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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 m- and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us until free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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.

Having a copy of the scriptures is one of the greatest things you could ever have. I was gonna say one of the greatest possessions you could ever have. But the title of my sermon is the blessedness of possessing nothing. You ever thought about that? The blessedness of possessing nothing. You may use a lot of things, but don’t seek to possess everything or many things. Take your Bible and turn to the book of Matthew chapter 5. Matthew chapter 5, that’s the first book in the New Testament.

Matthew and chapter 5. Jesus Christ is on the mount and this is what we call the sermon on the mount. And there’s many things that he says here. But the first thing he talks about when he says in these beatitudes, the blessed bees, he says in verse three, blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the poor poor. Now, you might not think it’s good to be poor, but you know, some of the poorest people are the happiest people.

And some of the most miserable people are the richest people. You say, well, I like to find out. Well, you may and you may not. I never tried to keep up with the Joneses. I just catch them on their way back because people are changing positions in life. They’re going up and they’re going down. They’re getting it and they’re losing it because every man that’s getting it is getting it from somebody else. And every man that’s losing it is losing it to somebody else.

So you’re gaining and losing and somebody’s gaining and losing. So you’re going through life, swapping, you’re switching places and you’re gaining somebody else’s losing. Everybody can’t always gain. Somebody has to lose something for one man to gain. You ever think of that? That’s the facts of life. If I gave everybody in here equally $100 and that’s all the money that was in the whole world and all of us only had $100, now if you’re going to gain some money, somebody had to do what?

They had to lose them. True? So in your desire to get more than what you probably need, somebody else is going to have to do with less until we have some rich and we have some poor. Which ones you like to be? Don’t answer that. But God says blessed are the poor and blessed are those that are persecuted and blessed are those who thirst after righteousness and blessed are those who hunger and he goes on all these wonderful blessings.

You say, well, wait, wait, wait, wait, not so fast, Lord. But that’s what the book says. Because there’s something else, as the Bible says in the book of Corinthians, though poor, making many rich. Did you know a poor man can make a lot of people rich? The Bible tells us that God sent his son who owned it all. And the Bible says, and he became poor that we through his poverty might become rich. So if you know Christ is your Savior, you’re rich.

You’re a wealthy individual because you know where you’re going today. You’re God’s child and it won’t be long before we’re going to be going home. That used to be six kids in our family. Now there’s only five left. I used to have a mom. My mom was gone. I used to have a real bad and he’s gone. I have another stepdad, he’s gone. There’s people leaving this world. I was talking to Buddy while ago. It’s amazing how his time goes on.

We get to see people go into more funerals. The only you get, the more funerals you attend. And after a while, I guess one, I talked to this one real old man. I said, what’s the man? He said, I just don’t have no friends. I said, why? He says, I’d bear them all. I said, they all died. I said, I don’t have no friends. Oh, my friends did. Well that they may come for you and I will be sitting right here.

You know, I’m the only one to last and Leon is gonna be on crutches and maybe a wheelchair and I’ll be pushing him around, you know, but It was amazing. I went to the flea market yesterday and out of a whole the place my eye caught a wheelchair Now looked at it. I thought about my mom’s son’s. That’s all the wheelchair And then Chris will come by and she says I’m looking for a wheelchair. I said well I know where there’s one Where I says right over there says the guy over here got one she went over and bought the thing yesterday And it was a nice one got a good price for it, and I says just save it.

That says buddy’s gonna need it You know Lord is simply preparing For your needs in advance now, let me ask you a question How many of you in here have had children? You’ve had a child. Alright, one, two, three, four, five, six, six, six or seven. Okay, you’re going to have one. And whenever a child is going to be coming to work, like his man says, the woman says, she says, I’m expecting. He says, expecting nothing. This is sure thing.

I don’t know why all the women says, I’m expecting. Where are you expecting? Well, I’m expecting to have a baby. This is sure thing. You’re not. But anyway, you’re going to have a baby. I remember when Eddie was going to have his little boy. Did you know that they went out and that man, they bought all kinds of stuff. They painted the room and Eddie is his hat child and well maybe more child than adult. And he had all the stuff of that stupid cat.

