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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.

Take your Bible and turn to the book of Luke, the Gospel of Luke. Today’s message is not your typical sermon. I’ve got something that might throw your curve, might be a little bit difficult to follow, so you cannot go to sleep while I’m talking this morning. You usually do, but not today. Don’t go to sleep today. I want you to stay away and concentrate. In the book of Luke and chapter 8, look there in verse 40, so that you have an idea where I’m going.

I’m going to talk about the mark of the beast as it relates to the mark of the Lord. In the book of Revelation it talks about those that receive the mark of the beast, the number of his name, or his name or the form of government or whatever, it says that once you receive that mark, it’s all as you wrote. Then all those that do are cast into the lake of fire. And so it’s enough to scare a person to death when you read those scriptures over there in the book of Revelation.

But right now Luke chapter 8 and verse 14, and it came to pass that when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him, for they were all waiting for him. And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue, and he fell down at Jesus’ feet, and besought him that he would come into his house, for he had only one only daughter, about 12 years of age, and she lay a dime. But as he went, and the people thronged him, a woman have an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of him any.

Came behind him and touched the border of his garment, and immediately her issue of blood stonched. And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude thronged thee, and pressed thee and says, Thou Who touched me? And Jesus said, Somebody have touched me. I perceive that virtue has gone out of me. When the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling and falling down before him. She declared on him before all the people for what cause she had touched him and how she was healed immediately.

And he said unto her daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole. Go in peace. Now that whole portion of scripture is talking about two words, thy faith, thy faith. Whenever you try to decide if a person is a Christian or not, we might look for some qualifying marks. Well, a Christian will go to church and the Christian you know, read the Bible and the Christian doesn’t drink smoke, didn’t you? A Christian does and you have a whole list of things that you might try to say, now this is how we know that person is a real Christian.

But when you boil it all down, none of those are marks of the Christian. The only way you know a person is a believer in Christ is do they believe in Christ. Have they trusted Christ as their Savior? What do they believe? What is their faith? God is looking for one thing, faith. Do you believe? What he said? Do you believe? What he did? Do you believe? He that believeeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeeth not is condemned already because he have not believed.

Always goes back to faith. Either you’re a saint or you ain’t. You’re either… Lost or you found? There isn’t any other group of people either you’re saved or you’re not. You believe or you don’t believe. So you’re either a child of God or you’re not a child of God. There’s no in-between stuff. Well, I’m almost saved, but then you’re 100% lost. There’s no such thing as been almost saved. Well, he’s almost a Christian. Nobody’s almost a Christian. You’re saved that quick.

When you believe it you have it done deal now Take your Bible looking first Corinthians in chapter 6 the book of first Corinthians and chapter 6 as you read the Bible and study in it You find there’s some things that God will say and then he explains it The Word of God especially in the King James it will teach itself it will explain words It will explain thoughts.

God’s Word has got a built-in vocabulary where it teaches you what it means. There’s no other book like this book. It’s a very encouraging book. To know that you have in your hands a copy of God’s Word and know what it says. Oh look at verse 9. He says, no he not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. the unrighteous is the lost. That’s those who do not know the Lord. We call them they’re unrighteous. Now as you look at me I want you to understand I am a righteous man in the sense that I have trusted Christ as my Savior and God have declared me righteous.

Not by cause of any good deeds that I’ve done, not because I’m better than somebody else, but I am a sinner who accepted God’s pardon. I’m going to heaven know what he did for me. God says that I have been justified. So in the Word of God it will refer to those that are the just. How shall the just then live? The just shall live by faith. So the just are those who have been justified by the payment Christ made on the cross for them.

They believe it. You are unrighteous and then God has given to you His righteousness. So I am righteous in the sense that God gave me his cloak of righteousness, and I’m going to heaven because I have his righteousness given to me. So in God’s eyes, I’m righteous. That means I am good enough to go to heaven. I’m good to go. I have eternal life. And that was taken care of over 50 years ago. Now the Word of God tells us that the unrighteous, the lost, cannot inherit the kingdom of God.

Look what it says in verse 9, be not deceived. Then he begins to list all these things so that you will know what he’s referring to. These people that do these things can’t go to heaven. So, oh boy, how do we get there then? Well, look what it says. Be not deceived. Neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate abusers of themselves with mankind, homosexuals. God says all that and murders those who commit adultery. Ooh, this is getting heavy.

