MORNING MANNA             7-13-23

MEDITATING ON HEAVEN

“For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”- Heb.11:10

Those who meditate much on heaven and all it holds are the happiest people on earth. With their focus on God their heart is filled with wonder and excitement. As James Meikle (1730-1799) wrote: “Meditation, like the spies sent from Israel in the wilderness, returns with a good account of the good land, presents some of the fruits of paradise, and produces refreshing grapes pulled from the true VINE. Here the weary soul retires to rest in the bosom of the promise, in the love of God, in spite of all surrounding troubles; and drinks at the river before the throne, which makes her forget her miseries, as waters that flow away. O the high estate of the sons of God in meditation! They walk in the fields of glory, associate with the angels of light, and hold communion with God Himself! Thus, their face shines, and their mind seems as if in heaven, nobly opposing the base practices of the men of the world.”

The Psalmist said, “ My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.”(Psalms 104:34). So shall it be with all who follow his example. You can’t stand in the sun for a long period of time without being affected by it and you can’t bask in the splendor of heaven without being changed as a result. Let us then resist the temptation to rush through the day, never taking the time to reflect upon the glories of our heavenly home. Knowing the best is yet to come will help get you through the worst days of you life. God’s promises are true and they will happen – it’s just a matter of time! Get alone with God, open His Word, read His promises, and meditate deeply upon them. You will be glad you did! – HDS

David Stone.  

Lakeway Baptist Church   

Humble,Tx.

MORNING MANNA           7-11-23

BEWARE

“And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.”- Luke 22:31–34

Before John Hinckley, Jr. shot President Ronald Reagan, in March of 1981, in an assassination attempt, he was virtually unknown. Yet in the aftermath of the near killing of the president, a thorough investigation revealed that Hinckley had actually been working on an attack that would make him famous for quite some time (he thought it would attract the attention of an actress). Photos of events held by the previous President, Jimmy Carter, revealed Hinckley in attendance. He had been looking for an opportunity to strike for some time, and took it when it was presented. 

Every Christian has a real, active, evil opponent who is always working against us and looking for an opportunity to strike. In our own strength we have no hope of defeating him. However, God does not send us into this conflict alone. He gives us armor that is able to protect us from attack—and we need it. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”(Ephesians 6:11). Any day we do not put on our armor is a day when we are headed for defeat. The devil doesn’t fight fair. He does not wait for us to get ready before he attacks. He does not give warning of his intentions. He uses every weapon at his disposal to bring us down. That truth should make us sober, active, aware, and alert every day. Never forget that Satan is looking for an opportunity to destroy your life, character, and effectiveness for God.(Daily in the Word)

David Stone    

Lakeway Baptist Church   

Humble, Tx.

MORNING MANNA            7-10-23

INSPIRED BY THE INVISIBLE

”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 

The first twenty years of my ministry I spent a lot of time away from home preaching revival meetings, etc. In doing so I often found myself in unpleasant situations. The thing that kept me going was knowing my stay there would be short and I would return home after the meeting was over. At home I could feel the embrace of my wife, hear the laughter of my children, eat home-cooked meals, and sleep in my own bed. Indeed–“there’s no place like home”. That inspired me and kept me going through the days while I was away.

 Knowing something good lies ahead helps us get through the difficulties we encounter enroute. That’s why I keep saying,”For the Christian, the best is always yet to come”. I believe that. And knowing it is so helps me. The anticipation of something delightful can be a great encouragement when you are facing unpleasant situations. If you only focus on your present problems it will drive you to despair. But when we know that we only have to endure for a brief time it makes matters a lot easier. For that reason we ought to think much and more about heaven. The hope of heaven can help you like nothing else that I know of. The reality of it brings great relief to God’s weary children.

 Regardless of what you’re going through, if you know the Lord, things will get better, much better, they will in fact be perfect! It’s just a matter of time. If Christ is your Savior then God is your Father, heaven is your home, and the Holy Spirit is your Helper until you get there. Don’t let the hardness of the way cloud your vision and rob you of your joy. Soon your journey will end and you will be home at last. There everything will be absolute perfection. So, keep your eyes on the prize! – HDS, 7/13/10 

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

MORNING MANNA               7-8-23

JUST AS I AM

“——him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.-“ –John 6:37 

Physical ailments can really get us down. Sometimes the nicest people in the world can get as cranky as a she bear protecting her cubs–nobody wants to get anywhere near them. Such was the case with Charlotte Elliott. At the age of thirty her health began to fail and she was soon an invalid. It wasn’t long before her sweet disposition turned sour. With her body racked with pain living became a constant burden.

When a preacher visited Charlotte at her home one evening, she complained–“If God loved me, He would not have treated me this way”. 

The wise preacher responded kindly, but with boldness, “You are tired of yourself, aren’t you?” “What do you mean?” she asked. 

“You are holding to your hate and anger because you have nothing else in the world to cling to”, he said. Then he proceeded to explain God’s grace through Jesus Christ, and told her she could come to Christ just as she was and be saved.

 That struck a note. Charlotte was deeply impressed at the thought of coming to Christ just as she was, and she trusted Christ as her Savior later that evening.

 Fourteen years later, on the anniversary of her new birth, she penned the words to the famous hymn,”Just As I Am”. She couldn’t forget  the wonderful privilege of being able to come to Christ just as she was. 

So can you! That was true then and it’s true now. It was true of Charlotte and it’s true for you. We need not, in fact we cannot make any changes that would make us acceptable to God. We come to Him as we are or not at all. Our only plea and our only hope is the shed blood of Christ, the Lamb of God. Will you come to Him right now–remember, you can come just as you are!