“But so shall it not be among you….” Mark 10:43
Whether viewed as instruction, a command, or a warning from the Lord, it was in reality a sad indictment against His disgruntled disciples–in more ways than one. As Jesus faced the cross, the disciples were focused on a throne. Rather than thinking of Him they were thinking about themselves – who was the greatest. It started with James and John (vs. 35-40) but it spread to the other ten (vs. 41-42). How sad. At a time when they should have been thinking of Christ they made it all about themselves. And now the ten are angry with James and John, so now we see a disgrace, a distraction, and a division in the church.

Their bickering had to do with who will be the greatest in the kingdom. By way of rebuke, the Lord draws a contrast between the way it should be with them and the way it was with the gentiles. And, He declares in no uncertain terms that the greatest is he who is willing to serve rather than rule. It might be the opposite with the gentiles, but He says,”..so shall it not be among you”.

Looking beyond the strict context of this we see here a principle that is to be applied to our lives in general. We are to be different! Just because something is lawful, popular, and pleasurable it doesn’t mean we should do it. We are obligated to be unlike this sinful world. This gets to the very root of a very serious problem today. Christians have lost their distinction. While we profess Christ as our Lord and Savior, and proclaim that we are new creatures (2 Cor. 5:17), the world sees no difference between us and them. And that makes a huge difference in our ability to reach them for Christ. Considering the average Christian’s conduct, is it any wonder that we have such a hard time in getting people to listen to our message?

Although we are in the world, we are not of it (John 17:14-16). The world should see a marked difference between us and them. If we lose our distinction we destroy our effectiveness. I’m not talking about being different just for the sake of being different, I’m talking about being different because we walk in obedience to God’s Word and they don’t. And, considering the ways of the world, the difference should be drastic! We must never forget that although we are not of the world we are in it and sent to it with the glorious gospel of Christ. Before we can convince the world to listen to our message they must see the difference that Christ makes in a person’s life. God forbid that we fail! – HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“….I was brought low, and he helped me.”–Psalms 116:6

One of my favorite songs is “He Lifted Me”. It reminds us of God’s help for the fallen. Due to the nature of the world and the needs of man, disappointments are common. We are born with certain appetites and the world is shouting in our ear, like a merchant selling his wares, “Try this” or “Try that”, but we keep coming up empty. The world is long on promises but short on provisions. So we might well expect to be disappointed. But the Christians greatest disappointment is with self. We feel as Paul described in Rom. 7. We have the desire, our goal is high, but we keep coming up short–and it hurts. We earnestly strive to do well, but we keep failing. We labor to ascend, but we fall– we are “brought low”.

Our text tells us two things–his troubles—“I was brought low”, and his testimony—“He helped me”. Commenting on this, James Smith wrote: “The circumstances of the Christian often vary — and it is     no uncommon thing for his frames and feelings to vary with his    circumstances. On this account, many of the Lord’s people are either    elevated — or depressed, but seldom enjoy a calm, peaceful,     and settled state of mind. Their depression is great — or their     joys are high. But even this is overruled for their good, and is     sanctified to the humbling of the soul, and the preserving it from     self–importance and pride. What a mercy it is to have a God to go to — let     our frames and feelings be what they may. What a mercy to have one who will     sympathize with us, and of whom it is said, “Like as a father pities his children — so the Lord pities those who fear him.” This was David’s encouragement, and lay at the root of much of his experience, and led him to say, “I was brought low — and He helped me.”

Dear friend, this God is our God, and just as He helped the Psalmist He will help you. Regardless of the nature or number of your trials we serve a God who is able to help. His help might not come in the form we expect, nor in the time we desire, but help always comes to those in God’s will. If He doesn’t do what we think is best it because He has something even better in mind.–HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city.“–Lam. 2:11

A good portion of the Bible has to do with God and man pleading with others to turn from their wicked ways and flee from the destruction toward which they are headed. Even so a large part of every pastor’s time is spent doing the same. And, although much needed, it can be a very painful experience.

It is heartbreaking watching people wreck and ruin their lives. And, try as you may, you just cannot stop some people from doing so. They are determined to live as they please without any regard for what pleases God. Not only do they resist your efforts and reject your warnings, they resent what they believe is your intrusion into their life. That leaves you brokenhearted. You know from experience that God’s Word is true, God’s will is right, and God’s way is best, but you are unable to convince them that it is so.