And then he says in verse 10, nor thieves. That’s if you ever stole anything. Cabbatus, desire something that’s not yours, nor drunkards. Ooh. Well I don’t get drunk. I just have a little social drink. And the more I drink the more sociable I get. No revilers, no extortioners shall inherit the king of God. So God now breaks it down of what that one word means. So sometimes people don’t know, well, God, I don’t know what you mean. God said, let me tell you what I mean.

Let me explain it to you. All the people that do these things, they can’t go to heaven. Who’s going to get to go? If all those people who do those those things represents everybody in the whole world, there won’t be nobody in heaven, some God. Because the Bible says everybody else has done them thing wrong. So if you’ve ever done any of those things, that means that okay, if you’ve ever lied and are stolen anything, okay, now you can’t go.

But you and I know that means if you stayed that way, you and I know that that’s why the ocean for nature, your first birth can’t go to heaven. That’s why we know that you had to be born again, because the first birth can’t go. Because that’s where we have all sinful nature. So God said, that one won’t work. Does that mean that if you’ve ever done that you can’t go to heaven then? Well then, who did he die for?

Why would he die for us if we can’t go? That he died only for the good folks. That’s never done all these bad things. So only the good people get to go to heaven and all those bad ones don’t get to go. How many good people have you ever met? That’s never lied. Never stole. Never coveted. So he uses the law to explain what a unrighteous manor is, so that we wouldn’t have any doubt. because sometimes we say, you know, everybody’s a sinner.

Well, of course. Well, I mean, I’ve never murdered anybody. I mean, I haven’t robbed the bank. I’m not as bad as. So I’m not as bad as that. So that doesn’t include me. And so there are people who actually think they’re good enough to go to heaven. But he says, not even a liar, a thief, ever. So now what are you going to do? Now look at the next verse. In verse 11 says, and such were some of you.

Ooh, well, you just said that they can’t go, now you say some of you. So you did do those things, and now you do get to go. How come you get to go then? Well, something happened. Something happened, that now makes it possible for you to go to heaven. Look what he says. Some of you were washed in verse 11. You’re washed. You are sanctified means to be made pure and holy. You are justified, declared righteous in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

In other words, because of somebody else. Somebody else made it possible for you to go. So no, you weren’t going to go and no, you You couldn’t go, but yes, you can go. If this one thing happens to you, if you trust Christ as your Savior, if you are what we call washed in the blood, it means that his life and his blood was shed so that I could be clean. He paid by his death and shed blood for my sin so that I could have eternal life and go to heaven when I write it.

So yes, I was not bad and no, I couldn’t save myself and no, I couldn’t go to heaven. But God stepped in and did something about it, because we couldn’t do anything about it. We couldn’t change ourselves, but God did. So God did a wonderful thing for me, and He did a wonderful thing for you. Now turning your Bible to the book of Romans in chapter 3, just turn back to you left a little bit, to the book of Romans in chapter 3.

the mark of a believer is his faith. Yes, we should serve the Lord. But the one thing that God looks for in every person is do you or do you not believe on Christ? If you don’t have that one distinguishing mark, you don’t get to go to heaven. You don’t get to go. Like all those people that that were around Jesus that day. And it says the crowd would press it up against Him. But one woman coming up and just touched the Him of His garment.

And she believed, if I can just but touch the Him of His garment, I will be healed. And Jesus says, who touched me? Jesus says, what do you mean, who touched you? Everybody’s touched you. He said, no, no, no, no. Only one person here has touched me. Who touched me? When she realized that he knew it was because of her faith. Thy faith hath made the whole. You see, there could be a lot of people in this room, but only a handful of you who have really believed on the Lord, really believe them.

And you’ve trusted them as your Savior. See, a lot of people are religious. They go to church, they play church. They don’t take it seriously. It’s just enough to keep God off their back. I’ll tip the Lord a little bit when the plate comes by, but nothing seriously. You don’t change your life. You just do whatever you wanna do, but you try to keep God off your back. But have you trusted Christ as your only hope of going to heaven?

Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. For by grace are you saved through faith? Do you believe or don’t you believe? Too kind to people in the world. Believers and unbelievers. Here in the book of Romans in looking verse 9, in verse 9, He makes the table, what then? Are we better than they? No, no and no wise. For we have before proved about Jews and Gentiles that they’re all understanding. What do you mean? What do you mean?

