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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. Here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the Internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made through the Bible-lined website at calvaryoftampa.org. We pray that you’ll enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s concluding message of this teaching will be a blessing to you and your family.

Remember a guy named Hezekiah? God was going to take his life. us prepare to meet my God. And Hezekiah said, no, wait, wait, not so fast. Lord, if I’m dead, I can’t do anything for you. I can’t praise you from the grave. I mean, let me live. Let me live. I don’t want to die. And evidently he had some boils and he was going to die. So God gave him 15 years. So did that prayer change God? Did he change God’s mind?

It would appear God changed his mind. If he changed his mind, why? Because he prayed and changed God. I guess interesting. Remember this, when he comes to what the word of God says, because God says, I changed not. I’m the same yesterday, today, and forever. And whatever we do, we base it upon the immutability of God. Impossible to change. God is not a man. God is God. So are we little peons down here able to get God to change his mind about stuff?

Remember this, circumstances change. You change. God doesn’t change. Prayer is getting you in the right place where God can do for you what he always wanted to do for you. God has always wanted to bless Israel and he’s always wanted them to be a light to the world that hasn’t changed. God doesn’t change. And so there’s circumstances with people where we either obey and if we do, God is bound by His Word to keep His covenant that he has to do certain.

And if we disobey as the nation of Israel did, then God was bound by his word that he had to chasten Israel. See, God didn’t change. What happened was the people changed. Circumstances change. Now, in your life and in my life, it is you you and I that are growing. You and I are the one that are learning things by which we correct decisions. God doesn’t have to correct anything. He doesn’t have to repent, change his mind. The Bible talks about when he repented, he grieved, they called it what man was doing.

The Bible tells us in the book of Zachariah in chapter 8 that God says, I fought to do this unto you, but when you correct the problem, I didn’t do the evil that I was going to do. You said, well, then God changed his mind. God was only being consistent with his character because of their change. He didn’t have to do this. that they hadn’t corrected the problem, God would have done this. That’s why when you read even in the book of Romans in chapter 9 about the choosing of vessels of wrath and vessels of mercy.

Can God the potter form or shape the vessel the way God wants? Of course he can. is it God free to use a vessel of rebellion to demonstrate his wrath and a vessel that obeys God and yields to God.God can use them to show his blessings upon. When I understood this years ago, I knew that if I served God, I have got God bound by his word, he must Bless me. His choice was made before I was ever born.

But I know if this book is true and if I obey his word and walk in his way, do his will, God is bound by his word. He can’t choose not to bless me. He must bless me. Remember a guy named Jacob who wrestled with the Lord all night long because he wanted one thing. He wanted God to bless him. He said, you mean God wasn’t a blessing? No, it was Jacob getting right where God could. Did you know it’s kind of like this?

Whenever you get right and God will move in your life and block you here and block you there and lead you and He’s trying to get you one place, right? If He can just get you right here, then He is going to unload His blessings upon you. And if not, and you’re rebellion, then you don’t get it. not that God changed. It’s that God got you in me where he wants us. And if you will do what’s right, God must hear your prayer and God must answer your prayer.

And when you understand that, that will give you more power in your prayer and not until. That’s why he says down here something very important. Look there in the book of Malachi in chapter three, even from the days of your fathers, you are gone astray from mine ordinances and have not kept them. See, the purpose of this whole thing of the whole letter is for them to return unto me. Why? Because God still loves them. Why? Because God still wants to bless Yes.

Return in me and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of his returning, is based upon whose returning? There’s. If you will do what God says to do, then God is obligated and he can’t make up his mind and he’s already made up his mind. Well, he’s already wrote it in his word. God cannot lie. He’s the same yesterday, today and forever. And get what else he says here. Return into me and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.

you say, we’re in shall we return? Will a man rob God yet you have robbed me?” But you say, we’re in have we robbed thee in tithes and offerings. You see, their tithes and their offerings were supposed to be given to the tribe of Levi. And then tribe of Levi would have what they needed to live off of. All right? When the priests became evil and didn’t do what they wanted or should have, Then God says, you have wearied me.

