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Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-5. 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 1-800-5. 576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage.

We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two part message will be a blessing to you and your family. We’re gonna take a look at a few things here. I want you to turn in your Bible to the book of John, the gospel of John, and chapter 14. that’s the whole thing about everything we teach is about us looking forward to something. And if we get that right, then we can learn how to live right.

But you want to make sure you’ve got taken care of the most important thing, which is going to heaven when you die. And a lot of people live in their whole lives and they haven’t taken care of the most important thing of all. Because you can die at any moment. And if you haven’t taken care of where you’re going to spend eternity, you’re waiting a little long. That might be all right if you knew that you had time right before you die.

You know, if I knew I had about five minutes right before I die, I got five minutes to make it right. Well, that would be pretty good for everybody, wouldn’t it? Everybody just wait until you get that last five minutes and then take care of everything. But what did you get seen now? Wouldn’t that be terrible? You know, you don’t even know who you are. And that’s possible. Then what did we get killed on a wreck? know or something serious happened and you didn’t get it taken.

And for all eternity you have to think about neglecting the most wonderful thing in all the world and that is being able to go there. So in the book of John in chapter 14, I want you to look at this. This simply says that if Jesus is real and God is real, then there is a heaven and that there are mansions there and we’re going to live in this mansion, a place, a house of many rooms. In verse 1, let not your heart be troubled.

You believe in God, and that’s good enough. No, believe also in me. In my father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. So what is he saying? It’s true, it’s real, and if he can’t lie, then he just told the truth. There’s a literal heaven that we’re gonna be going to. He says, and I told you before, I go to prepare a place for you, not a state of.,” mineAttorney, you know, it’s just all in your mind.

I’ve had people say, well, heaven and hell is right here on earth, and you make your own heaven and hell. And, well, if that’s true, I’m not sure that I, this isanguage in heaven totally. There might be a little the other I’m gonna experience in every once in a while and if this is heaven There’s a lot of people haven’t caught on yet. I’ll post love each other. They forgot all about that But he says in verse three and if I go and prepare a place for you.

I will come again. Is that a promise? And there is a real place and we’re really gonna go to this place He says, and receive you unto myself. So he’s going to receive us to himself. And then he says, and where I am there you may be also. And if this is true, then there’s people who are also teaching that you’re going to be cast out in the kingdom. If you don’t really serve the Lord here, he’s going to cast you out of the kingdom.

There’s people who are teaching that stuff. That’s not the Bible. Christ says, he’ll never leave me, never forsake me. Now why would he kick me out of the kingdom upon the earth because I didn’t serve him. I don’t believe that. But there’s people that are starting to teach this and I believe it’s wrong. But anyway he says, and whether I go you know and the way you know, Thomas said to him, Lord, we don’t have a GPS. And how we’re gonna find you?

He says, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. So he is the only way that we can get there. Now if there is a heaven, who’s in charge? Well, I think Warren, are you going to be in charge? We get finally get to heaven. Who’s going to be in charge? Somebody’s got to be in charge. Take your Bible and turn to the book of Revelation. Revelation chapter two. Revelation two and verse 27.

We know there is going to be somebody who is going to rule during this period of time and the kingdom upon the earth. Just look at this verse here in verse 27, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron. If he’s gonna rule, then he must be the one that’s in charge. And he says in the last part of that verse, even as I received of my father, the father gave him the right to rule. So we know that there’s somebody in charge.

So there is a real place, and there is a ruler that is in charge, and it’s gonna be in charge of all these things here. Take your Bible looking in Hebrews in chapter 11. Hebrews in chapter 11. Just look at a few of these little things. Kind of refresh your mind a little bit about, what’s the purpose of all of this? Well, think about where we’re gonna go. And you know that’s gonna be, it can help you to have, well, these verses are like shock absorbers in your life because they help cushion all the troubles that we have.

If you get a car and you’re driving on a road and there’s a pothole, you’re gonna be glad the tires are made of rubber and you’ve got some springs and some shocks, all those things that give you a smoother ride so that you don’t come in total contact with the ground. Well, we’re in this world, but the verses in God’s word are like shock absorbers. They’re absorbing the shock that we go through and like this happened and that’s bad, yes, but.

This verse says boom. And this verse says, and you comfort one another with these words, that’s what he says in the book of 1st, that’s the Lonesome chapter four, and verse 18 when he says, comfort one another with these words. The words of God is supposed to bring comfort. Now there’s things in this life, I can’t change. I can’t make people do anything. I can’t stop a lot of the circumstances. All I can be in charge of is me.

And how do I govern my thoughts? What kind of an attitude do I have? As you live your Christian life, you’ll find out there’s gonna be things that are gonna go contrary to you. And so all kinds of things are gonna happen. But now look what he has here in the book of Hebrews in chapter 11. Look there in verse eight. By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place where he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed and he went out, not knowing whether he went.

