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Bibleline Bibleline, they are 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. 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 Calvary of Tampa.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. I want to take your Bible looking Jeremiah chapter 12. Jeremiah chapter 12 and there’s a scripture that I want you to see. Jeremiah chapter 12 and looking there in verse 11 they have made it desolate and being desolate it mourneth unto me. The whole land is made desolate and underlined that statement because it’s the same as you read over there in the book of Malachi because no man layeth it to heart and remember now this is over a hundred years before the book of Malachi.

You see, that was the problem before the chastening. 70 years in captivity and if I only come back to the Lamb, you think they’ve learned their lesson and they were still rebellious. So God says there’ll be a famine for the hearing of the Word of God and no prophets would speak. For a hundred years passed. It didn’t have to be that way. It’s just that that’s the way it was. I’ll look there in verse 4 of chapter 2 of Malachi.

And you shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you that my covenant might be with Levi, say if the Lord of hosts. Now Levi was the, well he was the son of Jacob but he had the ministry given to him of the priesthood. And that’s where Aaron was there hit huncho. And the Bible says I made a covenant with him. And the covenant that he made with him was, well, looked there very quickly in Numbers in chapter 25, Numbers in chapter 25.

Numbers 25, and there’s a couple verses there that I think is important to see. He was zealous for the Lord that he was. And he says there, and in verse 10, and the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Finnehos the son of Eliezer, the son of Aaron, the priest, have turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake, among them that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace, and he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood.

And here’s why, because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel. Now, this is to the priest. Over in verse 10, it’s a message to the people. But right now he’s talking to the leaders. And as he talks to the leaders, he’s letting them know what he thinks about their leadership and how they have failed to do what God says to do. They were given the law and they did not obey the law.

And he says, Levi, he was zealous for the things of God and they weren’t. So see there in verse 5, my covenant was with him of life and peace. Now when you read the book of Deuteronomy, it’ll also talk about the Baliwin chapter 8, where it talks about, I have said before you life and death. When you go into the land, the promised land, God says you can have life or you can have death. He says, if you obey me, I will bless you.

I will protect you. You disobey me? I’m going to curse you. Now use other nations to whoop you and take you out of the land. So God tells us what’s going to happen before it takes place. You see that’s why you read the Word of God so you can know the consequences of your decisions before you make them. Wouldn’t that be helpful? To know the consequences of decisions before you make them. Well, some people listen and learn and some people never do.

But now I want you to see the middle part of verse 5 where he says, And I gave them to him for the fear where would he feared me and was afraid before my name. That phrase for the fear where would he feared me? And you see, what does it mean to fear God? Just walking around, Oh, a little friend of God moves, is that going to get me? That might have a little element of truth to it. But I believe it means more than that.

Take your Bible and look there in the book of Proverbs. Won’t you see this in the book of Proverbs? And chapter one, Proverbs chapter one, there is a several statements made here that I think is very important, because if so much was done because a man feared God, now you see what happens because men do not fear God. And there’s people today who have no fear of God. The Bible talks about Amalek in the Old Testament, he feared not God.

It means that you do not have any respect for what God says, people today in our country. You see, years ago, they used to have respect for the pastor. That has gone. People today do not have the respect for the pastor that they used to have. He doesn’t speak with authority. People don’t listen to him. They mock him, make fun. See, science has the voice of America today. Everybody listen the scientist. I love him or evolutionists so you don’t see where that comes from.

But look here in Proverbs in chapter one and look there in verse seven. You’re on the line verse seven. The fear of the Lord. Now notice what the fear of the Lord means. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but full despised wisdom and instruction. Fear of the knowledge. If you have the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Look there in verse 29, verse 29, for they that hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord.

Remember this, to fear the Lord or not to fear the Lord is a choice and people make choices. Some people can live their whole life and have no fear of God, no respect for God. They don’t lay it to heart, they don’t take them seriously. They do whatever they want to do with their life because it’s whatever they want. It makes me happy. My life, I ought to be in charge of it and do whatever I want to do.

I found out a long time ago there was God, and there’s me, and I am not God. God is God. And without Him, I’m a big zero. I am nothing without Him. So if I want to be something, then I need to follow Him. And I found out that following the Lord and doing what God wants me to do with my life is a choice. And nobody can make you choose to love the Lord. Love is a choice. But look what he says, for they that hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord.

