(Friday Church News Notes, October 13, 2023, www.wayoflife.org, [email protected], 866-295-4143) – Israel’s war with Hamas is front page news throughout the world. Apart from the Bible, it makes no sense that one of the tiniest nations would constantly be an international headliner. A wise man was once challenged to give evidence in one word that the Bible is divinely inspired, and he replied, “Israel.” God created Israel and put her in the midst of the nations to be a light to a dark world. It was an act of God’s love and unmerited favor. “Thus saith the Lord GOD; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her” (Ezekiel 5:5). Through Israel, God gave the world the holy Scriptures and Christ the Saviour, gifts of infinite value. Israel is God’s nation even in her rebellion to God, which is her present condition. The past 2,000 years of Israel’s history was prophesied in detail in Deuteronomy 28 more than 3,400 years ago, before the 12 tribes even entered the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 30 and many other Scriptures prophesy Israel’s spiritual conversion, which has not yet occurred. Israel will not have peace until she receives the Prince of Peace as her Messiah. We don’t know how this present war will turn out, but we know from Bible prophecy, which has never been wrong, that Israel’s greatest trouble lies ahead. In her zeal for peace, Israel will receive a false messiah, the anti-christ, the man of sin, the son of perdition, who will come upon the scene in desperate times as an awe-inspiring figure, a magnificent peace-monger, a world-class problem solver. He will make it possible for the third temple to be built as we read in Revelation 11, but he will show his true character when he sets himself up in that very temple as God. “… and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). Regardless of Israel’s apostasy, Israel is still Israel, and God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel) is still true. “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee” (Genesis 12:3). When God says something, the wise heed His words, knowing that God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We bless Israel, because God has instructed us to do so. Woe be unto those who curse her. – David Cloud
THINK ABOUT IT!

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
Humble, Tx

THINK ABOUT IT            10-10-23

THINK ABOUT IT              10-9-23

notte::This is the latest post on the Pastor’s Blog. For others go to our website.

Several years ago I just happened to be reading Jay Adams’s blog and found it very interesting. It touched on a matter that has long been a serious problem. Too many folks depend on their feelings rather than the facts. Adams gives us this food for thought:

“I FEEL IT’S SO” 

Can you give me even one good reason?

“No, I don’t need reasons—I just feel it’s so.”

That short exchange might take place many times a day between Christians. But it never should.

You may be wondering what the subject is that the two parties are discussing. It doesn’t really matter. I left it out for a good reason—to show the bare outlines of the issue.

The issue being, of course, how we know anything about God to be true or false.

There is no biblical precedent for basing the truth or the falsehood of any belief upon how one feels; yet many do so.

Our faith is one that can be objectively set forth—and has been—in a Book from which God expects us to learn what is/isn’t true.

What Jesus told us that Abraham said to the rich man suffering in hell was that people won’t believe even if someone rose from the dead (which, of course, He did). Experience and feelings won’t cut it! Instead, if a person wants to discover the truth he should turn to the Bible: “they have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them” Jesus said (Luke 16: 29).

It’s the same today-to learn the truth, and benefit from it—one must turn to the Scriptures. Stop listening to feelings; start listening to truth.

Following up on my comments about “feelings” as a guide, I’d like to make one other point.

When I taught in the doctoral program at Westminster West, there were students—pastors, I should note—who would ask, “Prof., what do you feel about so and so?”

Often, to make the point, I’d say (with a smile), “Lousy.” Or, if the response seemed appropriate, “Great!”

Invariably, they’d go on to say something like, “No, you don’t understand. What I’d really like to know is what you feel about. . .” entirely missing my point, or unable to express themselves in any other way.

So, I’d continue, “You got my feelings. I’d like to give you my opinion, or belief, or conviction. But what you asked for is feelings.”

People today use weak language—pastors ought to be the last to do so. No one ever nailed another to the door for expressing his feelings. It’s when you state your convictions that they do!

When pastors are willing to speak in such a weak, namby-pamby way, no wonder the members of their congregations have few, if any, strong convictions. Let’s learn TO STAND UP AND PLAINLY DECLARE WHAT WE BELIEVE OR—BETTER STILL—WHAT GOD SAYS!

