What do you think of when you hear the name John Newton? I suspect most people think of “Amazing Grace” and for good reason. But have ever given any thought to him being a gifted writer. Do yourself a favor and read the “ Letters of John Newton”. The following is an example of what you will find:

MORNING MANNA         1-10-22

SHIFTING YOUR FOCUS

“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 Corinthians 4:18

While the world was doing its worst to Jesus, Jesus was doing His best for the world. The greatest injustice in history was when the perfect, holy, Son of God was crucified on a cross for the crimes and sins of others. One would expect His eyes to be fixed like lasers on the ones who spat on Him, beat Him, mocked Him, and nailed Him to the cross as He died in agony. But His focus was not on them; His focus was on His Father. How do we know this? It is evidenced by the words that came out of His mouth. “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are do.’”

Every time someone hurts you, the Devil wants you to focus on that person – on what he has done to you or how she has hurt you. The truth, however, is that every hurt and disappointment is an opportunity to turn your focus to God. When we fix our eyes on Jesus, despite our circumstances, something miraculous can happen. God can replace our anger with compassion and our hurt with forgiveness. Fixing our eyes on Jesus won’t necessarily result in the other person being changed, but it will always result in us being changed.

Holding on to feelings of hurt, anger, and betrayal are toxic. Refusing to follow Jesus’ example and forgive others who have wronged you is like poison to your soul. In the end, this decision will rob you of the joy and contentment that is yours in Christ Jesus. To choose forgiveness is to choose the eternal way. This choice brings freedom to your life, and it shines the light of the Gospel into the life of the people around you.

Have you been hurt, taken advantage of, or betrayed? If so, is your focus on Christ, or on the one who has wronged you? Freely offering forgiveness is the best thing you can do not only for the one who has wronged you, but also for yourself. You will never regret doing things God’s way.

God, help me to focus my heart on You when I am hurt by others so that I can forgive them in Your Name. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.- James Merritt

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

MORNING MANNA          1-9-22

SERVE THE LORD WITH GLADNESS

“Serve the Lord with gladness.”- Psalm 100:2

Delight in divine service is a token of acceptance. Those who serve God with a sad countenance, because they do what is unpleasant to them, are not serving him at all; they bring the form of homage, but the life is absent. Our God requires no slaves to grace his throne; he is the Lord of the empire of love, and would have his servants dressed in the livery of joy. The angels of God serve him with songs, not with groans; a murmur or a sigh would be a mutiny in their ranks. That obedience which is not voluntary is disobedience, for the Lord looketh at the heart, and if he seeth that we serve him from force, and not because we love him, he will reject our offering.

Service coupled with cheerfulness is heart-service, and therefore true. Take away joyful willingness from the Christian, and you have removed the test of his sincerity. If a man be driven to battle, he is no patriot; but he who marches into the fray with flashing eye and beaming face, singing, “It is sweet for one’s country to die,” proves himself to be sincere in his patriotism. Cheerfulness is the support of our strength; in the joy of the Lord are we strong. It acts as the remover of difficulties. It is to our service what oil is to the wheels of a railway carriage. Without oil the axle soon grows hot, and accidents occur; and if there be not a holy cheerfulness to oil our wheels, our spirits will be clogged with weariness. The man who is cheerful in his service of God, proves that obedience is his element; he can sing,

“Make me to walk in thy commands, ’Tis a delightful road.”

Reader, let us put this question—do you serve the Lord with gladness? Let us show to the people of the world, who think our religion to be slavery, that it is to us a delight and a joy! Let our gladness proclaim that we serve a good Master. – Charles Spurgeon

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

THINK ABOUT IT            1-8-22

Here is an article from Dr. Bob Griffin 30 years ago that blessed my heart. I suspect it will be a blessing to you. HDS:

                                           

When I was quite young, my father had one of the first  telephones in our
neighborhood. I remember well the polished old case fastened to the wall and
the shiny receiver on the side of the box.

I was too little to reach the telephone, but used to listen with fascination
when my mother would talk to it. Then I discovered that somewhere inside the
wonderful device lived an amazing person and her name was “Information
Please” and there was nothing she did not know. “Information Please” could
supply anybody’s number and the correct time.

My first personal experience with this genie-in-a-bottle came one day while
my mother was visiting a neighbor. Amusing myself at the tool bench in the
basement, I whacked my finger with hammer. The pain was terrible but, there
didn’t seem to be any reason in crying because there was no one home to give
me sympathy. I walked around the house sucking my throbbing finger, finally
arriving at the stairway. The telephone!