What’s the name of that stupid cat? There was some little stupid cat, but he even got a tattoo on his arm. He put it on the wall and the crazy colors got the crib and they got diapers. Then they had a baby shower and everybody brought everything. I’ll kind of junk. They were getting ready, preparing for the special. When this baby shows up, they got everything they need for the baby. They had baby bottles. Like I said, they had that green junk that they make your baby see.

It’s already like a bed eaten once. But they got a bunch of baby foods, you know, and spinach. I guess the kids need that junk. But they got all this stuff and you go all this stuff. They even had little pants, shirts, and little shoes, and little socks, even a little hat, and all this stuff. And the baby’s not even there yet. All these were things for this baby, because this baby is going to need all this stuff. And you think, well, that’s only reasonable.

That’s prepared. That’s prepared because the baby is coming. Well, did you know that sometime in the past God, it kind of right along with this for a little bit. God’s up in heaven and all he has up there is all these angels. And God wants somebody to love him. Not because he made you love him, but because he wants you to choose to love him. Would you like the person that you like to love you because he has no choice?

Kind of like Adam and Eve. Even looked at Adam and says, do you love me? He says, who else? You don’t get it. Who else? There ain’t nobody else. Well, you want somebody to love you because they had a choice. But here we are in this world and God made us. But he wants us to love him because we love him, because we choose to love him. So what God did is God was expecting. He was expecting some real genuine things to happen.

Before God made the heavens in the earth. Do you think he already had planned? He was going to make a man and a woman? Before he made the world. The Bible says that God had already planned on sinning His Son to pay for our sins before the foundations of the world. That means before man was ever made and put into the garden, God already knew he was full and God already had a plan. It wasn’t like, oh no, now what am I going to do?

God was not in a state of shock because, oh no, they sin. Now what do I do? Now God already knew it before he ever started. He had a gigantic plan. So what God did when he made the earth, he didn’t make the earth for God. He didn’t make the clouds. You know, I used to lay out there on the grass and I would look up in the sky. Me and Lizzie and they used to do that. And we’d watch the clouds go and we’d try to make something out of the clouds.

So what that looks like an elephant, and that looks like a dog. That looks like you. And the wind would blow and the cloud would change shape. And we would try to make something out of it. never do that but I did that when I was a kid that was a whole new world and I lived in a little make-believe world there was a time when I actually believed in this and I had to learn but you know what I didn’t want to hurt Lizzie’s feelings but see God made the world did you know that God says now I’m making this world special they know the world like this world I’m making this for the person that I’m expecting.

I’m going to take and do something special. And God knew what we would like. And so he knew we would have to see all this. So he says, He that hath an eye, shall he not see? And he that hath an ear, shall he not hear? And God made the eye, God made the ear. So he made a man. And the Bible says that God prepared everything in advance before we ever got the God was expecting. And he knew exactly when we were going to arrive.

And God was going to see to it. He had everything ready, didn’t he? So he made the world. And the Bible says at the beginning it was, you know, it was water covered with water. And when God says, and God said, let there be light, and it was good. And so God separated the day from the night. And then he separated the land from the water. And God did all these wonderful things. Then he made the trees. And then all of a sudden there’s fruits on the trees.

And then he made the greater light, the sun and the lesser light, the moon. The one the rule of the day and one the rule of the night. God made the starry heavens and all that. God did all that. Why? He don’t need all that. He did all that. That’s all these gifts for us. Just like anyone’s getting all those things for that little child. See, any day in the old man, the baby needs all of that. And so because of your love for our child, you do all these wonderful things.

And because of your God’s love for us, He did all these wonderful things for us. And the Bible says that the animals and the grass and the flowers, everything. God did all of that and God provided totally in advance for all of our needs. That’s why we say, can God supply your needs? He already has before He puts you here. Before you were born, all of your needs to survive have been provided. True?

Now, some people have to work and get it not just like God. He says he made the Word and he made the worm, but he doesn’t throw the worm into the nest. He makes the bird go find the worm. And God made us and he has done, I think, a very, very good job. God knew what he was doing. He made all these wonderful things. And then the Bible says that all these things, and then when you read the book of Genesis and talked about all these creeping things and every thing, but they’re just things.

