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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 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 Bibleline 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.

We have no clue how much time God’s gonna give to us today. But Lord, someday I’m gonna be like you. Why cannot be like him now when he 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, look in the next two words. Complain, complain, complain. Why, why, why, why, is that what it says to do?

He says, but rejoice. Rejoice. In the words 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. And 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 hope, I hope, I hope, I hope, I hope, I hope. 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 for 30 But rejoice in as much as you are partakers of Christ’s suffering that when his glory shall be revealed when his glory shall be revealed You 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 I 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 little 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 what she needs to 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, and 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 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 of the verses 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 to man 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, look 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 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 Jesus. So there’s always these battle between the human element and the human perspective and the human and the human-like and the human-like and the human-like and the human-like 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 Take your Bible and turn to the book of Isaiah chapter 26 Isaiah chapter 26 I Want to give to you just a few verses before we quit and that is Some of my favorite verses that helps me when I’m down.

You say, you mean you get down in the scourge? I once or twice in 50 years. Yeah, kind of a little bit. There was a couple verses that Dr. A. Ray Stanford had us memorize when we had to memorize all those verses and those classes and I thought there’d be no end to it. And as soon as we finished memorizing a bunch, here comes a bunch more and there was just no end to it. He He had me memorize one verse and hide those cells that it were for a moment until this indignation be overpassed.

I had no clue what it meant, but I memorized the verse. You see it’s right here in Isaiah chapter 26, look at Isaiah 26. And right there where he has in verse 20, it says, come my people enter the house of thy chambers and shut thy doors about the hide those cells that it were for a moment until this indignation be overpassed. And I had to learn that verse in 1964. I’ve never used that verse since. I’ve learned a lot of verses that I’ve never used.

But they got in my brain and I have never been able to get it out. I can still quote that verse. I know where it is. What’s out on the page? And that was 47 years ago. Oh, I have an idea what it’s talking about now. But on the same page, the same column, there’s two verses that I have used over and over and over again. And you know how I remembered where they are because of that verse that I never had a use for because you see there in verse three and four looking verse three and four it just happens to be the same chapter so I could always remember the verse that I couldn’t find a reason to understand I don’t know what it meant but I remember the verse so in verse three he says, I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon the

Trust you in the Lord Jehovah forever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. Look at this two verses. Those are awesome verses. This is in the Old Testament. Trust you in the Lord for how long forever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. Oh I like that. It’s, it never fails. It’s always there. Never diminished the strength of the Lord is ever-lasting strength and it never diminishes. What you have in the Lord is real. It will last.

It is sufficient. And look what he says in verse three, because of the mind, the mind. Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on the… Sometimes we put our eyes upon the problems and we focus upon things that are not going the way we expect and it causes us to fear. But in these two verses, trust in the Lord, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. Tremendous. Now these are verses that I really like.

Now look in Isaiah chapter 35. Isaiah chapter 35. Then look in verse three. You will find this verse mentioned in the book of Hebrews in chapter 12. And here it is way back here in the book of Isaiah. And it’s a really a time that’s talking about one day. The kingdom is gonna be set up upon the earth. And the desert is gonna blossom as a rose.

Mrs. Elliot wrote a book, they call it, streams in the desert. Anybody ever heard of that book? Streams in the desert. Your life sometimes will seem like a desert. Like nothing is growing, everything’s barren. Sometimes it seems like there’s no fruit, you’re starved, you’re weak, you’re down. Sometimes you just wanna have a pity party, even if you’re the only one there. Well look what he says, strengthen ye the weak hands, confirm the feeble knees, say to them that are of a fearful heart, be strong, fear not, behold your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense, he will come and save you.

This is what God is going to do. What I like down here in verse six is this verse, But then shall the lame men leap as an art and the tongue of the dumb sing, for in the wilderness shall waters break out and you ought to underline this phrase streams in the desert.” Now I know this is talking about over in the land of Israel and I have seen the desert over there but one day it’s going to be like streams in the desert and everything is going to be as a rose.

