A PREPARED PLACE FOR PREPARED PEOPLE

“But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭16‬ ‭

“Here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come!” Heb.13:14

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city!” Rev.22:14

God has prepared a city for His redeemed people. Towards that city we are ever journeying. And as we are but sojourners, as our citizenship is in Heaven—let us manifest the pilgrim spirit. While we thankfully use and enjoy the accommodations along the way, let it plainly appear that we do not regard this transient world as our home—but that our affections are set supremely on things which are above. Let it be manifest that we act from higher principles than those which govern the men of this poor world. May our companions, our pleasures, and our spirit plainly show that we are not of the earth—but that we are citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem.

As sojourners, let us patiently endure the trials of the way. If we are faithful witnesses for the Lord—we must expect the world’s scorn. But like Moses, may we esteem reproach for Christ as greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. And when we find the path thorny, and the journey toilsome—let us remember that it is short, and that,

“Nightly we pitch our moving tent
 A day’s march nearer home!”

“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims—abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul!” 1 Pet.2:11

Author Unknown

David Stone  
Lakeway Baptist Church  
Humble, Tx

MORNING MANNA               9-30-24
HE’S COMING BACK
“—“I will come again—“John 14:3Having mentioned this in my sermon yesterday morning, I figure a reminder might be helpful.

Remember all the sermons and songs we used to hear about the second coming of Christ? Every revival meeting had at least one night devoted to the subject and some radio ministries were dedicated entirely to the subject, but not anymore. What happened? Why don’t we hear them anymore? There is a strange silence in our land today regarding the return of Jesus. It seems that the scoffers have silenced the saints–or is it sin that has sealed our lips? Whatever the reason, we don’t seem to think much of or about the Lord. The silence is deafening–loud and clear.

Although the Bible declares that this is our “Blessed hope”(Titus 2:13) and means whereby “we comfort one another”(1 Thess. 4:18), from the pulpit to the pew this truth is seldom mentioned. Were it not for a few fleeting references to it at funerals we would never know such a glorious truth existed. Even those acquainted with it don’t seem to anticipate it—at least not in their lifetime. The last prayer of the Bible is, “Even so come Lord Jesus”(Rev. 22:20). So why have we stopped talking about it?

If we lived in the light of this glorious truth it would totally transform us. His return will result in the resurrection, reunion, relief, and rewards for the redeemed. If we hope to overcome to frustrations and fear of perilous times we must focus on that. Jesus said, “–the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not”(Luke 12:40). Could this be that hour? Jesus is coming, are you going? HDS, 4-28-13
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

MORNING MANNA          9-28-24

No Miracles

“And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass that they escaped all safe to land” (Acts 27:44).

The marvelous story of Paul’s voyage to Rome, with its trials and triumphs, is a fine pattern of the lights and shades of the way of faith all through the story of human life. The remarkable feature of it is the hard and narrow places which we find intermingled with God’s most extraordinary interpositions and providences.

It is the common idea that the pathway of faith is strewn with flowers, and that when God interposes in the life of His people, He does it on a scale so grand that He lifts us quite out of the plane of difficulties. The actual fact, however, is that the real experience is quite contrary. The story of the Bible is one of alternate trial and triumph in the case of everyone of the cloud of witnesses from Abel down to the latest martyr.

Paul, more than anyone else, was an example of how much a child of God can suffer without being crushed or broken in spirit. On account of his testifying in Damascus, he was hunted down by persecutors and obliged to fly for his life. but we behold no heavenly chariot transporting the holy apostle amid thunderbolts of flame from the reach of his foes, but “through a window in a basket,” was he let down over the walls of Damascus and so escaped their hands. In an old clothes basket, like a bundle of laundry, or groceries, the servant of Jesus Christ was dropped from the window and ignominiously fled from the hate of his foes. 

Again we find him left for months in the lonely dungeons; we find him telling of his watchings, his fastings, and his desertion by friends, of his brutal and shameful beatings, and here even after God has promised to deliver him, we see him for days left to toss upon a stormy sea, obliged to stand guard over the treacherous seaman, and at last when the deliverance comes, there is no heavenly galley sailing from the skies to take off the noble prisoner; there is no angel form walking along the waters and stilling the raging breakers; there is no supernatural sign of the transcendent miracle that is being wrought; but one is compelled to seize a spar, another a floating plank, another to climb on a fragment of the wreck, another to strike out and swim for his life.

Here is God’s pattern for our own lives. Here is a Gospel of help for people that have to live in this every day world with real and ordinary surroundings, and a thousand practical conditions which have to be met in a thoroughly practical way. 

God’s promises and God’s providences do not lift us out of the plane of common sense and commonplace trial, but it is through these very things that faith is perfected, and that God loves to interweave the golden threads of His love along the warp and woof of our every day experience.- Morning Manna, 2-22-11
Copied from “Hard Places in the Way of Faith”, author unknown.