MORNING MANNA              8-12-21

MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS

MORNING MANNA          8-11-21

BLOOM FOR HIM

“Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”– John 15:8

In light of the difficulties of our day some folks imagine that there is no use trying to serve God. They figure that in such a wicked world it is vain to think they can make a difference. The following article by Tim Callies reminds us that God can bring forth good even in the worst of times:

“Far down a desert road, far from the swarms of people crowding Bryce and Zion and the other big attractions, far from just about anything and anyone else, we pulled over and got out. Beneath us was parched ground, above us a vicious sky, before us a towering cactus. And there, under the dark clouds, there against the stark desert, there before the sharp thorns, we gazed at the bright beauty of gentle, precious flowers. We saw flowers in the desert that told of the might of their Maker.

God has created this world in such a way that there is some kind of flower that blooms in almost every kind of condition. We are never far from displays of his beauty, tokens of his mercy, reminders of his creative genius. And just as God suits flowers to every climate, he suits Christians to every circumstance. No matter what unfolds around us and no matter what is done to us, we are able to bloom for him—to display the truest love, the greatest gentleness, the highest reaches of Christian character.

Like flowers in a botanical garden, professionally guarded and perfectly groomed, we bloom in times of tender care and great ease. When all is well, we display the goodness and glory of our God.

Like flowers in the desert, we bloom when it seems we have been abandoned. Even when circumstances are as sore as we can imagine, even when it seems like we are being deprived of the very stuff of life, even when our very souls feel dry and barren, we continue to serve and to worship.

Like flowers on a mountaintop, we bloom in circumstances where it seems like the conditions must be surely be too harsh. Far beyond the point where it seems that spiritual life should be sustainable, far beyond the point where hearts break and faith fails, we survive and even thrive.

Like flowers along the edge of a landfill, we bloom even when surrounded by the muck and mire of the world. Just as a flower can remain bright and unsullied by the mess around it, we can remain unstained by the anger, clamor, and filth of a depraved world. Though we may be growing in a landfill, we are never of that landfill.

Like flowers on the edge of a volcano, we bloom amidst the heat of the most fiery trials. With eruptions of persecution exploding around us, with the hot lava of reviling flowing beside us, still we think God’s thoughts, still we speak God’s words, still we act as God’s emissaries. Still we are faithful and true to him.

God has created flowers for the forests and jungles, the mountaintops and wetlands, the plains and deserts, the peaks and valleys. Everywhere they declare his glory. And just so, God has saved his people to display his glory and sing his praises in every time, every trial, every situation, every circumstance. No matter our surroundings, no matter our context, no matter our joys or sorrows, we must, and by his grace we can, bloom for him.” – Think about it!

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

MORNING MANNA          8-10-21

FROM DEATH TO LIFE

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.“- John 5:24

Here is an insight that has revolutionized and transformed many a life.

The duplication of “verily” or “truly” at the outset alerts us to expect something momentous. We will not be disappointed.

“I say unto you.” The “I” is the Lord Jesus; we know that from verse 19. What we must also know is that when He says something, it is absolutely and invariably true. He cannot lie. He cannot deceive. He cannot be deceived. Nothing can be more sure and dependable than what He says.

To whom is He speaking? “I say unto you.” The Eternal Son of God is speaking to you and to me. We never had anyone so illustrious speak to us before and never will. We ought to listen!

“He that heareth my word.” The “He” means “anyone.” It has the same force as “whoever.” To hear His word means not just to hear it with the ears, but to hear and believe, to hear and receive, to hear and obey.

“…and believeth on him that sent me.” We know that it was God the Father who sent Him. But the important question is, “Why did He send Him?” I must believe that the Father sent His Son to die as my Substitute, to pay the penalty I deserved, to shed His blood for the remission of my sins.

And now comes the threefold promise. First, “hath everlasting life.” As soon as a person believes, he possesses eternal life. It’s just as plain as that. Second, he “shall not come into condemnation.” This means he will never be consigned to hell because of his sins, because Christ has paid the debt, and God will not demand payment twice. Third, he “is passed from death unto life.” He passes from a condition in which he is spiritually dead as far as his relation to God is concerned, and is born again into a new life that will never end.

