For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.— Luke 9:24

Most people approach life backwards.. They put self up-front and everything else behind. They make self the focal point and everything else is made to revolve around that. That explains why we often refer to the world as being “up-side-down”.

The Bible teaches just the opposite. According to Jesus, to find our life we must lose it. To gain it we must give it away. As long as we make living about us we will be miserable—unfulfilled. “Dying to self” is the only thing that can make us truly useful in the Kingdom of God. All truly great men and women have been willing to deny themselves for Christ’ sake. Yet they are the happiest and most well-adjusted people on earth. Obviously losing one’s life for Christ not only makes us useful, it also makes joyful, content, satisfied. Living for self does just the opposite. This accounts for people being so miserable.

Few there be that can honestly say, “--I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content“(Phil. 4:11). They can’t say that because fewer still can say, “For to me to live is Christ-“(Phil. 1:21). Paul could make these statements because he could honestly say, “But none of these things (“bonds and afflictions”) move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus–“(Acts 20:24). Only a man like that can say to a carnal church,”–I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved”(2 Cor. 12:15). Would it not be great if we all had Paul’s attitude?

Getting to that place is perhaps the most difficult thing we ever do, because every step we take is met with opposition from the world, the flesh, and the devil. The flesh desires all for self and none for Christ. Christ demands all for Him and none for the flesh. You make the call. Keep your life and lose it or lose it and find it. The wise man exchanges his will for that of Christ’. What will you do?– HDS

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

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”- Heb. 12:2-3

Have you ever wondered why animal trainers carry a stool when they enter the lion’s cage? A whip and pistol we can understand– but why a stool? I recently read the answer.  “According  to one expert, the stool is the most important tool of the trainer. The trainer holds the stool by the seat and thrusts the legs toward the face of the wild animal. The lion tries to focus on all four legs at once and becomes tame because his attention is fragmented, or his focus is blurred.”

Even so, some people spend a lot of their life focused on things they can’t control or change, and doing things that don’t really matter. We tend to live as though life is all about us and now, rather than God and eternity. Most people depend on happenings for their happiness — how much money they make from the stock market, the weather, who wins the game, etc. I read about a football team several years ago that lost a game 51-0. Trying to comfort the team, the coach told them to just forget it– “there are 800 million Chinese who don’t even know we played a game today!”. Had that happened today he would have to say 1.42 billion. Think about it. What matters so much to us sometimes doesn’t really matter. We focus too much on self, our pleasures and problems, and not enough on God. And our focus is always on one or the other. The choice is ours. We can choose the choice but not the consequences. If we focus on the wrong thing things we endanger ourselves. Counting our blessings is better than cursing our burdens.

Tough times, although painful, aren’t always bad. We usually have a closer fellowship with God during the difficult days than we do in delightful days. That’s why Paul wrote, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” ( 2 Cor. 12:9-10). In some cases not having a handicap is our greatest handicap. Things are so good that we fail to see our need of God, and that’s bad! –— HDS

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

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” –Phil. 3:14

 The Christian life is meant to be a life of progress— and there is always room for growth. Since we never arrive at the full likeness of Christ in this life there is always a need for change. The problem is that our progress is often impeded and our growth is stunted. And we error in several different ways.

Some are going in circles. There is movement enough, but no actual progress. Others have wandered astray–moving, but in the wrong direction. Some have come to a complete stop—they make no effort and experience no progress. Some have done a 180, a total turn-around. They once were “defenders of the faith” but now defend the very things they once despised and denounced. Then there are those, and they are many, who move at a snail’s pace–headed in the right direction, but much slower than they should. They should be teachers, but are spiritual first-graders (Heb.5:12).