Quickly, I ran for the footstool in the parlor, and held the phone to my
ear. “Information Please” I said into the mouthpiece just above my head. A
click or two and a small clear voice spoke into my ear.

“Information.”

“I hurt my finger” I wailed into the phone. The tears came readily enough
now that I had an audience.

“Isn’t your mother home?” came the question.

“Nobody’s home but me,” I blubbered.

“Are you bleeding?” the voice asked.

“No,” I replied. “I hit my finger with a hammer and it hurts.

“Can you open your icebox?” she asked. I said I could. “Then chip off a
piece of ice and hold it to your finger,” said the voice.

After that, I called “Information Please” for everything. I asked her for
help with my geography and she told me where Philadelphia was. She helped me
with my math.  She told me that my pet chipmunk, which I had caught in the
park just the day before, would eat fruit and nuts.

Then there was the time Petey, our pet canary, died. I called “Information
Please” and told her the sad story. She listened, then said the usual thing
grown-ups say to soothe a child. But I was inconsolable. I asked her, “Why
is it that birds should sing so beautifully and bring joy to all families,
only to end up as a heap of feathers on the bottom of a cage?”

She must have sensed my deep concern, for she said quietly, “You must
remember that there are other worlds to sing in.” Somehow, I felt better.

Another day I was on the telephone. “Information Please”.

“Information,” said the now familiar voice.

“How do you spell fix?” I asked.

All this took place in a small rural village in the Pacific Northwest. When
I was a teenager, we moved across the country to Boston. I missed my friend
very much. “Information Please” belonged in that old wooden box back home
and somehow I never thought of trying the tall, new shiny phone that sat on
the table in the hall.

As I later headed to college, the memories of those childhood conversations
never really left me. Often, in moments of doubt and perplexity I would
recall the serene sense of security I had then. I appreciated now how
patient, understanding and kind she was to have spent her time on a little
boy.

Decades later, on my way west for my job, my plane put down in Seattle.  I
had about hour or so between flights. I spent 15 minutes on the phone with
my sister, who lived there now. Then, without thinking about what I was
doing, I dialed my hometown operator and said, “Information Please.”

Miraculously, I heard the small clear voice I knew so well. “Information.”

I hadn’t planned this, but I heard myself saying, “Could you please tell me
how to spell fix?”

There was a long pause. Then came the soft spoken answer, “I guess your
finger must be healed by now.”

I laughed, “So it’s really still you,” I said. “I wonder if you have any
idea how much you meant to me during that time?”

“I wonder,” she said, “if you know how much your calls meant to me. I never
had any children and I used to look forward to your calls.”

I told her how often I had thought of her over the years and asked if I
could call her again when I came back that summer to visit my sister.

“Please do,” she said. “Just ask for Sally.”

Six months later I was back in Seattle. A different voice answered,
“Information.”

I asked for Sally. “Are you a friend?” she said.

“Yes, a very old friend,” I answered.

“I’m sorry to have to tell you this,” she said. “Sally had been working part
time in the last few years because she was sick. She died five weeks ago.”

Before I could end the call she said, “Wait a minute. Are you Paul?”

“Yes”.

“Well, Sally left a message for you. She wrote it down in case you called
when she was too sick to work. Let me read it to you.”  

The note said, “Tell him I still say there are other worlds to sing in.
He’ll know what I mean.”

I thanked her and hung up. I knew what Sally meant.

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

MORNING MANNA          1-8-22

HE IS FAITHFUL!

“Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.1Kings 8:56 ( Read vs.54 – 61)

As we go through life we are often disappointed with others who fail to perform as they promise. While some intentionally deceive us, others, although well intended, give us misleading advice. However, when we come to God’s Word we are always on solid safe ground. We can trust whatever God says, even when it seems contrary to reason, or popular opinion. J. H. Jowett says it well in the following: 

“There hath not failed one word of all His good promise.” Supposing one word had failed, how then? If one golden promise had turned out to be counterfeit, how then? If the ground had yielded anywhere we should have been fearful and suspicious at every part of the road. If the bell of God’s fidelity had been broken anywhere the music would have been destroyed. But not one word has failed. The road has never given way in time of flood. Every bell of heaven is perfectly sound, and the music is full and glorious. “God is faithful, who also will do it.”

“God is love,” and “love never faileth.” The lamp will not die out at the midnight. The fountain will not fail us in the wilderness. The consolations will not be wanting in the hour of our distresses. Love will have “all things ready.” “He has promised, and shall He not do it?” All the powers of heaven are pledged to the fulfilment of the smallest word of grace. We can never be deserted! “God cannot deny Himself.” Every word of His will unburden its treasure at the appointed hour, and I shall be rich with the strength of my God.

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