“Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.”- John 8:21

Pastor Thomas Smith wrote: Why did Jesus repeat Himself to those who heard Him?  “Then said Jesus again unto them.”  We would think that Jesus would never have to re-teach the lessons He had taught.  Surely His listeners would pay very close attention to everything He said, hanging on every word.  How could they forget the things they heard from the great Messiah?  Yet, our text tells us that Jesus told them “again.”  He went over it with them another time.  He repeated His plans to “go my way.”  It is interesting that, even though the gospels record that Jesus reiterated His purpose to die a cruel death and then rise again, the disciples were not expecting either.  They were slow to believe when they heard the news of His resurrection.  
   Repetition is a key part of teaching and learning.  This is common knowledge to all who work with the education of children.  The memorization of Scripture is enhanced by repetition.  On this subject, Paul said, “To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe” (Philippians 3:1).  He said that it was safe to repeat truthful information.  One could make the case that it is unsafe not to repeat the truth.  It is beneficial for us to be reminded.  For one thing, we all have a tendency to forget.  We have forgotten important information.  We even forget Bible verses that we have memorized and spiritual commitments we have made.  Being reminded is good for us.  
   Sometimes we do not remember things because we do not listen as carefully as we should, or we fail to take learning seriously.  Most people will admit they have to work at being good listeners and battle with distractions.  Another reason that repetition is necessary is because error has a way of eroding our convictions of truth.  If we hear false teaching often enough, it can weaken our position – especially if the truth is not being rehearsed to us.  
   Jesus told them “again” because they needed it; it was good for them.  Because these things are true, we should appreciate the fact that our teachers care enough about our learning that they occasionally repeat sound doctrine for our benefit.  It is not because they have nothing new to share.  Repetition is essential in the process of learning.  Because this is true, we need to remind others of the truths of the Word of God.

This reminds me of the old song “Tell me the old old story of Jesus and His love“. Dear friend we should never tire of hearing the glorious gospel of Christ.- HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”– Heb. 13:6
“Stay calm and carry on”. “This too shall pass”. “It’s the darkest before the dawn”. “If life gives you a lemon make lemonade”. “When the going gets tough the tough gets going”, etc, etc…! We’ve all heard these saying, and perhaps agree with them, but when things get bad they don’t seem to matter. When we are surprised and overwhelmed with some difficulty and the burden seems heavier than we can bear these cute little saying can irritate rather inspire. You’re just waiting for the next person who says, “It could be worse” to unload all your frustrations.

There seems to be 1001 things that inflicts pain, disrupts our plans, disturbs our peace, and awakens our fears–and you just got out of bed! And even if your day starts out well it can turn on a dime. One minute you are flying high without a care in the world and the next minute the weight of the world seems to be on your shoulders. It’s then that we are liable to lose our perspective, do something foolish, and neglect our duties. We feel like Jacob when he said “all these things are against me“, or Job when he thought God had forgotten about him.

The good news is, God hasn’t forgotten us. He is very much aware of what we’re going through, and He cares. He is never unconcerned about the things that concern us. But there is more. Not only does He know and care, He can help–and desires to do so! He has promised to never leave us, nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). He is our ever present help in time of trouble. If He doesn’t remove the burden He will give us the strength to bear it. Knowing God in able is wonderful. Knowing He will help is beyond amazing. Believing He will is absolutely essential, for “without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Heb. 11:6). When we honor God by trusting Him we can expect His help, and that ought to brighten any day.–HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“…..ye may know that ye have eternal life…..”- 1 John 5:13

We live in a confusing world and of all things people are confused about religion tops the list. And nothing is of greater importance. At the center of all this confusion is Christ, the most controversial person who ever lived. Many are conscious of the facts about Him without having confidence in them. They know about Him but do not know Him. They can quote scriptures, but they question the Savior. They celebrate His birth, but they’ve never been born again. They acknowledge His resurrection, but have not received Him as Lord. They know of His miracles but don’t know the gospel message. They hope they will go to heaven, but fear they might go to hell.

Some assume that no one can be sure of salvation, but the Scriptures teach otherwise. 1 John 5:13 says, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” That ought to settle it for any one who claims to be a Bible believer. If a person doesn’t know they are saved they have a serious problem. And it is heart breaking to see so many confused about the most important thing in life.

If you are one of those who lives with the uncertainty of which I speak I urge you to get in the Scriptures, discover the truth, and do as it says. By placing your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ you can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that your sins are forgiven, that you have eternal life, and that heaven is your home. It’s my prayer that you will do it without delay.–HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”- John 15:4-5

Duty of some sort calls us all. However, some refuse to try because they feel, or say, they lack the gift. In other words, “I would if I could”. That’s usually an excuse for disobeying God. The truth is, when God calls, the gift follows the goal. He enables us to do as He directs. The ability comes with the assignment. Faithfulness to God is followed by fruit from God.

No one is expected to do everything, but anyone can do anything that God calls him to do. As Paul said in Phil. 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”. Whatever the ministry, it is the Master’s mission and it is by His might that we do our duty. If your heart is in His hands worry not about what your hands can do– He is “able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,” ( Eph. 3:20)! As the branch abides in the vine, it is our union with Christ that we are made to succeed.

I don’t know what challenge lies before you– what it is that God would have you to do– but I know He who makes all grace abound will make you fruitful. That should broaden the horizon of your expectations. It should produce possibilities and create confidence that you’ve never seen before. You can put your hands to the plow without fretting about whether or not you will be fruitful. You can labor with assurance that it will not be in vain. The precious promise of the One that cannot lie assures you that your efforts will be met with success. He will make you “fruitful in every good work”– (Col. 1:10)–HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“…..in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.”-Matt. 18:16
There are numerous ways in which man would benefit from doing things God’s way– basing his decisions on God’s Word. Our text is a good example. Here we find Jesus telling us that a valid judgment can be made only if there are two or three witnesses. He based this on what was demanded in Deut. 19:15. In other words, Jesus did exactly what we ought to do, which is to be governed by the will of God as set forth in the Word of God. We should be so wise!

We would save ourselves a world of trouble if we observed this principle. Rather than going off half-cocked, rushing to judgment about another person we should insist that there be two or three witnesses to confirm the charge. Over and over again we see false charges presented with great emotion against an individual only to find out later that they were untrue. That’s what happens when we hear only one side of a matter, when we make judgments without all the facts.

There is something in our sinful nature that wants to believe the worst about others, especially when it works to our advantage. But if we are going to live by the Bible, like we claim to do, we must do as it says. That would include giving others the benefit of the doubt unless there are two or three witnesses. Relationships have been ruined, marriages destroyed, churches split, reputations soiled, and people unfairly incarcerated all because this rule wasn’t followed. And it’s too late to lock the gate after the calf is out, after the damage has been done.

Why are we so intent on judging folks without sufficient evidence against them? Are we afraid they might get by with something? What gives us the right to ignore what God demands and risk ruining someone’s life all because we fear they “might be guilty”? When we do things God’s way he has a way of making sure people reap what they sow. Nobody is getting away with anything. There is a payday some day. Rather than worry about the possible sin of others you better concern yourself with what is clearly a sin on your part when you ignore the command to base your judgments on two or three witnesses.

To show you the importance of this matter, I want to remind you that in John 5:31-40 Jesus Himself appealed to four witnesses to establish proof of who He was; John the Baptist (vs.32-35), His works (vs. 36); the Father (vs. 37-38); and the Scriptures (vs. 39-40). Since Jesus followed the principle of two or three witnesses so should we. Shame on us if we don’t!- HDS

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