Saving Faith

“And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” (Acts 16:31)

Maybe you can remember at least one time or another in your life when someone walked up to you with a very determined expression and a Bible in their hand. Then they asked a question: “Are you saved?”

I don’t know about you, but before I became a Christian, I would sort of laugh it off when I would hear people say things like that. I thought it was such a sensationalistic term to use. “After all,” I thought, “I’m not in a burning house. I’m not drowning at sea. What do they mean by that?

In reality the term saved is a very apt description of what happens to a person who puts his or her faith in Jesus Christ. We really were lost. In fact, our situation was worse than being in a burning house or lost at sea. We were separated from God, facing a certain judgment in a place called Hell.

It is possible to have a devil’s faith. You can be quite orthodox in your belief, meaning that you can believe certain things are true. You can have an awe and a respect for God and yet never have belief—in the true biblical sense—as far as saving faith. James 2:19 says, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” That is devil’s faith.

It is not enough to merely acknowledge intellectually that certain things to be true; you must act on them. Acts 16:31 says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved . . .” Only you can receive Christ into your life. Only you can call out to the Lord and be forgiven, and He will forgive you right now. He will change you—if you will come to Him.– Greg Laurie

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

THE LOVE OF JESUS

“May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”–Ephesians 3:18-19 

        

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

LITTLE IS MUCH
“When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.”-John. 6:5-6
The old song says, “Little is much when God is in it”, and we see a good example of that in the feeding of the 5,000 with “five barley loaves, and two small fishes“. Our little can do a lot when it’s given to the Lord. In this story we see that what we have is always enough when we give our all.
Speaking of that event J. R. Miller wrote: Jesus is continually testing his disciples, putting them to the test to draw out their faith. He is constantly bringing before us cases of need, sorrow, and trial—to test us. He wants to draw out our love, our sympathy, our tenderness, and train us to do the works of love which he leaves us in this world to do. 

The disciples thought they could not feed the multitude before them—yet Jesus meant that they should do it. Their ‘little’, blessed and then used, proved quite enough. We think we cannot answer the needs, sorrows, and hungers that appeal to us; but we can if we will. Christ wants us to go forth to minister in his name to all whom he sends to us. We do not appear to be able to do much. But even our few words spoken kindly, our tears of sympathy, our expressions of love—Christ can use to do great good to the faint and the weary hearts before us. We must never say of any appeals that come to us, “We cannot do anything!” To our word of powerlessness, when we have a bidding of duty, Jesus only answers, “Give them something to eat!” and we must go out to feed them, though we seem to have only a crumb or a crust to give.

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

GAIN FROM LOSS

“And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:”–Gen.44:28

The story of Joseph is not only interesting, it is of great practical value to us–if we look at the details. The famous English preacher F. B. Meyer gives us a good example of this and we would do well to take it to heart:

These are words caught from his Father’s mouth by Judah; and here repeated, in his most pathetic intercession, with the hope of softening the Governor’s heart, and moving him to spare Benjamin at least. They are very sad, and, without doubt, justified by the vision of that bloodstained coat. Yet there was another interpretation to the sad and dark suggestion which it made: Joseph was alive, and they were soon to know that it was he with whom they were dealing, and that he was conducting them through these strange experiences.

We are often tempted to judge hastily, and by appearances; by our own despondent, sorrowful hearts; or by the reports of others. We may say that certain things are against us, when, if we would only look beyond appearances and circumstances to God, we should find that He had been working, and was working, mightily on our be-half – that all was for our lasting good.

Do not say that you have lost your Joseph; he lives, and will yet be a comfort to you. He was taken from you for a little, to bring blessing to your whole family, but to be given back to you, more yours than ever.

Do not look on the sad, but on the bright side of God’s Providence. All things are working for the best. “In all these things is the life of the spirit.” Do not judge Him, or try to understand; be still and trust. You will some day be ashamed of your little faith.
Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain,
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

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

FRET NOT

Fret not thyself (Psalms 37:1)

Do not get into a perilous heat about things. If ever heat were justified, it was surely justified in the circumstances outlined in the Psalm. Evil-doers were moving about clothed in purple and fine linen, and faring sumptuously every day. “Workers of iniquity” were climbing into the supreme places of power, and were tyrannizing their less fortunate brethren. Sinful men and women were stalking through the land in the pride of life and basking in the light and comfort of great prosperity, and good men were becoming heated and fretful.

“Fret not thyself.” Do not get unduly heated! Keep cool! Even in a good cause, fretfulness is not a wise help-meet. Fretting only heats the bearings; it does not generate the steam. It is no help to a train for the axles to get hot; their heat is only a hindrance. When the axles get heated, it is because of unnecessary friction; dry surfaces are grinding together, which ought to be kept in smooth co-operation by a delicate cushion of oil.

And is it not a suggestive fact that this word “fret” is closely akin to the word “friction,” and is an indication of absence of the anointing oil of the grace of God? In fretfulness, a little bit of grit gets into the bearings–some slight disappointment, some ingratitude, some discourtesy–and the smooth working of the life is checked. Friction begets heat; and with the heat, most dangerous conditions are created. Do not let thy bearings get hot. Let the oil of the Lord keep thee cool, lest by reason of an unholy heat thou be reckoned among the evil-doers.–The Silver Lining

Dear restless heart, be still; don’t fret and worry so;
God has a thousand ways His love and help to show;
Just trust, and trust, and trust, until His will you know.
Dear restless heart, be still, for peace is God’s own smile,
His love can every wrong and sorrow reconcile;
Just love, and love, and love, and calmly wait awhile.
Dear restless heart, be brave; don’t moan and sorrow so,
He hath a meaning kind in chilly winds that blow;
Just hope, and hope, and hope, until you braver grow.
Dear restless heart, repose upon His breast this hour,
His grace is strength and life, His love is bloom and flower;
Just rest, and rest, and rest, within His tender power.
Dear restless heart, be still! Don’t struggle to be free;
God’s life is in your life, from Him you may not flee;
Just pray, and pray, and pray, till you have faith to see.
–Edith Willis Linn
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346