PASTOR’S PAGE        11-16-21

         “Here is an article every church member needs to read and think about:

BY ERIK RAYMOND  

“I’m just a church member.” Over the years, I’ve heard people say this when introducing themselves. There are many reasons why someone might say this (they may want to clarify that they aren’t in full-time ministry). But I cringe inside when I hear it. And if I’m able, I offer a gentle correction because there’s no such thing as “just” a church member.

This isn’t a difficult premise to prove. Consider what God says about those who are church members. They have come to believe the gospel, receiving Christ Jesus as Lord (John 1:12; Rom. 1:16; Col. 2:6). They are loved before the foundation of the world and then were adopted into Christ’s body (Eph. 1:4–5). They are adorned with the everlasting righteousness of Christ (2 Cor. 5:21) and indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:9). They are the object of God’s unwavering love and joy, even the subjects of his songs of gladness (Zech. 3:17). God surrounds them with shouts of deliverance (Ps. 32:7). They are ambassadors of the King of kings (2 Cor. 5:20) who represent him in this world. They are his children and heirs, destined for glory (Rom. 8:16–17). They are part of his family, his body, the church (1 Cor. 12:27). And our Lord Jesus Christ is not ashamed of any of his family, even happily embracing all of them as his “brothers” (Heb. 2:11).

If you’re a member of Christ’s body, you’re never “just” a church member. You are a privileged member of a royal family.

I think this is one of the reasons why the Apostle Paul ends some of his letters by talking about a bunch of people we’ve never heard of. He wants to remind us that kingdom work is accomplished by ordinary people. Take the ending of the book of Romans, for example. To punctuate this magisterial theological treatise, he sprinkles in well over 30 names of people who, in varying ways, partnered together for the advancement of the gospel. We might be tempted to say that many of them were “just” church members.

But they’re not.

My point here is not simply to edit a phrase from your vocabulary. That wouldn’t do anything. Instead, I want to inject it with a measure of the biblical significance and beauty found in the New Testament. If you’re a member of Christ’s body, you’re never “just” a church member. You are a privileged member of a royal family granted the infinite and eternal blessing of serving to advance the kingdom of grace. We should never diminish this!

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

MORNING MANNA        11-16-21

CHRIST IN YOU

“… Christ in you…” Col. 1:27

Because He lives in us, He can work through us, with us, and for us. His presence provides great possibilities. As Paul wrote, “I can do all things through Christ” ( Phil. 4:13). That has been my life line since the day I was saved. The challenges of life are many, varied, and great, but with Christ we can overcome all things.

If you’ve never received Christ as your Lord and Savior I urge you to do so today. Simply trust Him with all your heart to forgive your sins,and save your soul and you have His promise that He will. We aren’t saved because of what we try to do, but by what Jesus did when He gave Himself as the sacrifice for our sins. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” ( Acts 16:31). – HDS

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

MORNING MANNA          11-15-21

LET US LOVE

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”- 1 John 4:7-8

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

MORNING MANNA          11-14-21

Sanctified Souls Are Satisfied

“My people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord.” (Jeremiah 31:14)

Note the “my” which comes twice: “My people shall be satisfied with my goodness.”

The kind of people who are satisfied with God are marked out as God’s own. He is pleased with them, for they are pleased with Him. They call Him their God, and He calls them His people; He is satisfied to take them for a portion, and they are satisfied with Him for their portion. There is a mutual communion of delight between God’s Israel and Israel’s God.

These people are satisfied. This is a grand thing. Very few of the sons of men are ever satisfied, let their lot be what it may; they have swallowed the horse-leech, and it continually cries, “Give! give!” Only sanctified souls are satisfied souls. God Himself must both convert us and content us.

It is no wonder that the Lord’s people should be satisfied with the goodness of their Lord. Here is goodness without mixture, bounty without stint, mercy without chiding, love without change, favor without reserve. If God’s goodness does not satisfy us, what will? What! Are we still groaning? Surely there is a wrong desire within if it be one which God’s goodness does not satisfy.

Lord, I am satisfied. Blessed be Thy name. – Charles Spurgeon

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

MORNING MANNA          11-13-21

LITTLE AND A LOT

 “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” –  Luke 16:10

We are apt to under-estimate little failures in duty.
It seems to us a small matter:
that we do not keep an engagement,
that we lose our temper,
that we say an impatient or angry word,
that we show an unkind or harsh spirit,
that we speak uncharitably of another,
that we treat someone with discourtesy, or
fail in some other way which appears trivial.

We think that so long as we are honest, faithful, and loving in the larger things—that it is of small importance, that we make ‘little slips’.

But we never can tell what may be the consequences of our failure, in even the most minute duty.

It hurts our own life! It leaves us a little weaker in our character, a little less able to resist the next temptation that comes at the same point. It breaks our habit of faithfulness, and makes it easier for us to break it a second time. We sin against ourselves, when we relax our diligence or our faithfulness, in even the least thing!

Then, we do not know what the consequences to others will be—when we fail in their presence. An outburst of temper in a Christian, may hinder many others in their Christian life. The failure of a Christian minister to pay a little debt, may destroy the minister’s influence over many in his church.- copied.

Some say all sins are the same, but they are wrong. However, although all sins are not the same, all sin is a shame. And even the smallest sin is a giant size problem. A little sin is a big problem.–HDS

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