THE DIRECTION OF DEATH

“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”– Prov. 14:12; 16:25
Look around. Listen to the voices clamoring for your attention. It’s easy to see that our country is deeply divided, and both sides think they are right– or that they at least have a better idea. As in the days of the Judges, when “every man did that which was right in his own eyes” ( Jud. 21:25), people tend to do as they please. And that leads to serious consequences–“the ways of death”.
So what is the solution? Both sides can’t be right. The only way for the two sides to come together is to agree on some standard of right and wrong. However, in this day when so many claim that there is no such thing as absolute truth that won’t happen. “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3). Of course not. That being the case we can expect confusion and conflict. It can’t be any other way. Neither side likes it, so everyone is unhappy.
The only solution would be to have a sure standard of right and wrong by which all things are measured. Thankfully we find exactly that in the Bible, God’s infallible word. Out of the depths of His great love God gave us His word to guide our walk and guard our way. It provides both the information and inspiration we need to do as we should. In His Word we find His will, His ways. In the Bible we discover the way to salvation and safety. If we reject it we have no one but ourselves to blame for the results.  Without Christ our mind is blind, our heart is deceived and our reasoning is impaired. Nothing short of God’s Word can provide “ a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path“( Psa. 115:105). As the old song says, we need to get “Back to the Bible”. That’s the truth!–HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.“Eph. 6:11
As Christians we face an infernal invisible foe who never gives up. Nor should we ever give up! Life is what it is –war– and all the day dreaming in the world isn’t going to change that fact. It can however cause us to lose rather than win. Entertaining unrealistic expectations only makes matters worse. We must never drop our guard. Stop thinking, “If I can just get through this I will be able to kick back and enjoy a life of ease the rest of my days”. No you won’t. It ain’t going to happen. Satan has a “hit list” and you’re on it. Life is war and we go from one battle to another until we come to the end of our days.

Maybe you are thinking, “I don’t want to think about it. I want to stay positive”. The problem with that is, you’re not staying positive, you are pretending and that’s dangerous. How we view life is important because it will determine what we do in life. Unless we see it for what it is we won’t be prepared. So here’s the facts– We are at war! Paul isn’t calling us to enter into warfare, he is simply telling us we’re in it– like it or not. Now, all that might sound depressing to some of you, but that’s only part of the picture. The reality of war doesn’t mean that we must be miserable all the time. To the contrary, we can have great joy as we go from one victory to another. As Paul said in Romans 8:37, “we are more than conquerors through him that loved us”.
Life is hard but we only make it more difficult if we complain about it. Martyn Lloyd Jones said, “Are you ready for the battle? Are you on the alert, are you on your feet? Are you just indulging your weaknesses and whims and fancies, and pitying yourself, and grumbling and complaining about this and that problem or situation?” Think about it! You can curl up in the corner of your foxhole in a fetal position sucking your thumb and crying, or you can stand up like a man and fight. The only way to a victory celebration is to fight and win. As Dr. Walter Martin said, “People who walk around in the middle of a war acting as if there was no war are called casualties.”– HDS

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

“But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:”- Matt. 20:26-27

Many aspire to be great who have no understanding of what true greatness is. They want to be admired, acknowledged, and awarded something. They love being in the spotlight and getting their name in the headlines. They might put forth great effort and even make great sacrifices, but it is always all about them rather than others. They call themselves Christians but you see nothing of Him in them.

When our blessed Lord descended from the gates of glory to live as a man among men He did not come as a potentate to take over and rule the nations nor as an educator, a miracle worker, or even as a perfect example. He came as a lowly servant (Phil. 2:7; Luke 22:27) and a sacrifice ( Matt. 20:28). He didn’t come to be ministered to, but to minister and give His life for sinners. He even took the place of a slave and washed the feet of His followers (John 13:1-17).

We hear a lot about Christians being “Christ-like”, but we see almost no evidence of it? Who are we serving?  Since the servant is not greater than his Lord, why do we refuse to do as He did? Where is the evidence of saving faith, true love, humble service, and cheerful obedience?

We live in a world deceived by Satan, defiled by sin, and dominated by self-interest. Sacrificial service is almost nonexistent. People would rather entertain or be entertained than to edify others. It is rare to find someone who is truly more concerned about others than they are about themselves. Most would rather be served than to serve. They fail to understand that true greatness comes from giving rather than getting. –HDS

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

“Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts:“- Hag. 2:4

What glorious news this must have been to those weary workers of that day. To think that the great I Am says, “I am with you” must have made a deep impression on them. Even so, every Christian is assigned a work of some sort to do, a temptation to conquer, and troubles to endure– so we each stand in need of help. If we are to succeed in any of these challenges we must have assistance. We cannot do it on our own.

In our text we find a precious promise to a particular people, but based on what the Bible teaches elsewhere we can each apply this to ourselves. Whatever the situation is God says, “I am with you“. God forbid that we ever read this with a blasé attitude. If ever there was anything that should be received with joy and thanksgiving this is it. To know that God is with you should give you peace, lift your spirit, and fill you with courage to face the challenge. His presence will aid you in every endeavor, protect you from every enemy, empower you against all temptation, and bring joy to your heart.

It was this promise that Christ attached to the Great Commission in Matt. 28:20-“..and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”. Think about that! Whether it is when you pillow your head at night, arise to face a new day, struggle to do your duty, face some new challenge, grieve over loss, or lay on your death bed– He is “with you“. Although silent and invisible He is there, and no less powerful than when He created the world by the word of His mouth. And it will be so until the end of the age, when we shall then be with Him! Cheer up weary pilgrim you are not alone.– HDS 
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart..“- Psa. 37:4
One preacher said this Psalm is all about “What to do when the bad guy wins”. The great thing about it is that it teaches us how to bring peace to a troubled heart– which we all experience at times. Here is a short, simple, but serious subject. It ought to get our attention because our desire for delight is great. No one would choose difficulty, disappointment, and depression over delight. But in reality that’s exactly what some folks do. The average person fails to do what is commanded. Notice I said “commanded” for that’s exactly what this is. It is something we are to do regardless of the circumstances. So why do we so easily disregard it? After all it is for our benefit–“and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart:”.

There are numerous reasons why we ought to delight in the Lord. As the old song says, “Count you many blessings”. You need to do that. We should delight in who God is, what He has done, what He is doing, and what He has promised to do. Regardless of how dark the night or how difficult the way we have reason to rejoice in our Lord. No situation can be so bad that we can’t delight in God, and if we did it would help us get through it.

Whatever troubles your mind, crushes your spirit, disturbs your peace, and dims your joy, if you will force yourself to look to Jesus it will help you. Although it might not change your circumstances it will change you– and that always gives you the best chance to change other things. Delighting in the Lord will create contentment, provide peace, generate gladness, and produce power. Although this is a command and wise counsel, we can also consider it a gracious invitation. When we delight in the Lord we desire what He desires, causing Him to give us our desires. We can always find delight in our difficulties because we can always find delight in the Lord– if we choose to do so. So what choice will you make? — HDS

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