MORNING MANNA           2-3-24  

 CHANGED BY CHRIST   

“But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.”- Galatians 1:11–14

Salvation is a completely transformative experience. Even those of us who were saved at a young age—before being deeply involved with the sinful habits of others who were saved later in life—are totally changed, because we received a new nature. Paul wrote, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Salvation changes every part of our lives.

There has never been a more fervent enemy of the cause of Christ than the Apostle Paul. He did everything in his power to stamp out the new religion and to harm the followers of Jesus Christ. There were no limits to what Paul would do or where he would go to persecute Christians. When he saw Jesus, Paul was making a trip of more than one hundred miles to Damascus to keep Christianity from spreading there. From that moment on, he dedicated his life to a new cause.

When Paul gave his testimony before King Agrippa he said, “Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come” (Acts 26:22). There is nothing more important than following the will and purpose of God—He saved us so that we can walk in His ways. Our lives as God’s children should be spent pursuing His purposes rather than our own.- Daily in the Word

David Stone    

Lakeway Baptist Church.  

Humble,Tx.

MORNING MANNA            1-30-24 

  NO FEAR OF DEATH

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

The Story of Eddie Rickenbacker is one of the most inspiring autobiographies you might ever read . He first became famous as a race car driver and set the world speed record of 134 mph in 1910. When World War I broke out, he became a fighter pilot. He was called the Ace of Aces for shooting down 24 German planes and received the Medal of Honor. Later he became the President of Eastern Airlines.
 
In 1941 he was a passenger on an Eastern Airlines DC-3 when it crashed outside Atlanta, Georgia. Most of the passengers were killed and he was terribly injured. He was pinned under the wreckage all through the night. As rescuers arrived, he directed them to others before he allowed them to remove him. He had serious wounds including a crushed hip, a dented skull, a crushed elbow, and a broken knee. He had many internal injuries. While in the hospital, he suffered a massive hemorrhage and almost died. In fact, some newspapers reported his death with front page headlines.
 
But Eddie didn’t die. He was a professing Christian with a strong faith. As he lingered between life and death he had an experience that changed his life and deepened his faith.
 
In his autobiography he described the experience of being near death. He wrote, “I began to die. I felt the presence of death and I knew that I was going. You may have heard that dying is unpleasant, but don’t you believe it. Dying is the sweetest, tenderest, most wonderful sensation I have ever had. Death comes disguised as a sympathetic friend. All was serene and calm. How wonderful it would be to simply float out of the world. It is easy to die. You have to fight to live.” (Rickenbacker an Autobiography, Prentice Hall)
 
Rickenbacker was more than “a fighter”. He was a man of faith who was confident that God had a plan for his life. After spending five months in the hospital. He would slump and walk with a limp for the rest of his life. He later said, “God saved me to serve Him.” And God gave him another 32 years of life. But after that experience, he said he was never afraid to die. And if you know Christ as your Savior, you don’t have to fear death either. “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” 2 Cor. 5:8. – HDS 

   
David Stone   

Lakeway Baptist Church   

Humble, Tx

MORNING MANNA            1-29-24

PREDICTIONS  

“Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O LORD, according to thy lovingkindness. Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.”- Psalm 119:159–160

Man’s predictions are based on man’s strength; but God’s promises are based on His strength!

The book The World’s Worst Predictions lists some of history’s all-time prophetic goofs. 

King George II said in 1773 that the American colonies had little stomach for revolution. 

An official of the White Star Line, speaking of the firm’s newly built flagship, the Titanic, launched in 1912, declared that the ship was unsinkable. 

In 1939, The New York Times said the problem with TV was that people had to glue their eyes to a screen, and that the average American wouldn’t have time for it.

An English astronomy professor said in the early 19th century that air travel at high speed would be impossible because passengers would suffocate. 

On October 16,1929, Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics at Yale University, said, “Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau.”

Over the years men have tried to predict when things would happen. But as these quotes show, they haven’t always been right. With so much error and so many variables in the world, how can you know who or what to trust for the truth?

Have you ever wondered how we know God’s Word is true? There are many people who believe their book or belief is truth, so how do we know the Bible is divinely inspired? The proof is in the predictions God makes in His Word.

