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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.

your Bible turn to the book of Hebrews, the book of Hebrews. Let me show you one of the greatest verses in the Bible on what you and I are supposed to do in this life at this time. One verse, what a verse. And it seems like it’s a negative verse, but really it’s a positive verse. Hebrews 8, look in verse 11, verse 11. It says, and they shall not teach every man his neighbor. And every man his brother saying, know the Lord.

Isn’t that what we do today? That’s the greatest message in all the world is to teach every man his brother, every man his neighbor. Do you know the Lord? Do you know the Lord? Know in the Lord, we call that salvation. And yet he says there’s, they shall not teach every man his neighbor. And every man his brother say and know the Lord. And here’s why, for they all shall what? They shall all know me from the least to the greatest.

A time coming when everybody will know the Lord. So since that time is in here, what must be the greatest thing we could do then? To tell people, our brother, our neighbor, do you know the Lord? You see, that’s what we’re doing is trying to let people know the Lord. And we get a little bit here and a little bit there. And they all add up. And you never know when a person is going to trust the Lord. So we just keep sowing the seed.

in the seed. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of John chapter 17, the Gospel of John chapter 17. John 17, and look there in verse 1, verse 1, not everyone knows the Lord. There’s a lot of people who just don’t know. There was a time in my life that I did not know the Lord. But I’m glad that a guy came by and my father-in-law told me about the Lord. That was 50 years ago. Here in the book of John 4, 17 in verse 1, he says, these words speak Jesus, lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the The hours come, glorified thy son, that thy son also may glorify thee.

As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is eternal life, or life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. You see, to know God is to know Christ. To know Christ is to have eternal life. So to know God is to have eternal life. So when we talk about do you know the Lord, we mean do you have eternal life.

It’s not not do you just know about God. Do you know God? I am glad that I know God. Now you may know the president of the United States or the mayor of Tampa. I know God. So there. And if you know Christ as your Savior, you know God. Now, there’s a lot of things we may not know in this whole world, but we know the greatest thing any man could ever know. That is to know the Lord. Now look at the next verse, verse four.

He said, I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished the work which Stav gave us me to do. Now you and I, well we’re still here on the earth. We haven’t left yet. So while we’re here we’re supposed to glorify the Lord till we finish our job, until God is through with us. And as long as you have a pulse and you… God, air, you’ve got a purpose in living. So we’re to let people know what God has done for us.

Now take your Bible and turn to the book of Mark chapter 9. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, the book of Mark and chapter 9. There’s things that will happen in our life where we really don’t catch it. I want you to see that we’re not alone. That happened with quite a few. Here in the book of Mark and chapter 9, I want you to look there in verse 6. Verse 6 he says, for he wished not what to say. He didn’t know what to say.

Well, what did it happen? How come he didn’t know what to say? I mean, we’re talking about the apostle Peter. Did you ever know Peter not to know what to say? Oh, he would say things, but it wasn’t what he should have said. He was always putting his foot in his mouth. In verse one, and he said unto them, Verily, I say unto you that there be some of them that stand here which have not tasted them, shall not taste of death till they have seen kingdom of God come with power.

Six days later, Jesus taken with him Peter, James, and John, leading them up into a high mountain apart from themselves, and he was transfigured before them, and his raiment became shining, exceeding white snow, so as no fuller on earth can white them. They appeared into them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. Would you have loved to have been there, to be on that mountain and seeRAFT Moses and Elijah and Jesus, all three of them there. What would you say?

Hello, boys! Hey, glad to see you! Do you know who I am? What would you have said? What a moment! Well, that was a problem that Peter had. And in verse 5 it says, and Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tabernacles, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah. Wasn’t that a wonderful thing? We’re gonna make three tabernacles for y’all. Now that might have sounded nice, but I think he said the wrong thing.