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

THINK ABOUT IT

While I would disagree with the author of the following author on some things, when it comes to what he says about the church I am in complete agreement. Canadian pastor, Tim Challies hit the nail on the head when he wrote about the priority of the church. He said;

Prioritize Your Church

If the gym is the natural context to pursue physical fitness, the local church is the natural context to pursue spiritual fitness. The church is God’s gymnasium. As a Christian man, you are running a race and, if you mean to run it well, you need training that will help you reach and maintain peak performance. It is in the local church that you encounter the trainers who instruct and guide you, that you follow the training regimen God has planned out for you. It is here that you work out alongside peers who are training for their own race so you can be inspired by their labor and so you can motivate them in return. If you are going to run to win you need to prioritize your church.

The Purpose of the Church

The local church is central to God’s plan for the world. In fact, in many ways the local church is God’s plan for the world. Much of what God means to teach the world, he teaches through the local church; much of what he means to display to the world, he displays through the local church; much of what he means to accomplish in the world, he accomplishes through the local church. No ministry can outshine it, no program can replace it, no power can topple it. The local church is God’s plan, and he has no backup.

God means for each Christian to be involved in a local church, and his Word knows nothing of Christians who will not be part of one. The local church welcomes into membership those who believe and puts out those who have abandoned the faith, so that each church is a community of Christians bound together by their common profession of faith.

For unbelievers, the local church serves as an outpost in enemy territory. In a world that is in outright rebellion against God, these assemblies offer the good news of reconciliation. Unbelievers are welcomed into worship services so they can experience Christian worship, hear the gospel message, profess faith in Christ, and be baptized in his name. The church exists to evangelize!

For believers, the local church serves as the spiritual health club, the place where we are trained to run our race. It is here that we learn about God so we grow in knowledge, that we worship God so we grow in love, that we are ministered to by God’s people so we grow in godliness, and that we minister to others so we grow in humility. It is here that we come under the care and oversight of elders, the trainers God has specially called and equipped to model godliness and to call us to it. The church exists to edify!

While each of us competes in an individual pursuit and strives toward our prize, we do not run alone, for alongside us is a company of brothers and sisters, each laboring to win their own race. Thank God for the local church!

Prioritize Your Church

If the local church is central to God’s plan for his world, it is equally central to God’s plan for your life. And for that reason I must ask: What is your relationship with the local church? Are you part of a church? Are you involved in it? Are you contributing to it in meaningful ways? You cannot expect to thrive or even to survive without it.

This may be hard for us to admit. We are men! We are strong and fierce and independent! But God means to teach us that we are not as strong as we might think. In fact, we are so weak that we desperately need the help of others. We need to be strengthened by the elderly, we need to be taught by the disabled, we need to be encouraged by the children, we need to be stirred by the unloved, we need to be humbled by the feeble. It is in the local church that we learn to run well.

To run well, you need the worship of the local church. It is in the weekly worship services that you sing your praise and worship to God, that you read the Bible with others, that you hear a preacher exposit a text, that you join in prayer with other Christians, and that you celebrate baptism and the Lord’s supper. These are the ordinary means of grace through which God is pleased to nourish and strengthen you, to equip you for the race.

To run well, you need the service of the local church. You need brothers and sisters who will model godliness before you, who will encourage you through times of trial, who will remind you of the gospel when you’ve sinned and repented, who will lovingly rebuke you when you’ve sinned and failed to repent. You need them to exercise their spiritual gifts for your benefit and your edification. You are weak and deeply dependent upon others.

The benefit of church is not only in what you learn or what you experience, but in how you serve.

To run well, you need to serve the local church. You may be tempted to approach church hoping that you will get a lot out of it. It is far better and far godlier to approach church asking what you will be able to give to others. Who needs you to serve them this morning? Who needs to be encouraged by your presence, by your fellowship, by your words? Instead of asking, “How will church meet my needs?” you ought to ask, “Whose needs can I meet?” The benefit of church is not only in what you learn or what you experience, but in how you serve. Though it may seem counterintuitive, you actually run your race better when you spend time training others, when you invest in them and help them to run well.

Do It Now

When it comes to prioritizing church, good intentions may get you started, but it will take conviction and habit to keep you going. Let me offer a few practical tips.