What is more important? The baby crib or the baby? What’s more important? The baby’s milk and the food or the baby? What’s more important? The baby or the diapers? Alright. If you can understand that little simple thing, here you are in this world. And God made all this wonderful thing. He made all the animals. He made the planets and the starry heavens and he made the earth and he made the clouds and the rain and the flowers and the trees and all this wonderful sunset that we enjoyed, the sunrise, some people don’t even know the sun comes up gradually.

But God made all these wonderful things and lowered me home. What do you think is more important? The person that God did it for or the things that he made? The person you are more important than the things that he gave to you. To those that are just things. They’re temporary things. But the shame of it all is if what if… You and I were to make the biggest, dumbest, stupid, foolish mistake of falling in love with the things instead of the one that loves us.

Did you know that there are people in this world that don’t love the one that made them and gave them all that? They reject Him and thought I love with this. And why did God make us so that we would love Him? So God is not satisfied when we love people or things or the world more than we love God. Wouldn’t it be a shame for a family to do so much for a little baby? and they shower this little baby with all kind of things.

You know, they love this little baby. And then the little baby grows up and despises the mom and dad that gave them so much and did so much for them. And then they despise them. You think it would hurt. Think it hurts. Well, of course it does. Do you think that God is hurt when we don’t love Him and we love things more? You know, there’s people who don’t worry about if they never spend any time with God, but if you don’t come around and give many attention, they get mad and pout and pine and moan and groan.

Well, take your Bible and turn to the book of Romans in chapter 1. Romans and chapter 1. There’s a scripture there. I’ve used it in different ways, but I want to relate something else to you look there in verse 21 First 21 Romans chapter 1 Here you are in this wonderful world that God has made and God spent some time Preparing everything for us because he loves us. I can’t explain why he loves us, but he does He made us in his image.

He made us because he wants us and he loves us and And he prepared so many things for us to freely enjoy, but there are many things. They’re just things. This world is just a thing. It’s not a person. And so it says here in verse 21, because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God. So what is the key? And if you know there’s a God, it is accepted, expected that you would glorify Him as God.

Don’t you see that? You look at that person and say, if that ain’t what you see, that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God. In other words, it was an expectation that they should have. If God has done so much for you, isn’t it only reasonable for God to expect? You do be thankful? Huh? Look what it says. Neither were what? Neither were thankful. Alright, so God expects you to glorify Him because He’s God. Look what He did for you.

Remember, there’s no person ever been born on this earth before you have to do this greater than you. I’m not talking about Jesus Christ now. I’m talking about humanly speaking. And And God doesn’t love anybody more than you, doesn’t love anybody less than you. God’s a lovely world, and you and I are in the world. And because of God’s great love for us, isn’t it, Shane, that we sometimes fall in love with the things that he made, like a little baby, growing up and falling in love with a tricycle and hating mom and dad.

They gave him the tricycle because they love him. That makes sense doesn’t it? And when God has been so good to us, this need to shame even for a Christian? After God has saved him, given me eternal life, not to serve the Lord. Don’t you think that’s a slap in God’s face, not to honor God? Now get what he says here. Several things. It says they became vain, and in verse 12, became fools. The same ones that God loved did so much for him, instead of them being so thankful for these things that God gave to him to enjoy for his happiness, for pleasure, for true enjoyment in life.

They don’t love God. They gave it to him. And all God wanted, this is just to show how much God loves us. And we won’t let him back for it. And God says that you become vain in your imagination and you became fools. So everyone who is not glorifying God what they’re like, giving God glory for what he did. And giving God thanks to what he’s done. The Bible says, being unthankful, they become fools.

We’re gonna be ashamed for you to be listed in this portion of the script. This is talking about you. Their foolish heart was darkened. Look in verse 25, and change the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like a corruptible man. In other words, they wind up worshiping the creation Instead of God, the Creator. If you’re to hear anybody talk about mother nature, it’s not nice to be cruel to mother nature. Well, oh yeah. Nature is not my mother.

I don’t believe in evolution. And the other thing in verse 24, wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness to the lust of their own hearts to and get this honor themselves. So they become vain in their imagination, And they become bold and they dishonor themselves and they don’t bring honor to God. They don’t bring honor to themselves. And then in the next verse it says they change the truth of God into a what? and they don’t bring honor to God, they don’t bring honor to themselves.