I don’t think he really thought through by what he was saying. So there, all of a sudden there was this, a voice from out of heaven. And it says in verse six, for he wished not what to say. They were all afraid. And there was a cloud that overshadowed them and a voice came out of the cloud saying, this is my beloved son. Hear him. Not Moses, not Elijah, but my son. And suddenly when they had looked around about, they saw no man anymore, saved Jesus only with themselves.

Isn’t that something that Jesus could have Moses and Elijah, all of a sudden, they appeared and they disappeared. And they were there and had no clue how they got there, how they left. You know, later on he talks about this in the book of Peter where he says that, a more sure word of prophecy, he says, we saw them on the Mount. We saw them, we heard them, he said, but the Word of God itself There’s a more sure word of prophecy.

Because you can read the word of God over and over and over again and not have to rely upon one time experience of what you saw or what you heard, but to know the word of God. And then they asked them questions. They had a few other doubts. And suddenly they didn’t see it anymore in verse 9. And as they came down from the mountain, I guess you could say they had what they call a mountaintop experience. But sometimes you have to get off the mountain and you’ve got to live down in the valley.

But you know, if it wasn’t for the mountains, that wouldn’t be valleys. So sometimes there’s mountain peaks in our lives. And then sometimes there’s valleys we have to go through. Remember Davis, yea, though I walk for the valley of the shadow of death. So he says here in verse 9, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen till the son of man were risen from the dead. And they kept that saying within themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.

They didn’t get that. They didn’t understand that. You see, there’s a lot of things the disciples just didn’t know, didn’t understand. And so he says in verse 11, and they ask him, saying, why say the scribe that Elijah must first come? He answered and told them Elijah would come first and restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he must suffer at many things and be said it not? But I say unto you that Elijah is indeed come.

And they have done unto him whatsoever they listen as it is written of him. He said, now, if you had, or they had accepted Jesus Christ as the Messiah, John the Baptist would have been Elijah because he came in the spirit of Elijah. But according to Malachi, we know that Elijah is supposed to come before that great nullable day of the Lord before he comes back. So that means that Elijah is yet to come. I believe Elijah is going to come back.

I believe Elijah is coming back here before Christ comes at the end of the tribulation period. That’s why many believe that there’s a possibility that one of those two witnesses will probably wind up being Elijah. There’s a good possibility the other one just might be Moses. Good possibility. But I do believe that he’s coming. But the disciples at the time they were here and living their lives, they didn’t see everything. They didn’t understand everything. Did you know it wasn’t until after the resurrection of Christ that they recalled many of the things that he said, many of the things that he’s done, as you and I live our life, you’ll hear scriptures, and you’ll memorize verses, and you’ll pray prayers.

And some things you’ll understand, but there’s gonna be a lot of things in the Christian life. You’re not gonna get. You’re not gonna understand. It’s not gonna make a lot of sense. A lot of things are gonna really try your faith, and you’re not gonna understand it all. Look in Mark chapter 14, just a couple pages to your right, Mark chapter 14. And the Bible here makes a little bit of the same kind of a statement. And I want you to start there in verse 39, just starting verse 39, Mark chapter 14.

Because you see, Christ was having, it is, I guess you say, a bad day. It seemed like everything was going wrong. Well, he knew what was going to happen, but it was pretty rough on them. And he had taken his disciples to the garden of Gethsemane. And he says, would you guys, would y’all pray for me? Would you pray for me? Oh, let’s just start up in verse 32. And they came to a place which was called Gethsemane. He said to his disciples, said to you here, while I shall pray.

He take it with him, Peter, James, and John, and begin to be so amazing to be very heavy. And says unto them, my soul is exceeding sorrowful on the death. Tear you here and watch. And he went forward a little and fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible, that our might pass from him. And he says, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee. Take away this cup from me, nevertheless not what I will, but what I will.