He didn’t know the direction. He didn’t have a GPS either. He just had to take and trust the Lord as He went. And as we serve the Lord, that’s pretty much what we have to do. He doesn’t always tell us everything in advance or how everything’s going to work out. We just walk and trust the Lord moment by moment, day by day, and trust in that God is gonna come through and do like He promised. And some things will work out smooth and some things are gonna be some rough spots in our life.

And most of our problems are gonna come from people. But sometimes they’re self-inflicted. If you ever afflicted yourself, in the words, you made done decisions and you brought some things up on yourself. You did it yourself. That’s not the smartest move, but try to understand the source of why we do what we do and think the way we do and feel the way we do. And sometimes we don’t perceive everything the way things really are. But here in this verse, he says in verse nine, by faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob and heirs with him of the same promise.

Now he lived in tents. What did Jesus say we’re gonna have? We’re gonna get him mentioned. Okay, Abraham you have the tent, I’ll take the mansion. But that was why he was here on the earth. But did Abraham look beyond this life and that pimp he was living in? And remember, he was promised this land and he never received the full promise of everything God promised him. It was down the road. But there’s something that Abraham did have and look at this.

In this verse 10, for he looked for a city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God. So there’s somebody who is in another place That’s building another mansion that we’re going to go to. And look what he has here. And just look at this verse, looking verse 15. And truly if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. This is where you’re talking about burning bridges.

He just made, he couldn’t remember where he came from or how to get back. I think Lord sometime maybe do that a little bit to us. Maybe we didn’t lose our mind. God just wiped out a particular thought and you don’t know how to get back. But now they desire a better country. That is a heavenly where for God is not ashamed to be called their God for he has prepared for them a city. Now he was dwelling in tents here but he’s going to have a city there and I don’t think it’s a city of tents.

I think it’s going to be a mansion. But there’s going to be also upon the earth, God’s going to take and rule and reign. So we know that the ruler is the Lord. But now, wait a minute, if there’s this heaven, this wonderful place, co-heaven, and we know who’s in charge, that’s God. Well, how do we get there? What are the requirements to live forever in this beautiful place that God has beyond this life? your Bible look in the book of John chapter 3, the book of John and chapter 3.

Now if he tells these people here when he was on the earth that in order to see the kingdom of God or to enter into the kingdom of God, well if he tells one person, this is what they must do, and if God is just and fair, nobody deserves to go to heaven anymore than anybody else. So whatever one person has to do, every person has to do to get there. If he says the gospel is the gospel of grace and you cannot save yourself by your works, then no man ever could.

I’ve had some people say, well, in the Old Testament they had to keep the law to be saved. You mean they had to earn it? They had to deserve it. Well that’s contrary to grace. And God’s already said, curse it is the man that continues not on all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. You have to be perfect. So nobody has ever got to heaven any other way than being saved by grace.

So I know what He says here. In verse 7, Marvel not, that’s why we all would tell people you’re going to keep the 10 commandments, you’ve got to know them. Thou shalt not lie, thou shalt not steal, shall not play marbles. Because the Bible says marble not. But in verse 7, marvel not that I said unto thee and you are down the line in this phrase in your Bible. You must be born again. Who? Who has to be born again?

Anybody that wants to go there and there is no other way. Everybody has to be born again. That means by the new birth. Because without a new birth nobody goes. Adam and Eve had to have the new birth. All the Old Testament saying, you had to have a new birth. If you didn’t have a new birth, you don’t go. There is no exclusions. It’s that way or no way. So you have to know what is the requirements. Well, he explains how to be born again because he tells Nicodemus, he says, you’re a ruler and you’re a teacher and you don’t know these things.

In other words, Jesus, when he was here, expected Nicodemus to know what being born again, man, But he didn’t. And so he said, if you don’t understand the earthly things, how you understand heavenly things? He says, you must be born again. And so then he used it in the illustration. It’s actually down in verse 14 when he says, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should have everlasting life.

So they were told that in the Old Testament and expected them to know what it stood for. There’s a lot that is said in a way here in the New Testament that you don’t find it explained as clearly in the Old Testament. It doesn’t mean that they didn’t get it and they weren’t told. It’s just that certain things are not always written down. Just like, how did we know that Moses knew about Christ. Well, in Hebrews chapter 11, he esteemed the reproach of Christ, the greater riches in all the treasures of the need.

So he knew about Christ. And then when you read the book of Jude, it talks about even any, the seventh from Adam, preached concerning Christ coming back with ten thousands of his saints. Well, you go back to Genesis, you don’t find those scriptures written, but the Holy Spirit knows what they knew and what they didn’t know, and he says they did know. So anyway, You must be born again. So that’s the requirement so that everybody can have this eternal life and go to heaven.

