“When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” – Luke 21:28

In recent months many have connected current events to the coming of Christ. But no one knows exactly when the Lord will come. What we do know is that he will indeed return just as He promised – first at the rapture then, seven years later, to reign. That should affect our manner of life. The following message from the Baptist Hour should serve as a warning to all.

“The exact same event described by Jesus as being a dreadful and terrible day for some, who will quake with fear, is promised to others as a day of deliverance.

When the Son of man, Jesus Christ, returns to earth in all His power and glory, it will be the end of everything as we know it. On the one hand, for those who have sought their satisfaction in material things, it will be the end of all their hopes. On the other hand, for those who have been diligently seeking first the kingdom of God, it will be a deliverance from the afflictions and cares of this world.

How will it be for you? Are you laying up for yourself treasures here on earth, as Jesus warned us against, where moth and rust and thieves are able to corrupt and steal our heart’s treasure? Or is your heart’s treasure in heaven and all of your resources devoted to that which is eternal?

Will the coming of Christ be fearful, and the loss of all you have? Or will it be the joyful return on a careful and lifelong investment? It all depends on how you are living now, on what your priorities are now, on where your faith is now.”

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

“And he said, LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart:”- 1 Kings 8:23

Prayer is not all request and supplication. We ought not to speak to God merely and only–when we want some favor from his hand. Much of all true prayer is adoration and praise. A loving child-heart always seeks to express its love and confidence.

“There is no God like you.” The heathen have their idols–but our God is not like them. They see not, hear not, love not, care not for those who worship them. Our God loves and keeps covenant. What he promises he performs. His Word never fails, is never broken. What a strong confidence it gives us–to be sure that the God in whom we trust always keeps his Word! Not a promise of his ever has been broken.

There is something else here which we must not overlook. We should never cut Bible sentences in two in the middle, for if we do we shall get only half truths. God keeps covenant; but to every covenant there are two sides, and we have something to do to secure what he has promised. He keeps covenant with those who “continue wholeheartedly in your way.” That is our part, and it should be our continual care to be faithful to God in all our ways. There is no danger that he will fail us; let us take heed that we do not fail in our part. – J. R. Miller

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

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” – Psalms 119:105

Here’s some food for thought from my “Notes & Quotes”. This is an example of what Jesus said in Luke 16:8 “… the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.”

“After captivating an audience at Yale University, the late novelist Ayn Rand was asked by a reporter, “Whats wrong with the modern world?” Without a moment’s hesitation she replied, “Never before has the world been so desperately asking for answers to crucial questions, and never before has the world been so frantically committed to the idea that no answers are possible. To paraphrase the Bible, the modern attitude is, ‘Father, forgive us, for we know not what we are doing—and please don’t tell us.’” That’s very perceptive for an acknowledged agnostic. Many of us want a word from God, but we don’t want the Word of God. We know enough to own a Bible but not enough for the Bible to own us. We pay the Bible lip service, but we fail to give it “life service.” In a world where the only absolute is that there are no absolutes, there is little room left for the authoritative Word of God as revealed in the Bible.”

That’s well said! I am amazed that so-called “Bible believers” are so confused about the solution to our problems today. They act as though no answer can be found — although they hold it in their hands. Without the Bible we have no sure standard of right and wrong, which leaves people free to do whatever is right in their own eyes. That leads to what we’ve got today. Thankfully we do have God’s Word and it is a sure guide that both enlightens us and enables us to do as we should. Our great need is to get back to the Bible. Those who behold its worth, wonder, and work will walk in its ways. That’s the Savior’s solution to sin’s pollution. – HDS

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

“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” –  Psalm 34:18

I keep a file of notes and quotes of things I might want to use at a later date. I usually give credit to the person who wrote it, but in the following story I failed to do so. While your situation might be entirely different than the one described here, we all have our dark days, those difficult times when we wonder how we will make it through. Hopefully this will help you see that help is here.

A man was sitting beside his young son’s bed. His son had been diagnosed with a fatal kidney disease, and his time was growing short. As the boy lay dying, the man picked up his journal and wrote…

Sitting at the bedside of my dying son at 3:48 in the morning. Weeping like crazy. Bertrand Russell once said that “no one can sit at the bedside of a dying child and believe in God.” Well I beg to differ. My faith is the thing that strengthens me. How else can I make it through? We cannot do anything else.

This fire drains away everything else. Nothing else satisfies my soul. I would love to save my son. I would easily give my life for his, but God has not chosen that path for us. He has chosen a vale of tears, but He will walk through it with me.

God doesn’t always give us an easy path in life. But in the midst of sorrow and pain, He walks through our dark days with us. And while we may not understand the purpose of our pain this side of heaven, we can be sure His plan is perfect.

He’s there in your dark days. Turn to Him! Ask God to remind you of His promises to be with you on your darkest days.

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

“And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.” – Num. 18:20

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