“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” – Matt. 11:29

I love what J R Miller wrote many years ago. In speaking about our text he said, 

“We have to learn to live—if ever we are to live worthily. No one becomes a fine musician, without much learning. Nor can anyone take a piece of canvas, with palette, paints, and brushes—and at once paint a masterpiece.

Learning to live beautifully—is harder than learning music or art. We must learn to live—and the lessons are hard, requiring long years of patience and practice. But we ought to learn the art of living, whatever the cost may be!

Life is a sacred trust. We are accountable for it to God, who gave it to us. We are required to make the most of our abilities, training them to their best capacity. By self-discipline, we are to get the perfect mastery of our being—and then do the things which we were made to do.

Yet many people never seriously try to learn to live! This is unworthy of a being endowed with immortality, and sent forth on a divine errand. We should live in a way, which will not shame us when we come to the end.”

While that is true and deserving of our attention, I believe we need to take it a step farther. There is something even more important than whether it shames us or not. The most important issue is – we should live in a way that results in God being glorified – something we too often forget. That’s why we were created and why we exist. A life well lived is one that succeeds in bringing glory to God. May that always be our goal. -HDS

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

MORNING MANNA            1-19-21

THE GREAT COMMISSION

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you”– Matthew 28:19-20

Here Jesus succinctly sums up the entire purpose of his church, the commission he has given us.

Go.We are not to simply wait for God to bring people across our path that may have an interest in the gospel. We are to go to all nations (which includes our own neighborhood, city, and country) in the wonderful and powerful name of Jesus.

Teach.Our job is to disciple those who have never heard the gospel, or who have never seen it lived out seriously and joyfully. Inherent in Jesus’ command to disciple is the claim that all faiths are not equal, and that Christianity has an exclusive and authoritative message. You are to teach others, because in Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3).

Baptize.Our teaching is not simply for the sake of information; it must be a call to action. When we accurately and uncompromisingly present the truth of Christ, it will necessarily include a call to commitment and it will require a public profession of faith. Baptism is only fitting for those who have been discipled, those who have come to believe in the triune God of the Bible.

Teaching them.Too often churches focus so much on outreach that they neglect the vital, tough work of ongoing training and instruction. Our goal should be for God’s people to actively pursue all things that Jesus has commanded concerning them.

Are you going? Are you discipling? Are you publicly professing Christ? – Baptist Bible Hour

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church

Humble, Tx.

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MORNING MANNA            1-18-21

WHO CAN FORGIVE SIN?

Augustus Toplady’s father was a member of the British Royal Marines and died in the Caribbean while he was fighting against Spain just a year after his son was born. Toplady was converted to Christ as a teenager….. He studied for the ministry and spent many years in the pulpits of various churches. But he is best remembered today for his poetry, especially for the hymn Rock of Ages, which he wrote when he was just twenty-three years old. In these lines he highlighted his desperate need of a Savior.

Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone,
Thou must save, and Thou alone.

As believers, we are called to do good works, but we do them as a means of glorifying God—not in atonement for our sins. Nothing we can do earns us God’s favor—we receive it by grace alone. Those of us who have been saved for many years must never forget what we were and where we were headed before grace stepped in. We must not lose our joy and gratitude at our salvation, and we must never forget that only God could have provided the forgiveness we needed. We must never lose sight of the wondrous grace that placed us in the family of God.  (Daily in the Word)

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church

Humble, Tx.

Sent from my iPad

“ Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; ”– Eph. 3:8

My Master has riches beyond the count of arithmetic, the measurement of reason, the dream of imagination, or the eloquence of words. They are unsearchable! You may look, and study, and weigh, but Jesus is a greater Saviour than you think him to be when your thoughts are at the greatest. My Lord is more ready to pardon than you to sin, more able to forgive than you to transgress. My Master is more willing to supply your wants than you are to confess them. Never tolerate low thoughts of my Lord Jesus. When you put the crown on his head, you will only crown him with silver when he deserves gold. My Master has riches of happiness to bestow upon you now. He can make you to lie down in green pastures, and lead you beside still waters. There is no music like the music of his pipe, when he is the Shepherd and you are the sheep, and you lie down at his feet. There is no love like his, neither earth nor heaven can match it. To know Christ and to be found in him—oh! this is life, this is joy, this is marrow and fatness, wine on the lees well refined. My Master does not treat his servants churlishly; he gives to them as a king giveth to a king; he gives them two heavens—a heaven below in serving him here, and a heaven above in delighting in him for ever. His unsearchable riches will be best known in eternity. He will give you on the way to heaven all you need; your place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks, your bread shall be given you, and your waters shall be sure; but it is there, there, where you shall hear the song of them that triumph, the shout of them that feast, and shall have a face-to-face view of the glorious and beloved One. The unsearchable riches of Christ! This is the tune for the minstrels of earth, and the song for the harpers of heaven. Lord, teach us more and more of Jesus, and we will tell out the good news to others.- Charles Spurgeon

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

When I was a boy I had a Mickey Mantle baseball card just like the one that sold for 5.2 million last week. I also possessed thousands of other cards that would be worth a fortune today. But I had no idea that a little card would ever be worth very much. Consequently I traded them, gave many away, and threw the rest away when I was older. Now I can’t help but think about how rich I would be if I had kept those cards. But I had no idea that someone today would attach so much value to them.

However, this reminds me of something else which is of far greater value. I’m talking about life. Life is a precious gift from God and what we do with it should be thought of as our gift to God. Sadly, most folks fail to see its true value. Rather than investing it in a way that will result in glory to God and a reward for them they throw it away in pursuit of earthly things which are of no eternal value.

It is amazing how much value we attach to things that are absolutely worthless. We never seem to learn that “all that glitters is not gold”. But the time will come when we will look back on our lives and think about “what could have been mine”, but the door of opportunity will shut and the blessings will have been missed.

It was for good reason that Paul said, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:2). That is good advice! Each day is an opportunity to make heavenly investments that pay eternal dividends. Don’t waste them.

When we come to the end of life’s road and the sun has set on the day of opportunity hopefully it won’t be with regret. It’s my prayer that when my life has ended that I might hear my dear Savior say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant”. That’s a life well lived and that ought to be the desire of every child of God. Pleasing God should be our greatest pursuit and and pleasure. The following phrase is really true – “Only one life, thill soon be passed. Only what’s done for Christ will last”. – HDS

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church

Humble, Tx.