We believe that there is a role. You ever heard that song when the rolls are served up yonder I’ll be there? I mean when the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there. Because I believe that God is going to do it. Take your Bible look in the book of Matthew chapter 12. Look in Matthew chapter 12. There’s an interesting little statement made here. And it probably will take place at the Great Right from Judgment, which we will probably be there but not to be judged in any way because we will probably be there as witnesses and to testify and so forth.

But understand what God says here about people who want to be justified by their works. Okay, God has a book for the lost and he has a book for the saved. Sometimes we say the book of the living for the lost and the book of life for those who trust the Lord. They have eternal life, the Lamb’s book of life. But here in Matthew in chapter 12, there’s a couple of verses I want you to see. look there in verse 35, a good man out of the good treasures of the heart, bring it forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasures bring it forth evil things.

But I say unto you that and you ought to underline this in you about every idle word. I don’t know does that mean even that is said in just even little white lives. Every idle word that men shall speak they shall give a count thereof in the day of judgment. Every idle word. Words I guess we say that you know it was just off the cuff we didn’t really mean it was just something we said you know words are like arrows once they’re in flight you can’t bring them back and sometimes we say things and you know a joking way I tell a lot of jokes Sometimes I don’t plan on it, it just happens.

But the give and account of everyone, that means somebody must be keeping track. How can you bring every word in, looking verse 37, for by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words shalt thou be condemned? So in other words, at the great white throne judgment, when the lost are judged, I’m glad that we’ve already trusted Christ as Savior, we’re not gonna be condemned and so forth, because once you’ve trusted Christ, you’re having eternal life, and heaven you’ve been forgiven.

But there’s gonna be people gonna have to give them a comment, every word because they didn’t trust the Lord because well I’m good enough. And God’s gonna show by their words, their thoughts, their deeds, you didn’t qualify. You did not meet the requirements of perfection so you don’t get to go. And so I think it’s very important to keep that in mind. Take your Bible and look there in the book of Revelation chapter 20. Revelation in chapter 20. And we’ll just start there in verse 12.

Oh, we’ll start in verse 11, because it lets you know where we are. And I saw a great white throne and Him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heavens fled away, and there was found no place for them. In other words, hell was made for the devil and his angels, and they didn’t trust the Lord, they can’t go to heaven. So they go into a place where the devil and the, see there in verse 10, the devil that deceiveth them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are.

Now the beast and the false prophet has already been there for a thousand years because that was at the beginning of the millennium and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever. So that’s where the devil is, the devil, his angels, the beast, false prophet, and those who have never trusted the Lord. And we know that they are going to be cast into the lake of fire, looking verse 15, and whosoever was not found written in the book of life, the lands book of life, where he says you must be born again.

Okay, they weren’t. Was cast into the lake of fire. Well, who’s already in the lake of fire? The devil, the beast, false prophet. And now all the lost people for all eternity who never trust the Lord, this is where they’re going to be. So he says here in verse 12, and I saw the dead, small and great stand before God. And the books were open. And another book was opened, which is the book of life. So there’s books, and in the book singular.

And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, not the lambs book of life, not the book of life, because there’s a book of life. And then there’s the books. The lost were judged out of that book because they never made it to the other book. This is why I hold that particular view. Anyway, he said, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their what?

According to their works. You see how that some people, if they don’t know about the new birth and understand the salvation’s what they read a verse like in, say, see there? You got to be good. You’re going to be judged according to your works. And if your works outweigh your bad, then you go to heaven and if they don’t, then you go to hell. That’s just a natural way to assume that. But that’s not what he’s talking about. these are all the lost people and they’re already condemned.

They’re not going there to be condemned, they’re already condemned. Where’s it say that? Christ came not to condemn the world, but to save them because they are already condemned. Anyway, we’ll be looking at that later John 3, 18 and 17. But now notice what it says. And they were judged every man according to their works. So we know that the Christian’s destination is not according to our works. Christ’s work was put to our account. We’re going to have it on his perfection.

But the lost man who didn’t, every word thought did. Man has to give account for him. And because of that, did any of these pass the test? No, cause he says here. And the sea gave up the dead bodies that were in them. And that death, that’s the body. And hell, that’s the place where the people rejected Christ as Savior will inhale now and delivered up the dead which were in them and they were judged every man according to their works says it twice.

And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. So the being born again and you must be born again is the way you get your name written in the Lamb’s book of life because you were born into God’s family. Now this lets us know that yes there is a roll call and their names are in these books and very important what you say and do and think especially if you’re not going to trust Christ as Savior and you’re going to give him account at this time at the Great White Throne Judgment.