He said, they were sick of God. They didn’t want anything to do with really God Himself. They had the rituals down. They were doing the things, but their heart was far from them. When Christ came, He said the same things to them. And He says, because you have despised me, I’m going to have the people will despise you. So here’s God, here’s the priest, and here’s the people. He said, because you despise me, I’ll have the people despise you.

And so the people lost respect for their leaders, and they refused to bring them what they were supposed to have. So that means that now in order for them to live, they began to take bribes and all kinds of things. And when Christ came, He told them about this and confronted them with it because they were supposed to be taken care of their parents and they weren’t taken care of their parents. And they were given money to the temple and they were taken bribes and all that wickedness.

But look what He says. In verse 9 He says, you are cursed with a what? a curse for you have robbed me even this whole nation. So what was happening to them is a result of what they were doing. God didn’t change. So God had already laid it down in the book of Deuteronomy saying that I lay before you life and death. And if you will do what I say do, it will be life, blessings. But if you don’t, then I’m going to take it all the way from you.

You obey me, you’re in the land. You disobey I’m taking you out of the land. See, the principles of God doesn’t change. And in your own personal life, if you will understand, I know if I rebel against God, which will be my choice, God won’t make me do it. But if I rebel against the Lord, and I go my own way, do whatever I want to do with my life, my life, I can fight for all I want to.

Then I know that my heavenly Father, based upon his word, is gonna beat the Torah out of me or take me home before my time. Is that the book? That’s the book. And I know that I believe that. So I decided I’m going to serve the Lord. So for 50 years, that’s what I’ve been doing. And I think I just going to keep on doing that. I kind of like the benefits. I like the retirement plan. So you got a retirement plan, yeah, boy.

You say, I want to see your portfolio. Portfolio. Ha ha ha ha. I just lay up treasure in heaven. That’s where you’re going to have it. Anyway, look what he says in verse 9. You’re cursed with the curse for you have robbed me even this whole nation. Now get verse 10. He says, bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse. And the reason for that was because that’s what God told the other tribes to do so that the other tribe, the Levite, would have food to eat.

But when they didn’t take care of their needs, everything falls apart. And so God says, why don’t you try me? Try me. Prove me wrong. So that’s why He says they’re in verse 10, bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in minehouse. In other words, God says, you put me first. Take care of what God says first. And then all these other things, God says, will be added unto you. There’s principles laid down in here.

Now some people they cringe at the word tide because it means a tent. Whatever it was, a tent goes to the Lord. And that was under the Jewish law. No doubt about it. But Abraham paid ties to Melchizedek. This was before the law. 430 years before the law was ever given. So, Titan was before the law. Titan was under the law. And after that, it doesn’t say that Titan has been done away with because it’s a principle in giving.

I don’t worry about whether or not do you give a tent, do you give a tent, do you give a tent? I think it’s a minimum. If they gave that much under the law, I think I ought to do more in the grace. But it’s a good system on learning how to give, how to determine. And I believe that if I put God first in my giving of my funds or my money to the Lord’s work, I believe that it’s up now to God to see how He wants to bless my life.

I have removed an obstacle that says, God’s it. Like I can’t because youDeliveryDate didn’t do this. I would rather go ahead and do it because I don’t want there to be any reason that God can use not to bless me. I want every blessing in this life I can get. And when I get to heaven, I don’t even know what a reward is going to be. But if God’s giving them, I’m wanting them. Whatever it is. He’s got for places of ruling in the kingdom with us.

I don’t care if I don’t get anything now, but when I get there, I’ll probably wish I had him. And God says that we are reward motivated people. Everybody wants something. I didn’t ask to be made this way. God made us this way. And God’s the one that tells us about this beautiful place called heaven so that we would desire to go there. He’s the one that told us about hell so that we wouldn’t want to go there. So in life we get a little bit of heaven and we get a little hell on earth so that you could have joy and you can experience pain so that you can make a wise choice on what you want forever.

Don’t it make sense God is so smart. How do you figure out all of this? And so he says there in verse 10, bring you all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in my house and prove get that. prove me now. Not 20 years from now, I don’t even prove me now. In other words, things can change. And God’s tell them, look, it can change. Not because God changes, but you need to change. You know whenever I have people come to church, I can’t make people come.