And he cometh and findeth them sleeping and said unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? Couldest thou not watch one hour? Didn’t Peter understand what Jesus had said? for me. He said, would you just watch? Couldn’t you stay awake one hour? I guess he was tired. I guess he was sleepy. Maybe he just couldn’t take it anymore. He just physically give out. You know the Bible does say that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, but this is where it happened.

You see there, he says in verse 38, watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. Maybe you want to, but you lack the power of the strength to do it. So in verse 39 he says, and again he went away and prayed and spanked the same words. When he returned he found them asleep again, sleeping again. See, you don’t always understand the importance of it. They probably were not aware of exactly what was going to happen to that.

See, they didn’t know. They didn’t know that that very night was going to be his last night. That they weren’t going to see him ever again. Not like this. And he only had this one request. Do you feel like they probably thought about this later on? You think later on they let they recall this and recall how they failed him and they let them down. When somebody asks you for help and you can, do you do it or you just let them down?

There’s people that sometimes they hurt and they need somebody just sometimes to just to be a friend. Just knowing that you’re there that you really care about them. But look what happened. In the last part of verse 40, neither and you’re on the line. Whist they want to answer. They didn’t know how to answer Well, maybe they didn’t know how to, they messed up again. Verse 41, and he cometh the third time instead of them sleep on now. Take your rest.

Go ahead and sleep. Take your rest. It is enough the hour has come. Behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise up, let us go. Lo, he let betray me is at hand. is at hand. Did you know that right after this, because maybe they didn’t pray like they should have, at the hour that he needed them, do you realize what they had said? Look down there in verse 50. You ought to on the line verse 50.

And they all forsook him and fled. You know, they might not have done that if they had a prayed. He says, lest you be tempted, remember? Lest you be tempted? They were tempted, and they failed. Peter winds up denying him. Yet he had just said, though all forsake you, I will not. And then he denies him three times. You see we don’t understand how How strong our flesh is How weak we can be spiritually? We can think we’re doing fine and you know you can fall just so easy so quickly Temptation can become very very strong Take your Bible and turn there to the book of Luke Luke chapter 2 Luke chapter 2 And look at something here I think is very important.

It’s about Jesus when he was a young boy. He says in Luke chapter 2, look in verse 39, and when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee to their own city of Nazareth. Now this is about Mary and Joseph. Verse 40, look what it says, you ought to underline this verse, it’s very good. The child grew, waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

We’re talking about Jesus when he was a child. God was watching over this boy. This was a special boy. In order to protect him, God even sinned them all the way down into, what was the name of that place? Egypt. That was a nice safe place to go. You know, kind of like it is today. Oh well, I’m not sure it would be a good place for a little Jewish boy to go today. But look what he says in verse 41.

Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. When he was 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the Feast. they had fulfilled the days as they returned, the child Jesus tearing behind in Jerusalem. Joseph and his mother didn’t know it. Because, you know, I guess they probably went with a lot of people and a lot of families go up there to pass over. And just as soon he was with the crowd as they were coming back.

And mom and dad, he never checked to see where their 12-year-old boy was. You know, it’s a long way home. It’s a long way home. And when they, in verse 43, when they had fulfilled the days as they returned the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem. Joseph and his mother knew a nut, but they, supposing him to have been in the company when a day’s journey. And they sought him among their kinfolk and acquaintance. When they found him not, they returned back again to Jerusalem seeking Him.

It came to pass that after three days, three days, twelve-year-old boys, good-missing. That ought to call them to have, what is it, an amber alert? Oh, whatever it is. I mean, check all the camels coming out of town. They’re my kid, not my child. They found Him in the temple sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions. Here’s a 12 yearortment, sitting there in the temple asking questions and getting verse 47 and all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

This was no normal 12 year old boy. When the doctors are astonished and at his understanding and his wisdom 12 years of age. I believe that Jesus knew who he was. He knew why he was here. But in that body he has to learn things as a man. He grew as a man. He learned wisdom and the Bible makes this statement down in verse 52. Jesus increased in wisdom. That’s mentally. Statute, physically, in favor with God, spiritually, and man socially.

