THE BLAME GAME
“And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.”– Gen. 3:12

Dr. Mike Minnix said : We have reached the point in our day that people don’t want to accept personal responsibility for their actions. The mantra is, “If I did something wrong, someone else caused it!” Note the poem by Anna Russell entitled, “Psychiatric Folk Song.”

“I went to my psychiatrist to be psychoanalyzed to find out why I killed the cat and blackened my husband’s eyes.
He laid me on a downy couch to see what He could find, And here’s what he dredged up, from my subconscious mind.
When I was one, my mummy hid my dolly in a trunk and so it follows naturally, that I am always drunk.
When I was two, I saw my father kiss the maid one day, And that is why I suffer from kleptomania.
At three I had a feeling of ambivalence towards my brothers and so it follows naturally, I poisoned all my lovers.
But I am happy now I have learned the lessons this has taught everything I do that’s wrong, is someone else’s fault.”

Doesn’t that sound like our generation? The Bible says that each person shall answer for his or her own sins. If we confess those sins, God is faithful to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). As long as we deny our sins, we have no hope of forgiveness.

Think about that last phrase- “no hope of forgiveness”. What an awful thought! How scary to think of being in such a wretched condition. We blame others hoping to escape the consequences of our attitude and actions, yet we end up bringing a curse upon ourselves. We rob ourselves of peace, joy, and the ability to be a blessing to others or useful to God, all because we are too proud to accept the responsibility for decisions we have made. If we are wise we will confess our sins, learn from our failures, and seek God’s help to avoid making the same mistake again. – HDS
 
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

ETERNITY
“While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”– 2 Cor. 4:18

Understanding that death isn’t the end, William Penn, a 17th cent American politician, said, “For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity.”

For more than 35 years Arthur Stace chalked the word “Eternity” on the pavements of Sydney an estimated half a million times. He was converted to Christianity on the night of 6 August 1930, after hearing an inspirational sermon by Rev. R. B. S. Hammond at St. Barnabas Church, Broadway. Two years later, on 14 November 1932, Arthur was further inspired by the preaching of Evangelist John G. Ridley on “The echoes of Eternity” from Isaiah 57:15: “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabits Eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” John Ridley’s words, “Eternity, Eternity, I wish that I could sound or shout that word to everyone in the streets of Sydney. You’ve got to meet it. Where will you spend Eternity?” would prove crucial in Stace’s decision to tell others about his faith.  
 
In an interview, Arthur Stace said, “Eternity went ringing through my brain and suddenly I began crying and felt a powerful call from the Lord to write Eternity.” Even though he was illiterate and could hardly write his own name legibly, the word Eternity, “came out smoothly, in a beautiful copperplate script. I couldn’t understand it, and I still can’t.” 

Alexander Smith, a 19th century Scottish poet, caught a glimpse of something outside of the visible world when he wrote, “Eternity doth wear upon her face the veil of time. They only see the veil, and thus they know not what they stand so near!”

What about you my friend? Do you realize that you are living on the edge of eternity and what you do now echoes in eternity? You need to see beyond your bucket list. Your exit into eternity is the termination of the temporary, and that will be a WOW! moment unlike any other. It is then we will begin to live with the results of what we are at the time of death. There will be no second chances. As Randy Alcorn wrote, “A moment after a man dies he knows exactly how he should have lived”. Let us then spend our days living in the light of eternity, laying up treasures in heaven. You will be glad you did!–HDS
Note: Members of Lakeway B. C. Since this is the subject of my message this morning I urge you to read this again before the service begins.–HDS

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

THE POWER OF ONE
“That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.”- 1 Cor. 12:25
“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”– Gal. 6:10

One of the biggest blessing in life is being around people who are thoughtful, kind, considerate, positive, and cheerful. One of the biggest burdens is being around people who aren’t — and they always seem to be in the majority. But one person with those qualities can help you more than a hundred of the other kind can hinder you. It is impossible to measure the benefits of one person who truly loves God and cares about others. Friends like that are priceless. They can keep you going when the whole world seems to be against you.

I’m glad to say that in every church I’ve been a part of there has been at least one such person to provide what I needed. We ought to thank God for such people, but we should do more than that– we should strive to be such people. Can you imagine how much better things would be if that hundred to one ratio was reversed? If the unkind crowd was reduced to the minority and the caring folks increased to the majority there is no telling what great things might happen. It would certainly enable us to reach more people for Christ.

Think about it. You might be the only bright light in someone’s darkness. Never discount what God can do with a life fully surrendered to Him. He can use you to make a difference in the lives of others. Someone’s welfare, happiness, and usefulness might depend on what you bring into their life. You are important to God because you are important to someone else. God put people in Paul’s life to encourage him and He wants you to be a blessing to someone else. Our prayer should be, as the song says, “Make me a blessing to someone today”. — HDS

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

I AM WITH THEE
“And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.”- 1 Sam. 14:7

Jonathan, intending to make an attack against a garrison of Philistines, asked his armorbearer to accompany him.  The two of them would be greatly outnumbered by this company of troops.  Despite the odds, the armorbearer immediately agreed, saying to Jonathan, “Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.”  The brave Jonathan would not be alone when he faced the Philistines.  Together they killed about twenty of the enemy. 

   Support, fellowship, and encouragement are so important in the Christian fight.  Like Jonathan, we realize how terrifically outnumbered we are in this world.  The values we hold, the priorities we live by, the Bible we believe and obey, and the Savior we serve put us in the minority.  As true soldiers of Jesus Christ, we want to stand true to our Master and His Word, even if it means standing alone.  However, it definitely strengthens our resolve knowing that we are not alone.  What an encouragement when someone comes alongside us and says, “I am with thee.”  Thank God for family and friends who share our convictions and accompany us in this journey. Thank God for those who are there to lift us when we fall.  “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.  For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9, 10).  

   It is for this reason that we should make sure we are associated with the right kind of friends.  We need companions who will encourage us in the right direction, not influence us away from the Lord.  This is also one of the important benefits of church membership and fellowship.  We need the support and encouragement of the brethren in a sound church family.  Even if they do not always vocalize it, we know our brothers and sisters in Christ are there for us.  We are not alone.  For some, the assembly of the church is only a place to occasionally meet for some spiritual food; but for us, it is much more than that.  We belong to Christ and to each other. And remember, our Lord is always with us.  He says, “I am with you alway” (Matthew 28:20).  When we feel there are more against us than for us, Christ is by our side.  Through Him, we can be victorious. (Copied)

Not only do we need someone to be there for us, we need to be there for them. We need both to be helped and to be a helper. Don’t expect from others what you won’t give to others! – HDS

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

THE CHALLENGE OF CHANGE

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”_- Heb. 13:5

There’s one thing that never changes. Wanted or not here they come – that’s the way it is. Change is constantly taking place around us, within us, or with us. It might be so slow that it isn’t perceived or it might be so sudden that it’s shocking, but it happens. And coping with the challenge of change is crucial. When things happen that we can’t change or control we have to learn to live with what we’ve got. The challenge is found in the fact that we are commanded to “be content with such things as ye have” (Heb.13:5).

If you are wondering how that is possible read the rest of that verse “for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” And the next verse takes it a step further – “So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper –“ (Heb.13:6). He is the One constant we can rely upon regardless of the circumstances. He never changes. He is “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”– Heb. 13:8

You can know beyond all doubt that Christ is conscious of your circumstances, concerned about your concerns, and capable of comforting you. Although He might not change your circumstances He will change you and create something good out of the bad. What He does is always better than what you would do if you had the power to change things. Think about it! – HDS

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