How foolish are we?

 by David Long

"For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water" (Jer. 2:13). Get the picture here: A man has a fresh spring on his property but instead of getting water from it, he digs a cistern that catches rain water and gets his water from it. How foolish would he be? That would be stupid. Why? Because cisterns break and leak. But also, cistern water can go bad. How foolish is a Christian who would forsake Christ, the church for money, pleasure, popularity, prestige or whatever?  

Claiming to be something you aren't

 by David Long

Claiming something you are doesn't mean you are what you claim. A man can claim to be a woman but he can never be a woman or the other way around, a woman can never be a man. A person may identify as a cat but they can never be a cat. A person can claim to be a Christian but if they haven't done those things to become a Christian then they can never be a Christian. There will those at Judgement Day who claim they did things in the name of Jesus but Jesus will say He never knew them. "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" (Matt. 7:21-23). 

On the offensive

 by David Long

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:3-5).

It's time for God's army to go on the offensive. "pulling down strongholds and casting down imaginations" is an army on the attack. Christians must be proactive in talking to people about Christ and asking questions to generate interest instead of waiting for someone to come to them. Jesus said, "Go" (Matt. 28:19; Mk. 16:15). That's an army on the offensive. 

Still true

 by David Long

Read Jeremiah 11:1-8. Three lessons we learn from these verses.

1.     God had not forgotten. It had been over 800 years since the covenant was given (Dt. 5) and God had not forgotten it. If we think that God will forget what He says, we think wrong. Does God still remember the covenant He made with the giving of the rainbow (Gen. 9:11-17)?

2.     Time did not make the covenant void. Over 800 years had passed since the giving of the covenant and it was still binding. God still expected them to keep it. Every generation was expected to keep it. It has been over 2000 years since Jesus established the N.T., is it still binding? Is 2 Tim. 3:16-17 still true? Am I still expected to obey all things that Jesus has commanded (Matt. 28:20)? 1 Peter 1:24-25, “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”

3.     Their rebellion did not change anything. We can do that which is right in our own eyes but that doesn’t change the word of God. John 12:48, “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”

The four areas of life

 by David Long

Developing in the four areas of live. "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man" (Lk. 2:52). Jesus increased in wisdom (intellectually or mentally), stature (physically), and in favor with God (spiritually) and with man (socially). These are four areas of our lives we grow in or should grow in. Some of them take more effort then others. We need to check ourselves to see how we are doing in these four areas. 

Appease the conscience

 by David Long

Appease the conscience. Escape reality. When the family pet dies we will tell the children that the pet goes to heaven (All dogs go to heaven). Why? Because we want to appease the conscience or escape reality. We do the same thing when our loved ones die. We want to think that they are in a better place but if they died lost, they are not in a better place (Lk. 16:19-31). We want to think they resting in peace but if they died lost, they are not resting in peace. Death is real and what happens after death is real (Being in comfort or suffering torment). The truth is if you die lost you will be where the rich man is. 

Trust in lying words

 by David Long

God through the prophet Jeremiah said to Israel, "Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit" (Jer. 7:8). How true today in our society. People trust in lying words when they believe that there are more then two genders. They trust in lying words when they believe a boy can become a girl or a girl can become a boy. They trust in lying words when they believe that evolution is a proven fact of science. They trust in lying words when they believe one can be saved by faith only. What's the result of believing a lie? "That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thess. 2:12). 

Absolute truth

 by David Long

One of the main problems today with people's thinking is that they believe that there is no absolute truth. They have allowed themselves to believe so many lies that their thinking is messed up. They are people of corrupt minds (1 Tim. 6:5; 2 Tim. 3:8). They believe that a boy can become a girl and a girl can become a boy. If that is true that 2+2=5. And you may believe that but you believe a lie. 

Love of the truth

 by David Long

"And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved" (2 Thess. 2:10). Notice why they perish, because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved. If we want to be saved we must love the truth more than anything else. But therein lies the problem for most people. They love their man-made doctrines and their traditions of men. 