If you read through the prophetical books of the Old Testament, you will read several “predictions” regarding the birth, earthly ministry, and death of Christ. When the time came, all these prophetical predictions came true. The predictions were proven by the results. 

Even so God has made several “predictions” or promises in His Word for you. He promises to protect you, guide you, provide for you, and to one day come again and take you to Heaven if you are saved. These are predictions you can trust!

Do you ever feel down, wondering if God’s promises are true for you? Look through God’s Word and see that He has always come through on His promises! God will not go back on His Word. So rather than questioning His promises, trust Him and lean on the knowledge that He will never break a promise to you.-Daily in the Word

David Stone   

Lakeway Baptist Church   

Humble, Tx

MORNING MANNA             1-28-24 

  BLAMELESSNESS

“Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you. And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man’s hand.” — 1 Sam 12:3-4

In reference to Samuel’s tremendous testimony J.R. Miller said—

“It is a noble testimony to the purity and nobleness of a man’s life, that in his old age, not a voice can utter a word of complaint against him. Especially is it so, when a man has lived all his days in public, in the eyes of his neighbors, charged with sacred trusts. The life of Jesus was thus unblamable. Even his enemies, searching with all the keenness of their wicked malice, could find not the slightest thing with which to accuse him.

The aim of everyone of us, should be to so live, that when we come to the close of our days–no one can lay any wrong or injury to our charge. It is a sweet joy in our last hours to have others say to us with unanimous voice, “You have never done anything to harm us. You have never treated us unkindly. You never robbed us of anything. You have been only and always kind to us. You have comforted our sorrows. You have encouraged us in our toils, tasks, and trials. You have helped us in all ways, generously, unselfishly, thoughtfully. You have done us nothing but good.” To have such a testimony at the last, one must begin early to live an upright, helpful life, and must never allow his hand to slacken until it is folded on his bosom in its final rest.”

God help each of us to live such a blameless life that others can see something of Christ in us!- HDS   

David Stone   

Lakeway Baptist Church   

Humble, Tx.

MORNING MANNA          1-27-24

Numbering Our Days

“Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. O satisfy us early with Thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” — Ps 90:12,14

This psalm was evidently composed towards the end of the wilderness wanderings, and records some of the sadness which must have oppressed the heart of Moses, as he saw the companions of his earlier life being buried amid the sand-dunes.

He compares the centuries to the memory of yesterday, which fades so quickly from our mind; to a watch spent by the camp fires; to the short rush of the mountain flood; to the dream which flashes for a moment before the mental eye; to the short-lived grass, which flourishes in the morning and is cut down at night. Each emblem full of significant beauty, and evidently culled from the incidents of the long march through these vast solitudes. It was as though the heart of this mighty servant of God turned from the fleeting ages and the decay of human life, to God, whose Being is timeless, unchangeable, and eternal. Here is transition and change; there is the Rock of Ages, with its everlasting stability and glory.

Let us number our days against the eternal ages of God’s Being; against the age of the mountain and the universe; against the rise and fall of great nations. It is when we realize how short life is that we set ourselves in good earnest to redeem the time, to buy up each golden opportunity.

The heart of wisdom will show itself in giving God a just proportion of our time. Every day it is wise to set apart time for the reading of His Word, for prayer and holy fellowship; in every week it is wise to reserve a seventh part for His holy service. We may learn deep lessons from the amount of time that the Hebrews gave to their religious institutions. “Prayer and provender hinder no man,” says the old proverb. It is specially wise to make God to be our Guide, that He may show us how to use this precious thing called life. Apart from Him all our desire to use our time aright will be in vain, but when the soul walks in fellowship with God every action tells, every day adds something to the growing power and influence of existence. Nothing is little, nothing trivial, nothing unworthy, if your soul holds fellowship with God. Then will come satisfaction and gladness, and the work of our life will be established by the Divine Hand.

“O Faithful Lord, teach us to trust Thee for life and death, and to take Thee for our All in All. Amen”.– F.B.Meyer 

David Stone   

Lakeway Baptist Church   

Humble, Tx.