So Jesus was really an unusual child. But now go back here just for a second. In verse 48, you’ll see that Jesus at 12 years of old could understand things that Mommy and Daddy, Daddy supposedly should have understood. And they wanted to know, why did you do this to us? And he says they’re in verse 48, and when they saw him, they were amazed. And his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.

Sorrowing. Look what you did to us. Was Jesus a disobedient child? Could Jesus do anything wrong? He has to be an obedient. He has to be a perfect child. He could not fail. But he knew that they should have known, don’t you know who I am? Don’t you know who I am? So he says, he said unto them, how is it that you sought me? Wist ye not? Or don’t you perceive? Don’t you know? Don’t you understand that I must be about my father’s business?

Well wasn’t his father a carpenter? It depends on what father you’re talking about, doesn’t it? You see, he had another father. And he says, I must be about my father’s business, even at 12 years of age. Do you believe that kids can know the Lord when they’re young? That children ought to be taught to know the Lord while they’re young? I believe that’s why Sunday school is important. And Awana is important, Ranch is important, because I believe that’s where you help mow their minds at such an early age.

They can make a difference all the rest of their life. But it says, wish ye not, I must be about my father’s business. And get verse 50, and they understood not the saying which he spake unto them, shouldn’t They have known. Shouldn’t Mary have known? Didn’t Joseph, hadn’t he been told? Didn’t Mary know that that holy thing inside of her was the Son of God? She was told. Yet the Bible says she pondered these things in her heart. She wondered about certain things, amazed at other things, and yet it’s happening to them in their own family.

Do you realize that even Jesus’ own brothers didn’t understand who he was? I mean, if there had been a brother in your family that seemed like he was so spiritual, never did anything wrong, Wouldn’t it have raised a flag of some kind? Wouldn’t you have known it? But you know we’re so blind that sometimes we can’t see. We don’t understand. And as you and I live our life, if they don’t, and they didn’t, with all the knowledge that they were given, you and I, we’re gonna mess up too.

We’re not gonna understand everything. There’s gonna be something, you’re not gonna understand me. And I know that’s hard for you to understand. But you’re going to love me to death as long as I say and do everything like you think I should do it. But what if I cross you? What if I cross you? You know, we can be buddy, buddy, friendie, friendie, and all the rest of it until I break your heart on something and that preach. I knew he was no good when he came here.

I knew we should have never got him. I knew that. I knew he was no good. I knew he wasn’t worth the quarter. John chapter 5, the Gospel of John in chapter 5. John chapter 5, I want you to look there in verse 13. Verse 13, not everybody sees and understands all the same things, but there’s a scripture here that says in he that was healed, wish not who it was. For Jesus had conveyed himself away a multitude been in that place.

Now this man had only been all laid up for about 38 years. And every time that he got ready to get into the water that was troubled, it says an angel would trouble the water. And if whoever first went in the water would get healed. Or it’s in the book, so it must be true. So he’s laying there and Jesus comes by and says, what do you want? I want to be made whole. He said, but every time I get ready to get in the water, he says, somebody always beats me.

Somebody always gets there before me. Now, you know, there might be the possibility that he was there because of something that he may have done. Now, there’s other scriptures that talk about it wasn’t because of anything they’d done, but that the Son of God could be glorified like the blind man. It doesn’t say that about this guy, or the purpose of his infirmity. But after he had been healed, Jesus did say to him, sin no more or less a worse thing come upon you, like it was a warning.

And that’s mentioned down there in verse 14. But he didn’t understand who he was. So later on after he had been healed, Jesus saw him in the temple. I wonder what he was doing there. You know what’s good is when When people do trust Christ as Savior and they fall in love with the Lord, I believe they ought to go to church. That would be called the half too, but they ought to just be something that kind of motivates a person to want to learn more about the Lord.

You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tappa, 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 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. 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 6 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.