If you have truly heard His Word and if you have believed on the Father who sent Him, then the Lord Jesus Christ assures you that you are saved.

No wonder it is called “Good News” – William MacDonald

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

MORNING MANNA        8- 9 -21

WHEN BAD IS GOOD

“  And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me. “- Gen. 42:36

Assuming and presuming can get us in a world of trouble. For one thing it perverts our perspective and the way we look at things affects the way we do things. The wrong perspective can have devastating consequences. The fact is, we are not as smart as we like to think we are, and things are not always what they appear to be. For example, we often think something is bad when in reality it is good. Romans 8:28 tells us that is true. One of the problems is our failure to consider the time factor. What is bad at the moment might prove to be of great value down the road. Heb. 12:11 is an example of this – “ Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby”.

An old story illustrates this well: A Chinese gentleman lived on the border of China and Mongolia. In those days, there was constant conflict and strife along the perimeter. The man had a beautiful horse. One day, she leaped over the corral, raced down the road, crossed the border, and was captured by the Mongolians. His friends came to comfort him. “That’s bad news,” they said sadly. “What makes you think it’s bad news?” asked the Chinese gentleman. “Maybe it’s good news.” A few days later the mare came bolting into his corral, bringing with it a massive stallion. His friends crowded around. “That’s good news!” they cried. “What makes you think it’s good news?” he asked. “Maybe it is bad news.” Later, his son, while riding the stallion and trying to break it, was thrown off and broke his leg. “That’s bad news,” cried the friends. “What makes you think it is bad news?” asked the Chinese gentleman. “Maybe it’s good news.” One week later, war broke out with Mongolia, and a Chinese general came through, drafting all the young men. All later perished, except for the young man who couldn’t go because his leg was broken. The man said to his friends, “You see, the things you thought were bad turned out good; and the things you thought were good turned out bad.”

Since we can’t see the future, nor understand all the ways of God we must walk by faith rather than sight. We must learn to trust God’s Word and take hold of His promises. Were we to live in the light of Rom. 8:28 it would change our perspective. Some of life’s greatest blessings come disguised as unbearable burdens. Some of the most fearful storms are followed by a rainbow of riches such as never seen before. We need only to be patient and wait upon the Lord to turn troubles into treasure, pain into pleasure, and burdens into blessings. God is at work and He is for you! -HDS

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

MORNING MANNA         8-8-21

A PICTURE OF PROVIDENCE

“….Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant….”– Jer. 25:9 , 27:6, 43:10

Considering the time in which we live people are in great need of comfort. I realize that need has always existed, but somehow it seems to be greater than at any time in my lifetime. Having recently spoken about the comfort we derive from thinking about divine providence today I want to give you an example – a picture of providence. 

Three times in the Bible God refers to Nebuchadnezzar as “my servant“. It raises no eyebrows when we read the same of Job, Jacob, Moses, David, and the prophets, but it seems shocking when this heathen king is called “my servant” by the Lord. We are amazed that God would use such language to describe the man he used as an instrument to punish Judah. That wicked king sacked the city of Jerusalem, carried many away into captivity, and kept the Jews under his foot for 70 years. Yet He calls him “my servant”.

Although Nebuchadnezzar did not think of himself as God’s servant, God did. The king was unwilling, undeserving, and unable to render any service for God, yet God used him to accomplish His purpose. This in no wise speaks of any greatness on the king’s part, but it speaks loud and clear about the greatness of God. And it was important for the Jews to keep that in mind – especially when God told them to not resist, nor rebel. He told them that they would be in captivity for 70 years, so just make the best out of a bad situation. I say “bad” because it wouldn’t have been necessary had they obeyed God. But considering what they did, that which was bad – difficult and hard to bear, was actually “good” because it was used to accomplish God’s purpose which was to correct them.

Sometime ago I preached about “Living in Babylon”. I did so to show how we are to conduct ourselves in this wicked world. We need to understand that “the king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will” ( Prov. 21:1). That should be a comfort to God’s people! It reminds us that things are not whirling madly out of control as they seem. All things, including wicked kings, are under the control of the One who created all things. That being the case it is just a matter of time until this is seen by all. Until then let us trust the One who never fails. – HDS

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