Horse thief

 by David Long

You are still a horse thief as long as you have the horse. The Bible says Repent (Acts 17:30). 

Headed down the broad way

 by David Long

Ways most people live their lives:

1. Everybody does it.

2. Follow your heart.

3. Do what feels right.

4. Doing what's right in their own eyes.

5. Following after the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life.

All these ways lead to destruction (Matt. 7:13-14) and that's where most people are headed. 

Sinneth not

 by David Long

"Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him" (1 John 3:6).

"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God" (1 John 3:9).

Do these passages teach that a Christian cannot sin? No. They teach that a Christian does not continue to practice sin, that is, live a life of sin. Why? Because he continues to abide in Christ and the word of God continues to abide in him. 

The NASV translates it, "No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God" (1 John 3:9). 

When the fulness of time was come

 by David Long

"But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law" (Gal. 4:4).

It didn't happen by accident! 

Come as you are

 by David Long

All are invited to the church of Christ. We don't care who you are, what you have done or where you are from. All are welcome to the services of the church of Christ. You can come as you are but don't leave as you are. "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. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:9-11). 

Automatic forgiveness

 by David Long

Where does the Bible teach automatic forgiveness for anyone? It doesn't. God has always had conditions for forgiveness. One of the conditions that has always been true is repentance. God has always required man to repent. Name the person who was not required to repent of their sins? Even Christians who sin must repent (Acts 8:22). The Bible is clear, God commands all men everywhere now to repent (Acts 17:30). 

windshield wiper forgiveness

 by David Long

Is God's forgiveness of sins for a Christian like a windshield wiper? What do I mean by that? When a Christian commits sin does God just automatically wipe the sin away like a windshield wiper? No! 1 John 1:7 teaches that the Christian has continual cleansing with the blood of Christ "as they walk in the light." Walking in the light means when a Christian sins they repent of that sin (Acts. 8:22) and confess that sin (1 John 1:9). But someone will say, "What about the sin of ignorance?" When has ignorance ever been an excuse? "And if any one sin, and do any of the things which Jehovah hath commanded not to be done; though he knew it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity" (Lev. 5:17). 

I can't do perfect

 by David Long

I can't do perfect. By perfect I mean sinlessness. I messed that up years ago and sometimes still mess it up (Rom. 3:23; 1 John 1:8, 10). But I can do faithfulness. By faithfulness I mean striving to the best of my ability to obey all things that Jesus has commanded (Matt. 28:20) and when I mess up (sin) I repent of it, confess it and ask forgiveness (Act 8:22; 1 John 1:9). God doesn't demand sinlessness but He does demand faithfulness (Rev. 2:10; Matt. 25:23). 

It won't be by accident

 by David Long

Do you think a person can get to heaven by accident or luck or chance? Do you think there will be people in heaven who didn't expect to be there? No to both questions. Those who will be in heaven are those who desire it more than anything else in the world and their lives reflect that desire (Col. 3:1-2; Matt. 6:33). They will be in heaven because they are on the road that leads there (Matt. 7:13-14). They will be there because they put forth the effort to enter and walk the narrow road that leads there (Lk. 13:24).  They will hear the words "Well done thou good and faithful servant... enter in" (Matt. 25:23) because that's what their lives were all about. It won't be by accident, luck or chance.

What repentance looks like

 by David Long

What does repentance look like?

"The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here" (Luke 11:32).

"Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you." So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days' walk. Then Jonah began to go through the city one day's walk; and he cried out and said, "Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown." Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat on the ashes. And he issued a proclamation and it said, "In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. "But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. "Who knows, God may turn and relent, and withdraw His burning anger so that we shall not perish?" When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it" (Jonah 3)

A distinctive faith

 by David Long

The Christian faith is a distinctive faith. How? It is based on the word of God and only on the word of God (Rom. 10:17). 

It's not based on: opinions, assumptions, what a person thinks, man-made traditions, feelings, what seems right, what the majority believe, what my parents believe, what the "pastor"  "preacher" or "Catholic priest" may say. It's not based on any other book but the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16-17).