Well, there’s none righteous, okay? There’s none righteous. What do you mean? There’s none good. Well, what do you mean? What do you mean? They’ve all gone out of the way. Well, what do you mean? Well, look up here in Romans in chapter three and verse four. God forbid you let God be true, but every man, a what? Every man’s a liar. Now, you didn’t know I knew that much about you, did you? But I know something about you that you might not have known about yourself.

You are a liar. You are a thief. You are a thief. You do not love the Lord, die God with all my heart and mind, body, soul and strength. Now, I know that because God says He knows that about you and He told on you. So whenever you get down here and you read this, and He says in verse 10, there is none righteous, no not one, there’s none that seeketh after God. Verse 12, they’re all gone out of the way, they’re together becoming profitable, there’s none that doeth good, no not one.

Well, what do you mean? Well, let me explain to you your speech. You talked. He said, that’s not right. He said, it sounds, it smells like a grave. Your words. You blaspheme God, you curse God. What a man says. It’s not right. And a lot of people say things they should not say. Hurtful things they should not say. Mean ugly things they should not do. So you see, when God says, there’s none good, no, not what, this is what He’s talking about.

Your talk is all messed up. And then He says here in verse 14, whose mouth is full of curse and embedded feet or swift to shed blood. Where you go? The hatred you carry in your heart, the murderous feelings that you have. I’ll kill them if I get my hand on them. all the things that you know is wrong with what you say and what you do reveals, you must be one of those that are unrighteous. You must be one of those that are not good.

You must be one of those God calls in His Word a sinner. That’s you. How do you feel? Not now most people go to church because they want to feel good. I’m not doing a very good job, I know that. There are some preachers that they will make you feel good because they won’t talk about your sin. True, they don’t talk about sin because that makes people feel uncomfortable. I believe the preacher should comfort the afflicted and afflict the comforted.

Now as you go down here, it says in verse 18, there is no fear of God before their eyes. They have no respect for God. They do whatever they want to do. That’s why he says, you go your own way. Why do you go your own way? Because you don’t care what God wants. I’m not going God’s way because I want to go my way. So you have more respect for you than you do for God. That’s what we do.

We’re sheep. And it’s all over the world. We’re people and this is how we are. So God will say all these things to explain what he’s talking about. So that you don’t know, hey, he’s talking about you. Did you realize how easy it is for people to go to church? I said, boy, preach it, get him. Those people behind me really need this. That’s why I admire those people who said on the front row. Cause they know we’re always talking about somebody that’s behind them.

Galatians chapter five, go to Galatians and chapter five. Now I know that all of this doesn’t refer to you, does it? Some people never look in the mirror, this mirror, and see what God sees. And whenever you look in the Word of God, you’ll find out that what He sees, He don’t pay too much attention to the lipstick and if your hair’s combed. God’s looking at something else. He’s looking deeper. He’s looking into the heart of man. And what He sees, pretty ugly.

He says, the heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked. Ooh, who’s he talking about? You and me. And in spite of all of that, that’s a little sinful nature. We have God loves us. He loves us. So here in Galatians, I want you to look in verse 16, where he says, this I say to the walk in the spirit, you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Okay, question is, what do you mean? When I read the script of my way, what do you mean?

What do you mean? He explains what he means. This is why the Bible is such a unique book. God will state it, then he’ll tell you, this is what I mean, and explains it to you. What he means, see he could have said in verse 19, look in verse 19, now the works of the flesh, oh what’s the works of the flesh? Well that’s what he’s talking about up here, the lust of the flesh. The lust of the flesh is the desire.

The works of the flesh is what the desire produced. It’s how simple that is. And we all have sinful desires. And if you let those sinful desires go to fruition, well, let it off. You’re going to produce the works of the flesh. Well, what’s the works of the flesh? Well, I’m glad you asked. So then I explained that. See what it says there in verse 19? Adultery, for in occasion, and cleanest, lessiviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, various simulations, rafts, stripes, additions, heresies, heresies, murders, rittin’, revelings, such like.

Although it’s that day before, a day in times past, that they wishes to think so not in here to kingdom of God. See, it’s all right there. That’s the works of the flesh. Well, the works of the flesh that God says, if you’re walking the Spirit, you will not fulfill the lust of the… Now you’ll still have the lust, but you don’t have to fulfill them. But you’ll understand God will tell you what He’s talking about. And that they would do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

That’s the flesh. The flesh is not going to inherit the kingdom of God. So that’s why he says to you as a child of God, walk in the spirit, walk in the spirit. To see there’s a thing about to be saved, God’s looking for your faith. When we talk about service, God is looking for your love. And the love is going to produce the works, but you don’t do the works to be saved. And if you don’t do the works, it still means you’re saved, but you don’t have the love.

