to pay close attention to. Vs 8 is where it has to start for anyone: “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” The word grace means unmerited favor. We all deserve hell because of our sin, but Jesus Christ died so we all can be saved. Faith in Jesus Christ must be present. All of our works for Him will never amount to anything if we don’t trust him as our personal Lord and Savior. The main thought we want you to see today actually comes from vs 9: “and Noah walked with God.” We will never do anything for the Lord until we learn to walk with Him. Let me ask you: How is your walk with God? How is your time with Him? Think about your spouse, child, or friend for a moment. What is the best thing about your relationship? Is it being separated, or is it being together? Time together is what makes every relationship real. You might say, I really enjoy time away from them, its sad to say that many people have this exact relationship with people they say they love, but the truth is, that’s not a healthy relationship. Its a relationship that will eventually severe if it doesnt get fixed. There are many Christians today that have been caught up in all the do’s of the Christian life and they are missing out on the most important step in the Christian walk. That is walking with God. If you have been passing out tracts, faithful in church, or loving your neighbor, those are all good things, but how is your walk with God? How is your time with Him? God wants that close relationship with you and sometimes the only way to have it is to turn off the TV, turn off the cell phone, skip archery practice for a night, and find a quiet place where you can talk to the Lord and study His Word! There is not an amount of work that you can do that will make God love you any more or any less. He loves you just like you are. Don’t get so focused on the big things if your not walking with Him day by day. Everyone wants to see the greatness, but remember, first comes grace, then comes growth, which is walking with God!

Memory Verse Week 7/4/21

Genesis 6:9

“These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.”

“23. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24. And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.”

They say a picture is worth a thousand words! Pictures are a day of remembrance. Has there ever been a time when you picked up an old photo of an exciting time you experienced? At that moment, you begin to lose focus on the things in front of you and your mind reflects back to an experience in your life that has left a life long memory. Even if your not a hunter, there are pictures that will help you reflect back to the past in some way. I remember my very first deer hunt as if it were yesterday! On the opening day of the Ohio deer gun season, my older brother was the first to fire off a slug at this big bruiser. He hit the deer before it came running to me and my dad. After an interesting adventure and 9 slugs later, the deer came to rest. There were so many memories that came to light that day! At the end of the week I told my dad that deer hunting had changed my life. I had never experienced anything quite like that before. I was hooked! Its getting close to three decades since that memory was made. There is something about a picture that helps you remember. Its easy to forget about parts of the story until you really sit down and ponder the path of the past.

As an independent Baptist, there are two ordinances we observe from the scriptures, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Today might not be a day for you to partake in the Lord’s Supper, but there are 4 words in these verses of scripture that we could all ponder for a moment. Verse 24 and 25, “…in remembrance of me.” Do you have any difficulties you’re facing today? Can I encourage you for a moment! Think about the day that Jesus Christ changed your life! Go even a little deeper and begin to ponder the path that Christ took to pay for your sin. Isaiah 52:14 “As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:” Christ suffered it all! How long has it been since you’ve stopped and thought about that for a while. His body was broken and His blood was shed because He loves us far beyond any love anyone could ever show. Its hard to accept the facts somedays, but we need to realize that the cards don’t always fall the way we want them. The end of the situation don’t turn out the way we thought it would. Life is hard and life is tough, but remember, its the devil that wants you to dwell on the things of today that are weighing you down. Take a break for a moment and remember the time that Jesus Christ saved you. Remember that it was His body that was broken for you to have eternal life, it was His blood that was shed for you to be forgiven of your sins. There is an old gospel song called “Lean on Me.” Notice the end of the chorus,

“Lean on Me when you have no strength to stand.
When you feel you’re goin’ under, hold tighter to my hand.
Lean on me when your heart begins to bleed,
when you come to the place that I’m all you have,
then you’ll find I’m all you need.”

Don’t forget today, remember!

Memory Verse 6/6/21

Isaiah 52:14

“As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:”

“Shew me a token for good: that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me.”

