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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 m- and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us to 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.

Take your Bible and turn to the book of Acts chapter 3, Acts and chapter 3. You and I are supposed to believe that we are valuable to God because the Bible talks about the birds of the air, how many hairs are on your head. That talks about if a sparrow falls, your heavenly Father knows about it. Are you not much more worthy? So you are worthy of God’s attention. And you must be of great value because God sent his son into the world to die for you, to pay for your sins.

And if there’s nobody more important than you, then he would have done that just for you. So you are important to the Lord and you are valuable to the Lord. You see, in the eyes of the world, we put a value upon ourselves based upon what material value we have. much am I worth?” But you know, it all depends on what you’re looking at. If you were to see the apostles, you would say they were poor. Even when Christ was here, He said, though He was rich, yet He became poor, that we through His poverty might be made rich.

So you’re looking at a rich man. But it all depends on how you’re looking at riches. And so you need to understand this. Otherwise, you could have what you can get hurt. You think you don’t work out writing so you get hurt because you figure out God why don’t you bless or open up and give or whatever. And so you can set in judgment upon God. We have a tendency to do that. And then if we can’t figure it out, we can get hurt and then we get bitter and we get bitter.

And a lot of times whenever you’re bitter toward people, they’re just the reciprocals of your bitterness toward God. They are just just happened to get in the way. And so we take it out on people. And sometimes they have absolutely nothing to do with our bitterness. They said, we’re mad at God. So here in the book of Acts in chapter three, I want you to look at this. In verse one says, Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer.

Been about the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried whom they lay daily at the gate of the temple, which is called beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple. Who see in Peter and John about to go into the temple, ask in arms. And Peter fastened his eyes upon him with John, says, look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something. And look at us. And he looked, expecting to receive something.

And I like this. Verse 6, Peter said, silver and gold have I, an awful lot. I got my credit card, I got a Visa card, I got the Master card, and I got this Sir card, and I got money in the bank. How much do you need? That’s that what he said? Silver and gold have I none, none. Evidently, here are two of the greatest men in the world, the apostles of the Lord. And there are, I mean they had nothing.

He said, but such as I have, such as I have, give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. That’s pretty powerful. That’s better than silver and gold. Have you ever had somebody say, what do you have? What do you have? Now that can be taken two ways. If you walk up to a bar and say, well, what do you have? Well, he might have something else in mind. What do you have means?

What do you want me to give you? But another one is, what do you have? What do I have? When you look at yourself, what do you see? How valuable do you see yourself in the Lord? You see, I see myself differently than probably most people do. I see myself as very valuable to the Lord. I believe that God has increased my learning, my talent, my abilities over 50 years so that I can become valuable in the hands of God, though poor making many rich.

Do you realize just how valuable you are? Now I want to give you a couple of things that I want you to kind of write them down if you want to, but look there first of all in Hebrews in chapter 11. Hebrews chapter 11, the book of Hebrews and chapter 11. You say, well I don’t have much. I’ve had a lot of time people say, well I don’t have much. You’d be surprised what you have. You just don’t know that it’s valuable.

And you might squander it because you don’t know how valuable you are. Look in verse 5 of Hebrews chapter 11, By faith, Enoch was translated that he should not see death. Was not found because God had translated him. For before his translation he and you ought to underline these words, he had this testimony. He had a, it didn’t say he had money in the bank. Didn’t say he had cars and homes. says he had a testimony. Now are you telling me that you can’t have a good testimony unless you have all the wealth in the world?

You can’t have a good testimony unless you’ve got good help? Unless you’ve got good friends? You see your testimony has nothing to do with anybody or anything. That’s what your life testifies to. You have a life to live and it’s your testimony that is so important because how you live testifies to something that’s important to you. So what does your testimony say? Somebody accused of a crime and you’re asked to testify, tell what you know. Your testimony by some is deemed to be very valuable, but your testimony is what does God want you to say through your life of how you live.

