MORNING MANNA          2-26-22

PRESSURE

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” -John 16:33

The famous 19th century missionary to China, Hudson Taylor, once shared some powerful words that apply well to the situation we’re facing in our world today…

“It doesn’t matter how great the pressure is. What really matters is where the pressure lies, whether it comes between me and God or whether it presses me nearer His heart.”

A few minutes watching the news is enough to tell you that this world is a pressure cooker – and it seems about to burst. But the question to ask yourself today is this: How are you responding to the pressure. Is it pushing you from God or nearer to His heart?

Nothing in all of history has ever caught God off guard. From the dawn of creation to the fall of Rome and everything since, God has been and will forever be king over all.

So while the whole world is losing their heads in a panic, you can keep yours – knowing that Christ has overcome. And in His name, you can be a lighthouse of hope for a dark and stormy world!

Pray that God will draw you nearer to His heart and fill you with confidence in these difficult days. (Senior Living)

I want to encourage you to attend church tomorrow. If we expect God to help us prevail over our problems we must obey His commands – seeking to glorify Him through obedience to His word. He is the source of our strength. – HDS

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

MORNING MANNA          2-25-22

REVIEW CHRIST’S LOVE FOR YOU

“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” – 1 Peter 2:24

The long-time pastor of First Baptist Church Dallas, W.A. Criswell, once recalled a vivid dream in which he watched Christ being beaten just before His crucifixion.

As Criswell recounted…

“I saw the Savior; His back was bare and there was a soldier lifting up his hand and bringing down that awful cat-o’-nine tails. In the dream, I rose and grasped his arm to hold it back. When I did, the soldier turned in astonishment and looked at me. And when I looked at him, I recognized myself.”

For those of us who’ve been following Christ many years, it’s easy to forget how the relationship started.

It’s easy to forget what great sacrifice Christ made on our behalf. It’s easy to forget the agony He willingly suffered on the cross. And it’s easy to forget that it was our sin that led Him there.

But Jesus endured it all because He loves you with an everlasting love. Yes, we too shouted with the crowd that day, “Crucify Him!” But what Christ cried out then He cries out even now, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

That’s the love Jesus has for you. It’s the love that built your faith, and it’s the love you can enjoy for eternity if you’re in Him! 

Ask God to give you a fresh and vivid sense of Christ’s sacrifice on your behalf. Pray you’ll grasp anew His great love for you. (Senior Living)

Since we love Him because He first loved us, to renew your love for Him review His love for you. -HDS

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

MORNING MANNA            2-24-22

LET YOUR WORDS BE FEW AND GODLY

 

The following arrested my attention one morning while reading the latter chapters of Job in his response to God, “Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.” (Job 40:4). Having told his friends to put their hand over their mouths (21:5), now Job knows he must do the same lest he speak out of turn with God.

Perhaps it would do each of us good to take a cue from Job.

David prayed something along the same lines, “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.” (Psalm 141:3)

Please, honestly ask yourself the following questions. Do some personal inventory as I have.

1. Do I need to put my hand over my mouth?
2. Do I need to share “that information” with everyone, and is it completely true?
3. Do I gossip, participate in gossip, or listen to gossip?
4. Do I need to give my opinion on everything?
5. Do I speak of others sins but seldom speak of my own?
6. Do I talk about others more than I talk to God about others?
7. Do I complain and whine and criticize rather than rejoice, encourage, and praise?
8. Do I talk more about myself and what’s on my mind than talking about my Savior, my Lord, my Friend, my King and what He has done? (Dale Cunningham}

Solomon put it this way, “He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.”(Proverbs 17:27-28).

“He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.”(Proverbs 13:3).

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

MORNING MANNA            2-23-22

GRUDGES
“Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD.” Lev. 19:18

How searching is that demand upon the soul! My forgiveness of my brother is to be complete. No sullenness is to remain, no sulky temper which so easily gives birth to thunder and lightning. There is to be no painful aloofness, no assumption of a superiority which rains contempt upon the offender. When I forgive, I am not to carry any powder forward on the journey. I am to empty out all my explosives, all my ammunition of anger and revenge. I am not to “bear any grudge.” 

I cannot meet this demand. It is altogether beyond me. I might utter words of forgiveness, but I cannot reveal a clear, bright, blue sky without a touch of storm brewing anywhere. But the Lord of grace can do it for me. He can change my weather. He can create a new climate. He can “renew a right spirit within me,” and in that holy atmosphere nothing shall live which seeks to poison and destroy. Grudges shall die “like cloud-spots in the dawn.” Revenge, that awful creation of the unclean, feverish soul, shall give place to goodwill, the strong genial presence which makes its home in the new heart.- J H Jowett

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

MORNING MANNA        2-22-22

JUDGING OURSELVES

“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”- Matthew 7:3-5

A few years ago, I spoke about a story told by Paul Chappell that illustrates our text. A pastor was once speaking at a large conference in Washington. Being the main speaker, his sessions were always full and everyone was very attentive, except for one man. One man always sat in the same seat in the front row of his sessions, and halfway into the sermon he would fall asleep. The first time it happened, the pastor thought the man had experienced a tough day of driving to get to the conference and accidently fell asleep. But night after night the same thing happened. Annoyed by the occurrence, the pastor had developed a bitter spirit toward this man. After the conference, the man’s wife approached the pastor and apologized for the man’s actions. As she explained, he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and the new medicine made him drowsy. But his one wish was to hear that pastor preach before he died, so they had made the long, painful journey to be at the conference……

God doesn’t want us to judge others (presumptuously or hypocritically), but…. God does want us to judge ourselves. While we cannot know the heart of others, just like this pastor could not know the circumstances behind the man’s sleeping, we can know our own hearts and motivations. 

Notice the parable Christ gives in today’s verses: “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” How often have we judged others about sins or shortcomings that are in our lives as well? Why can’t we see our own failures before seeing those of others?

Many times we ignore sin in our lives because we don’t want to deal with the sin. It’s easier to see the problems that other people have rather than dealing with our own problems. If we were honest with ourselves, we probably have more problems than the people we judge!

Notice the symbolism Jesus uses. While a mote refers to a dry stalk or twig, a piece of grass, or a straw; a beam refers to a large plank of wood, similar to a 2×4. Christ says, “While you’re scrutinizing the small issues of other people, there are large looming sins in your own life!” 

Much of this teaching was aimed at the religious leaders of the day, those who wanted to point out the minor inconsistencies of the Jewish people while overlooking their blind ignorance of God’s Word. Christ pointed out that rather than judging others, they needed to be judging themselves.

Do you sometimes act like the Pharisees, pointing out the sins of others while ignoring sin in your life? Have you become accustomed to judging others without judging yourself? Take time today to open your heart before God and let Him judge you. Lay out your actions, thoughts, and motives before Him and pray as the Psalmist, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts” (Psalm 139:23). The next time you’re tempted to point out someone else’s sins or failures, be reminded of your own shortcomings and pray that God will help both of you.

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