And then in the next version, they change the truth of God into a life. And then for the rest of their life, they live a life. Let me know the shame. That’s not how God intended it Because we make so many foolish decisions with our life instead of seeking the will of God Do you know what God wanted more than anything after he created Adam and Eve? They said the Bible said that he walked with him and talked with him in the cool of the evening in the garden of Eve He made a beautiful garden for them.

Why? How’s he love them? What was more important the man and the woman or the garden? The guard was made for them That’s why God did it. God did all those things for them. Now listen, God hasn’t stopped. The thing that he made then is still now, it’s just not in this perfect form, but didn’t God still give us air to breathe? Ah, I don’t feel good to breathe. Don’t you enjoy eating? I will not eat today and I ate.

Oh, it is. So I enjoy food. I think that’s one of the greatest inventions of all time. Who I love thee my problem is is not even so much And that looks like it might be somebody else’s problem too, but I am not talking about who it is But everybody deals with the problem of overeating I hate it when Milton Hale can sit down and eat ten meals a day and Gorge on everyone and not gain an ounce That’s not fair Gina look at Gina I’ve been She’s…

She’ll never be fat. She’ll never have to worry about being fat. And probably, you know, look at her. She’ll never look at her and probably look at her all over her life. And there’s others who struggle with it, and they can’t even look at a doughnut without getting a pound. Just look at that. And Gina, but Robin can eat a whole dozen of them, and it won’t bother. Because her mother and her sisters, they’re all the same. It runs in the family.

That’s not fair. But somebody told me that life isn’t fair. Well, I guess not. But you see, what I’m saying is, is that you begin to change things. When you’re not glorifying the Lord with your life and you’re not thankful to God, you become vain in your imagination. You won’t think right. You become a fool, but you won’t think you’re fool. You’ll think you’re wise. You’ll think you’re smart. And you’ll begin to make your own decisions and about everything.

You don’t need God. You don’t need to read the Bible. You don’t need to go to church. You know what you’re saying? I’m too smart for all of that. That means you’re dumb. Just the way a dumb man thinks. I don’t need God to tell me what I can and cannot do. Now take your Bible and turn back there to the Old Testament to the book of Genesis chapter 22. Genesis and chapter 22. He knows the story of Abraham and Isaac.

Remember Abraham was an old man. He was about right at 100 years old when his child was born. He was 100 years old. His wife was 90 when she had a baby. Good night. I don’t believe God ever intended for the normal individual to have kids when they’re 100 years old. I don’t have the patience for them. I love to see them come love the same bill. Grandkids is the rewards for not killing your teenagers when you had a chance.

But it is it is so wonderful. My grandkids if I knew this I’d have had them first. But don’t work that way. But the Bible says that God loved the man and this man’s name was Abraham. God was going to do something different with this man. He’s going to take a man and buy a man. a miracle give him a child in his old age. And so the Bible says that Sarah was past the age of childbearing and that her womb was dead so the space she couldn’t have any children.

So God’s gonna have to work a miracle and work a miracle he did and a child was born. But you see before this child was born, so God already prepared, gave him a wonderful Dad and Mom. So that when this kid is born, he’s going to have a tremendous father. This is going to be a exceptional child. If this child is going to be the father of a great nation, and so from him, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and he had 12 sons and brothers, the nation of Israel, and the whole world has been blessed because of the nation of Israel.

We don’t know all the way back to to old father Abraham. Well, as time goes on, the child is born. I can imagine watching old Abraham outside the tent. He’s already been gone for 13 years with Ishmael, but this was his own. This is the one that God says that he’s gonna blast. This is gonna be his heir. This one was special. So time did Tom where they came trouble between Hagar and Sarah and so on. She had to leave and take Ishmael with her, so they left.

But this child was different. This is a miracle child. Abraham knew it. For some reason, rather, he really loved this child. Look up there in verse 2. And God speaking to Abraham, and he said, Heconservancy by Son, Thy only Son, Isaac, and you ought to underline these three words. Humb thou loveth. You see, there’s a God in heaven that so loved man that he was willing to make for us anything we would have ever desired. Who in the world today doesn’t desire the Garden of Eden?

To live forever and to be in the Garden of Eden. Everybody wishes that. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida, with DrReturns. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part 2 of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. 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.org and click on 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 Cal Rove Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 3363. 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, calgaryoftampa.org.

Thanks Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, and now a closing thought 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.