Psalm 86 starts out with a title, “A prayer of David”. Though we don’t know exactly where this was at in David’s life, we know that David is crying out to God for help and protection from the enemy. Whether your facing an enemy today or just trying to have a close walk with God, these first 6 words are very powerful! A thought to keep in mind: looking for signs is not how the Christian walk works, but the very Word of God is where we find our guidance and direction in life. However, there are many times God shows us things to prove His Word to us! “Shew me a token for good…” The word token means a sign; something intended to represent or indicate another thing or an event according to Webster 1828. David is in distress because of his enemies, in this verse of scripture he is seeking God for some evidence to his prayers.

May 22, 2021 was a very special day! As the alarm clock went off I rolled out of bed with very little sleep, but with some hope and prayers that a big o’l gobbler would take a dirt nap before the Ohio season ended in the northern zone. I didn’t make it out the door by 4 am like I planned, but 4:15 still gave me plenty of time for an hour drive and time to slip in the woods before the turkeys flew down for the morning.

The delay was well worth it! I spent some time in prayer and a little time reading Psalm 86. I didn’t read as much as I wanted to, but quality is always better than quantity regardless of what anyone might say. “Shew me a token for good…” ended the Psalm and the Holy Spirit began to press these words on my heart for the rest of my morning.

God has recently directed me away from some barriers that have been in my life for some time now. I am reminded of Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Over the last many years I have really enjoyed the aspect of filming the hunts when in the woods. I am very thankful for the success’ and messages God has used during these years. I have had great fellowship with friends and captured many neat clips of wild animals. However, it has been an extreme barrier in my life. Its hard to admit, but for a long time, I have settled it in my heart that the only way for Sixth Day Outdoor Ministry to become the “exceeding abundantly above(Ephesians 3:20)” that God promised, was for me to produce hunting films so sportsmen could observe how good and successful of a hunter I really am.” Sounds prideful! I know! I struggle with that every day of my life! I’ve come to the place in my life of realizing that there is nothing we have to accomplish, for God to love us and use us for His glory. He loves us and will use us right where we are! For me, the filming has become a performance driven act that has done nothing, but pulled me apart on the inside! Though able to produce some films over the last many years, its never been to my standards, its never been enough quantity, and the bucks have never been big enough! I’ve spent too many days in discouragement for not finding the success I’ve been desiring, but its also taken away the enjoyment of what hunting has been to me for many years of my life. It’s even effected quality time with my family in the woods because all I have been focused on is whether or not its on film. God is not interested in what we can do, but what He can do through us! I have to thank the Lord today for answering a big prayer in my life. I have been praying for many years now to have humility and not pride! Thinking that the camera is what will bring success to a ministry is a very foolish thought! I feel like God has given me a great peace in not using the video camera to film hunts any longer. Will God change that in the future? That’s up to Him! I know God has directed me to this decision at this point in time. There are many other things that the camera can still be used for with the ministry, and I will try my best to follow God in the direction He is giving me.

This past weekend is the first time in a long time that I have not used the camera while hunting. As I started my morning with Psalm 86, “Shew me a token for good…” sunk deep into my heart! The gobbling that morning was very impressive! There was about three different birds from what I could tell. With the foliage filling out I was able to get right under what sounded like a good bird. In a short time I could tell he was out of the tree and just in front of me, but out of eyesight. I called twice, and not just him, but also his buddies gave out an answer. He knew where I was so I didn’t call again. Shortly after, I see a hen pitch out of the tree and glide into the field off to my left. There was a short break with no gobbling, but that’s just turkey hunting. Two birds began to gobble again and they all made it around me without seeing them. I knew they were in the field, but I had to make a move if it was going to happen. The creek allowed me to close the distance without being detected. As I came out of the creek bank I could see a hen in shooting range. I could just make out a gobbler a little further in the field, but his buddy rang out much closer, I just couldn’t see him. I made a mistake! I was so anxious to kill this turkey I didn’t wait like I should have. I could see the gobbler farther out in the field and squeezed off, not just one, but two shots! I think he was out of range, I know better, but I guess that’s just hunting! Was the morning over? The Holy Spirit again reminds me, “Shew me a token for good…”

