Yates Pool - The Millionaire Who Lived Like A Pauper

Approximately 1,000 feet (300 m) below ground surface, and hit a rich productive zone, producing a "gusher" – an uncontrolled spew of crude oil, under intense pressure, into the air.

In West Texas is a famous oil -field known as the Yates Pool. During the Depression, this field was a sheep ranch owned by a man named Ira Yates. Mr. Yates was not able to make enough money on his ranching operation to pay the principal and interest on the mortgage, so he was in danger of losing his ranch. With little money for clothes or food, his family like many others had to live on government subsidy. 

Day after day, as he grazed his sheep, he wondered how he would be able to pay his bills. Then a seismograph crew from an oil company came into the area and told Mr. Yates that there might be oil on his land. They asked permission to drill a wildcat well, and he signed a lease contract.

At 1,115 feet they struck a huge oil reserve. The first well came in at 80,000 barrels a day. Many of the later wells were more than twice as large. Thirty years after the first well was drilled, all the wells still had the potential of pumping 125,000 barrels of oil a day. And Mr. Yates owned it all! The day he purchased the property he received the oil and mineral rights, yet he was living on government assistance. A multi-millionaire living in poverty! The problem? He did not know the oil was there. He owned it, but he did not know it!

Jesus Christ came so that you might have life, full and meaningful. Yet, many people are not aware of all that is theirs even though it's right at their fingertips. Jesus said in John 10:10... "I have come that they may have life, and that they might have it abundantly." Don't just sit on it. Live it!