• Find a good church. If you already attend a healthy church that proclaims the gospel, thank God for his provision……
• Go all-in. I recently read that nearly two-thirds of all people with a gym membership never actually attend their gym. At one time their intentions were good, they determined they would get fit, and they signed on the dotted line. But without conviction and habit they quickly stopped. Many people are much the same with church–they have their church, but attend only occasionally and serve only sparingly. On its own, a gym membership cannot get you a fit body. You need to actually go the gym and to take advantage of its equipment and programs. Likewise, merely choosing a church will do no good for your soul. You must participate in the church and take advantage of what it offers. Find out how your church means to disciple believers and commit to their program.
• Structure your life around church. There are many desires, responsibilities, and hobbies that can interfere with church attendance, not the least of which is amateur sports. Make church your highest priority on a Sunday morning and, as far as possible, allow nothing to interfere. It is far better to stop chasing the dream of your child earning a football scholarship and to join him in pursuing godly character and Christian service in the local church.
• Lead your family. As a husband and father, you bear the ultimate responsibility to ensure your family has committed to a healthy local church and that they are actually attending. Be the one to commit to the church, be eager to attend and to serve, be the one who wakes the family on Sunday morning. Listen attentively to the sermon, worship with your whole heart, open your home to others, and expect that your family will be blessed by a father who takes the lead.

Run to Win!

Human beings have developed places where we can train our bodies and train our minds. God himself has given us a place where we can train our souls, where we can learn to run the most important of all races. It is through the local church that he dispenses his most precious gifts of grace. If you are going to run to win, you must prioritize your church.—Tim Challies

THINK ABOUT IT

David Stone    

Lakeway Baptist Church     

Humble, Tx 

THINK ABOUT IT             10-4-23

NO CURE FOR OLD AGE

The following is a message from the past by Richard Steele, 1688 – Updated to KJV.

Although it’s possible for young people to die early, it’s impossible for the elderly to live long. The visible signs of aging are a clear indication that our end is approaching. There’s no cure for old age. The graves are prepared for us. The natural process of decay will continue to wear down our bodies until they are completely consumed. Death has already begun to affect the senses of older individuals, and it won’t be long before they return to dust.

However, while death is an unwelcome event for those who live comfortable lives, it is a blessed transition for holy elderly men and women. They can look back and see a tempting and troublesome world, but looking forward, they anticipate a state of perfect holiness and happiness that awaits them. The end of their earthly struggles marks the beginning of their heavenly rewards. Just as an apprentice rejoices when their service is about to end, the elderly person can find solace in the approaching end of their earthly journey.

I understand that facing death is unsettling for everyone, but faith becomes especially important and valuable at this stage, and the just may be said to die, as well as to live by his faith. It allows the elderly to see a life of immortality just ahead, with only one final step to take before reaching that destination. The person who has done no work may feel no benefit to going to bed, but for those in pain, the relief of the end is sweet. The traveler is relieved when they finally reach their inn. The worker counts down the days until their toil is done. The gardener eagerly anticipates the harvest. The expectant mother awaits her due date. Similarly, the elderly person patiently waits for their summons to their eternal home.

This belief in everlasting life is what gave the apostle Paul the ability to say, “ For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:!” (Philippians 1:23). Where else would a spouse want to be but with her husband, or where else would the body’s members want to be but with their head? This is why the godly Lady Falkland used to say when she went to bed, “Now I’m one day closer to Heaven than ever before!”

Elderly Christians often see a woeful wilderness behind them and a promised land of blessing ahead. So, it’s no surprise that, like Moses, they long to be in that better place. As the holy soul draws closer to its perfection, it becomes even more eager and almost impatient to reach it.

There are, then, several benefits of meditating on death as we age.

1. It brings composure to the mind.
2. It keeps us in reverence of the Lord throughout the day.
3. It helps maintain a clear conscience in our relationship with God and others.
4. It fosters a sense of detachment from worldly pursuits.
5. It nurtures a spirit of freedom and candor.
6. It strengthens our faith and commitment to holiness.

If people didn’t grow old, they might live careless, worldly lives. Growing older reminds us of our mortality and motivates us to live in a way that aligns with the holiness of our new home. The nearer to Heaven, the more heavenly we should be. 

“ For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:” Philippians 1:23

David Stone.  

Lakeway Baptist Church   

Humble, Tx