WHEN THE WORLD IS ON FIRE

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”– 2 Pet.3:10 ( see vs.3-14)

Ever since the invention of the atom bomb people have been worried that we would someday destroy the earth with a nuclear war. The fact is, man will never destroy the earth – but God will.  Although scoffers tell us it isn’t so, the Bible declares it is true. Although they mock us, Christ will return and do as He promised.

Christ will come for His people at the rapture and then return seven years later with His saints to establish His thousand year reign upon the earth.  When that’s over He will burn the earth and create a new heaven and earth!

While this is “old hat” to some of you, for others it seems like something straight out of a science fiction novel or movie – something too far fetched to be true.  Yet that is exactly what we’re told in the Bible.  Naturally this raises a lot of questions.  We simply cannot understand everything about this, and that troubles a lot of people. But is it really necessary for us to understand it? The answer is “No.”  Had we needed to know more God would have revealed it. The Bible tells us all we need to know about it.

What we do know is this.  The coming of Christ is sure, and it will be sudden and selective. That should affect the manner in which we live. Knowing we must give an account to Him, sinners should repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. Christians should confess their sins, pursue holiness, live in hope, and make haste regarding their duties. They should be watching, working, and waiting. This is no time to be idle. As Jesus said, “the night cometh when no man can work” (John 9:4). – HDS

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

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” – Isa. 41:10

A story is told of a general in the Persian army who captured spies and sentenced them to death. This general had the strange custom of giving condemned criminals a choice between going before a firing squad or walking through a big black door.

Almost without fail, prisoners would choose the firing squad. When one of his commanders asked the general why so few picked the door, he said, “People always prefer the known and fear the unknown. But what they don’t know is that on the other side of that big black door is freedom.”

Quite often, the best opportunities we have in life lie beyond big doors of the great unknown. Yet instead of walking through those doors, most people are content to remain in their current “safe” circumstances, completely missing out on the opportunities that await them on the other side.

Don’t be afraid of the big, foreboding doors of life. Be willing to face your fears and jump into new opportunities that draw you out of your comfort zone. God is in control. Trust Him to help you overcome your fears and He’ll bring you into a new reliance on Him as your provider!

Ask God to bring you into situations where He can help you overcome your fears and develop a deeper trust in Him.- Senior Living

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

“Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” – Psa. 119:18

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” – Matt.6:9

Now notice how we are to address Him – “Hallowed be Thy name“. That means we set apart His name as holy and hold it in reverence. According to 1 Cor. 10:31 even our prayer is to be for the glory of God. We hear a lot of talk about praising God in song, and for good reason, but we don’t have to be singing to be praising. We can express praise through speech as well as song.

When you encounter a problem and engage in prayer, be sure you start by expressing praise. Then you can expect to enjoy His provision. Otherwise you are in rebellion, for the Bible says, “O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise Him all ye people” (Psa. 117:1). We do so “For his merciful kindness is great toward us: And the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD” ( Psa. 117:2). Praise is a command. It is an imperative, not just a mere invitation. It is an obligation and an opportunity – opening the door to all the great possibilities God’s power is able to provide. “… therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” ( Heb. 13:15) – HDS

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

“Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” – Phil. 2:4

Just about everyone is hunting happiness, but experiencing disappointment. They fail to find it because they are looking in the wrong place. They are so focused on self that they can’t see anything else, and they don’t like what they see! Were they wise they would seek to satisfy others. And in doing so they would discover what they desire without ever searching for it. Dr. Bob Griffin told a story that illustrates this. He said:

A wise teacher once brought balloons to school, told her pupils to blow them up and write their name on one. After the children tossed their balloons into the hall, the teacher moved through the hall mixing them all up.

The kids were given three minutes to carefully find the balloon with their name on it, but though they searched frantically, only a couple found their own balloon.

Then the teacher told them to take the balloon closest to them and give it to the person whose name was on it. In less than two minutes, everyone was holding their own balloon.

The teacher said to the children, “These balloons are like happiness. We won’t find it when we’re only searching for our own. But if we care about someone else’s happiness, it will ultimately help us find our
own.”

More than 100 years ago Charles Meigs wrote the poem “OTHERS”:

Lord, help me live from day to day

In such a self-forgetful way

That even when I kneel to pray

My prayer shall be for – Others.

Help me in all the work I do

To ever be sincere and true

And know that all I do for You

Must needs be done for – Others.

And when my work on earth is done

And my new work in heaven’s begun

May I forget the crown I’ve won

While thinking still of – Others.

Others, Lord, yes others,

Let this my motto be;

Help me to live for others

That I may live like Thee.

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