“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”– Gal. 6:10
Robert Louis Stevenson wrote, ” Every man shall one day be seated at a table of consequences”. That is true, but to some degree he already is there. Sin has its own built in consequences. In other words, sin itself produces suffering before judgement day ever arrives. We see this clearly in Rom. 1:21-32. It will be worse in the day of judgement but it isn’t good at the present.

When people rebel against God and refuse to repent God gives them up to uncleanness, vile affection, and a reprobate mind. He allows them to walk in their own counsel and wallow in their corruption, and that is painful–more painful than pleasurable. At first glance it might seem like a dream come true that God would allow them to be wed to their ways, pursue their plans, and persist in their pleasure, but eventually that dream becomes a nightmare! Such sinners are consumed by their own lust. They do as they please, but they are never pleased. Sin never brings satisfaction. Sinners stuff themselves on what they crave, but are never full. They are forever hungry– a taste of hell on earth.

Hell is a place of unsatisfied desires. The rich man in hell, pictured in Luke 16:24, craved a drop of water, but never received it. Even so, it is said of Christ rejectors in eternity, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he that is filthy let him be filthy still“(Rev. 22:11). Picture how awful that will be–to crave what you desire most and not able to get it. Thank God there is a remedy for sin, a source of satisfaction—“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.“(John 6:35).- HDS

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

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain”–Phil. 1:21

It seems mighty strange to me. A man, perhaps even a professing Christian, can spend his life in the pursuit of things that bring him pleasure, refuse to contribute to the needs of others, be unfaithful to the Lord’s church, wreck his marriage, love money, cheat others, and strive for popularity, then die and be called a “good”, “great”, or “wonderful” person. Really? Who are we kidding?

Point is–we shouldn’t live in such a way that people would have to lie in order to say something nice about us at our funeral. Rather we should invest our lives in things of eternal value rather than things that will perish. We should desire to please God rather than ourselves or others. And it will be evident when we do– no one will be wondering about what we value. Jim Elliot, martyred missionary to the Aucas in Ecuador, wrote in the flyleaf of his Bible, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” He’s talking about giving his life for Christ.

Adrian Rogers once said, “I’ll tell you, in these days the most dangerous thing you can do is to play it safe. You are safer out on the waves with Jesus Christ than you are in the boat without Him. These are desperate days, and we need to live like it.    Don’t just sit there and let life pass you by! You’re going to die anyway. You can’t save your life. You’re not going to get out of it alive. And so you might as well invest it in something important.” 

We need the attitude of William Carey who said, “I’m not afraid of failure. I’m afraid of succeeding at things that don’t matter”. That’s good advice. Being a success in something that is unimportant doesn’t make you a success in life. Those who spend their lives majoring on minors are failures–regardless of what they accomplish, or how wealthy or popular they are. If the end result of my life doesn’t glorify God I have missed my purpose and failed miserably in life.

They can say all manner of nice things about you, erect a marble statue on your grave, and even establish a memorial to keep your name in the lime light for a while, but the truth is — you wasted your life. It is only by living in God’s grace and for God’s glory that it can truly be said, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant“(Matt.25:21). Now that’s a life worth living! –HDS

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

THE MESSAGE EVERYONE NEEDS

“So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you….”– Romans 1:15
Millions will gather this morning in churches all across America. While all would say they meet to worship, I can’t help but wonder how many actually do. And all would say that they expect to hear God’s Word, but I wonder how many will. And when all is said and done, when everyone has vacated the buildings, I wonder what was accomplished. I wonder how many unsaved people will depart without ever having heard the gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4).
Of all the subjects needing to be studied the gospel is the most important. Of all the messages that need to be delivered it is the most urgent. It doesn’t make any difference what you hear unless what you hear can make a difference, and nothing can make more of a difference than the gospel. As Paul said, “it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth”( Rom. 1:16). It alone has the power to save poor lost sinners. Without it man has no hope. While there are other messages that need to be delivered, no amount of preaching is sufficient if the gospel is missing.
We need the gospel because we all have sinned and stand justly condemned in the sight of God. Thankfully God had a plan before the world began that would provide salvation for sinful man. That plan can be summed up in a man, the man Christ Jesus. Through His sacrifice we can be saved. By His death we can be delivered. “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” ( 2 Cor. 5:21). Due to that, “God….reconciled us to himself by Christ Jesus” ( 2 Cor. 5:18). All you need by way of salvation is provided for you as a gift the moment you place your faith in Christ. It all boils down to this– “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:16).- HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

THE PATH TO PEACE

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”– (Isaiah 26:3)
    If you want to overcome fear and worry, then you need right thinking. In other words, think about what you think about.
    We’re told in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”. If you want personal peace, this is where it begins.
    Why is the mind important? It’s command central. With our minds we reach to the past through memories, and we reach to the future through imagination. We need to learn how to think properly and biblically. As 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”.
    The next time you’re troubled, you might try talking to yourself. We need to tell ourselves to think biblically, because it doesn’t always come naturally. For example, we see the writer’s despair in Psalm 42:5  “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me?” But then the writer continues, “hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.”.
    Many of the Psalms are songs and prayers. They are honest. And as we read some of them, we may think, “I dare not pray that.” But go ahead and pray that. Go ahead and say, “Lord, I am hurting right now. . . . I’m in pain right now. . . . I don’t understand this right now. . . . I’m struggling with this right now.”
The next time you’re feeling down, the next time you think, “I don’t know how I’m going to get through this situation,” quote the Bible to yourself. Remind yourself of the truth of God’s Word. That is what it means to think biblically.(Greg Laurie)
Although we live in tough times, walk rough roads, and endure difficult days, perfect peace is possible– God promised it is so. Not only can we endure, we can enjoy life. We can have peace because God’s grace is sufficient, God’s power is unlimited, God’s presence is always with us and God’s love is unending. In Christ we are more than conquerors! – HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”-– Ecc. 12:13
“Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.“- Prov. 4:26

Life is dangerous. One misstep could lead to death or a lifetime of misery. Safety, therefore, ought to a concern to us all. We can’t afford to make a decision that leads us into peril. That’s why it’s crucial that we listen to God who never leads us astray. You can’t go wrong when God’s will is the way you choose. That’s walking wisely. As someone said, “It is a great deal easier to do that which God gives us to do , no matter how hard it is, than to face the responsibilities of not doing it.” That’s a fact. The cost of obedience is nothing compared to the cost of disobedience.

Far too often we base our decisions on what is pleasurable, profitable, or popular rather than what is proper. The only proper response to anything is to do the will of God. He, being the Creator and perfectly holy, is the supreme Lawgiver. As such He is to be obeyed in all things. It is not for us to decide what’s right and wrong, or what’s important or not. All that matters is our Father’s will. Andrew Bonar wrote, “ It is not the importance of the thing, but the majesty of the Lawgiver, that is to be the standard of obedience”. His desire is our duty. It isn’t necessary for us to understand His ways or the reason behind His commands. It is our responsibility to respect Him by showing loving cheerful obedience regardless of our thoughts about the matter. In doing this we do ourselves a great favor. His most choice blessing are bestowed upon those who conform to His will.- HDS

Richard Baxter said it well when he wrote:
“Lord, it belongs not to my care
Whether I die or live;
To love and serve Thee is my share,
And this Thy grace must give. 
If life be long I will be glad,
That I may long obey;
If short– yet why should I be sad
To soar to endless day?”

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