MORNING MANNA        8-3-22

FOR WHAT AND WHOM ARE YOU LIVING?

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.“- Phil. 1:21

This is one of the most precious, meaningful, important verses in the Bible to me. It is so personal to me that I have actually used “Phil one 21” as a password on certain websites. It expresses the deepest desire of my heart. And others have felt the same way.

In 1935, Dr. Bill Wallace of Knoxville, Tennessee, sailed for China as a medical missionary. These were dangerous and difficult days for Christians in China; and when the Communists overran the country, most missionaries were forced to flee. Dr. Wallace, however, clung to his post. As a result, he was arrested by the Chinese Communists, beaten, and martyred in prison. He was thrown in an unmarked grave to cover up the news; but faithful Christians found his body and buried it properly, placing a marker over it that simply read: “FOR TO ME TO LIVE IS CHRIST”. That was Wallace’s motto.

Are those words true for you? If you could write your own personal motto or epithet, could you rightfully choose this verse? 

When we say, “For to me to live is Christ,” we’re saying that Christ is the most important figure and factor in our lives. We’re also saying that our greatest desire is to reflect His image to others. Would you, could you honestly,  adopt this as your personal slogan? It not, for what do you live?

 These words,”For to me to live Is Christ” expresses my heart’s desire, for today, tomorrow, and forever! – HDS

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

MORNING MANNA             8-2-22

THE BUZZARD, THE BAT, AND THE BUMBLE BEE

“Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”-Isa.45:22

Although this has been around for years I suspect that many haven’t read it. I have no idea who wrote it, but it gives us something we need to think about:

THE BUZZARD: 

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

MORNING MANNA           8-1-22

How Do You Feel About Life?

“—I hated life—” –Ecclesiastes 2:17 

You might expect to hear those words from someone who is down and out, someone who has been neglected, abused, or tortured. But these words came from the lips of a man who seemingly had it all. No one was richer, wiser, or more powerful than Solomon. From a worldly point of view, he was a success in every sense of the word. But he was miserable.
 
Now, if that could happen to him, it can happen to the person who has suffered some horrible injustice. That someone might even be you. Lots of people wish the world was different. Why not? That would be nice. But it isn’t. Planet earth is a difficult place to live and it is easy to get discouraged. It might surprise you, but God isn’t all that pleased with the conditions on earth.”God is angry with the wicked every day.“(Psalm 7:11). Why not? You can’t even begin to understand how God has suffered because of the sinfulness of the world. Yet He did not give up on it. You better be glad He didn’t!

As bad as the world is, God loves it to such an extent that He gave His only begotten Son for it. There’s nothing selfish about God. There shouldn’t be anything selfish about us either. God doesn’t want us to get bitter and give up on life. He has great things in store for those who don’t.
 
We live in the midst of people who will die and spend eternity in hell unless they hear the gospel. It is our job to tell them. It is pure selfishness to give up on life. Don’t allow your problems to deter you from God’s plan for your life. Give yourself fully to the pursuit of your God given purpose and you will no longer hate life. You will find a peace and satisfaction you never thought was possible. Love life—it is a gift from God! – HDS

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346 

MORNING MANNA          7-31-22

THROUGH GOD’S EYES

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” – Psalm 116:15

 I have often said, God wants for you exactly what you would want for yourself if you were as smart as God. I believe that. Our attitude about everything would change if we saw things through God’s eyes. Here’s a good example, taken from a daily devotional on “The Baptist Hour”, of what I’m talking about:

“From our perspective it is the greatest grief we can imagine; from God’s perspective it is the delight of His heart. From our perspective, it brings a sorrow that only heaven can erase; from God’s perspective, it brings a joy that only heaven can know. 

How can the death of His people be so precious in the sight of the Lord? Doesn’t He care about the gaping wound that loved ones leave behind on earth? Is He not sensitive to the pains and anguish that usually precede our own death? Why would anything so grievous to us be so precious to God? 

The answer, of course, is that God loves more, sees more, and wants more for us than we love, see, or want for ourselves or loved ones. God sees the majesty, sweetness, purity, and perfection of each glorified saint as they cross over from this cursed earth and put on the robes of Christ’s righteousness. 

If we could see just how delightful heaven is, just how joyful we will be there, and just how overwhelmingly sweet it will be to live in the presence of Jesus Christ forever, we would doubtless find death as precious as God does.” 

Remember–God’s will is always right, best, and safest!

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church

Humble, Tx.

MORNING MANNA           7-30-22

THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE

The Psalmist said of God,“For with thee is the fountain of life”(Psalms 36:9). There is in that statement far more than our mind can comprehend. He is the source of all that is good.“In Him we live,and move,and have our being”.He has all we need and gives all we have.And He does so because of grace. No one is earning their way with God. He gives because He is our Father and He desires to give even more than what we allow Him to give, yet we “limit the Holy One of Israel”.

We fail to appropriate what is available simply because of our mis-conceptions about God. In our mind, we drag Him down to our level and suppose that He is either unable or unwilling to provide what we need–what fools we are! We forget that He is the Infinite Fountain of life, love, liberty,and all good things.

We forget, as Octavius Winslow wrote, “That the heavier the demand we make upon God, the more we shall receive, and that the oftener we come, the more are we welcome.  That we cannot ask too much.  That our sin and His dishonor are, that we ask so little.  We forget that He is glorified in giving; and that the more grace He metes out to His people, the richer the revenue of praise which He receives in return.  —the heart that gave Jesus will withhold no good thing from those who walk uprightly.”

When you feel barren and dry, even fearful that you might perish, remember He “is the fountain of life.” —HDS
David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church