So not to choose the fear of the Lord is to hate knowledge, but over there in verse seven it says, but full despised wisdom and instruction, but the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. So not to fear God is a fool, a man’s a fool. What else does that mean? Well, since we’re right there, I don’t want to lose my place, shivin’ my Bible, but look there in Proverbs in chapter eight. In Proverbs chapter eight. Proverbs chapter eight, look in verse 13.

And you’ll notice when he talks about the fear of the Lord is. In verse 13, the fear of the Lord is determined by what you hate as much by what you love. So to love God, you have to hate sin. If you love flowers, then you should hate weeds, because weeds will do in a flower. But the fear of the Lord is to hate evil. Why? Because God said so. The fear of the Lord is to hate pride. Why?

Because God said so. The fear of the Lord is to hate arrogance. Why? Because God said so. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil. What? Because God said so. God said so. You hate what God says to hate and you’re to love what God says to love. And he says not to love the things of the world. So many people love the world. So many people are in love with themselves. They’re not in love with God. When you’re in love with God, you want to please God.

When you’re in love with yourself, you want to please yourself. Well, the Bible says that God created us for his It’s a pleasure, the book of Romans. If God created me to please Him, then my golden life should be, what does it take to please God? So I seek to find ways to please God. You know, reading God’s word benefits me, yes, but it pleases God. I get to benefit strong, but it pleases God. I go to church and meet with God’s people.

Why? Because it pleases God. hard times when I don’t want to go to church. Sometimes I want to be by myself. I don’t want to be with you. I know that breaks your heart. But there’s probably times when you’re tired and you don’t really want to come. But you do anyway, but because it pleases God. You know also that if you get in the habit of making excuses, it becomes easier to make the next excuse and the next excuse.

three times in a row and see how easy it gets. True. You already know this. I feel like I’m preaching to the choir. But here in this verse where it says, the fear of the Lord is to hate evil and all these things. But God says, I love them that seek me early. See up there in verse 17? They that seek me early shall find me. That’s a wise man, a wise man. Now also, once you look there in Proverbs chapter 10 and verse 27, Proverbs chapter 10.

And this is good for you to know. In Proverbs chapter 10 verse 27, it says, the fear of the Lord prolongeth days. Now I know you and I, we’re often on the faith. Well, you know, But when it’s my time to go, it’s my time to go. You know, it’s when it’s my time. So God has that line drawn out there, and I’m not gonna get past it, because when it’s my time, my time is up, and that’s when I’m gonna die.

But you know, there’s things in the Bible that says we can change that. Did you know that God says, because of God’s children who are disobedient to Him? And He says, many are sick, and many are weak, and many are sleep, or dead. They mean they died. They’re dead because of their disobedience. Did you know there was a whole bunch of people that didn’t get into the Promised Land that they could have gone into the Promised Land? But they didn’t get into the Promised Land because they died in the wilderness.

Now Joshua and Caleb, they believed God and they got to go into the Promised Land. So they lived. Their life was prolonged and the others, their life was shortened. Well, when it’s your time to go, it’s your time. Yeah. There might be a little truth to that, but maybe I can change some things. Doesn’t it say somewhere in the Bible about children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right that your days may be long upon the year?

I think that’s in the Bible. I think it’s maybe somewhere in the book of Ephesians in chapter 6. Doesn’t it also say in the Old Testament, concerning the nation of Israel, if your children disobey you, you can take them to the gate of the city and talk to the owner and they and stone your child of death. That’s why I says children obey your parents and the Lord that your days may be long upon the earth. Because if you don’t, I’m going to have you stone to death.

Yes, mother. Yes, dad. You’re whatever you say, mother, father. I bet it brought a little respect. But we don’t have respect today. People do whatever they really want to do. People serve the Lord according to the dictates of their own heart. Has nothing to do with whatever God’s word says because they don’t lay at the heart. They don’t take it seriously. Should they? Oh, of course they should. Look in chapter 15. Why are you right here? Chapter 15. Look in verse 33.

The last verse in the chapter there. Look at the fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom and before honor is humility. Do you know a sign of a humble person? Isn’t somebody that walks around like this? You know I’m humble because I’m giving you that humble look. I’m just so humble. There’s no, no pride in me. Now the reason I’m doing this because I want you to think I’m humble is just the very opposite. But humility is a position of the mind.