Now, I don’t have to have money to have a good testimony and neither do you. So what do you have? What do you have? Suver and gold have I none, but I got a good testimony. That’s very valuable. Because of a good testimony, God took Enoch and translated him. It means that he did not see death. And what did he have to pay to get that? How much did he cost? There could be somebody else with millions of dollars but couldn’t buy that.

But he got it because of a good testimony. You’d be surprised what God can do with a person who has a good testimony. That means somebody who is concerned about their effects upon other people. It is very, very important to keep that in mind. So you don’t want to lose a good testimony because of its volume. The next scripture I want you to look at is 1 Corinthians chapter 10, 1 Corinthians and chapter 10. See, sometimes in life it gets to where things things run of the meal just boring.

Nothing exciting happening, nothing going on. And sometimes we become so impatient waiting on God to do something. And so we sense ourselves sometimes falling to a time of depression, discouragement. And so how do you deal with it? But here in 1 Corinthians in chapter 10, I want you to look there in verse 13. There have no temptation taken you but such as his common to man, but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able.

Let me ask you this, have you ever been tempted? You say, well yes I have, I have been tempted. Did you know to be tempted can become an asset? Isn’t it true that God is going to reward you by how you handle temptation? Usually temptations are the results of internal pressure. I’m tempted because of something in me that wants something and I’m tempted. Trials usually comes from external pressure. So we have temptations, internal, and we have, pressures on the outside the trials of life.

So do you ever have problems? If you have problems, you could be a very rich man. Because some people don’t get to go through some of the problems you go through, some people will not learn some of the lessons you will learn. If you don’t see those things as a value to you, you’ll despise them. But what does the Bible say in the book of James? Tell it all joy. When you fall in the divers’ temptation, it means many different kinds of testings and temptation.

So are you rich? Are you valuable? Think about this. In the book of Peter it makes a statement that the trial of your faith. Be in much more precious than gold and silver. The trial of your faith. Your faith is on trial. More valuable than gold and silver. What do you have? What do you have? Silver and gold have I none. But buddy I’ve got a lot of temptations in this world. I’ve got a lot of problems in this world.

Boy have I got a lot of trials that I have to go through. Man, you lucky dog. Shame on the man who goes through and has nothing that he has to struggle with and learn from. And most people think, well, money will be the cure of all. So if I get money, I don’t get what my problem is, I can buy my way out of it. Somebody made a statement like this. A man’s life consisted if not in the abundance of the things which a man possesses.

When who said that? And they got a clue. Jesus said that. Jesus said that. A man’s life does not consist out of the abundance of the things that he possesses. In other words, it’s something more, something better. So when you have trials and tribulations and temptations and all these things, things you are valuable because see all those things is just going to make you one rich individual because there’s a God in heaven that’s keeping the books and he is going to reward you for your faithfulness, for your faithfulness.

Well to be faithful you’ve got to have something required of you, faithful to do what? Well see the things of the world and the devil can use a lot of things is to get you to quit, to stop. But faithfulness is what God is going to reward. And so you can be truly blessed by the Lord. But look what he says in verse 13, but God is faithful. You have the faithfulness of God. Did you know that? You have something.

You’ve got temptation, yes, but I’ve also got the faithfulness of God on my side. Now you You may not have a lot of friends, may not have a lot of money, may not have good help. Who knows what you’re going through? Today doesn’t mean that’s what you’re going to be facing tomorrow or next week. But if you have the faithfulness of God in your hip pocket, you really have got some good backup. Think about it, you got backup. You got somebody that’s going to be right there with you.

Look what he says. God is faithful who will not suffer a permit you to be tempted above that you’re able, but will with the temptation. So you’ve got something, you’ve got temptations, and you’ve got something else. You have a way of escape. You have a way out. Because God is faithful and will not permit you to be tempted above what you’re able to bear. So you can bear it. See, you didn’t know you was that strong, did you? God is going to allow you to be tested because He’s more concerned about your character than anything else, your integrity, and you can become a very, very valuable individual.

Take your Good bye, looking first Peter chapter four first Peter and chapter four Look in verse 12, 1 Peter chapter 4 and verse 12. Beloved, this is talking to the Christian. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you. So you know you’re going to have fiery trials. Trials that seem to put you through the fire. Now when you’re serving the Lord and you’re trying to do what’s right, the fire. is to purify you.