You’re not going to heaven because you love God. You’re going to heaven because God loved you. Isn’t it wonderful that after you trust the Christ to save you? Don’t you think you should now love the Lord and grow in your love and want to walk closer to the Lord? But you need to know where all of it’s coming from and what God’s trying to get us to see. When God goes through and explains what He means, He could have just said, Ah, if you’re walking the Spirit, you’ll have the fruit of the Spirit.

What do you mean? We’re looking in verse 22 and he’d tell you what he means. Aren’t you glad he went ahead and listed him? This is what I’m talking about. If you serve me and walk with me, this is what you’ll have, the fruit of the Spirit. Well, what’s that? Love, joy, peace, and goodness, and long suffering, and all these wonderful things. Nine of them mentioned here. That’s what you can have. So now you know what he’s talking about.

So God explains. And as you go through and you study this, you’ll find out that these simple little ways in which God teaches, he also does in other areas. Because you see God’s Word must teach us what God means. That’s why you don’t have to study all the commentaries of the world and listen to every preacher in the world. You got a book right here that can teach you what it means. And all scripture has to perfectly dovetail. It can’t contradict itself.

It’s an unusual book. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of Revelation chapter 21. Revelation and chapter 21. Revelation chapter 21 and look in verse 3. You see most of the scriptures you boil it down to, it’s talking about either saved or lost, believers, unbelievers, faith, no faith. So, and whenever you study the Scriptures always keep that in your mind and it’ll help you to understand the Bible. Now in Revelation in chapter 21, look in verse 3, now it already doesn’t start it off, it says, and I saw a new heaven that I knew coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And then he says here in verse 3, and I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people. God himself shall be with them and be their God. So God is going to have some people in heaven. So how did he get there? Anybody does eat bad things can’t go, but then heaven is going to be have a lot of people.

They got there because Jesus Christ went to the cross and paid for all of those sins. Yes, that’s the way I was and it might be the way I still am, but he still loved me and died and paid for my sin 2,000 years ago before I was born upon this earth. And I can go to heaven. Now, I’m saying all of this because I’m going somewhere. I’m leading you somewhere. You don’t know yet, but I’m going to show you in just a little bit.

So he makes a statement in verse four, God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. There shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away. Now this is what’s going to happen for those who have believed on the Lord. They have eternal life. They’re going to heaven when they die. And verse 5 says, and he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.

And he said unto me right for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, it is done. I am Alpha and Omega, beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. Now keep us in mind. He just said what it’s going to be like there, what there’s not going to be and what there will be. And then he makes the statement, he says, let him that is thirsty, take of the water of life and look at that next word, freely.

Salvation, getting there, is always free. It’s always free. Can’t be any other way. From the beginning of the Bible to the end of the Bible, man can only be saved one way. And that’s by faith in Christ. And a man goes to hell not because of all the little bad things that he does, because they’ve been paid for. He goes because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. So as you study the Bible, you know these two things.

No man gets to heaven except by faith in Christ. No man goes to hell except because of unbelief. So that’s why he says going all around, preach the gospel so that everybody can hear and believe. The reason for preaching it so they’ll believe it. And yet,,,,,,,, people may not believe it. Although the Bible says 379 this in Sunday school, a revelation chapter 17, it made the statement, for God hath put into their hearts, their desire is to come together and give their power unto the last beast upon this earth, this antichrist, the head of this last world government.

And then in the book of John in chapters 13, it makes a statement and then Satan put into the heart of Judas to betray the Son of God. So God can interject thoughts into a person’s mind. The devil can interject thoughts into a person’s mind. God can read a person’s mind, but the devil cannot. But you can either accept or reject those thoughts because you are not a robot. You cannot be just taken over and done against your will.

But God can lead you and the devil can lead you. can do the Lord, can do the Lord, can do the devil’s work. So you need to discern your thoughts whether or not are they of God or the devil. And many people do not know enough of the Word of God to discern which one it is. They think I just thought of that. Do you hear what I thought? Because somebody wants to lead you. If it leads you contrary to this book, if it leads you into something that’s ungodly.

It’s not of God. The Holy Spirit will never lead you contrary to the book. He is the Holy Spirit, not unholy Spirit. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part two of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free, 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. 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.