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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 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 by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

in your Bible to the book of Jeremiah, the book of Jeremiah. I want to talk to you a little bit about understanding the heart issue, understanding the heart issue. Everybody has a heart, at least I sure hope you do, but a lot of people have a little trouble with it. I’m not saying I understand all about it, but the heart in the scriptures is used in several ways. One refers to your old sinful nature and sometimes it refers to you, you know, the way you are.

And there’s time when it seems like, you know, the heart of man is a good thing. And then in other places, it’s like a bad thing. Well, you got to read the context and you put it in the context. It’s fine. No problem. One thing that caused a lot of problems years ago is we heard preacher that made the statement. Some people are going to miss heaven by 18 inches because they believe it in the head, but they don’t believe it in the heart.

So 18 inches you’re going to miss heaven by 18 inches because you didn’t believe it in the heart. You got to believe it in your heart. Well, I had trouble with that a little bit years later, but the first time was because Betty heard a preacher that said that and he sounded like he was serious about that that he literally meant that. So my wife says you know I believe it but I don’t know if my heart believes or not I don’t know if my heart believes it.

Well you got to believe it with your heart. Well how do you know if it’s your heart that’s believing it not you? So she couldn’t separate it too. So can it cause trouble? It can be very misleading and so anyway we got that taken care of. I was down here in Belgrade, Florida one year and I mentioned this to you before. Dr. Hank Lindstrom, back then it was just Hank Lindstrom. Nobody called him Doc or Pat. He was at Hank and my name was just Hank so we were Hank and Hank and we were in Belgrade, Florida and he asked me if I’d go up there with him to speak at this migrant camp.

So I, sure, I went. And a few of the other students from the college went up there. So we’re out passing out some flyers and inviting kids to come and so we’re to the meeting that night. So I saw these two little girls walking down the dirt road. And so I walked up to them, you know, I’m in college, I know everything. I mean, I know the Bible. I’m bold as a lion, and I walk up to two little victims.

I’m going to get them. They didn’t know I was going to get them. And I walked up to them and I said, are y’all going to heaven? I said, you want to go to heaven? Didn’t you say nothing? I said, well, you got to ask Jesus to come into your heart. You say you didn’t say that. Yes, I did. I said, you got to ask Jesus to come into your heart. And they looked at each other. I said, don’t you want to go to heaven?

I said, would you ask Jesus to come in your heart? I never had nobody said yes. I said, well, go ahead. Well, they didn’t know what to do. That ain’t nothing. They didn’t lie. I said, go ahead. So they bowed their head and glededed, and let’s head down on what they said. And then they looked up at me. I said, did you do it? I said, did he come in? He said, uh-huh. I said, how do you know? And one of the girls she grabbed her heart, I feel it right here.

I thought to myself, Yankee, you’re not very clear. I didn’t like this. I didn’t feel comfortable at all. I hadn’t even gave the gospel. I had said it. I just asked, will you, last Jesus to come in? Because see, I was mimicking, quoting what I’d heard so many people say. No, I had led people to the Lord using the Roman road and praying through on the sinner’s prayer, but that’s the first time I’ve ever done that. I heard it from somebody where I have no clue.

Anyway, I didn’t. like the results of it. So can it cause trouble? Yes, it can cause trouble. With the person who hears and with the person who tells. So there’s a lot of people who asked kids and teenagers, well, you asked Jesus to come into your heart and then you got to conclude, okay, how do you get him in? And then if you did, how do you know he’s there? I feel it right here. No, you can’t feel him because he’s a spirit.

Uh-oh, got a problem. So you try to figure out is there a better way to do things? There’s always a good way. It’s called the right way. The right way will work. The right message will work. All you have to do is believe it. But I want you to see here in book of Jeremiah, Jeremiah chapter 17. Jeremiah 17 looked there in verse 5. Thus saith the Lord, cursed be the man that trusted in man and make it flesh his arm or his strength, his power, what he’s leaning on trusting in and whose heart departed from the Lord.

Cursed be the man that put his confidence in man. In other In other words, you shouldn’t trust yourself to save yourself. Now, it can apply in many other areas, but at least you should not trust in yourself to save yourself because God said cursed be the man who put his confidence in man. People who go to church in order to go to heaven is under a curse because he’s trusting in his good works to get him to heaven. So he’s not under the blessing, he’s under a curse.

