by David Long
"These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren" (Prov. 6:16-19). The word "abomination" means "something disgusting; a foul thing; a detestable thing."
by David Long
"Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead" (Acts 17:31). Judgment Day is an appointed day. We don't know when but it's coming. God will judge the world in righteousness, which means the standard of judgment will be His word (John 12:48) and judgment will be done by that man whom He has ordained, Jesus Christ.
by David Long
There is a God in heaven. He is the Creator and sustainer and all people will answer to Him. "Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead" (Acts 17:24-31). We better change our ways while we can (2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Thess. 1:7-9). Judgment Day's coming!
by David Long
"Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:42-43). What is the praise of God? It's obeying God and having his approval (Matt. 25:21). In the case of the chief rulers it was not only believing on Jesus but confessing Jesus which meant they would have to follow Him but that would mean being rejected by their peers. Which do you want: the praise of men or the praise of God? If you want the praise of God then you gonna have to obey Jesus (Heb. 5:8-9). Remember this: the praise of men won't get you to heaven.
by David Long
"But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship (serve) I the God of my fathers..." (Acts 24:14). Paul here said that he worshipped or served God after the way the Jews called "heresy or sect." What was that way? Was it the Jewish way? No. Why? Because the Jews would not call their way "heresy." Was it the Gentile way? No. Because Paul condemned the Gentile way (Acts 17:22-25). That leaves only one way left, the Christian way, the church of Christ. What way is right with God? It was the way Paul worshipped and served God. All other ways are false.
by David Long
"See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise" (Eph. 5:15). The word "circumspectly" means "exactly, accurately, pertaining to strict conformity to a standard, involving both detail and completeness." The command is like the one given by God to Joshua. "Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left..." (Josh. 1:7). Christians are to give constant care to walk within the framework of God's word. anything less and we walk as fools.
by David Long
"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood" (Rev. 1:5). Notice what the last part of that verse says, "washed us from our sins in his own blood." Forgiveness of sins comes by being washed in Jesus's blood. "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:9-11). Notice the Corinthians had been washed. When does the blood of Jesus wash away our sins? Notice what Saul was told in Acts 22:16, "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord."
by David Long
The Bible says of some, "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Tim. 3:7). Today there are still people like that. There are people who study the Bible but never come to the knowledge of the truth. Why? Because they aren't studying to show themselves approved unto God (2 Tim. 2:15). They don't rightly divide the word of God (2 Tim. 2:15). They don't study like the Bereaians (Acts 17:11). They are not examining themselves to see if they are in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5). They don't test what they believe to see if it's the truth or not. They don't put teachers to the test (1 John 4:1). They aren't studying to make the necessary changes in their lives to be right with God (James 1:22-25). But if you ask them, "Do you study the Bible?" They will say, "Yes, I study the Bible every day."
by David Long
God is a rewarder of diligence (Heb. 11:6).
God is a rewarder of faithfulness (Heb. 10:35).
God is a rewarder of service (Col. 3:24).
God is a rewarder of proper action (Lk. 6:35).
Don't lose your reward (2 John 8).
by David Long
What did the cross mean to Jesus? It meant His death. "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Phil. 2:8).
What did the cross mean to the devil? It meant his defeat. "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Heb. 2:14).
What does the cross mean to us? It means our deliverance. "And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Heb. 2:15).
by David Long
In Acts 9 we have the the conversion of Saul who became the apostle Paul. As Saul he was a very bad man (1 Tim. 1:13). But he was saved when he obeyed the gospel (Acts 22:16). In Acts 10 we have the conversion of Cornelius, a very good man. He was devout, just, feared God, helped the poor and prayed always. But he was just as lost as Saul until he obeyed the gospel (Acts 10:47-48). Both the bad and good man were saved in the same way. They both had to be immersed in water for the remission of sins. What's the point for us. Good or bad, rich or poor, male or female, bond or free, red or white, God has one plan of salvation for all and it's called obeying the gospel and no matter how religious a person is, how good they are or how much good report they have in the community, until they obey the gospel, they are lost.
by David Long
"So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple" (Lk. 14:33). The word "forsaketh" means "literally, to say adieu (by departing or dismissing); figuratively, to renounce." Is heaven better than anything we have here? Someone said, "the main measure of whether we have a proper attitude toward temporal joys is how ready we are to let go of them and I don't mean someday, I mean today, if the need should arise." We must hold loosely all that is not eternal.
by David Long
Was Saul (Paul) saved on the road to Damascus (Acts 9)? No, he was saved in Damascus. "And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do" (Acts 9:6). After fasting and praying for three days in Damascus (Acts 9:8-11) Ananias came and told him, "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16).
by David Long
“And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him” (Acts 21:8). Most read over this and miss how this was possible: Paul staying in Philip’s house. Philip was one of seven in Acts 6. Stephen who was also one of the seven had been killed by Paul (when he was Saul) in Acts 7. Philip and Stephen were coworkers in helping the Grecian widows. Philip had been run out of Jerusalem by Paul who was persecuting Christians. If any one had reason to distrust and even hate Paul, it had to be Philip. But now look at these two men. No hate in their hearts. Now you have Philip helping the man who at one time hated him and Paul staying in the house of the man he once would have killed. Now they both would lay down their lives for each other. What overcomes hate? Politics won’t do it. Self-help books won’t do it. The man-made religions won’t do it. Then what does it? “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Eph. 2:13-18).
by David Long
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it" (Matt. 7:21-23). Here were some people that got a surprise on Judgement Day. They thought that they were going to heaven but they found out they weren't. Better study the Bible and make sure you are doing God's will.
by David Long
"Be Ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children" (Eph. 5:1). If you are a Christian you are to imitate God. God expects a certain kind of behavior from you, so much so that your salvation depends on it. You are the object of God's love, God should be the object of your love. How are you acting like God today? Do you even know how He wants you to behave? If we are going to be imitators of God then we must study the Bible (2 Tim. 2:15).
by David Long
"For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come" (1 Cor. 11:23-26; cf. Lk. 22:19-20). There's the command "Do this in remembrance of me." That's not an option, it's a command from Jesus. When do we do it? When did the first century Christians do it? They obeyed that command on Sundays "the first day of the week" (Acts 20:7). We follow that pattern. What other day is authorized?