It’s not for chasin’ it’s not to destroy you. It’s to purify you. You see, Job had a few problems. It doesn’t come right out and say it, but as you studied the book of Job, it kind of reveals itself that Job, you see, could see how far he had come, but Job couldn’t see how far he had to go. So God was revealing how much more he needed and God taught him a great lesson. I’m going to cover some things about Job one of these days.

I think you’ll like it. It’s really good. But look what he says here in verse 12 he says, which is to try you as though some strange thing happen unto you? When you ever say stuff like that, strange, mention twice in that one verse, strange. Do you know because of who you are, you’re a child of God, you trust the crisis, you save you, you’re going to heaven whenever you die. Do you think it’s strange sometimes the way life is to you.

Sometimes the way people are, sometimes the way you seem to be struggling so much all the time. It seemed like it doesn’t let up and you can’t see any light at the end of the tunnel. And sometimes it can just seem so strange that if I love the Lord so much, why is God letting it be so dark? You see God wants you just to trust him and he’ll walk you through it. Most people quit too soon. They usually stop right before victory.

You just keep your eyes on the Lord and just keep trusting Lord and just keep walking with the Lord. And one day your book look back upon those dark experiences you’ve gone through and you’ll realize that’s when you learn the most because you’ll You’ll know God was carrying you and God was doing things for you. Look what else he says here. As those some strange things, and here’s the word happen. So see, we like planning things. Sometimes we don’t like things that just all of a sudden happens.

Because we didn’t plan it. It wasn’t in, it wasn’t my desire. But there’s always seem like something happens. I don’t care what I’ve tried to do over the years. It seemed like there’s always somebody else got a plan and their plan is to ruin mine. You ever be like, feel like that? I’ve got a goal to reach and somebody’s goal is to keep me from reaching it. And it just seemed like it’s such a strange thing because you can’t put your finger on it.

You can’t explain everything. God wants us to keep walking with them when we can’t see, when we don’t know what to do. all know what to do. Just keep trusting Him. Keep trusting Him. Faith is born and despair. When you have come to the end of yourself and you have no more power, no wisdom, remember when I talked about the finite man, how limited we are and how infinite God is and there’s so much difference between the two of us.

Don’t you as you live your Christian life, can’t you see the vast expanse, the difference? How much were not like God? I was with Dr. Curtis Hutchin one time. He was the editor of the Sword of the Lord, great man. He come to preach at our church and he preached the sermon one time on Romans 8 28. But he also tied it in with the book 1 John 3 verses 2 and 3 where it talks about we don’t know right now what we’re going to be like.

But we know that when we see him we will be like him, but we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope purify himself. And he says, Lord, if someday I’m going to be like you. Why can’t I be more like you now when I can do the most good? It’s okay for me to be like you when I get to heaven. But I want to be like you now. And I said to you on the stage and I listened to him say that I thought that is wisdom overflowing.

I get what he’s talking about. He was dying of cancer. He had about another six months to a year to live. And he died when he was sixty years old. But he was a great man of the Lord. And I listened to him. He was eight years older than me. And now I don’t live nine years after he passed away and I thought I’ll never live as long as he did. We have no clue how much time God’s going to give to us to live.

But Lord, if someday I’m going to be like you. Why can’t I be like you now when it can do the most good? Stop and think. Don’t that make sense? Don’t it make sense? It does make sense. So look there in verse 13, because of the fiery trial which is to try you, and look in the next two words. Complain, complain, complain. Why, why, why? Is that what it says to do? He says, but rejoice, rejoice. In the word you and I are supposed to believe so much, so strongly in the provision, protection of the Lord that we don’t wait till He does it to praise Him and thank Him.

We do it in advance. We live as though He already has done it in our mind. And it gives us that confidence that we want. You say, well that takes a lot of faith. Well, you know what we’re talking about living by faith. In the words, praise the Lord now for what He’s going to do because you know He’s going to do it. Well, I’m not sure about that. An unstable man is unstable in all of his ways because it means that you’re like a ship upon the sea.