As some time passed, I moved to a high point of the property to see if I could pinpoint where all the birds went to. I did see a lone hen, that wasn’t with the first group, on the far side of the property well over 500 yards away. I was already thinking that would be a good place to set some decoys and just watch for a while. I made the move, set up two hen decoys, and continued to enjoy the morning. I called as if two hens were upset with each other, to my surprise, a jake came from my left to dance around these two pretty ladies. I talked to the Lord, “I would really like to kill a long beard, but if you want me to kill this jake I will have fun doing it.” He’s 25 yards and there is not a long beard in sight to run him off. He begins strutting to show these ladies just how good looking he is. I shouldered my gun, squeezed the trigger, and watched him run to my left into the tree line I was in. Talk about feeling stupid. I could have shot him two more times, but the gun wouldn’t eject the 3 1/2″ load out of my gun. The two live rounds ejected on the ground and I sat there thinking to myself, “I am an idiot.” Was it time to go home? Most people should stop at this point, but the Holy Spirit reminded me again, “Shew me a token for good…”

As I sat there in frustration I glanced across the field and saw one of the long beards from my earlier adventure about 400 yards away. He wasn’t about to cross the field, but he kept his attention on the decoys for a while! He took his time skirting the edge of the fencerow before making it back to the wooded area on the property I was hunting. After a little time passed without seeing him, I figured I should move into the woods to see if I could get above him without him seeing me. With the foliage really filling out I thought it was doable. I pulled the decoys and off I went! There is a nice hill in the hardwoods that overlooks two creeks coming together, I made it in quietly and sat down with the decoys still in the bag. I sent my wife a text about the excitement happening that morning. I wanted to wait a few minutes before calling, but in no time at all I caught movement out in front of me as I hit send on the second text message. It didn’t take but a second to realize that he was in shooting distance already. I shouldered my gun and waited for him to step out from behind a tree. Boom! He hardly moved after that! What a morning! This was the first bird I had taken without a camera in many years. It was also the first bird I had taken in the last 4 years. God is faithful! The devil will try to put many things in our way to hinder our walk with the Lord. He doesn’t want us to trust in God. He wants us to trust in ourselves! For a long time God has been bringing me to this place of humility. Its not always what we want, but its always what we need. His Word proved to be faithful by leaving the camera at home! “Shew me a token for good…”

Memory Verse Week 5/23/21

Psalm 86:17

“Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me.”

“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

You don’t have to spend much time in the field to realize that there is a curse upon this world! Have you ever had victory over the curse? Sin has always brought forth death, but Jesus Christ died in our place to rescue us from the curse of death. Watch this hunt as we talk more about having victory in the midst of the curse.

Memory Verse Week 5/2/21

Galatians 3:13-14

“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

“1. Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. 2. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) 4. And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. 5. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.”

Today, turkey hunting is a lot of fun. No matter how many birds you’ve killed, every bird acts different and you don’t always kill the one your after. When I was in high school I had a friend take me on my very first turkey hunt. We hunted Ohio and West Virginia in a 5 day period with lots of excitement, but no filled tags. We saw hens, heard the gobblers singing, but never laid our eyes on a redhead. As I went my second year I did not hear as much gobbling and never had one close call. Turkey hunting was a new thing for me and after two years with no success I was thinking about quitting. The thought of getting rid of my turkey gear was weighing heavy on my mind, but the third season, I decided I would give it one more shot. The college I was attending was at the heart of Wayne National Forest, which offers opportunity to thousands of acres of public land. On opening day of turkey hunting I took my first bird shortly off the roost. I missed him the first shot, but flopped him on the second. I was at the hunting store later that morning and found a nice orange backpack for carrying out your dead bird (I still use it today 18 years later). The next morning I went out with a friend right at daylight, but not much happened. I had to get to a lecture class that morning so we only had a few hours to hunt. As class ended I looked at the time and knew I could get to my hunting area before 12 noon hits. With 45 minutes of hunting left, I made a few yelps to let them know I was ready to go. A short distance away, a gobbler sounded off and in a matter of minutes, two gobblers and a hen crested the hill. It again took me two shots to knock the bird down. I hit the gobbler on the first shot this time, but I learned that 2 3/4″ shells are not the best for turkey hunting. What a way to start the season. Two birds in two days! I’ve been hooked ever since. Had I quit, I would have never experienced that excitement in filling my first two turkey tags.