God promise that. See up here in verse 1, the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. It’s going to be beautiful when God gets through. Listen, there’s times in your life when you’ll seem like it’s so barren. Go through it because you don’t know how far down the road it is that God’s going to put a stream in the desert and your life is just going to become so full and you’re going to see so much, but you’ve got to pay the price for it.

But you and I, as God’s children, are supposed to always keep walking and believing and trusting and rejoicing, though we cannot see how He’s going to do it or where the stream’s going to come from. I’m in the middle of a desert and it seems like everything’s followed apart. Don’t worry about it. God isn’t through yet. He isn’t through. But there’s a lot of other things I could throw out because of this scripture, but I do like them. Look in Isaiah chapter 40.

Isaiah and chapter 40, and Isaiah chapter 40, I, I wanted to start first of all in verse 25, look at verse 25, to whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? Say it the holy one. Now I believe the holy one in the book of Isaiah is a reference to Jesus Christ. Lift up your eyes on high and behold, who hath created these things that bringeth out their host by number. He calleth them all by name by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power, not one thaleth.

Why sayest thou O Jacob and speaketh O Israel? My way is hid from the Lord and my judgment is passed over from my God. Has thou not known? Has thou not heard that the everlasting God? the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, faint if not, neither is weary. There is no searching of his understanding. He give a power to the faint. And to them that have no might, he increases strength. Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall.

But not God, not God. You see, that’s the way we are, but God not like us. We have a God that created the heavens and the earth, and He is not limited like you and I. So He tells us to look to Him and to trust Him is because He has power that’s unlimited. And verse 31, you probably learned verse 31 years and years ago. You saw the verse, you loved the verse, but look at it one more time.

where it says, but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles, and they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint. That’s the person who waits on the Lord. When you wait on the Lord, it’s not a person who sits trying to triddle a thumb, it’s like a person in the cafeteria that’s waiting on you, somebody in a restaurant that’s serving. Wait in the Lord, serving the Lord and trusting Him to do what He says He’s going to do.

And they that wait upon the Lord. Now those that don’t wait upon the Lord know they don’t get to strength. They don’t get to joy. They don’t get the blessings. But those that do, there’s so much more for them. So it’s a good thing to know. Look in chapter 41. in chapter 41 and look there in verse 10. Verse 10, if you don’t have verse 10 in the line, you Bible, I would underline verse 10, fear thou not, don’t be afraid.

It’s so easy to be afraid of the future that we cannot control. We can’t make some things happen. But he says, fear thou not, for I am with thee, be not dismayed for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee, yea I will help thee, yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” See God’s looking for one thing. He’s looking for faith. He’s looking for people that trust Him. Put your trust in the Lord. Curse it is the man who puts his confidence in man.

And that means in you too. Learn to trust the Lord. Trust His word and put Him first. and you’ll be surprised what God will do for you. Now, take your Bible and turn to Hebrews in chapter 13. Another good, familiar verse that you know know very well. Sometimes all I’m doing is just refreshing your mind on things you already know. You may not learn anything new, but that’s okay. Sometimes you just need a little joke along the lines of what you already know.

Don’t you remember this? Don’t you remember that was in the Bible? And some of these verses you probably have already marked them down, but you might have forgot them. Looking verse five, let your behavior, your manner of life, your conversation be without covetousness. Be content with such things as you have. For he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake you. And that’s not a promise given to you based upon how much money you have, or how good your health is.

It’s not dependent upon those things. See, you are a child of God. You are valuable. You are important to the Lord. And so you are the only person in the whole world. Now, you know you’re not, but do you think somebody else is more important to the Lord than you? Who do you think is more important to the Lord than you? You shouldn’t think anybody is more important to the Lord than you. You’re not more important, but you are important.

And so he says, be content. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. In verse 6 he says, so that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper. And I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Point at good. And verse 8, Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today, but not for the moral forever. He doesn’t change. It’s so important for us to remember who the Lord is and what he’s prominent look there in Hebrews in chapter 4 Just see this real quick Hebrews chapter 4 and look there in verse 12 Verse 12 says for the word of God is quick powerful sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing a sander of soul and spirit.