You’re tossed to and fro. The Lord will provide, I think. The Lord’s going to get me out of this. I Hopa, hopa, hopa, hopa, hopa, hopa. Can you be surprised what we go through? Listen, as Christians, we struggle because it is a strange, fiery thing that we have to go through a trial because we haven’t done it before. And we’re sometimes learning as we go. And sometimes we stumble and make a lot of mistakes and we get burned, we get scars on ourselves.

So you just get back up and keep on walking. Just get back up. Looking verse 13, but rejoice in as much as ye are partakers of Christ’s suffering, that when his glory shall be revealed, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad. You may be glad. Do it now, serve him now, count it all joy, rejoice now, and then whenever his glory is revealed, you’ll have exceeding great joy. You’ll enjoy it better now and can’t wait to get to heaven and really see and understand what it was all about.

See, God doesn’t explain everything to us. It’s kind of like this. I’ve done a lot of funerals in my life, but there’s a little story I tell of grandma sitting on the front porch. And the granddaughters sitting on the floor, grandma sitting in her rock and chair trying to get it going. And she’s doing some embroidery work and the little girl sitting down there and she’s looking up and All she sees on this side of the embroidery work is a lot of broken strings of all different colors No continuity She can’t even tell what it is She says grandma.

What are you making? She says I’m making something very beautiful She says it sure don’t look like it to me Well, I’ll let you see it after a while. And when she gets through and she brings a little granddaughter of parents, that’s on her knees and she’ll show her the beautiful flower that she’s been working on. You see, it’s all because of our perspective. We can’t see things from God’s perspective. But if we could only see what God is doing in our individual lives and how He is weaving things back and forth and over and up and down and sideways and through and all that stuff.

of what God brings into your life and what He leaves out, one day you’ll live long enough to thank the Lord for all the prayers He never answered. Don’t need to repeat that. One day you may live long enough to be thankful to the Lord for all the prayers that He didn’t answer. Because, you see, we don’t always pray for the right thing. Most of the time we’re trying to pray how to get out of a mess. When God doesn’t want to get out of it, He wants us to go through it.

There’s lessons that He wants us to learn because those lessons are the valuable things that we can teach other people. Money can’t buy those things. So the Lord in order to make you rich, He allows you to have all the suffering that you go through. And a lot of people go through suffering, but they see they don’t know this so they won’t listen They won’t learn and there’s a lot of bitter people in the world The last people that should be this way is God’s people Because we know we got the Lord We know that God has a purpose We know that all things work together for good to those who love the Lord to those are called according to his purpose now One other verse I want you to look at look there in the book of Ephesians and chapter 5 the book of

Ephesians and chapter 5 There’s something else that you you have that makes you pretty valuable You see You have one of the greatest commodities known demand You see it doesn’t matter how much money you have or wealth in this world if you died today, it won’t do you any good if you were dead. So life is valuable. And life is made up of time. So how you spend time is how you spend your life. So be careful how you spend time because if you waste time, you waste your life because that is what life is made out of.

So he says here in the book of Ephesians in chapter 5, looked what he says there in verse 16, redeeming the time buying up opportunities, taking advantage of what God did give to you. Of all the open doors he has given, realize that God says you are valuable, you are rich, and And I’m given to you something that if you only understood, there’s all that you need. You see, God gives us all we need to do all He wants where we are.

We always want and expect more. If I had more than I want this or that and the other. And that’s our part of our human nature. We want to always more and more and more. We’re never hardly content. I’m always striving for something more. I don’t like to be content. That the Bible says be content with what you have, where you are. Paul says I’ve learned to be content. And yet at the same time, we’re always to strive and press toward the mark of the high column of God in Christ’s uses.

So there’s always these battle between the human element and the human perspective versus the divine perspective. where we look to the Lord and do what God wants us to do. So we don’t want to waste our time because it’s so valuable. 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. Part two 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 BibleLineMinistries.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 Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at six o’clock on Sunday evening. My broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org.

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.