That’s why God says it’s not of works. Why? Because works of man is a curse. It’s not a blessing because all works are under the law. It’s what you can do, what you can perform. That’s a curse. Curse it as every man or every one that does not continually fulfill all the works of the law. Now look what else he says. And verse six, for he, that man, that man that trusts in some, he shall be like the heat in the desert, the heat in the desert, I should say heat the heat in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh.

Now the person who trusts in himself, trusts in the flesh, can’t see when good comes. But now something that’s totally opposite of this is the man who learns to trust right. Look there in verse eight. It follows that verse seven where it talks about blessed is the man that trusts it in the Lord. So you see there’s two ways of trust. You can trust yourself or you can trust the Lord. If you trust the Lord, you’re blessed. Means you get eternal life, you get to go to heaven, you die.

You tie that in with the book of Galatians in chapter three. But look what it says in verse eight. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters.” This is similar to the book of Psalms in chapter one. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters and that grinned out her roots by the river and shall get to not see when he’d comeeth. That means just the opposite of the person who trust in man.

He can’t see when good comes and the man who trusts in the Lord can’t see when the evil comes Because you see, you’re trusting in the Lord and that trust in the Lord helps you to see better. And you think on positive things, the other things on negative things. It affects how you see life. And some people, all they focus upon is they’re a pessimist. They can’t do anything. They’re always negative and always down. And a person who learns to trust the Lord is positive, wants to go out on on the limb, try, listen, you take for example, I am willing to run risk.

I am what they call a risk taker. If you say it, Yankee, you can’t jump over that cliff. I might try it 20 years ago. But you don’t double dog dare me on something because I’m going to try it then. You don’t tell me what I can’t do because then I’m going to try to show you that I can do it. I don’t mind going out on the limb and was the camp or a radio broadcast or ranch or any of the ministry.

I just do it because, see, when you get to where you trust the Lord, you just want to give God another chance to do something big. And God can’t do something if somebody doesn’t try something. He can’t get me out of something if I never get in anything. Therefore I don’t mind God boxing me in and lead me into dead ends and detours and dry holes because I know that God’s going to get me out somehow. Because He promises so many things.

Look at verse 9, the heart, the heart is deceitful above all things, desperately wicked and who can know it? In other words, who can understand? Why man does what he does, thinks the way that he does. There is a way that seems right unto a man, but the ender of are the ways of death. No, but it seems right because you use all your wisdom, all your logic, all your reason in power, but it’s just it’s just still wrong.

And that’s why you go, got to go according to the Bible and what God says. Now look there in verse 10. Verse 10 says, I the Lord search the heart. I try the range. In other words, God’s the one that sees and reveals to us what’s guiding us, what controls us, what’s leading you. You know, when you put the bits in a horse’s mouth and you can steer that horse, well God says he tries to range. He wants to see how sensitive are you to his control.

And this is sometimes things that people don’t understand that God is always testing you. And are you hard for him to maneuver around? Are you always arguing with God? Are you very easy and sensitive with God? And God can just whisper in your ear. With a soft word or does God have to get your attention every time with a two before because you won’t listen? Now you’re the one that decides whether or not will I will I not be sensitive or teachable pliable in the hands of God Now I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Ephesians in chapter 3 The book of Ephesians chapter 3 Now you’ll notice in the book of Ephesians chapter 3 there is a verse here that talks about Christ dwelling in your hearts and so forth, but look in verse 16, verse 16, that he would grant you according to the

riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. So you got to admit the Bible says that Christ dwells in your heart. Well, what’s wrong with asking Jesus to come into my heart? But what? This is not talking about salvation. You see, this is talking about those who have already trusted Christ as Savior and dwelling in your heart is dwelling in your mind so that God can control your life.

Remember, he says it, and be not conformed to this world, but be you transform by the renewing of your mind. So this is what you think with, that little brain up there. And so the inner part of the man himself, whatever you want to say, this is me. God wants to indwell you and control you. Now he may live in you because you trusted Christ a Savior, but He has no control of you. In the words, mom and dad may have a little boy, but that don’t mean you can control that boy.

Now, he’s in the family, but you may not have control. I know a lot of parents who’ve had a lot of teenagers and have absolutely no control over them. In other words, most teenagers are raising their parents. They tell them what they’re going to do. That’s not the way it’s supposed to be. But he makes a statement that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye, you’re already saved. So this is not talking about how to be saved.