I probably make them go, but I can’t make them come. But whenever you come to church, you know why I teach in the Bible? Because I expect the Word of God to change you. And if it doesn’t change you, I will lose confidence in the book. But I shouldn’t. But I do. I think, have I labored in vain? I expect people to grow. And to grow it means something changed. There is a before and there is an after. But with God, see, there’s no before, there’s no after God, is the eternal I am.

He’s the same yesterday, today, forever. Nothing changes with God. But He has used time to let us learn some things about an infinite God that never changes. gives his word, he cannot lie. Has principles that he’s laid down in the Word of God? And if you could find what are all the rules? You know, I thought about that years ago, I want to go through the Bible and find the rules by which God plays by it. I think you’ll make a fantastic book.

What will God do and what will God not do and why? I’ll read it. Because God is such a good God, but I don’t believe people really understand God. And like I said before, is God somebody that you want to use? Or are you someone that God will use? And it depends upon what you do. So he says here, and prove me now, here with saith the Lord of hosts, get this, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, it means the rain is going to come.

And when the rain comes, the crops are going to be watered, and the fruit’s going to come, and the cows, and all the sheep and so forth, they’re going to multiply. And he says, in verse 11, God says, I will rebuke the devour for your sakes, and ye shall not destroy the fruits of your ground. Neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of Hope. In other words, you put me first, try me.

Now that to me is like God’s challenging people. Now, you know, there’s a verse in the Bible in the book of Romans in chapter 15 that says, Old Testament Scriptures were written a four time for our learning that we might understand God, that we may know why God does what He does, to understand the ways of God. So God says there is a way that seems right unto a man, but do you know the ways of God? Why God does what He does?

find out what God says and that He cannot life. And as God looks upon the people of the earth, He’s looking for one ingredient in every individual. He’s looking for one thing, faith. He’s looking for faith. Someone that believes in. Some day, somewhere, somehow, and sometime, some young kid is going to Pick up this book and read it and believe it. And God’s going to raise them up and can shake the world. God’s just looking for an individual that he can make himself strong on his behalf.

So who might that be? Do you ever sit there and think, I want to be that individual? If you can’t shake the world, wouldn’t you like to shake the man that shakes the world? To God to use you we limit ourselves by our own limited thinking So God says I Will rebuke the devour for your sake and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground Do you realize that you can work and God because you’re not right with him God can devour your money The Bible talks about, I think it’s in the book of Haggi-Aron, and he says, you put money into bags that has holes in it.

You put money into bags that has holes in them. That means that you may work and you labor to make something and you lose it. That’s why he says lay up treasure where? In heaven, why? So you can’t lose it. Lay up treasure in heaven, and you can’t lose that. Boy, that’s good stuff. He says in verse 13, your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, what have we spoken so much against thee? What did we say against you?

He says this, ye have said it is vain to serve God. Then no, it doesn’t pay to serve God. Do you get weary and well doing? Because you expect to get paid here. You see, with the nation of Israel, they were promised to land and the prosperity here in this life. With you and I, it’s not the blessings that God promised to Israel. God says that we have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies. In other words, we’re not working for it down here as a nation because as a people, the church is not that nation Why which we set up and we want God to bless a nation?

We want God to bless this nation where we live But what is talking about is a little different You see God says you were here and I’m gonna reward it there Nation of Israel you obey me here and I’ll bless you here I’ll put a hedge about you the enemy can’t get to you. I will not take any of the diseases of the Egyptians and put them upon you and I’ll bless your land. I’ll bless you with water. I bless you with fruit I bless you with it and all that and so They blew it How are we doing?

Now it’s our turn and God’s giving us two thousand years to get the job done going all over on Priest the Gospel and it says teaching all nations, baptizing, discipling. We’re supposed to do that. So after 2,000 years, we have reached the world, haven’t we? We won the world of Christ. All the nations of the earth want to honor the Lord. We could pat ourselves in the back. Well, we have done a great job, haven’t we? No, we haven’t.

Look at the world. Look at the United States. Is it greater, more Christianized, I should say? I don’t think so. They said, it is in vain to serve God and get what else is it? What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Host. Now we call the proud happy. Yay, they that work wickedness or setup. Yay, they that temp God or even delivered. It would seem like all the evil triumphs.