So how is your walk with God? Do you ever quit to soon? Lets look at a very important phrase found in verse 5, “…but prayer was made without ceasing…” Peter is in a tough place; there is a possibility he will lose his life if he is presented to the Jews. There is no way out for him, He is chained to two soldiers, additional, there are two more soldiers guarding him, not to mention he is at the heart of the prison facility. This is about the highest security they would put on someone, but it was just a small thing to our God. If you continue reading you will see how God delivered Peter. He sent an angel to loose his chains and escort him to freedom. It really gets good after this; Peter shows up at the house of these praying church members, a young lady recognizes his voice at the door, but instead of opening it, she runs into the house to tell everyone that Peter is here. Remember, they were praying without ceasing! Acts 12:15-16 “And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, it is his angel. But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.” So here you have a church praying constantly with great faith, but then they stand in disbelief when God does something impossible. Faith makes things possible, not easy, but when God shows up, its hard to believe! How is your prayer life today? Do you quit? Do you give up to soon? God wants to have the glory in our lives for how we live. He allows difficult situations and sometimes impossible situations in our lives because He wants to show us how big He really is! We must stay diligent and we must keep the faith! I Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.” God is going to move in your life in ways you never thought possible, but you must keep praying! If I would have quit turkey hunting, I would have never experienced that heart pounding success I had that third season of turkey hunting! DONT QUIT, DONT GIVE UP! Psalm 27:14 “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” What are your circumstances today? What are you praying about? If God has not made things clear to you, keep praying and keep waiting!

Memory Verse Week 4/11/21

Psalm 27:14

“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”

“9. For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. 10. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgements.”

Artaxerxes the king has granted leave for Ezra and some others to return to Jerusalem for the rebuilding of the Temple. Verse 9 tells us of the arrival back to Jerusalem, but verse 10 is our thought today. Ezra has his prayers answered! God has given him a desire to return to Jerusalem and help restore the land after the Babylonian captivity. Notice what brought Ezra and his people to Jerusalem, “For Ezra had prepared his heart…” Preparation is so important! What makes you a successful hunter? When you begin to prepare for that day of success, first, there is much time and preparation that needs to take place. To the archer, its having a bow and making sure its tuned. To the rifle hunter, its making a trip to the store for ammo, but then also putting it on paper to make sure its ready to go. To the turkey hunter, its making sure you have the best load possible and knowing your affective range for killing a bird. To a fisherman, its having the right lures, gas in the boat, and a good running engine. It doesn’t just stop there. To a tournament fisherman, you may need to spend some earlier days finding where your fish will be. The hunter needs to hang a stand or even find property to hunt, not to mention the right clothing for the environment you will be hunting. So much preparation to be successful!!! How is your walk with the LORD today? How well do you know Him? Have you had any recent blessings that would make you stand back and say, “only God could have done that”? Ezra had a desire to see the hand of God in his life, but that couldn’t have been done without preparation. Ezra wanted to be a guide and help to other believers, but he couldn’t do that until he spent his own time in the Word of God, but then also applying it in his life. If your not an experienced hunter or fisherman, your not going to be much help to someone that is starting out. It takes time, preparation, and experience to become sufficient. Notice again in verse 10, “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD…” When you woke up this morning did you have to make a decision of whether or not you would read your Bible or did you already make the decision that you would read it regardless. When you begin preparing your heart to seek the LORD there are some things in your life you will put to the side so you have a quality time with God. Do you pray and read your Bible everyday? Ezra’s preparation was to make the Word of God the focus of his life. This is where it must start, but wait, there is more! The verse continues, “…and to do it…” There are a lot of believers today that know a lot about the Bible, but applying it in their daily life is another story. God wants us to live in the Word, but He also wants us to live by His commandments. Is there anything in your life right now that you are refusing to put out of your life? Its not worth it! God wants all of your attention, but sin will always hinder what God can do through you! God used Ezra in a mighty way! What can God do through you? Are you preparing your heart to seek the Word of God? Are you doing what God commands you to do?

Memory Verse Week 3/21/21

Ezra 7:10

“For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgements.”

“3. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. 4. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah 5. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. 6. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.”

