MORNING MANNA              12-29-22

DEATH & DYING

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints”– Psa. 116:15

From our perspective it is the greatest grief we can imagine; from God’s perspective it is the delight of His heart. From our perspective, it brings a sorrow that only heaven can erase; from God’s perspective, it brings a joy that only heaven can know.

How can the death of His people be so precious in the sight of the Lord? Doesn’t He care about the gaping wound that loved ones leave behind on earth? Is He not sensitive to the pains and anguish that usually precede our own death? Why would anything so grievous to us be so precious to God?

The answer, of course, is that God loves more, sees more, and wants more for us than we love, see, or want for ourselves or loved ones. God sees the majesty, sweetness, purity, and perfection of each glorified saint as they cross over from this cursed earth and put on the robes of Christ’s righteousness.

If we could see just how delightful heaven is, just how joyful we will be there, and just how overwhelmingly sweet it will be to live in the presence of Jesus Christ forever, we would doubtless find death as precious as God does.- Copied

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church

Humble, Tx.

MORNING MANNA              12-28-22

WHAT ARE FRIENDS FOR?

“And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.” I Samuel 23:16

David was living in the wilderness because of Saul’s intention to kill him. The Bible says that Saul was searching for David every day, but God did not deliver David to his foe. It was at this time that “Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.” When David most needed a friend, Jonathan was there to support him.

We need the right kind of friends in our lives. We learn, both from experience and from the Word of God, that we will be greatly influenced by our associations. It should be our desire to try to influence our acquaintances for Christ and invite them to church, but an acquaintance is not the same thing as a friend. Like Jonathan, a true friend is one who stands with us in times of need. Jonathan “arose, and went to David into the wood.” There he “strengthened his hand in God.”

A true friend encourages us spiritually. What a blessing it is to have such a Christian friend! We do not need friends who support us in evil or encourage us to do wrong. As Christians, we need friends who care enough about us that they will encourage us to do what God says and what will please the Lord. We all should be thankful for the positive support we have received from close Christian friends, perhaps a spouse or other family member, or a godly relationship with someone else. We often find these kinds of friends in our church family. We should certainly appreciate the encouragement we have received in our lives from close friends who have stood by us and encouraged our “hand in God.” It should be our goal to be the kind of friend that will strengthen the hand of the brethren. Christians do not need friends who are always negative and critical.

One of the amazing things about being a child of God is to know that Jesus can be our Friend. In John 15:15, He called His disciples friends. Jesus is the best Friend we could ever have. Like no other friend, He comes to us and stands with us in our times of difficulty. He strengthens our “hand in God.” He supports us and always encourages us to do the right thing. If you are saved, you have a Friend. Being alone, especially in a time of great testing, can be extremely difficult. It is good to have a shoulder to lean upon. For the Christian, we are never truly friendless.- Thomas Smith

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church

Humble, Tx.

MORNING MANNA               12-27-22

Back To The Bible“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”–Psalm 119:11

     When we talk about what is most important we better be careful.  All too often we get things out of their proper order.  However when I say that nothing is more important to the Christian than the Word of God, I do so without reservation.  It is impossible for us to live as God desires if we neglect His Word.  We must know it and obey it.  Sadly many folks don’t seem to care.  They go day after day without ever reading it.  It’s no wonder that they fail to grow spiritually, resist temptation, cope with difficulties, etc.  They are spiritually malnourished.

     I can’t understand how a Christian could not love the Word of God.  It is food for the soul, light for our path, a map to guide us, and a weapon against our enemy.  It provides information, insight, and inspiration.  We need that whether we think so or not.  However, as great as the Bible is, it does you no good setting on a shelf gathering dust.

     It would be good if every believer would study the Bible as does a teacher who is preparing a lesson or a pastor who studies in preparation for a sermon.  The problem is that many do not see it as the treasure it is.  That is a dangerous thing. 

 Thomas Guthrie wrote, “If you  find yourself loving any pleasure better than your prayers, any book better than the Bible, any persons better than Christ, or any indulgence better than the hope of heaven – take alarm.”

     A. W. Tozer gave us this wise advice: “Read it much, read it often, brood over it, think over it, meditate over it—meditate on the Word of God day and night.  When you awake at night, think of a helpful verse.  When you get up in the morning, no matter how you feel, think of a verse and make the Word of God the important element in your day.  The Holy Ghost wrote the Word, and if you make much of the Word, he will make much of you.  It is through the Word that He reveals Himself.  Between those covers is a living Book.  God wrote it and it is still vital and effective and alive.  God is in this Book, the Holy Ghost is in this Book, and if you want to find Him, go into this Book.” – HDS

David Stone 

Lakeway Baptist Church

Humble, Tx.

MORNING MANNA             12-26-22

ONE ANOTHER

“ And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”- Eph. 4:32

Just up the road from my home is a field with two horses in it.  From a distance, each looks like every other horse.  But if you stop your car or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing.  Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind.  His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him.  This alone is amazing.  
If nearby and listening, you will hear the sound of a bell.  Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field.  Attached to her halter is a small bell.  It lets her blind friend know where she is, so he can follow her.  As you stand and watch these two friends, you’ll see how she is always checking on him, and that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to where she is, trusting that she will not lead him astray.
When she returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, she stops occasionally and looks back, making sure her friend isn’t too far behind to hear the bell.
Like the owner of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges.  God watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need.
Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those whom God places in our lives.  Other times, we are the guide horse, helping others see the way.
Good friends are like this.  You don’t always see them, but you know they are always there.
Please listen for my bell, and I’ll listen for yours. – Author Unknown

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church

Humble, Tx.

The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve.

They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc, and on December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished.

On December 19 a terrible tempest – a driving rainstorm – hit the area and lasted for two days.

On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.

His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high.

The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home.

On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity, so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church.

By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later.

She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.

Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet. “Pastor,” she asked, “where did you get that tablecloth?”

The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials ‘EBG’ were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .

The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten “The Tablecloth”. The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria .

When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week.

He was captured, sent to prison and she never saw her husband or her home again.

The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church.

The pastor insisted on driving her home. That was the least he could do. She lived on the other
side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job.

What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return.

One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood, continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn’t leaving.

The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike?

He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home again in all the 35 years between.

The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier.

He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman’s apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.

True story – submitted by Pastor Rob Reid, who says God does work in mysterious ways.