This disappointing experience has a way of draining your energy, dragging you down, and deepening your depression to the point that you feel like quitting. That’s what happened to Jeremiah (Jer. 20:7-13). And, make no mistake about it, if it could happen to him it could happen to you or me. Although a noble trait, there is a high price to pay for a tender heart. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, was overwhelmed because he could not bear to see the destruction of his people (Lam.3:48). That is a feeling well known by many pastors, parents and others. To see those you love hurting hurts! To see them hurt by things over which they have no control is painful, but to see them do it to themselves is even worse. Self-destruction is senseless.

However, as disheartening as this is we must not quit. Although our efforts prove to be in vain in some instances, our persistence will prove profitable in others. While we can’t reach everybody, we can reach somebody, and that makes the effort worthwhile! Don’t give up! – HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”– John 3:3

In 1972 Astronaut Charles Duke became the tenth and youngest person ever to walk on the moon. He was the lunar module pilot for the Apollo 16 Mission. At that time he wasn’t a Christian, but that changed in 1978. Here is his testimony: “After walking on the moon, I was bored. Fame, fortune, a spot in the history books: I had it all. But if you had been a fly on the wall in my home, you would have seen that I wasn’t so hot. I was failing miserable as a husband and father. Though I had gone to church all my life, I had all of God I needed in that one hour every Sunday morning. Even the moon had not been a spiritual experience. I wasn’t looking for God. I only knew Jesus the way you know the U.S. Presidents—in name only. My business succeeded, and the money rolled in, but I was bored again. But Dottie wasn’t. She had changed. Her depression had lifted, and she demonstrated a new, believing faith. She turned to God—not me—for answers to her problems. One night I attended a Bible Study with her that focused on one penetrating question, ‘Who was Jesus?’ All my life I had said the words, ‘Son of God,’ but had never trusted Him. That night I came face-to-face with the opportunity to follow Him. I prayed with Dottie in the front seat of our car and gave my life over to Christ. I didn’t see angels. I didn’t hear music. No blinding lights. But I knew what I knew. I was real. The next day I awoke with an insatiable desire to read the Bible. It cost the government $400 million for me to walk three days on the moon—and it’s over. But to walk with Jesus is free and it lasts forever!”

We can talk a lot about life and how it should be lived, but until a person is born again he can never be what he ought to be. As Jesus said in John 6:63 “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” Fortune and fame can never provide the satisfaction your soul yearns for. As Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Ye must be born again” ( John 3:7). Life’s greatest experience is to possess life’s greatest treasure, the kingdom of God. You are a spiritual pauper without it. In it you are a child of the King!- HDS

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

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”- Acts 1:8

Any true student of the Bible is aware of the Great Commission given in Matt. 28:19-20. We are well aware of it but we don’t do it so well. We know what we should be doing, we just don’t do it. And that produces a lot of negatives, one of which is the feeling that we are just existing rather than living. That leads to boredom and depression. Living life as it is meant to be is the most joyful life possible. It is a delight rather than drudgery. But it doesn’t just happen. It’s not automatic.

Fulfilling God’s demands that we do what God has purposed on purpose. We start where we are with a vision of spreading the gospel around the world. That requires effort in duty, endurance in difficulties, and engagement with others. We are to live with a sense of urgency, walking wisely ( Col. 4:5), and redeeming the time ( Eph. 5:15-16). Do you think of yourself as being a messenger sent by God? Are you aware of the fact that you have been summonsed by the Lord Himself to be a witness for Christ, to testify on His behalf? Is that what you’re doing?

Witnessing is not just for the older, mature, or extrovert Christians. It is for every Christian. Your responsibility to witness is just as great as the pastor, Sunday School teacher, or anyone else. Some of you feel unimportant, and that your life is meaningless, but that isn’t true. You feel that way because you don’t understand the greatness of your calling. Your life has been all about existing, enduring, and surviving, rather than accomplishing something of eternal value. The cure is to become mission-minded, to see everything as a part of God’s plan to use you to reach those who are lost. — HDS

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