Not passed this way before

 by David Long

"And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore" (Joshua 3:3-4). Here in these passages Joshua is giving instructions as they were about to cross the Jordan river into the Promised Land.  Notice he said about the way they were going, "you have not passed this way before." They needed guidance. They needed to follow God's instructions. We are about to enter a New Year (2021). We have not passed this way before. Let's make it a good one by following God's word. 

The fourth day of creation

 by David Long

"The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands" (Psa. 19:1). The beauty and vastness of the cosmos declares God's glory. Mercury is 48 million miles from earth. Venus is 26 million miles from earth. Mars is 140 million miles from earth. Jupiter is 444 million miles from earth. Saturn is 793.8 million miles from earth. Uranus is 1.6 billion miles from earth. Neptune is 2.7 billion miles from earth. Pluto is 3.1 billion miles from earth. The closest star to earth (not counting the Sun) is Alpha Centauri (a triple star system) and it is 25.6 trillion miles from earth. All this is our solar system within our Milky Way galaxy which is hundred of thousands of light years across. The observable universe is 93 billion light years across. Pretty amazing. What does all this mean to us? Read Psa. 19; Psa. 8; Psa. 33:8-9; Rom. 1:20. 

Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God

 by David Long

"For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off" (Rom. 11:21-22). Here is a warning. If a person does not continue in the goodness of God then they will feel the severity of God. Here is also a promise. If a person does continue in the goodness of God then God's goodness will be toward them. Dear reader, which do you want: God's goodness or God's severity? 

The greatest story ever told

 by David Long

"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory" (1 Tim. 3:16). Here in this passage is in a nutshell the greatest story ever told. God became flesh (John 1:1-3, 14), showed us how to live and died for us on the cross and was received up into glory (Acts 1:9-11). Now if we want to go to heaven we must obey the One who became flesh (Heb. 5:8-9). 

fig leaves or coats of skin?

by David Long

Before sin entered the world nakedness was acceptable (Gen. 2:25). After sin entered the world nakedness was and is unacceptable. "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons" (Gen. 3:6-7). Adam and Eve tried to cover their nakedness but their coverings did not cover enough. "Aprons" refers to "a waist or hip covering." God made them coats of skin (Gen. 3:21). "Coats" refers to a long tunic (from the shoulders to the knees). God set the standard for covering.  

Saved

 by David Long

There are those in the religious world who say that Paul was saved on the road to Damascus. If Paul was saved on the road to Damascus Jesus didn't know it because He told him to go to Damascus and there he would be told what to do to be saved (Acts 9:6; 22:10). If Paul was saved on the road to Damascus he didn't know it because he was three days in fasting and prayer waiting to be told what he must do (Acts 9:8-11). If Paul was saved on the road to Damascus Ananias didn't know it because he 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). 

Liar

 by David Long

"If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth" (1 John 1:6).

"He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:4).

"Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son" (1 John 2:22).

"If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" (1 John 4:20).

Jesus is life

by David Long

Jesus is the Word of life (1 John 1:1).

Jesus is the Bread of life (John 6:48).

Jesus is the Light of life (John 8:12).

Jesus is the Life (John 14:6).

Jesus is eternal life (1 John 1:3).

Jesus came that we may life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10).  

Modest apparel

 by David Long

"In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works" (1 Tim. 2:9-10). God set the standard for dress in Gen. 3:21, "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them." Both men and women need to dress properly, decently and appropriately. 

Overcoming hate

 by David Long

Read Acts 21:8. Most read over that verse and miss how such could happen (Paul staying in Phillip's house). Phillip was one of the seven chosen to help with the Grecian widows. Stephen was also one of the seven but Paul (then Saul) had killed him. Phillip had been run out of Jerusalem by Paul who was persecuting Christians. If any one had a reason to distrust Paul, it would have been Phillip. But now look at those two men. In Acts 21:8 you have Phillip 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. How does that happen? Politics won't do it. No political party will do it. Man-made religions won't do it. Only the gospel of Christ does it!  

Joy may be full

 by David Long

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full" (1 John 1:1-4). Why was those things written? "that your joy may be full." I want my joy to be full and the things written about Jesus here in theses verses accomplish that. Is your joy full? 

Not inherit the kingdom of God

 by David Long

Some things that will cause one to not inherit the kingdom of God.

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal. 5:19-21).

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 6:9-10).

Love the sinner but hate the sin

 by David Long

God loves everyone (John 3:16). But God hates sin (Heb. 1:9; Rev. 2:6; Prov. 6:16-19). Those who fear God and follow His word will love everyone but hate sin (Prov. 8:13; Psa. 119:104). The world's hate for something is to commit physical violence against the person they hate but that's not the way of a Christian. Christians hate sin because we know what it does to the soul. Christians want sinners to repent of their sins because if people don't repent they will perish (Lk. 13:3, 5). 

Lost in space

 by David Long

"O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens...When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" (Psa. 8:1, 3-4).

Compared to how big the universe is and the size of things in the universe, man is but a tiny grain of sand in the ocean of space and yet we are the object of God's love. You would think that something so small would be lost in such a vast place but no, God is mindful of us. 

Fraud

 by David Long

We are hearing a lot about fraud these days. What is fraud? It is deceit or deception intended to result in financial or personal gain. Fraud is a sin. Paul told Elymas the sorcerer, "O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord" (Acts 13:10). Can't be right with God and commit fraud. 

Gambling

 by David Long

Anything wrong with gambling? Gambling is wrong because it's covetous or greed. Gambling is not wrong because it is taking a risk of chance but because of the strong covetous desire to take another's property without giving him a fair exchange for that property and just because people enter into a gambling agreement does not keep it from being motivated by greed. God's word says covetousness is idolatry (Col. 3:5). 

Afraid of dying

 by David Long

Are you afraid of dying? Most people are. But Christians aren't. Why? Because Jesus has delivered us from the fear of death. "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; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Heb. 2:14-15). Live fear free (2 Tim. 4:6-8).