And a sign of humility is a man who can submit himself to the will of God. God said if you exalt yourself I will humble you and if you will humble yourself, I will exalt you.” And the very next verse in the book of Peter talks about casting all your cares upon him, for he cares for you. A sign of a humble man is one who can commit his life to the Lord and commit everything he has to the Lord.

Now you don’t do that to be saved, it’s because you are saved. People who say you’ve got to commit your life to Christ in order to be saved, that’s heresy. That’s terrible. No man does that to be saved. He said, what do you have to do to be saved? Well, you gotta come to this church, you gotta pay 50% inflation, dollar would not worth as much. And you gotta keep the 10 commandments and obey the golden rule and like the preacher.

Does that sound like heresy to you? Yeah, boy. But, you see, salvation is the gift of God. It’s not a horse. It’s not the result of how you live. People say, you know, he’s gone to his reward. He’s gone to his reward. Well, if he didn’t do anything for the Lord, he don’t have one. Heaven is not a reward that God gives to you because of, you know, you deserve to get there. No man has ever lived in such a way that deserved to go to heaven.

for example, if there was one person in this world who ever did live a perfect life, let’s say not count in Christ, let’s just pretend it was Peter Amato. Of all the people in the world that ever lived a perfect life and didn’t deserve to die, it was Peter and he did everything right, never sinned in all the rest of it we deserve to die. But if we could get a substitute for us, do you realize the price He could put up on Him giving us His righteousness?

Do you think He would do it if He could? Do you think He would? Do you think Peter would be willing to die and go to hell so that you and I could go to heaven, but only one of us? Of course, he likes me more than he likes you. So he would be able to accept my sins and I’d get to go to heaven and he dies in my place. But if he was that good, I’d venture to say he wouldn’t do it for me.

Because if I was the one that was perfect, I wouldn’t do it for him. When you stop and think, hell, eternity, fire for who? I don’t know you. I am so glad. Because, see, we would kill the guy, trying to get him to, It’s me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, we’d fight over this guy because we want him to put his, you know, he could die in my place. But it’s only one of them.

But aren’t you glad that there was somebody who did come into this world? Jesus Christ. He died on that cross and paid for all the sins of the whole world so that everybody can have eternal life and everybody can go to heaven. And God said that He would do that for us and give us as a free gift eternal life best news in all the world Anyway, I want you to turn in your Bible to the book of Malachi the book of Malachi We were talking about Malachi been a very interesting little book You know if it’s a a major prophet, it’s because The length of the book a minor prophet.

It’s just a small book. So it’s very easy to separate the minor from the majors. They all have important message. They’re all inspired of God. When you read the 15 chapter of the book of Romans, it makes a statement that all things were written a four time for our learning so that you and I could know the God of comfort, the God of all peace, the God of all hope. So we’re supposed to read and study the Old Testament because it’s to help us to learn, to know what God is like, what God does and doesn’t do, learning the ways of God.

So as you read the Old Testament stories, every story will teach you something about God, how God works in the lives of people, and also shows you from the experiences that the people go through, what God told them, what they did and the results, so that it will make you wiser. So that you don’t have to reinvent, you know, the automobile tire. We already got one. It keeps you from falling to the same pitfalls that others have fell into.

If you read the Bible, it would make you smarter. We call it in wiser. So that you don’t live your life and make the same dumb, idiotic mistakes everybody makes that doesn’t follow the Bible. Now nobody can make you learn the Bible, believe the Bible, follow the Bible. But as you read the Bible, two things that you will come to the conclusion of, and that is this. One, that God loves you, and two, He wants you to love Him.

Sounds simple that is? Now you know the Bible in a nutshell. God wants you to know He loves you, and He wants you to love Him. So as you read the Bible, God is showing from the scriptures how He loves us and why we should love Him. Now the Bible tells us that God is love and love has been manifested by Christ on the cross. So we know that we already have the greatest demonstration of love that can ever be.

But isn’t it true that experiences in life have taught us the question or to doubt God’s love? And that’s why so many people do. Look up here. Aren’t you glad that even though you said here and you listened to me and you may have seen this a thousand times, that there’s people watching on the Internet, all states all over the country, and you never know how far it’s going to reach. Even the message that I preached tonight, somebody could be recording it and showing it over and over again.

