MORNING MANNA        4-14-21

THE WORD OF GOD

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”- Heb.4:12

William MacDonald told this story that serves to illustrate our text: A Christian university student was witnessing to another student who was from a liberal seminary. When the believer quoted a verse, the seminarian said, “I don’t believe the Bible.” The Christian quoted another verse, only to be met with “I told you I don’t believe the Bible.” The third time the Christian quoted a verse the seminarian became agitated and exploded, “Don’t quote the Bible to me. I’ve already told you I don’t believe it.” By then the believer felt completely frustrated and defeated. He figured that he was a total failure as a soul winner.

It so happened that Dr. H. A. Ironside was a guest at his home that night. At the supper table, the Christian student shared his disappointing experience about the seminarian. Then he asked Dr. Ironside, “When you are trying to witness to someone and he says to you, ‘I don’t believe the Bible,’ what do you do?” Dr. Ironside replied with a happy smile, “I just quote more of it.”

That is excellent advice for any would-be soul winners. When people say they don’t believe the Bible, just quote more of it. The Word of God is living and powerful. It has an effect on people even when they don’t believe it.

Suppose two men are dueling. One says to the other, “I don’t believe your sword is real steel.” What happens? Does the second man lay down his sword and admit defeat? Or does he give a scientific discourse on the carbon content and malleability of the metal? Ridiculous! He gives his opponent a good sharp jab and lets him feel how real the sword is. So it is with the Bible. The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit. It needs to be used more than it needs to be defended. It is well able to defend itself.

I do not deny that there is a place for proofs of the inspiration of the Scriptures. Such proofs serve a valuable purpose in confirming the faith of those who are already saved. In a few cases they help people come to saving faith. But generally speaking people aren’t convinced by human reasonings or arguments. “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.” Men need to be confronted with the powerful Word of God. A single verse of Scripture is worth a thousand arguments.

This highlights the importance of Scripture memorization. If I haven’t committed verses to memory, the Spirit will not be able to bring them forth at the appropriate time. But the main point is that God has not promised to honor my words, but He has promised to honor His own. So in dealing with the unsaved, I must use the sword of the Spirit generously and watch it produce conviction and conversion by a miracle of grace.

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

MORNING MANNA          4-13-21

BROUGHT TO GOD

 “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.” – 1Pet. 3:18

Four things to notice in this verse:

First, notice that the Lord Jesus Christ suffered for sins only one time. He offered Himself a sacrifice for sins only once. Hebrews 10.14 speaks to this same point: “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” 

There is no need for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrifice to be repeated, especially the unbloody sacrifice of the Roman Catholic Mass. Since there is no remission of sin without the shedding of blood ( Heb. 9.22) the shedding of blood is indispensable for sins to be cleansed away. But the Lord Jesus Christ’s blood was shed only once because once was and is sufficient.

Second, Christ’s sacrifice on the cross of Calvary was the Just for the unjust. That is, the Lord Jesus Christ’s was a substitutionary sacrifice. Being substitutionary, which means Christ did for the sinner what the sinner could not do for himself, the sinner, therefore, does not need to perform works of righteousness to pay for his salvation; Jesus already paid it all.

Third, “that he might bring us to God.” That is, the responsibility of delivering the sinner to God is Christ’s and Christ’s alone. Why is this an important point to emphasize? Because no man cometh unto the Father, according to the Lord Jesus Christ, “but by me,” John 14.6. Do you want your sins forgiven? Do you want to go to heaven? Do you want to come to God? Then you have to come to Jesus Christ.

Finally, “… being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.” He really did die on the cross. He really was buried. And it was the Spirit of God who brought His dead body back to life on the third day.(Copied)

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

MORNING MANNA          4-11-21

OPPORTUNITIES

“ “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”- ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6:10‬ ‭

God has also given us a wealth of opportunities. An opportunity may be defined as a providential circumstance which permits us to turn our time, our money and our talents to account. Of all gifts this is the most common, and it is the one which makes the other gifts of value to us and to mankind. The wise Christian will watch for opportunities to do good, to speak the life-bringing word to sinners, to pray the rescuing prayer of intercession. 

The foe of opportunity is preoccupation. Just when God sends along a chance to turn a great victory for mankind, some of us are too busy puttering around to notice it. Or we notice it when it is too late. The old Greeks said that opportunity had a forelock but was close-shaven behind; if a man missed grabbing for her as she approached, he would reach for her in vain after she had passed. 

Possibly the worst effect of waste is the mental habit it creates. To allow time or money or talents to go to waste is to do something harmful to ourselves. It is to injure ourselves inside where it is most serious.- A W Tozer

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church

Humble, Tx.

MORNING MANNA            4-9-21

THE LORD WILL PROVIDE

In this world of uncertainty there is one thing that we never should doubt. Regardless of how unstable our life may seem we can stand on the never failing promises of God who cannot lie. And doing so provides us a peace that passeth all understanding and the courage to face any circumstance. The following text is a good example. Read it and then consider the comments from the Baptist Bible Hour.

Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of Qhe Lord it shall be seen – Gen.22:14

Jehovahjireh means “the Lord will provide” or, literally, “the Lord will see to it.” By the time Abraham used this name for God he had learned from personal experience the truth of its claims.

When asked by God to sacrifice his son Isaac, Abraham trusted that somehow God would still keep His promise to make of Isaac a great nation. He obeyed God by taking Isaac to the altar, but trusted—against reason and sight and feeling—that somehow God would provide Himself a lamb (22:8). His faith was rewarded and validated when God replaced Isaac with a ram for the sacrifice.

What about you? Has God given you any sure promises? (If you can’t think of any, try Romans 8:28-32 or Philippians 4:19). Have you trusted God to make good on His word, even when trusting meant going against reason and sight and feeling? Numbers 23:19 reminds us that “God is not a man, that he should lie…hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”

The fact is, God not only sees all, He sees to it all—He will provide all your needs, dear believer, according to His riches by Christ Jesus. Trust today, no matter what gaping needs may confront you, that the Lord will provide; He will see to it all.

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church

Humble, Tx.

MORNING MANNA          4-7-21

IN CHRIST

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit– Romans 8:1

Here we find two descriptions of the same person — the person that is in Christ Jesus. Those that are in Christ Jesus are described first by their position and then by their practice. They have no condemnation against them, Paul says, and they walk after the Spirit instead of the flesh.

No condemnation! Because God is completely holy, even our greatest deeds and thoughts are sin-soaked, filthy rags in His perfect sight. We stand guilty before a virtuous and fair judge; justice will be served (He will not compromise His own righteousness in order to have mercy on us) and so we must be condemned.

But those who are in Christ have their punishment transferred to Jesus, so that they are without condemnation. Those who believe on Jesus Christ have the assurance that He has taken their place—acted as their substitute—and so, in spite of their great shortcomings, they are without condemnation. Christ’s perfect sacrifice on their behalf has wiped their criminal record clean.

How do these pardoned sinners then live? They follow the promptings and leadership of the Spirit of God. As Paul explains a few verses later, “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (14). They no longer follow the dictates of their corrupted nature or of the sinful world; they march to the beat of a spiritual Drummer, following the footsteps of their perfect Savior.

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church

Humble, Tx.