Wild hogs are destructive and invasive in the United States. They cause a great deal of damage and push out other wildlife from their home areas. People that live in areas with wild hog populations tend to hate them very purposefully. So what do you do when you have 25 hogs living on your property? Lets say you go out hunting and kill 7 of the 25 hogs. Does this fix your problem? Of course not. It may help a little, but you must totally destroy these invasive critters or they will reproduce and continue to multiply. Looking at Psalm 32 we can make a great comparison to a born again believer that walks with sin in their life. Sin will always be destructive. We get this idea that if we just deal with certain sins in our life and let the others go, everything will be fine. That’s a lie from Satan himself! You may have heard the word besetting sin, basically, it is a sin we cant get rid of, so we just live with it. We must allow the Bible to be our final authority! Galatians 5:9 says “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” Just like a little leaven grows and expands, so will sin when it doesn’t get dealt with. It takes a lot of work and strategy to kill all your hogs. You might even look to some outsiders for some help. Proverbs 11:14 “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” Every Christian needs a godly friend that will help them, this is a great reason why every believer needs to be established in the local church. The Bible tells us more directly in other places as well, but we will save that for another day. A preacher one time said that in order to have victory over your sin you have to hate it. When you come to the place of hating it, you will desire to get rid of it! It first starts in Psalm 32. David was heavy with grief. The conviction was becoming more than he could bare. After the conviction, David finds himself in verse 5, “I acknowledged my sin unto thee… I said, I will confess…” Do you have sin in your life today that is holding you back? Why not confess it to God with all your heart? Verse 6 says, “For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found…” Do you want God to be found in your prayers? Do you want Him to lead you and help you? Notice how David had to confess his sin before he could have that sweet walk with the LORD. Dealing with some sin is not enough. You must destroy all of it before it destroys all of you! God loves you. He wants to guide you, but you must do your part before you can see God really move in your life!

Memory Verse Week 3/14/21

Psalm 32:5

“I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.”

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

Light! What a great thing! Every turkey hunter gets excited for the first hint of light for the morning! As you sit still in darkness you will notice the birds began to sing and the forest comes alive. What tops it off is when a big o’l gobblers sounds off for the first time. Things get exciting. As the sun continually rises, you begin to see everything around you and the turkey choir begins to sing! These are very memorable mornings! If you read the first part of John 8 you will read about the woman taken in adultery. The scribes and Pharisees bring her to Jesus with hopes of stoning her, but as Jesus begins to write in the sand they begin to disappear one by one. The Bible says they were convicted by their own conscience as they left. We don’t know exactly what Jesus was writing, but it seems it had to do with their own sin. Jesus then forgives this adulteress woman and says to her, “go, and sin no more.” Its important to realize that Jesus did not come to condemn the world. He came to save it. John 1:9-10 “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and world knew him not.” The Light is talking of Jesus Christ, and the Bible says He is the only one that can give light in this dark world we live in. Why would you want to sit in the dark all night? Can you imagine waiting for that first turkey to sound, but you never hear one because the sun never came up. In a very short period of time every thing in the world would begin to die off. The sun gives light, but it also gives life! God and Jesus Christ are the same in one. Our Creator God gave us a physical example of what life would be like without the sun, it would be death! One day everyone is going to die! The Bible says that you will go to one of two places: the lake of fire or heaven. Where will you go? If Jesus Christ forgave and adulterous woman, why would He not forgive you? The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the light of the world and He is the only way to have life! He died to forgive you of all your sins! Why would you not except that? He loves you! He paid for it all so you can live forever with Him! Before you can get saved you must admit that your lost. Luke 19:10 “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” There are many people today that call themselves Christians, but yet they have never been lost. It’s not possible to be saved until you realize your lost and bound for a devil’s hell because of sin. Jesus Christ died to pay for your sin! Trust Him today! You must believe with all your heart that Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose again the third day! Get this; the tomb is empty! He’s not there, He is risen! Salvation is too easy, don’t reject him. John 3:18 “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” The choice is yours! Will you choose light or darkness? Only you can decide! John 8:12 “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

Memory Verse Week 4/20/20

John 8:12

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

“1. O GIVE thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 2. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; 3. And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. 4. They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. 5. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. 6. Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. 7. And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. 8. Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men.”

