MORNING MANNA 2/23/20

February 23, 2020 By Pastor David Stone

“And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.” – Josh. 8:34-35

I want you to notice the little word “all”. It is of big importance. In this day when God’s word is so lightly regarded it is a blessing to see people who read it faithfully. They are wise. However, sometimes there is a fault in their manner of Bible study. Sometimes those who love the Word and spend much time in it tend to gravitate to those passages that appeal to them and neglect those that don’t. They study cafeteria style, where they pick and choose what they like and leave the rest. But that’s a serious blunder.

I know, it is only natural that in our pain and with our problems we seek out those verses that comfort and encourage us. There is nothing wrong with that, but there is more to it than that. Paul said in Rom. 11:22 “Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God”. Yet today we hear a lot about the love of God and little about His law and lividity. We speak often of His affection, but seldom of His anger. We seem to have forgotten that God’s Word is both bitter and sweet ( Rev. 10:9-10) and both serve a purpose that is needed. We must not dote on the one and despise the other. Not only do we need sweet words of consolation, there are times when we need the stern words of correction. That’s why we dare not get our of balance. To think of heaven is wonderful, but we also should give thought to hell – Jesus did. Pastors are to preach the whole counsel of God so as to give people what they need rather than just what they want.

As unpleasant as it might be to read the bitter portions of God’s Word, it is profitable. It’s better to feel the sting of a rebuke from God’s Word to convict us than it is to feel the pain of God’s rod to correct us. We put ourselves in peril when we pass over anything God has spoken. He demands and deserves our attention. A song is more pleasant than the sound of a siren, but sometimes a warning is far more important. It can be life saving. If you just listen to what you want to hear you will miss what you need to hear. – HDS

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

MORNING MANNA 2/22/20

February 22, 2020 By Pastor David Stone

“…. riches…..” – Heb. 11:26

Yesterday I spoke about “Get Rich or Be Rich?” Moses chose the latter. Most folks vote for the former. They do so because they are deceived. They do not understand what it means to be truly rich. Today I want you to think about that lest you be in their camp. I want to remind you of what Jesus said in Matt. 6:19-20 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:” It’s obvious from this that we should invest our lives in things that last, rather than things we will leave or lose. On another occasion Jesus said, “… Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” (Luke 12:15). Why? It is because such things shall not last forever. They do not endure. They are but for a season.

Alexander Maclaren wrote: “Nothing that can be stripped from us is truly ours. Only that which is incorporated with the very substance of the soul belongs to me; and the only true wealth is the wealth of a Christ-love in my heart, and a Christ-truth in my understanding, and a Christ-spirit in my life, and a Christ the law of my will. He that hath these is rich…”

Do not be deceived my dear friend. Do not invest your fleeting life in things you shall lose. Instead, set your sights on “the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” ( 2 Cor. 4:18). Those who do that can sing “I’m a poor rich man” as the song says. It’s your choice. You can try to get rich or you can be rich. Choose wisely my friend! – HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

MORNING MANNA 2/21/20

February 21, 2020 By Pastor David Stone

“Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.”- Heb. 11:26
What a person does in life is greatly influenced by what he values. Sadly the priorities of most people are wrong. Moses, however, got it right. He knew what was important and what wasn’t. We should be so wise. Regardless of who you are, what you’ve done, or where you are, you have a wonderful opportunity to do something of eternal value. And there is no one on earth who can stop you from doing so. The choice is entirely yours. As with Moses there is something to be rejected and something to be received. One leads to regret and the other to reward. There is something to accept and something to avoid. Vance Havner said, “Moses choice was reproach and/or riches. It is a matter of whether one wants to get rich or be rich. We can be rich in Christ or perhaps get rich in Egypt, but we cannot do both. It’s never ‘Christ and….’. It’s always ‘Christ or’. We cannot serve God and mammon.”

Moses made the right choice. Like Paul ( 2 Cor. 4:16-18), he set his sights on things eternal rather than earthly things. He “had respect unto the recompense of the reward” (Heb. 11:26). Think about those words, “the reward“. We need to be mindful of that everyday we live. We should be looking for and longing for that great reward in heaven of which our Savior spoke ( Matt.5:12). Knowing it is certain makes all the sacrifices worthwhile.

Here we are still talking about the faith of Moses. And this is far more than an education in history or entertainment. This is an example we should follow. His choice is a challenge that confronts all of us. Believe it or not, others will be thinking about what you choose after you are gone. Hopefully our life will say, “This is the way, walk ye in it”. Moses wrote of what that way is in Deut. 30:16 “In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.”

So, my dear friend, it’s your choice. What will you be known for? By faith Moses led and served others. May the same be said of us. – HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

MORNING MANNA 2/20/20

February 20, 2020 By Pastor David Stone

“Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.” – Heb. 11:26

Choices have consequences and those who are wise ponder the path of their feet so as to establish their ways ( Prov. 4:26). They do not succeed by accident, but by following the counsel of God. One of the best examples of this is Moses. At a certain critical point in his life he found himself at a crossroads and had to make a choice which would determine his destiny. He had to decide between the riches of Egypt and the reproach of Christ. By faith he chose “to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” ( Heb. 11:25).

He selected the imperishable – “affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” (Heb.11:25)

He saw the invisible – “he endured, as seeing him who is invisible” (Heb. 11:27)

He succeeded at the impossible – “passed through the Red sea”

He simulated the intestinal fortitude of his parents – “they were not afraid of the kings commandment” ( Heb. 11:23) and “he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king” (Heb. 11:27).

As a result of this Moses invested his life in that which pays eternal dividends rather than wasting it on the fleeting pleasures of sin. In his story we find a great example and a serious challenge. You are standing at a crossroad today. The question is “How will you spend the rest of your life?”, and you must make a choice – a choice with consequences. On one hand you have the tug of the flesh pulling you toward the path of sin. On the other you have the urging of God’s Spirit pointing you in the direction of God’s will. It is your choice. But when you make the choice you also choose the consequences. We know what Moses did. What will you do? – HDS

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

MORNING MANNA 2/18/20

February 18, 2020 By Pastor David Stone

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” – 2 Cor. 1:3-4

I just read a message from a fellow pastor on how he profited from his father’s sudden death. I’m not talking about profiting as in an inheritance. I’m talking about what he gained from his grief, what he learned from his loss. Immediately I began to think about how I felt when my mother and father died. And I thought about others going through similar experiences. I want you to think about it. Think about how you will feel when what you hear others talk about is here – when their experience becomes your experience.

We often see others suffering and hear their stories about their difficulties, but we can’t really understand until we are going through it ourselves. Although we never really know how the other person feels we can gain some insight about it. And that can be a great help. As a result of it we ought to be better suited to minister to others. In other words our misery can become a ministry. That’s what Paul is talking about in 2 Cor. 1:3-11. He tells us that we who have been comforted ought to become comforters. In other words, when we’ve been though it we should help others get through it.

Several years ago an elderly woman in the church told me the former pastor “had not suffered enough to be a good pastor”. Knowing the man I had to agree with what she said, but I kept my opinion to myself. Although he was not to be blamed for his lack of suffering he was to blame for his attitude toward those who were suffering. I mention this to remind you that we can gain from our grief. Our burdens can become blessings by helping us to be of help to others. As we look back and think about how “the God of all comfort” comforted us in our time of need we need to look around and think about how we can comfort those who are in need. – HDS

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

MORNING MANNA 2/23/20

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MORNING MANNA 2/21/20

MORNING MANNA 2/20/20

MORNING MANNA 2/18/20

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