“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” – Rom. 8:28

“Why?” is the most asked question of all. Life is full of miseries we can’t stand and mysteries we can’t understand. And we want aid and answers. However, since God doesn’t explain every experience we are confused. Beyond that, many are angry and bitter. They do not realize that what they need the most is often what they want the least. Unknown to them is the fact that what seems like a grievous burden just might be a great blessing. Blinded by the pain they lose sight of the fact that God has a plan– thus a purpose in their pain, a mission for their misery.

Although no one can answer all your “Why?” questions, here is something you need to remember— nothing ever “just happens”. There are no accidents with God. Everything is either caused or allowed by Him. He is involved in every detail of your life. And, if you trust Him, He will use your experience for any one, or all, of three things– your good, other’s gain, and God’s glory. Considering the first and second commandments described in Matthew 22: 37-40 “our good” should be the least of our concern. When “our good” becomes our main concern our priorities are wrong. If God is glorified and others gain as a result of our suffering that should be enough to keep us from complaining. Is it not good for us when our pain results in another persons gain and God’s glory? What more should we seek in life than that? Looking at it in that manner, we can actually discover pleasure in our pain and rejoice. Paul did and so can we.

Our problem is that we get hung up on the fact that we can’t always see the fruit of our suffering and we assume it is for naught. That’s where faith comes in. To have peace in adversity we must accept what God says about it, regardless of how we feel or how things appear. God never fails to keep His promises — such as Romans 8:28. Do you believe that? If you don’t you have a problem worse than suffering. A lack of faith in God not only limits what He can do for you and through you, it is an insult to God and sin to you. The means for dealing with your misery is to believe what God says about it. If you are unwilling to do that no explanation would satisfy you. Increase your faith and your fears will diminish. You can rest in peace, knowing your misery has a mission.– HDS

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

“He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”- Matt. 28:6

Here we see a revelation- “He is not here“; a proclamation- “for he is risen“; an explanation-“as he said.“; and an invitation-“Come, see the place where the Lord lay”. After that comes the commission- “And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.” (Matt. 28:7). And now on this Easter, as we do every Sunday, we celebrate the resurrection of our Redeemer. We have the privilege of telling others we serve a risen Savior!

Here is an undeniable fact– yet doubted by many. Others, even professing believers say that it really doesn’t make any difference. Some discuss the resurrection like it is nothing more than a conversation piece or form of entertainment. It’s interesting and exciting to think about but they don’t see how it relates to their life. In their mind it is a doctrine without effect. So that raises this question, “Would it make any difference if he had not been raised from the grave?” We all know how we should answer, but not everyone understands the difference it makes.

While many things could be said, think about this. Considering man’s circumstances and the condition of the world it is common for people to feel confused, frightened, and insecure. Things are changing so rapidly and drastically they wonder, “What’s next?”, “Is anything sure?”, “What or who can we depend upon?”. The resurrection of Christ is God’s answer to our anxiety. It is our assurance that we can trust God. We can believe what He says, trust what He does, and depend upon Him for our needs. He hasn’t failed– He can’t and He won’t. You can trust Him, and doing so will calm your fears, give you peace, and inspire hope. The Redeemer’s resurrection gives us reason to rejoice! — HDS

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

“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.”– 1 Cor. 15:19-20)

The fear of death has done terrible things to people. They know it’s coming and go to great lengths to avoid it. It is like a monster they want to elude, a mystery they can’t figure out,  misery they can’t escape. But reminders of it are everywhere. They busy themselves with life hoping they won’t think about it, but then they pass a cemetery, or receive the news that someone has died, or develop an illness and the fear rises again.

They hear the fearless testimonies of Christians, but wonder if they are really being honest. They want to be so confident in facing death but just can’t seem to find the courage. They wonder “Can such a powerful enemy be defeated?” Must we forever succumb to his threats? What will it be like? We’ve all been there. There seems to be no escape from this enemy– until someone shines the bright light of God’s Word on the subject.

Then we read of Christ, “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said” (Matt. 28:6) and we find reason to hope. We realize that death can indeed be–has been, defeated (1 Cor. 15:19-26, 55-57). Because of the resurrection of Christ we no longer need to fear death. Those “who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Heb. 2:15) are now delivered! Now rather than looking at death with dread we see it as a mere departure (2 Tim. 4:6-8). We no longer think of it as the end, but as the beginning. Rather than seeing it as a loss we see it as a gain ( Phil. 1:21) –great gain, due to the fact that we enter into the fulness of our inheritance as joint heirs with Christ! Awareness of our Lord’s resurrection gives us assurance of ours. It turns the dread of death into thoughts of delight. We come to realize that it would be awful to spend eternity on this sin-cursed earth. Heaven is better than this! -HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.”– Luke 24:1

Faith isn’t the absence of questions, it is the assurance that God has and is the answer– and it acts accordingly. If we had all the answers there would be no such thing as faith. When troubles and trials come we don’t always know the reason, but we trust that God has a reason. Faith doesn’t deny the existence of a problem, but it doesn’t allow the problem to be a problem. Rather than looking at the problem, faith is focused on God with a firm reliance that the results are in His hands.

Think about those women on that first Easter Sunday morning who took spices to the tomb to anoint the Lord’s body. What made them think they could gain access to the Lord? They couldn’t roll the stone away and there was no reason for them to think the guards would grant them access ( Matt. 27:64-66). Reason would tell them to stay home and not waste their money, time, and energy. Yet they forged ahead by faith with the intent of doing something that seemed impossible. And their faith didn’t fail!

Even so, if we are to walk by faith, we must tackle our objective with our eyes on the Object of our faith rather than the obstacles. Faith is the confidence to commit to a course of our Lord’s choosing. Doing so brings great blessings that we would have missed otherwise. Had those women stayed home bemoaning the situation they would have missed the experience that brought them such great joy (Matt. 28:8). They had no idea how they might gain entrance into the tomb, but they proceeded with the plan because they knew God honors faith– and He did! He still does today. Faith is the door to delightful discoveries unknow by those who doubt. – HDS

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

As we approach Easter and speak of celebrating the resurrection of Christ the scoffers start their rants of denial. And they dismiss their unbelief as though it is no big deal. After all, who could blame them for not believing something so far-fetched? Charles Spurgeon put this problem in the proper perspective when he wrote the following:

“Beloved friends, let us never look upon our own unbelief as an excusable infirmity, but let us always regard it as a sin, and as a great sin, too. Whatever excuse you may at any time make for others—and I pray you to make excuses for them whenever you can rightly do so—never make any for yourself. In that case, be swift to condemn.
It is a very easy thing for us to get into a desponding state of heart, and to mistrust the promises and faithfulness of God, and yet, all the while, to look upon ourselves as the subjects of a disease which we cannot help, and even to claim pity at the hands of our fellow-men, and to think that they should condole with us, and try to cheer us.
It will be far wiser for each one of us to feel, ‘This unbelief of mine is a great wrong in the sight of God. He has never given me any occasion for it, and I am doing him a cruel injustice by thus doubting him. I must not idly sit down, and say, This has come upon me like a fever, or a paralysis, which I cannot help; but I must rather say, This is a great sin, in which I must no longer indulge; but I must confess my unbelief, with shame and self-abasement, to think that there should be in me this evil heart of unbelief.’ “

What about you? Do you deny what God has declared? If you are an unbeliever consider this, “..God… now commandeth all men every where to repent” ( Acts 17:30). It’s time to change your mind and put your trust in Christ. Why? “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” (Acts 17:31). – HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346