But the one part there that says that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Host. Now we call the proud happy ye. They that work wickedly are set up. Do you see wicked people getting in place of leadership and they’re making the rules by which us believers are going to have to live by? That’s because the people are getting away from the Lord. So this is why I know if the Word of God is true, then God, there has to either be a revival in America or God has to judge America.

And I believe that the judgment is already on its way. So anyway, look up here. This hand representing you and me, this wallet represents sin. We all have sin upon us. God loves us, but He hates our sin. The Bible says for us to pay for sin is eternal separation from the Lord. In hell. But God loves us. That has not changed. How God thinks and feels about sin, it hasn’t changed. And God says to go to heaven, you have to be perfect.

As righteous as God. Guess what? It ain’t changed. God says that no man can save himself by his works. that hasn’t changed. And God says that He sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world because He loves us. He took our sins, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead. And God said if we would believe that He did it for us, that He would put this payment to our account and we get to go to heaven on what Christ did for us.

That’s the best news in the world. And by the way, that hasn’t changed either. The same gospel to the first man to the last man, never be born. It’s all the same. It’s only thing any man has ever done or ever can do is simply accept Christ as their Savior. And when you trust Christ as your Savior, God says He gives you as a free gift everlasting life. And He says, these things have I written unto you, not believe that you may know that you have eternal life.

So if God said it, and I believe it, can I know that I have eternal life? If God can’t lie, and he says, I’ll never cast you out. Never. He said, I’ll never lose you. No man can take you out of my Father’s hand. But if that’s true and God can’t lie, how can I go to hell in the future? Impossible. Now, if I can believe what God says, then I have no problem. If I can’t believe he means what he says, then I got a problem.

So as you study the Word of God, it’s to give you an eye comfort and boldness. See, I know that God doesn’t change. I know that God wants to get me where he can bless me and anybody else. God will bless him. God has a purpose and his purpose in what he wants, he may know that the purpose of this trial or test in this to develop your character. See, God wants the best for every individual and he knows what’s best.

That’s why he’s working in every person’s life to give you individualized attention. You want God to be personally involved in your life? He is. You just didn’t know it. And he will do things to bring you closer to him. And God wants to bless you because he’s God. God loves you. All he wants you to do is get to where he can. And he says, if you return to me, he says, if you do what I say to you, and it’s a type to teach by, but you have no idea the windows of heaven that God can open.

And do for you more than you ever dreamed in your life. Isn’t there a verse in the New Testament of the book of Ephesians in chapter 3 where it says, and God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you’re able to ask or think. I think that’s in the Bible. I think there’s another verse that enters and says, cast all of your cares upon him for he cares for most of you. He cares for you, Every individual, you see, there is not a problem that you have greater than he can solve.

Do you understand that? Do you believe that? See God wants one thing from you, your confidence, your trust. He wants your respect and not to give him that respect. God says that’s an abomination to him. Let’s pray, show him. With every headbound, every act closed, and no one looking around if you’re here tonight, and you never trusted Christ as your Savior. Why not trust Him right now? You see, God doesn’t change. He loves you. It doesn’t matter how many bad things you’ve done.

He still loves you. And when He died on that cross and paid for the sins of the world, yours was included. And if you will believe He did it for you, God said He would save you and give you the free gift of eternal life. Wouldn’t you like to know that you’re going to heaven? Take God at His Word, He doesn’t lie. He said, if you trust Him right now, He would save you right now. Give you eternal life.

And you can know that you’re going to heaven because He said, I’ll never cast you out and I’ll never lose you. That’s because God loves you that much. If you have already trusted Christ as your Savior, as you go through life, there’s an awful a lot of things that God wants to teach you. One of those things is that he’s the same yesterday, today, and forever. He doesn’t change. We are the one to change. And when God answers our prayer, it’s because we have said or done that which he required and he will do it.

And as you look at the question or the prayer is to be within the boundaries of the will of God, His purpose, His purpose. Our Father, we thank You so much for all You’ve done for us. We thank You for this time together to study the Word. Bless each one. In Christ name we pray, Amen. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that You were blessed by today’s message.

If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the bell to the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our home page. If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us.

The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bible Live. And now we’re closing thoughts from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day believing that the Lord is coming soon.

And just keep looking up.