If you spend much time on social media, you’ve probably observed hunters from time to time trying to sell their equipment due to some difficult circumstances. Sometimes even a monster buck mount that has been so memorable to them. The first question you have to raise is, “Does God really want them to do that?” The answer could be yes, due to whatever reasons God sets forth. However, there are many times God may be allowing the trial so you will simply turn to Him and trust Him, rather than figuring it out yourself! There was a time when I(DB) made a few purchases I shouldn’t have. I came across a deal on a heavy duty high dollar hunting blind along with a nice still camera for capturing those great memories in the field. I didn’t have much peace about the purchase, but I chose not to seek God about it and just go ahead and get what I want. That’s how we all function sometimes, right? As the months began to pass by, some unexpected car expenses popped up with not just my vehicle, but also my wife’s. Seven hundred dollars was the expense for the car. We had it! No big deal, but then seven more hundred was needed for my truck. When the seven hundred came up for the truck it was also time for the monthly rent payment of seven hundred dollars. We have no more money and no way to pay both bills. Oh, by the way, the camera I purchased was four hundred dollars and the blind was just shy of three hundred. What do you do? I need my truck to get to work, but I also need to make the rent payment. I began to seek God about my decisions that I made for material gain. I told the LORD I would sell both items and take it as a lesson learned. God wouldn’t allow me to sell either item. I got the truck fixed and spent the next 10 days praying for God to provide the money needed for rent. The day the rent was due we still had one hundred dollars left over. God miraculously provided! I still don’t remember where it all came from, but God made a way. Just a couple months later God also answered another prayer, He provided thousands of dollars for us to put our son through private school and we were able to pay it up front. Should I have sold my equipment? That’s what I would have done, because I put myself in that situation. Look at Psalm 107:1 again, “O GIVE thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” Are you in distress today? Could God want you to sell valuables to relieve financial struggles? He might say yes, but more than anything, He wants you to seek Him first. There is a great focus that we can look to in Psalm 107. It was first mentioned in verse 6, “Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of all their distresses.” But wait, lets keep reading! Verse 13, “Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.” Verse 19, “Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. Verse 20, “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.” Verse 28, “Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.” Verse 29-30 “He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.” It might be that the distress your in today is nothing you brought upon yourself, but before you make a bad decision, Cry unto the LORD! We serve a loving, long-suffering, life giving God! Praise the LORD for the Psalm 107!

Memory Verse Week 2/21/21

Psalm 107:6

“Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.”

“49. And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. 50. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.”

Social media is destroying our values as sportsmen. One hunter degrades another if he or she uses a compound rather than a longbow, a crossbow rather than a compound, a rifle rather than a crossbow. Even the game you choose to harvest, a big buck rather than a small buck. This is nonsense! What is the cause of this? Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Haughty is just pride and arrogance. If someone wants to shoot a small deer or a small buck, stop losing sleep over it! Hunt the way it excites you and stop caring about what your buddy thinks. Here is the line we should draw for judgement or criticism; is it legal? If its legal, who are you to degrade others? If a man spends $50 on a tag and hunting license, shouldn’t he have the right to choose what he wants to shoot. Its hard for some to understand, but people get excited when they shoot small bucks year after year! Good for them! That’s how they like to hunt! Again, is it legal or illegal. If someone shoots a second buck illegally, cast your judgement. If someone shoots a deer at night with a light, its wrong, cast your judgement. We look at our main context and we can see this very division among born-again believers. John said that there was one casting out devils in the name of Jesus Christ. Hmmm! Is this right or wrong? Why would a child of God try to hinder the work of another child of God? This is nonsense! What is the cause of this? Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” We see division and judgement from one preacher to the next, one believer to another, one church to another. God is not happy with this! Look at what Jesus said again in verse 50, “…Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.” Some church’s like to sing from hymnal books, some use screens, some use both. Some church’s like to take up the offering before the preaching, some church’s like have a plate at the back door on the way out. Some church’s like to use many different instruments to sing praises to the Lord, some use just a piano. Where do you draw the line? Its just like the hunter! Is it right or is it wrong? Is it legal, or is it illegal? Romans 16:17-18 “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” Doctrine is so important. When someone teaches that salvation comes through works, its wrong, its illegal! Cast your judgement! Remember to keep a Christ loving spirit! Maybe there are some people or churches in your life right now that do things a little different than you. Answer this question; is their doctrine right? Stop worrying about what their doing and start worrying about what you will answer for! Satan wants to cause division, dont let him. Maybe you know someone headed down a wrong path away from true doctrine. Before you start gossiping and judging, pray for them!

Memory Verse Week 2/14/21

Luke 9:49-50

“And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.”