THE BOOMERANG OF SIN

July 31, 2017 By Pastor David Stone

“Be sure your sin will find you out.” – Numbers 32:23

Sin is like the boomerang of the savage, it comes back on the hand that has launched it forth. The brethren accused Joseph of being a spy, and cast him into the pit; and on the same charge they were cast into prison. King David committed adultery and murder; so Absalom requited him. The Jews crucified the blessed Lord; and they were impaled around Jerusalem till room and wood for their crosses failed.

There is a Divine order in society. God has so constituted the world, that as man deals with his neighbor, so he is dealt with. The consequence does not always follow immediately. There is often a long interval between the lightning flash and the thunder-peal. The sentence against an evil work is not executed suddenly. But though God’s mills grind slowly, they do grind, and to powder. It is impossible to deceive God; for it is His immutable law, “whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Gal 6:7-8).

When sin comes to find you out, like a sleuth-hound on the track of the criminal, be sure that it finds you in Jesus. “That I may be found in Him.” Nothing will avail to intercept the awful execution of sin’s vengeance, except the blood and righteousness of Jesus. Put Him between you and your sins, between you and your past, between you and the penalty of a broken law. Be sure that only when the blood of Jesus speaks for you through earth and heaven, there can be a cutting off of sin’s terrible entail ( consequences).–F.B.Meyer

RUNNING

July 30, 2017 By Pastor David Stone

“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”–Isaiah 40:29–31

Despite suffering from poor health for much of his fifty-five years of life, George Whitefield crossed the Atlantic thirteen times, preached more than eighteen thousand sermons, conducted revivals and missionary works across America and Europe, and helped spark the revival known as the Great Awakening. It is estimated that Whitefield preached to more than ten million people during his lifetime. George Whitefield said, “A true faith in Jesus Christ will not suffer us to be idle. No, it is an active, lively, restless principle; it fills the heart, so that it cannot be easy till it is doing something for Jesus Christ.”

God did not save us just to sit back and enjoy the ride to Heaven. He has a plan for us to be active and involved in His service all the days of our lives. Jesus set the pattern for us in this regard, when in His first recorded conversation as a twelve-year-old boy, He responded to Mary’s anguish over not being able to find Him with a clear mission statement. “And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49).

This same necessity should guide our choices throughout our daily lives. This world is merely a pause between moments of eternity, and we have a responsibility to make the most of every moment. A Christian who is not willing and eager to work for God has a poor understanding indeed of the grace that saved Him.

The same God who calls us to work for Him empowers us to continue in that work throughout our lives.(Daily in the Word)

SUNSHINE OR SHADOWS?

July 29, 2017 By Pastor David Stone

“A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.”–Prov. 15:13

Have you ever noticed that being in the presence of some folks is like sunshine, whereas with others it is shadows? Which do you prefer? What do you bring into the lives of others? When they see you coming does is seem like the sunshine after the storm, or does it seem like storm clouds? Do they get the feeling that you are about to rain on their parade? Do you ever think of yourself as being on a mission to brighten the day for others? You should. In this world of doom and gloom it should be our desire to bring sunshine into the lives of others.

However, we cannot give what we do not have. If we are to banish the shadows and bring sunshine to others we must have it in our heart. If we are sour within there will be no sweetness without. And we are commanded by the Lord to “Be of good cheer“. J. R. Miller was right when he said, “Everyone carries an atmosphere about him”. Experience tells us that is true.

The mere mention of your name brings to the mind of others some quality of your character. And simply being in your presence makes them glad or sad. It is our duty to make life delightful for others rather than depressing. And the great thing about this is that we can do it without spending a penny or exhausting ourselves through hard toil. A smile, a hug, or a kind word doesn’t cost anything, but it can amount to a lot.

Just as God’s plan for Abraham was to bless him and make him a blessing, we are blessed to bless. God wants to use you to help others. In this broken, sin blighted world of darkness, you can be a bright light to someone in despair. And there is a constant need for such a ministry. You need not travel the world in search of needy people, they are at your doorstep.–HDS

DON’T RE-WRITE THE BIBLE

July 28, 2017 By Pastor David Stone

“I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.“–Psalms 34:1

It is not hard to praise the Lord at some times.
There are days when all is bright.
There is no sickness in our house.
No recent sorrow has left our heart sad.
It is easy then, to praise the Lord.

But there are other times when things are different. Business is not prosperous–or health is broken.
We begin to say this verse–but we cannot get through it: “I will praise the Lord at . . . ”

We cannot bless the Lord for the broken health–or for the empty chair. Yet there the words stand. We cannot make them read: “I will praise the Lord at some times; His praise will be on my lips on certain days–days when the sun shines.”

It is not our business to re-write Bible verses–but it is our business rather to bring our lives up to the standard of the inspired words. So we must learn to say the verse just as it is written.

We must learn to bless the Lord on the dark days–as well as the bright days.
We must learn to praise God in pain–as well as in pleasure.

Have we learned this lesson? (J. R. Miller)

THE HAVES AND HAVE NOTS

July 27, 2017 By Pastor David Stone

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. “–John 3:36

We’ve all heard the phrase “The haves and have nots”. It is generally used in reference to those who have money or material things and those who don’t. But it can be used in a much more serous manner. The Bible divides all of humanity into two classes–those who have eternal life and those who don’t. There is no middle ground. It is life or death, heaven or hell. Now notice three things about these folks.

THE DIFFERENT CLASSES– “He that believeth… he that believeth not..”

Some have everlasting life. This speaks of spiritual life not physical life. None of us live forever physically. Christians die just the same as unbelievers. The difference is with the spirit, not the body. The natural man’s spirit is dead, separated from God. However, when a person receives Christ the Spirit of God comes to dwell in them. Their spirit is then quickened, made alive. He now has everlasting life because the eternal Spirit of God resides within.

Some shall not see life. And this is where the majority of people are. Although they might be religious, they are not redeemed. Instead of having life they are lost. They might not be bad people according to human standards, but we aren’t measured by man’s standards. It’s what we are in God’s sight that matters, and the Bible says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;“(Rom. 3:23). You can live without a lot of things, but you cannot go to heaven without being saved.

THE DETERMINING CONDITION— “..believeth on the Son..”

The determining factor is not health, wealth, religion, works, or sincerity. It is belief. That means more than simply acknowledging. You can acknowledge the fact that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on the cross and rose from the grave and still go to hell. The word “believeth” means to place confidence in, to trust, to rely upon. It is to accept what the Bible says about Christ and to trust Him to do what He promised. And true saving faith will manifest itself in a number of ways—such as obedience to God, good works, and love for others.

THE DREADFUL CALAMITY— “..the wrath of God abideth on him”.

Wrath is a trait that many never associate with God, but it is as much a fact as His love is. John the Baptist said, “flee from the wrath to come“(Matt. 3:7). The very worst thing that could happen to you is to die without having Christ as your Savior. You will suffer for all eternity as a result of it. Every rejection of Christ only aggravates the matter ( Rom. 2:5-6). Delay makes matters worse (Matt. 11:20-24). So, are you a have or a have not?Trust Christ right now and have life forever! –HDS

THE BOOMERANG OF SIN

RUNNING

SUNSHINE OR SHADOWS?

DON’T RE-WRITE THE BIBLE

THE HAVES AND HAVE NOTS

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