Being rooted in ground and in love may be able to comprehend or to understand all the things and so forth that God wants you to know and to do. So yes, there’s verses in the Bible talks about Christ dwelling in your hearts by faith. But we’re talking hear about how he’s living within you. He’s dwelling with you, you in him, he and you, and without him you can do nothing but he’s talking to those who are saved and not to those who are lost on how to be saved.

There’s no verse in the Bible that says, ask Jesus to come into your heart in order to be saved. Now it’s a wonderful little statement, but it just doesn’t have any foundation to it. It is not clear. And it’s very difficult to explain to little children because we had in Colorado in our youth meeting, the little kids were sitting down in the front row and just crying his eyes out. And the reason because somebody made the statement, you know, these wonderful little children workers and told the little kids that they had to ask Jesus to come in the heart, but he can’t come in unless you undo the latch.

And the latch is on the inside, so you have to undo the latch so you can Let Jesus in. Now don’t that sound just wonderful. And the little kid was crying. Finally talked to him. He didn’t know how to undo the lock. The door was locked on the inside and he didn’t know how to undo the lock. Well, that’s not what I really meant. Then don’t say it. Say what you really mean. Don’t give a kid something they have to try to figure out.

What do you mean by that? Whenever you tell somebody you’re going to miss heaven by 18 inches. Really? That’s not the truth. That’s the way. lie. This thing down here, it pumps blood. Now, a lot of times people when they get scared, the heart beats, or they feel love and the blood flows. Yes. Oh, panellopey. Oh, panellopey. Yes, your heart beats. And that’s because of your mind controlling how you’re thinking and that affects everything else. Like I told you one day, I’ll never mind up.

I have to be careful around y’all. This boy kisses his girl. She got chills up from down in her back and his pop circle was dripping. Oh well. Deuteronomy chapter six, turn all the way over to Deuteronomy chapter six. Deuteronomy chapter six. And look there in verse five. Deuteronomy chapter six and verse five. It makes a statement. Verse four, first of all, says, here O Israel, the Lord Jehovah, our God, El Hymn is one, Adonoy. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all vine heart and with all my soul, with all my might.

And they said, Yay, we will do that. Well, they didn’t do that. How do you know you really love the Lord thy God with all my heart, mind, body, soul, and strength? How do you know when you obey the law perfectly? Okay, how you doing? Nobody ever did for 15 years, 15 years, 1500 years. First mistake of a remade. But does God want us to love them with all our hearts? Well all of your being, it’s not very romantic to say I love you with all my mind.

It just sounds more romantic, I love you with all my heart. Yes, now the girls or toenails will curl up and all kind of stuff. But you’ve got to be right. Something just don’t sound romantic. But anyway, take your Bible and turn to the book of Psalms 119. 119 Psalm. Psalms 119. Now there’s a lot of interesting verses in 119 Psalm. There’s more than two or three, but quite a few. But in the one we just looked at in Deuteronomy, that they’re supposed to love the Lord.

Lord thy God with all thy heart and so on.” Well, they didn’t and they can’t and they won’t. And you have to admit total bankruptcy. I can’t do what the law requires. And so I trust Christ as my Savior. That’s the only way because you cannot perform and live the way God wants you to live out a new birth. It’s totally impossible. That’s why you need a new birth. But here in 119 Psalm, look there in verse 11, thy word have I hid in mine heart.

I hid it in my heart. When you start memorizing scripture, it’s probably going into your computer up here, into your mind. I put God’s word in my mind. Now if you think it’s down here, one of the problems I used to have with the kids, and they would always ask the question, what if Jesus is in my heart? Jesus is in my heart. And then what if you have a heart transplant? And you have a heart transplant and somebody who didn’t have Jesus in their heart, and they gave you the heart of an unbeliever.

And they just took your heart out that goes, Jesus, in comes zero. And what if you died right after Jesus has gone? Now what happens to you? You got a problem? So… I’m glad that I don’t have to get into all of that stuff, you know. It just complicates things. You just know that I believe it. The heart sometimes reaches for, it’s me. I believe it. Now, I don’t care where God put that little brain of mine. You’re going to put it in my toe.

I don’t care where it’s at. But I believe. I was, I’d been over the other day. I was going to see if I could, no, tie my shoe. You know, Betty can spend all the way over and stand up and tie her shoe. Now, if God’s one of the man to do it, he’d have put my feet on my knee. It is a long way down there. And I get a creak in my… No worries, you that are older in here, you kind of get the idea.

