MORNING MANNA              11-21-24

STANDING ON THE SHORE

   As you stand on the shore of the ocean, looking out over the great expanse, you can’t tell where the sea ends and the sky begins. The view is breathtaking. It leaves you speechless. The surging of the mighty waves tells you that it is powerful. Just a glance tells you that it is mysterious. The sheer magnitude of it convinces you that there is far more than you can see with the natural eye.

   So it is with the love of God. As the song -writer said, it “is greater far than tongue or pen could ever tell”. His infinite love is beyond comprehension or description. His love is unconditional, everlasting, powerful, and transforming. It fills our mind with wonder and our heart with joy. It steadies our trembling hands as we grapple with the difficulties of life. It quickens our step as we walk the pathway of duty. It brightens our day when we are lonely and helps us along the way when we are weary.

   We compose sermons, songs, and poems about it, but when all is said and done we know the half has not been told. We know that we are merely standing on the shore and there is more, much more, that we cannot see. It is deeper, wider, longer, and more powerful than we can conceive. It, as Paul said, “passeth knowledge” ( Ephesians 3:19). But our lack of understanding doesn’t diminish from our enjoyment of God’s love, we marvel all the more. We benefit immensely although we are just standing on the shore! —HDS, 7-21-2007

David Stone  

Lakeway Baptist Church  

Humble,Tx.

MORNING MANNA            11-20-24

Can All Religions Be True?
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭6‬ ‭

A story is told about two men who lived in a small village and got into a terrible dispute that neither of them could resolve. So one night, the first man went to the town sage and told him his version of the story. When he was finished, the sage said, “You’re absolutely right.”

The next night, the second man went to the sage and told his side of the story. After he’d said his piece, the sage told him, “You’re absolutely right.”

When the second man left, the sage’s wife scolded her husband. “These two men told you different stories, and you told them both they were right. They can’t both be absolutely right!

”The sage turned to his wife and said, “You’re absolutely right.”

In this day and age, more and more people are choosing consensus over truth. Even many spiritual leaders today validate every system of belief as separate paths to God. But the reality is if two people say very opposite things about God, they can’t both be right!

Jesus is so different than any other spiritual leader. He didn’t come to show the way; He came to be the Way. Trust in Him alone.

Ask God to confirm in your heart that Jesus is the only way to the Father and thank Him for providing a way.- Senior Living

David Stone   

Lakeway Baptist Church   

Humble,TX

MORNING MANNA            11-19-24
DO YOU LOVE GOD?

Do you love God? Wait a minute–not so fast! I mean do you really love God? I don’t mean do you talk about it, or sing about it, or brag about it–do you do it? Next question–How do you know you love God? Because you say so? Because you “feel” it? Because you attend church, etc.? How do you know you love God? I’m not going to try to answer those questions for you, but I hope you will. I’m not looking for a confession to me and  I’m not making an accusation against you. I’m not even seeking an answer. I simply want you to think about this. 

Maybe another question will help. How important is this question? Jesus gave us the answer–“This is the first and great commandment.” (Matthew 22:38). So, if we fail here here we have failed altogether. This is the most basic fundamental duty of man. It doesn’t get anymore important than this. This is the cure for the ills of society. When a person truly loves God it changes him and it shows. It impacts all of our relationships. Nothing else compares to the importance of loving God and nothing can compensate for a lack of it. You can be the most religious person on earth, but it’s all in vain if you don’t love God. You can heap up treasures until you have no more room to store your possessions, be listed in “Who’s Who?”, travel around the world seeing all the wonders, have your name up in lights, be admired by millions, and still not be a success. If you don’t love God your life can be described in one word chiseled on your tombstone-“FAILURE”. That tells it all. If you fail to love God you are a failure. It might be that none of this matters to you, you don’t feel the least bit interested in loving God. You aren’t concerned about what He thinks, but all that will change someday. Each of us are accountable to God. None of us can escape our responsibility to love Him.

What you do is your choice, but when you refuse to obey the first and great commandment you are making the worst decision of your life. You need to think about that.  HDS

David Stone 

Lakeway Baptist Church   

Humble, TX

MORNING MANNA          11-18-24

Blogger Tim Challies wrote: Some of my favorite poems are those that pick up on one particularly important line and then repeat it throughout, thus consistently building upon a theme. This is the case with an old poem titled “When I Get to the End of the Way.” The poet looks forward to the end of her journey through life–to the end of her way. In one collection I’ve seen it attributed to H. Cole, in another to simply B. P. C., and in another Margaret Baker Culp. Either way, I hope you find it encouraging.

My life is a wearisome journey,
I’m sick with the dust and the heat,
The rays of the sun beat upon me,
The briars are wounding my feet.
But the city to which I am journeying,
Will more than my trials repay,
All the toils of the road will seem nothing,
When I get to the end of the way.

There are so many hills to climb upward,
I often am longing for rest,
But He who appoints me my pathway,
Knows just what is needful and best.
I know in his word he has promised,
That my strength shall be as my day,
And the toils of the road will seem nothing,
When I get to the end of the way.

He loves me too well to forsake me,
Or give me one trial too much,
All his people have been dearly purchased,
And Satan can never claim such.
By and by I shall see him and praise him,
In the city of unending day,
And the toils of the road will seem nothing,
When I get to the end of the way.

When the last feeble step has been taken,
And the gates of the city appear,
When the beautiful songs of the angels,
Float out on my listening ear.
When all that now seems so mysterious,
Shall be plain and as clear as the day,
Then the toils of the road will seem nothing,
As I get to the end of the way.

Though now I am footsore and weary,
I shall rest when I’m safely at home,
I know I’ll receive a glad welcome,
For the Savior himself has said Come.
So when I am weary in body,
And sinking in spirit I say,
All the toils of the road will seem nothing,
When I get to the end of the way.

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

MORNING MANNA             11-17-24

WE CAN’T EVEN IMAGINE

Nearly every Christian thinks about the song “Amazing Grace” when they hear the name of John Newton. However they have never read his “Letters” or articles. They have been a blessing to me and the following is an example. I hope it helps.- HDS

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, Neither have entered into the heart of man, The things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”‭‭1 Cor.‭2‬:‭9‬ ‭

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