THE PATH TO PEACE

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”– (Isaiah 26:3)
    If you want to overcome fear and worry, then you need right thinking. In other words, think about what you think about.
    We’re told in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”. If you want personal peace, this is where it begins.
    Why is the mind important? It’s command central. With our minds we reach to the past through memories, and we reach to the future through imagination. We need to learn how to think properly and biblically. As 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”.
    The next time you’re troubled, you might try talking to yourself. We need to tell ourselves to think biblically, because it doesn’t always come naturally. For example, we see the writer’s despair in Psalm 42:5  “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me?” But then the writer continues, “hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.”.
    Many of the Psalms are songs and prayers. They are honest. And as we read some of them, we may think, “I dare not pray that.” But go ahead and pray that. Go ahead and say, “Lord, I am hurting right now. . . . I’m in pain right now. . . . I don’t understand this right now. . . . I’m struggling with this right now.”
The next time you’re feeling down, the next time you think, “I don’t know how I’m going to get through this situation,” quote the Bible to yourself. Remind yourself of the truth of God’s Word. That is what it means to think biblically.(Greg Laurie)
Although we live in tough times, walk rough roads, and endure difficult days, perfect peace is possible– God promised it is so. Not only can we endure, we can enjoy life. We can have peace because God’s grace is sufficient, God’s power is unlimited, God’s presence is always with us and God’s love is unending. In Christ we are more than conquerors! – HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”-– Ecc. 12:13
“Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.“- Prov. 4:26

Life is dangerous. One misstep could lead to death or a lifetime of misery. Safety, therefore, ought to a concern to us all. We can’t afford to make a decision that leads us into peril. That’s why it’s crucial that we listen to God who never leads us astray. You can’t go wrong when God’s will is the way you choose. That’s walking wisely. As someone said, “It is a great deal easier to do that which God gives us to do , no matter how hard it is, than to face the responsibilities of not doing it.” That’s a fact. The cost of obedience is nothing compared to the cost of disobedience.

Far too often we base our decisions on what is pleasurable, profitable, or popular rather than what is proper. The only proper response to anything is to do the will of God. He, being the Creator and perfectly holy, is the supreme Lawgiver. As such He is to be obeyed in all things. It is not for us to decide what’s right and wrong, or what’s important or not. All that matters is our Father’s will. Andrew Bonar wrote, “ It is not the importance of the thing, but the majesty of the Lawgiver, that is to be the standard of obedience”. His desire is our duty. It isn’t necessary for us to understand His ways or the reason behind His commands. It is our responsibility to respect Him by showing loving cheerful obedience regardless of our thoughts about the matter. In doing this we do ourselves a great favor. His most choice blessing are bestowed upon those who conform to His will.- HDS

Richard Baxter said it well when he wrote:
“Lord, it belongs not to my care
Whether I die or live;
To love and serve Thee is my share,
And this Thy grace must give. 
If life be long I will be glad,
That I may long obey;
If short– yet why should I be sad
To soar to endless day?”

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

THE DIRECTION OF DEATH

“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”– Prov. 14:12; 16:25
Look around. Listen to the voices clamoring for your attention. It’s easy to see that our country is deeply divided, and both sides think they are right– or that they at least have a better idea. As in the days of the Judges, when “every man did that which was right in his own eyes” ( Jud. 21:25), people tend to do as they please. And that leads to serious consequences–“the ways of death”.
So what is the solution? Both sides can’t be right. The only way for the two sides to come together is to agree on some standard of right and wrong. However, in this day when so many claim that there is no such thing as absolute truth that won’t happen. “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3). Of course not. That being the case we can expect confusion and conflict. It can’t be any other way. Neither side likes it, so everyone is unhappy.
The only solution would be to have a sure standard of right and wrong by which all things are measured. Thankfully we find exactly that in the Bible, God’s infallible word. Out of the depths of His great love God gave us His word to guide our walk and guard our way. It provides both the information and inspiration we need to do as we should. In His Word we find His will, His ways. In the Bible we discover the way to salvation and safety. If we reject it we have no one but ourselves to blame for the results.  Without Christ our mind is blind, our heart is deceived and our reasoning is impaired. Nothing short of God’s Word can provide “ a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path“( Psa. 115:105). As the old song says, we need to get “Back to the Bible”. That’s the truth!–HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.“Eph. 6:11
As Christians we face an infernal invisible foe who never gives up. Nor should we ever give up! Life is what it is –war– and all the day dreaming in the world isn’t going to change that fact. It can however cause us to lose rather than win. Entertaining unrealistic expectations only makes matters worse. We must never drop our guard. Stop thinking, “If I can just get through this I will be able to kick back and enjoy a life of ease the rest of my days”. No you won’t. It ain’t going to happen. Satan has a “hit list” and you’re on it. Life is war and we go from one battle to another until we come to the end of our days.

Maybe you are thinking, “I don’t want to think about it. I want to stay positive”. The problem with that is, you’re not staying positive, you are pretending and that’s dangerous. How we view life is important because it will determine what we do in life. Unless we see it for what it is we won’t be prepared. So here’s the facts– We are at war! Paul isn’t calling us to enter into warfare, he is simply telling us we’re in it– like it or not. Now, all that might sound depressing to some of you, but that’s only part of the picture. The reality of war doesn’t mean that we must be miserable all the time. To the contrary, we can have great joy as we go from one victory to another. As Paul said in Romans 8:37, “we are more than conquerors through him that loved us”.
Life is hard but we only make it more difficult if we complain about it. Martyn Lloyd Jones said, “Are you ready for the battle? Are you on the alert, are you on your feet? Are you just indulging your weaknesses and whims and fancies, and pitying yourself, and grumbling and complaining about this and that problem or situation?” Think about it! You can curl up in the corner of your foxhole in a fetal position sucking your thumb and crying, or you can stand up like a man and fight. The only way to a victory celebration is to fight and win. As Dr. Walter Martin said, “People who walk around in the middle of a war acting as if there was no war are called casualties.”– HDS

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