All right, take your Bible looking Revelation 19. Revelation 19. Remember, when we trust Christ as our Savior, according back there in the book of Isaiah and all, and it talks about God is going to give to us the robe of righteousness. A robe of righteousness. Now this robe of righteousness is where God gives to us His righteousness and when God looks at us, He doesn’t see us, He sees the robe of righteousness that was Christ. So that means I will be looked upon by God as righteous, as perfect, as just, perfect, as God Himself, because He gives me His righteousness.

That’s what He does when you trust Christ as your Savior. See, He took our sins and He gives us His righteousness when you believe. He doesn’t give you His righteousness just because He made a payment for your sins. you believe it shall be imputed unto you if we believe. That’s in the book of Romans in chapter 4. So we must believe and once you believe he gives you his righteousness and you’re good to go. So you have to have this robe of righteousness.

Now here in the book of Revelation chapter 19, looking verse 7, let us be glad and rejoice when we get to heaven. Do you think that something we can be glad and rejoice about now? You see, knowing that things are taken care of can giveBUS about knowing your peace of mind andOIL and happiness here in this life. See, these things that God tells us about and you really believe that it’s true can make a whole lot of difference in the attitude you have now.

But if you doubt that, you’re going to doubt a lot of things that God promised and you’re going to be one miserable individual. You’ll question everything that happens and nobody loves me and you’ll have your pity parties and I’m on God in the garden and eat worms or my pet rock night, you know, it’s just the end of your world. In verse 7, let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to Him for the marriage of the lamb has come and His wife has made herself ready.

wife we believe is the bride of Christ, the church between Pentecost and the rapture. All those who trust Christ is Savior are part of the body of Christ. We are the bride of Christ and we’re going to go to a marriage and the next time I get married I’m going to be the bride. Does that make sense? Anyway, we’re going to be the bride. So we’re going to be dressed in the righteous acts of the saints. Now notice what he says here in verse 2.

And to her was granted that she should be a raid and fine linen, clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. Now salvation is based upon the righteousness of Christ. We’re talking about how we’re going to be dressed and the praise, the honor, the glory, is going to be defined by what did we do for the Lord after we were saved. So when we go to this marriage of the land, where have we been right before this?

Judgment, seat of Christ. Judgment, seat of Christ, and that’s where God rewards us for what we’ve done. Let every man give account of himself to God and says, and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. So see, that’s why sometimes when I’m faithful and I consider myself to be fairly faithful. I’ll come to church when we have a lot of people, when we have a few people. Whether I have a lot in Sunday school class or just a few in Sunday school class.

At one time we had a whole section here. And so we split it up so that other people can have chances of the teaching. Now we’ll get a different variety because you may get enough of the preacher’s and man, I wish I could listen to somebody else for a change. Well, we take care of that too. But whether we have a few Sunday night or Wednesday night, I go ahead and I’m just as faithful in any night and our preacher’s just as hard on any sermon as though I had a thousand.

Why? Because I know every man shall give an account to the Lord and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own word. God’s gonna bless me because of what I do, not what you do. If I’m faithful and other people are not, Well, that’s on them, right? I’m not gonna be judged by the way you’re faithful or you’re not faithful. You don’t determine whether I’m a good preacher or a bad preacher. It’s not your call. It’s God’s.

If I’m faithful to the word of God, then God’s gonna reward me for that. So I don’t worry about people’s opinions. I’ll hope everybody likes me. I mean, everybody wants to be liked. But I know that my standing is because of what Christ did. And I know that my rewards are because of what I did. And if I do what is right, let’s say for example, I do you really wrong. I’m really bad. I’m a mean old preacher and I did you wrong.

But if you do right, Gus, I’m gonna reward you. I must suffer the loss of what I could have had. So nobody here makes all the perfect decisions. We always, well, we hurt, we offend and things like that. Why do you think God says love one another, forgiving one another? Why? Because everybody wrongs one another. If we didn’t wrong with each other, we wouldn’t have to worry about it. But we do, don’t we? Are you a new listener to Bibleline?

Do you enjoy the teachings of Dr. Arnold? Well, if you’ve never contacted us before, we want to give you Dr. Arnold’s book, The Gospel Driven Man. Every day we receive many emails from folks who have questions about repentance and salvation, about faith in works, and about how to share the gospel with friends and loved ones. book The Gospel Driven Man covers all those topics and we want all new listeners of Bible line to receive a free copy. There’s no obligation, no donation necessary, simply call us at 1-800-576-3771 or write to us and request your free copy of The Gospel Driven Man.

The mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Again, don’t forget to include your mailing address and God bless you and thank you for listening to Bibleline. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And now, a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound and we will be changed.

God up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep in looking up.