“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4

So many people in our day are struggling with feelings of depression, discouragement, discontent, and doubt. Christians are not immune from these feelings. Though we have hope in the Lord, we still have problems just like those around us. The pains of life hurt just as much for a believer as they do for the unsaved. The difference is that as Christians we have the divine resources available to us that allow us to deal with them in a different way. When our affections are set on the eternal, we remember that our life is hid with Christ in God. Although we still care about the people around us and still feel the pains that afflict us, we are not defined by them, nor are we held under them.

The English Puritan Richard Baxter wrote, “A heavenly mind is a joyful mind; this is the nearest and truest way to live a life of comfort, and without this you must need be uncomfortable. Can a man be at a fire and not be warm; or in the sunshine and not have light? Can your heart be in heaven, and not have comfort? [On the other hand,] what could make such frozen, uncomfortable Christians but living so far as they do from heaven?… O Christian, get above. Believe it, that region is warmer than this below.”

The more time that we spend with the Lord in His Word and in prayer, the more our thoughts, emotions, and interests will be aligned with the things of God. And the more our affections and desires are oriented toward Him, the less the pains of this world will consume our focus. The Bible tells us Jesus “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2). The more in tune with Heaven our hearts are, the more our lives will reflect God’s character to those around us.( Daily in the Word)

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church

Humble, Tx.

MORNING MANNA            2-3-21

THE WORD OF CHRIST
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” –  Colossians 3:16

The word which Jesus preached, or the word which His servants wrote, the whole word of God, is the word of Jesus.

Believer, look at your Bible as containing the word of your best Friend, loving Saviour, and final Judge. Let it find a home in your memories, affections, and hearts. Let it keep house – ruling, feeding, and directing your souls.

Let it dwell in you plentifully, and know how to apply the different portions to different persons, and different cases. Let it dwell in you richly, that you may have that to plead in prayer which God will notice, approve, and accept; to form, guide, and preserve your judgments; to curb, bound, and regulate your desires; to raise, confirm, and direct your expectations : to silence, enlighten, and purify conscience : to enable you to resist and overcome Satan : that you may be able to reprove sin, and speak a word in season to the weary.

Let the word of Christ have the best room in your souls : let it be your daily meditation, food, and directory. “LET THE WORD OF CHRIST DWELL IN YOU RICHLY IN ALL WISDOM.” James Smith, 1840

Still let Thy wisdom be my guide,
Nor take Thy light from me away;
Still with me let Thy grace abide,
That I from Thee may never stray :
Let Thy word richly in me dwell,
Inspiring me to do Thy will

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

MORNING MANNA           2-2-21

“THINE WILL BE DONE”

“Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”- Luke 22:42

Someone said, “these words of Jesus are the most difficult and most important words that we can learn” – “not my will, but thine, be done”. I agree, for God’s will touches every area and need in our life. God’s will relates to the matter of salvation, sanctification, stewardship, service, suffering, etc. Regardless of the subject His will is what matters most. It matters because God’s will is always right, best, and safest. If His will is done that’s all that matters.

Yet we tend to resent, resist, and reject it, as though we have a better plan. What fools we are! It is no wonder that the world is in such a mess. Rather than putting our confidence in God’s revelation we conform to our reasoning as though we were wiser than God. To accept God’s will requires conviction, courage, and confidence – trust that God knows best. It is our sinful stubborn pride that prevents us from doing so.
The problem with many is that they obey God only in matters related to the things they want to do. But so called “partial obedience” is total disobedience. There is no area of our life that escapes the scrutiny of God and He expects compliance to His will in all of them. We are not at liberty to pick and choose what commands we will obey.

Considering the weakness of the flesh, this puts all of us to the test. For example — while certain acts of service can be pleasurable, suffering can be hard to bear, yet we are expected to accept His will in both cases. We have no right to receive the one and reject the other. In both cases our attitude is to be “not my will, but thine. be done. Just as His will is best in regards to salvation and service it is also best in sickness, suffering, and shortage of goods. Although we cannot yet see the benefits of such undesirable things we can and should trust that they exist. Were we as wise as God we would want exactly what he wants.

Far too often we make the mistake of saying, “Not Thy will, but my will be done”, and that never ends well. Nothing puts us more in touch with heaven that to pray as Jesus said we should – “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). – HDS

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

SERMONS NOT REMEMBERED, BUT……

MORNING MANNA            1-31-21

GLORYING IN INFIRMITIES

“Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight.” Matt. 11:26

William MacDonal wrote: “In almost everyone’s life there are things which he never would have chosen, which he would like to be rid of, but which can never be changed. There is the matter of physical impairments or abnormalities. Or it may be a chronic, low-grade illness that will not leave us alone. Again it may be a nervous or emotional disorder that lingers as a most unwelcome guest.

So many live defeated lives, dreaming of what might have been if only. If only they were taller. If only they were better looking. If only they had been born in a different family, race or even sex. If only they were built to excel in athletics. If only they could know perfect health.

The lesson that these people should learn is that there is peace in accepting what cannot be changed. What we are, we are by the grace of God. He has planned our lives with infinite love and infinite wisdom. If we could see as well as He, we would have arranged things exactly as He has done. Therefore we should be able to say, “Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight.”

It is one of the signs of spiritual maturity when we can rejoice in the seemingly adverse circumstances in life and use them as means of glorifying God. Fanny Crosby learned the lesson early in life. When she was only eight, the blind poetess wrote:

Oh, what a happy child I am

Although I cannot see!

I am resolved that in this world

Contented I will be.

How many blessings I enjoy

That other people don’t!

So weep or sigh because I’m blind

I cannot, nor I won’t!

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