MORNING MANNA       2-21-22

REVIVAL
“Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?” Psa. 85:6

MORNING MANNA            2-19-22

MOVED WITH COMPASSION

“But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.”- Matthew 9:36-38

Having godly compassion means seeing the needs of people before seeing the differences in people.

Alexander Maclaren, Baptist minister in Scotland in the late 1800s, once said, “Kindness makes a person attractive. If you would win the world, melt it, do not hammer it.” Maclaren makes the point that kindness and compassion has more of an influence on others than harsh treatment. 

One of the greatest examples we have of compassion is seen in Christ. His compassion took Him from Heaven’s perfect habitation to earth’s sinful state. It drew Him to a people whom He loved but who hated Him, and it led Him to a death on an old rugged Cross. Compassion was the driving factor behind Jesus’ earthly ministry, and the story in our verses today illustrates this truth. 

“But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” Christ saw the people before Him, not as followers or promoters of his popularity, but as lost souls, needing His help. 

Imagine being in Christ’s spot. Multitudes of people stood before Him, and, whether they knew it or not, they needed His healing, physically and spiritually. They had been lost in a tradition of religious knowledge and worship that He had come to end. Everyone in Israel needed His salvation.

Jesus was moved with compassion by seeing the needs of the people. Jesus’ compassion wasn’t simply a heartfelt emotion; He acted upon His compassion. He commanded the disciples, “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.”

How do you view the people around you? Do you see them as friends, neighbors, perhaps people with problems? Or do you, like the Lord, see them as people needing help? Having godly compassion means seeing the needs of people before seeing the differences in people.

Some people are called to be missionaries and spread God’s Word, but we all are instructed to pray for the lost souls of others. No one person can reach the entire world, but as God’s people pray for His work to be done and are faithful in the work God has called them to do, God’s message will be spread.

It’s sometimes overwhelming to think of the millions of people you cannot reach with God’s Word. Sometimes you might even want to drop everything and travel the world, telling others of Christ! While that is a worthy aspiration, He has called you to be faithful where you are and continue reaching out to those around you.

How far is your spiritual reach? Do you reach out to people around you through witnessing, to missionaries through praying, and to other countries through giving? God desires that you would have compassion on the lost of this world, and that compassion would move you enough to seek God’s help in reaching them. Take time today to pray for God’s work to be prosperous in other countries, and continue reaching out in your own mission field where you live. You can make a difference as you are faithful where you are right now.- Paul Chappell

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church

Humble, Tx.

MORNING MANNA          2-18-22

SERVING OTHERS

“Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad”– Genesis 40:6

Have you ever noticed how unlikely it was that Joseph would notice the sadness of his cellmates? He had plenty of problems himself, without taking on anyone else’s. His brothers had sold him into slavery and then his boss had fired and imprisoned him on false charges. Yet, Joseph noticed and cared about others.

The surest way out of a personal pit of discouragement is to think of and serve others. The surest way to deepen your dark times is to draw into, and think more about, yourself. Joseph is perhaps the best example in the Old Testament of a selfless, servant-spirited saint and it is no coincidence that, in every situation in which he found himself, he continually rose above his trial and glorified God.

Are you going through difficult times? Have others wronged you? What has been your response? Do you think of others and how to help them, or only about yourself and your own problems? Look around you: there is a world of opportunities to help, and they are all open doors that lead out of your darkness. (Baptist Bible Hour}

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

MORNING MANNA                  2-17-22
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES
“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have  eternal life: and theyare they which testify  of me”.–John 5:39

Of all the advice ever given by Jesus, or anyone else, it doesn’t get any better than this. Searching the Scriptures is the wisest thing you can do. This is exactly what the Bereans did—“they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily”(Acts 17:11). We should do the same! There we find the answers to life’s most important questions, promises the are exceeding great and precious, instructions that are flawless, and comfort that is sufficient.

We keep debating issues and wrestling with problems that could have been settled long ago had we simply searched the Scriptures and let God’s Word determine the conclusion. Sadly, instead of doing that, many–
–skip the Scriptures, as though they have more important things to do.
–skim the Scriptures, as though some parts aren’t important.
–slight the Scriptures as though they are of no value.
–substitute the Scriptures, as though something else is better.
–scorn the Scriptures, as though they aren’t worthy of consideration.
–select portions and ignore the rest, as though it was cafeteria style.
–suppress the Scriptures, rather than submit to them.

But, Christ tells us to “Search the Scriptures”. The word “search” signifies a close, careful, curious search. We should search as a miner digs for gold, as a hunter searches for game, etc. We ought to search the Scriptures as though our very lives depended on it. The reasons for such a search are numerous. The responsibility to search is clear. The results of such a search are glorious. In the Scriptures we find a treasure, due to its theme, which is Christ; theology, describing the glorious attributes of God; truth, without any admixture of error; topics, dealing with everything of practical value; transforming power, as it provides, protects and prepares us; and timelessness, as it is relevant to all generations.Don’t let another day pass without spending quality time in the Bible. Search its wonders. Seek its wisdom. Store its words. Submit to its will. Share it with the world. — HDS, 9/4/14

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

MORNING MANNA.          2-16-22

THE TRAGEDY OF UNASKED PRAYER

“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” James 4:1-3

D. L. Moody was one of the giants of evangelism. In the age before modern travel and media, he was well-known and traveled across much of the world and preached the gospel to millions of people. He saw God work in great and mighty ways. Needs were miraculously provided and many thousands were saved. Yet later in his life Moody said, “Next to the wonder of seeing my Saviour will be, I think, the wonder that I made so little use of the power of prayer.”

The reality is that a prayer we do not pray will never be answered. There are times when God closes doors or changes our hearts and we do not receive what we originally requested. But those are not tragedies. The tragedy is when we are willing to fight and claw and scratch and do almost anything to get what we want—except pray. The Lord has graciously offered us the privilege of coming into His presence and making our requests directly to him, yet often we simply don’t pray.

So many of God’s children are struggling because of a lack of things that God promises to provide if we pray. Often people struggle with making decisions, despite the fact that God has promised wisdom. Often people go without necessities because they do not faithfully pray for daily bread. The lack that we endure because of our failure to pray not only damages our lives but it also undermines our ability to serve God as effectively as we should. May it never be true that we fail to receive what God has for us simply because we did not ask.- copied

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church

Humble, Tx.