Something that can divide the soul and the spirit is the word of God. And he says, and it is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart. Also talk about the joints of the marble body, soul and spirit. God knows how to talk to your spirit, your soul and to deal with your body. He sees/> everything. And that’s why the very next verse is neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

In other words, everything that involves me, he sees, he knows. Nothing is hid from his eyes, and he tells me over and over again, come boldly to the throne of grace. on the grace. And fear not. Did you realize that sometimes over the years when I’ve had to go out on a limb and commit myself to things that I did not have the power to do? How scary it can get because I’m still in a body of flesh. I still have this old man and every once in And while this old man tries to intimidate and cause me to question and doubt God.

And when I would have to get kids to a camp down in Florida, 2150 miles one way. And I would commit myself and get a couple of buses, go out on the limb. I didn’t have enough kids to go and to pay the gas to get the kids down to camp. And sometimes I would give out more scholarships than I had money for. Wondering what in the world am I going to do? But sometimes there is just a reckless abandonment to faith.

God, you’re going to have to get me out of this. And God says, oh no, not again. But somehow or other, it always seems that I’d get in a bus. Sometimes I forget to find out if I had good tires, if it had brakes, I’d just get a bus. I got to go. I don’t even remember if I had insurance on the bus. This was years ago. And then I’d drive those kids. And I was set behind that wheel.

And you couldn’t go sometimes more than 55 miles an hour in an old school bus, no air condition in the middle of July and August, hottest time of the year, 2,150 miles, 48 straight hours on the road and I’ve got a and no relief driver. I drive it straight through and the kids would fall asleep and they would have a good time in the middle of the night. I’m still, my eyes are glazed. I can’t think in my mind if they don’t serve a Lord and they waste their I had a man tell me one time though.

What about those kids if you had had a wreck or this? I know, I know, I know. I could play safe and not do anything. But I wouldn’t do that now. I did that when I was ignorant. And God overrode to my ignorance. And God has blessed them. And I’ll multitude of kids. to do to kids. Daddy came to the line. of the lives of the Lord, some in full-time Christian work. The preachers out of that. And it’s amazing of how much has been accomplished.

But was there time when I was afraid? Scared to death. Scared to death. But I love the Lord more and I love those souls more. And I knew that if I don’t do this, they won’t get the camp. They won’t hear the word. They won’t hear the Jim T. Engine story. They won’t dedicate their life to the Lord. And it’d be just like I never lived. I’m going to run the risk and God blessed because there’s a certain amount of trust that you have to have in the Lord.

I can’t explain it all. I don’t even want to try to. But I know this. God says this. Look there in verse 16. And you ought to unline verse 16. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace. of grace. And sometimes I have come boldly to the throne of grace. Like when you don’t have any money, when your health is kind of problem, or you’ll come boldly to the throne of grace because I need help. You see what that verse says?

Bolded to the throne of grace that you may obtain help in the time of need. Now why did God put that verse in there? That It was just for me that if you want to use it, you can, but it was written to me. If you want to borrow it, that’s all right. But this verse was written for Yankee Arnold. So I have really used this verse a lot of times. So you’re going to face things. There’s trials and you’re going to have to go through the throne of grace.

And just because you know the Lord does not eliminate all your fear. Otherwise God would not have to say over and over and over and over again, fear not. wife because we are afraid. There’s elements of fear because we have an old sinful nature and we cannot just totally wipe it all out of our minds. It’s just that our love for the Lord has got to be much stronger than the element of fear that wants to rob our joy and cause us to live a life of being afraid intimidated by the old sinful nature.

Anyway, I have no idea if you I’m saying, but I sure hope that you do. But if you don’t need it tonight, maybe you’ll need it tomorrow. Or maybe you said, I should have had it last week. Our Father, we thank you so much for all you’ve done for us. Thank you for each person here. And what we know as your children, there’s so much we have to go through. Help us to bear one another’s burdens. Sometime it’s hard on them.

We pray for those that are not able to be here tonight night because they’re sick, some are facing surgery and some may not be here very long. And I just pray your blessings upon those that are hurting right now. And there’s many and to give them the courage that they need. Put their hope in you and trust in you. Trust in you to walk them through it. Thank you so much for this time together in Christ’s name we pray.

We’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 spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

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 10 30 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 a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. We will be changed.

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.