I preached a sermon one time about 20-something years ago. A guy was there with a video and he videotaped my sermon and I didn’t even know anything about it. Until years later, I saw him at a conference and I didn’t even recognize him and he told me, he says, you know that day that you preached that sermon and he told me where it was and when it was. And I said, yeah. He said, I videotaped that sermon. He says, you have been playing all over Russia, the Ukraine.

He says, because I’m a missionary and I’ve been going all these countries and I showed them your video. So how many people trust the Lord from the Lord? I don’t know. I know that the sermon that I preached in one night, Dr. Curtis Hudson, he sent me this nice little letter from the Sword of the Lord. He says, your sermon on the clarity of the gospel, there were 43 people who trusted Christ’s Savior in the month of August alone.

And that was six months after it had shown up in the paper. That’s just from people who responded. So you and I have no clue the amount of people that we actually will influence in our lifetime. Serving the Lord is influencing other people’s lives. And we want to make an eternal influence. We want people to trust Christ’s Savior. But this is the simplest way, the best way I have ever seen in my life. I told you this the other day, but let me just repeat it.

I told these two men. I said, I’m going to take and use an illustration on Sunday, but it only lasts about a minute and a half, two minutes. I said, I just want to know, can I practice on you guys? And all you have to do is just tell me if you can understand it. They said, well, sure, go ahead. They don’t know I’d do it every Sunday. And I did want to practice again. I said, this hand represents you and me.

This wallet represents sin. We all have sin on us. God loves us. But He hates what we do wrong. And the Bible says that the payment for sin is eternal separation from God in Hell. Since everybody sins, everybody is condemned. So no man can save himself. We can’t eliminate this from happening. We’re all going to die. To go to heaven, you have to be perfect as righteous as God. And none of us are perfect. None of us are righteous.

Now God is perfect and heaven is perfect, but we’re not. So because of this sins, we can’t get in. So the Bible says that we can’t save ourselves. The church can’t get a person to heaven. The pastor can’t help you get to heaven. Your good works won’t get you to heaven. Well then how can a man get to heaven? Well, this is a dead end. This hand represents Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. People hear about this, but they don’t put it together.

Christ came into the world. He had no sins, so he didn’t have to die. but because of his lap for us. And the hatred of sin because it separates us from God. The Bible says that Jesus Christ took all the sins of the whole world. Daught on the cross, came back from the dead, and said that if you and I, if we would believe he did it for us, he would put this payment to our account. And we get to go to heaven on what Jesus Christ did for us.

There’s no tricks to it, there’s no gimmicks. So here I am, I’m a sinner. I was 18 years old, and I heard that Jesus Christ died, paid for my sins, came back from the dead, and that if I would believe it, God would put that payment to my account, and I’d get to go to heaven. That made sense to me. So I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior. And God says that when I believed it, He gave to me the free gift of eternal life.

You see, He can’t give you eternal life. He can’t take His righteousness and put it to your account till after you’re dead. You must accept Christ’s death as your death. The new birth can’t take place until the first one dies. And so I literally didn’t die, but Christ died in my place. And that debt payment is put to my account as though I paid for it. And so I did that over 50 years ago. And what did God give to me that day?

That day, that very moment I believed it, He gave to me eternal life. Now, if He gave me eternal life, how long would it last forever? And if it lasts forever, and all my sins are paid, then where will I go when I die? The heaven. can I know that I’m going to heaven before I die?” Yes. I know that I have eternal life. I know that I’m going to heaven. It’s not because I’m good. It’s not because of any works that I’ve done.

It’s not because of any changes in my life. It’s not because I turn from any sin and stop being bad. It’s not because I committed anything to Christ and promise that I’m going to live good. No, there were no conditions to it. It’s a gift. It’s free. After I trusted Christ as my Savior and I knew I had eternal life and I know that I’m God’s child and I know I’m going to heaven I am. Serving God is a choice and I made up my mind.

I made a choice. You may have trusted Christ as your Savior, you have eternal life, but you may have chosen not to serve the Lord wholeheartedly. You know the Bible talks about people who serve the Lord with their whole heart and there are some people who will not. So that’s a choice that people make. I can’t answer for everybody. I can’t make anybody serve God. But you will serve the Lord according to the respect you have for Him, the love you have for Him.

And when you love Him, that love will cause you to start hating certain things that God hates. That’s the fear of the Lord. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the 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. 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. 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.