But I don’t know where everything is. Christ is living in me. The Holy Spirit is living in me. Now where He wants to roam, I don’t care. If He wants to spend one day in this room, or this room, or that room, or that room, or in here or up there, I don’t care. He’s in me. And how much room He’s got to run around it, I don’t care. Christ is in me, the hope of glory. And I know it and I believe it.

And I don’t try to get it so complicated that it becomes a bog to my mind. I know this, he says, I want to hide God’s word in my heart that I might not sin against thee. And the Holy Spirit bringing things to your remembrance because it was been put into your mind. So we study the Word of God so we can put the Word of God up here. The Holy Spirit uses the Word that’s stored up in the brain, in the mind.

And they said that most of us never use 90% of our brain. Well, that’s the part I got from my new birth then. I don’t really know and don’t care. But it’s not wise to try to get a lost person to ask Jesus to come into the heart because now you got to find out, okay, now how do you know when he did? And what verses would you use to verify it? So you’ve got automatic problems. Look in Psalms 44.

Psalms 44 has turned to you left a few pages there. Psalms 44 and looking in verse 21, you ought to underline this verse. He says, shall not God search this out? For he knoweth the secrets of the heart. God knows how you think, knows how you feel. Knows what you know, knows what you don’t know. Knows what you’re hiding, knows what you’ve done, haven’t done. God knows everything. John chapter 2 when he was talking about Christ and the temple and so forth, he knew what was in man.

Wouldn’t you like to be able to read people’s thoughts? I wouldn’t mind reading people’s thoughts. I just don’t want them to read in mine. But God can. As you said here right now, do you really understand? Can you grasp the God knows what you’re thinking? God knows what you’re thinking. Isn’t that scary? He knows. And does he know if you’re trusting him or not? Does he know if you’re really worried or not? I’m just trusting the Lord. God says you are not.

You can’t fool him. You can’t lie to him. But God knows the heart of man. Knows everything about us. Look in Psalms 34. Just turn back 10 saw chapters there. Psalms 34. And look in verse 18. Psalms 34 and look in verse 18. There’s two verses here I want you to look at. But verse 18 says, the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart. A broken heart. Now in the book of Psalms 51 and around verse 17 it talks about David praying to the Lord because a broken heart, a contrite heart, God will not despise.

It’s talking about a person who has humbled himself before God. It’s the humility that you have between you and God. God hates pride and a person who exalts himself, God will humble you. But if you humble yourself, God will exalt you. So keep that in mind. And look in verse 19. Many are the afflictions of the righteous. But the Lord delivered them out of most of them. You know, that’s enough to scare the deficit, said that. But it isn’t a great consolation of that He delivered them out of them all.

Because see, God knows your thoughts. God knows how you’re thinking. God knows what you’re going through. God knows what you face. God knows what I’m facing. And He says that we can look to Him and He will deliver us out of them all. out of them all. So that’s why you don’t have to worry about what’s coming down the road because God’s going to deliver you out of all of them anyway. And the man who trusts the Lord doesn’t see all the evil, as it says in Jeremiah 17.

But if you’re not really trusts the Lord, all you see is the problems and they scare you to death. And the fear produces torment and a lot of people are tortured, but they do it to themselves. Take your Bible And look in Proverbs 17, since we’re so close here to Psalms. Proverbs 17. And look there in verse 21, first of all, he that begateth a fool, doeth it to his sorrow and the father of a fool hath no joy.

That’s why we as parents don’t like for our children to be fools, because it doesn’t bring you any joy. But look what in verse 22, a merry heart doeth good like medicine, a merry heart, doeth good like medicine, but a broken spirit drath the bones. Did you know that I’ve had people say that when they come to Calvary and we’re all standing and we’re all singing And then he says, greet one another and 50 to 100 people are moving all over the place.

Now there are always, you know, some people they just stand there and wait until you come to them and shake your hand. But then there’s others who get out of their seat and go meet somebody and then sometimes they’re scared to death but they do it. But by being friendly and with a smile and walking up to somebody saying, how do you do? Glad to see you shaking their hand. You know, at least it makes a person feel welcome, warm, that’s good, glad to see them.

Or you walk up somebody, hi, you’re here again. What’d you come for? A merry heart is not only good medicine for you, it’s good medicine for somebody else. 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 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 by the line and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing tool free 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bibleline programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the radio broadcast link. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30, and at six o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.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, and 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.