So, where are you? Have you been distracted and going in circles, or deceived and gone astray, or discouraged and sitting still, or 180 degrees from where you ought to be, or moving in the right direction at a snails pace? If you aren’t moving forever forward at a rate normal for you something is wrong, and you need to deal with it. Wherever you are and whatever the cause, if you aren’t moving forward you are headed for trouble. If you have ceased to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18) you are backsliden. Confess your sin. Conform your ways to the Scriptures. Commit yourself entirely to God. Get yourself on the move again and keep moving onward, upward, and forever forward.– HDS

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

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”–‘Proverbs 4:23

Some people claim that the way to victory is to “Just let go and let God”. They claim that spiritual progress requires no self-effort, just faith in God. But that is theory, not truth.  A. W. Pink said,”As well might a poor man expect to be rich in this world without industry, or a weak man to become strong and healthy without food and exercise, as a Christian to be rich in faith and strong in the Lord without earnest endeavor and diligent effort. It is true that all our labors amount to nothing unless the Lord blesses them (Ps. 121:1), as it also is that apart from Him we can do nothing (John15:5)”. That is in keeping with what the Bible teaches clearly and repeatedly. Although every step of progress is to be attributed to God, He requires effort on our part. We are to “put off” and “put on” certain things (Eph. 4:21-24). We are to be active rather than passive. We must do what we can before we can expect God to do what we can’t.

So, let’s focus on where our focus should be. We must get to the heart of the problem, which just happens to be the problem of the heart. It is from there that all the issues of life proceed. If the heart is neglected all else will be affected. As the heart is the center and fountain of physical life, so it is spiritually. If the heart be wrong so will the life. What the heart is the person is. Keeping it is essential to all else– and that is a full-time job! We dare not let our guard down for a moment lest Satan get the advantage of us. As the old Puritan John Flavel said,”The keeping and right managing of the heart in every condition is the great business of a Christian’s life”. How true! If we fail here we fail everywhere.

If we fail to keep the heart our mind will be polluted, our will is weakened, temptation will overwhelm, lust will prevail, sin will conquer, and our character will unravel. So, this is not a matter that we can take or leave. We either keep the heart or face a fall— a crushing defeat. Your safety and happiness depends on your attention to your heart’s condition. Failure here leads to failure everywhere. This isn’t something someone else can do for you. Others might feed you, heap riches upon you, tend to your needs, and assist you in numerous ways, but when it comes to keeping your heart you must do it for yourself—it is your responsibility. –HDS (revised from 7/12/13)
 
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” – Luke 9:23
“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”– Luke 14:33

Have you ever noticed that we are our own worst enemy? It’s true. And sometimes this happens in unusual ways. Case in point— we bring a curse down upon our heads by expecting the Christian life to always be enjoyable and easy. Upon what do we base that expectation? That is something man invented. The Bible teaches otherwise. Although it is easy to become a Christian, it is not easy to be a Christian.
Just about everything we are commanded to do is hard, even impossible for us to do on our own. The Scriptures impose demands upon us that are far beyond our ability to do without divine aid. Who can say they have succeeded on their own? Have we not all failed at some point? Think about it. Have we honestly forsaken all to follow Christ? What about forgiving, loving, and helping your enemies? Are we truly “doers of the Word“? Most of us fail more than we like to admit.

The demands of discipleship are difficult. And the difficulties of discipleship are by divine design— never forget that! Jesus warned His followers from the very beginning that it would be hard. He never encouraged people to follow Him under false  pretense. He was open, honest and up-front about what to expect and what was expected. He told them they would be hated, persecuted, and murdered. Yet He told them to be faithful unto death. They were to forsake all for this? That doesn’t sound very appealing– not something you would do if your goal was to “win friends and influence people”, or live a life of ease.

So how did we develop this idea that the Christian life should be all fun and games? Next to the natural appeal of the flesh, I suspect the biggest culprit is preachers. In an effort to make Christianity more appealing many have tried to reduce the demands of discipleship. They have turned things up-side down, making it more about us than God. However, as appealing as this might seem, it doesn’t satisfy– neither God nor man. God’s way, the hard way, the challenging way, is the only way that leads to true satisfaction. Whatever the cost the product is worth the price. Nothing satisfies the soul of man more than knowing he has done the will of God. That’s the only life worth living. Christians must live for the glory of God and the good of others, or suffer grief due to a guilty conscience. Most people are miserable because they are trying to be happy rather than holy. Only those who are willing to pay the price can enjoy perfect peace. —- HDS

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