This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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.

Good to have you here. Turn in your Bible to the book of John chapter 3. John chapter 3. We often hear about the love of God. How wonderful God is and there’s nothing wrong with that. Some people don’t even want to talk about anything negative. Talk about sin that upsets people. Or you can talk about sin as long as you don’t name anything. It’s okay if you name somebody else’s sin, but just don’t name mine. Here in John chapter 3, look there in verse 14, and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.

Some people wonder whether or not was the gospel given at the beginning of the ministry of Jesus Christ. it was just at the end of his life and he gave the clear gospel. But John 3, 16 and John 3, 14, we just read, and did you know this is at the beginning of his ministry. And it was also given when he was using terminology about you have to be perfect to go to heaven. If you hear only that part, yes, heaven is a perfect place.

God is perfect. So to go to heaven you’ve got to be perfect and you’d have to keep the law perfectly but if I stopped right there it would leave you totally hopeless but but God he made it possible so that us imperfect people a sinful people could go to heaven so here in the gospel of John when he makes a statement there even so must that word must you ought to underline because must the Son of man be lifted up Without it, there is no salvation unless the Son of God was lifted up.

And being lifted up is a reference to him being crucified on the cross. It mentions that later on in John chapter 12. But look what he says there in verse 4 of 15. That whosoever believe it then him should not perish but have eternal life. So the reason for it and he has to be lifted up is so that we could have eternal life and then puts the whole gospel in a nutshell in John 3 16. Look what he says, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, gave his only big gotten son.

So you see, God so loved the world that he gave. And this is in John 3 16 and it’s referring to God giving his son not just that he came into the world, but there’s more to it than that. He gave his son so that we could have eternal life. What does he mean he gave him? We know from the study of the Word of God that he has to be lifted up on a Paul and die a terrible death for the sins of the whole world.

And then he makes his statement that, whosoever, open invitation to anyone, whosoever, anywhere, anybody, believe it in him. If you’ll believe that he was lifted up and God gave him for you, you can have as a free gift everlasting life. And it says, and you should not perish but have everlasting life and then look there now in verse 17. For God sent not his Son into the world to live a nice wonderful life so that we could have a good example to follow.

No, it didn’t stop there. He did not come to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. How can God save the world? How can He save anybody? You can’t be saved unless He came to pay for your sins. God gave Him for you as a substitute. And then look in verse 18. He that believeth on Him is not condemned, but He that believeth not is condemned already because He hath not believed in the name of the only begot.

Son of God. He that believeth on Him not condemned. Alright, that will refer to me. I believe on Jesus Christ that He died on that cross. God gave Him for me to pay for my sins. I believe it. According to the Word of God, I am saved. I have eternal life. I will not perish. That’s a promise from God. And He says, those that do not believe it. Look what he says. But he that believeth not is condemned already.

He doesn’t wait to be condemned. See everyone in the world is already condemned. You’re just waiting for the day of execution. That’s why if you do not believe on Jesus Christ, in other words, you don’t believe that God gave the Son for you in your place, then you are condemned already. You’re not waiting to be condemned at some judgment in the future and you’ll find that whether you were good enough or bad enough, no, you’re already condemned. Already. And he says, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God, should there be a great consequence for those who refuse to believe that God loves them?

Well, You’ll find out that not only does God love you, but that God hates sin. And that the death of Christ on the cross reveals not only the love that God has for us, that He loves us so much. But it also reveals the wrath that God has against sin. Look there in verse 36. Verse 36 says, He that believeth on the Son hath, present tense, hath right now, hath everlasting life. And he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him.

So here you are and you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior. According to the word of God, you are already condemned and the wrath of God abides on you. And one of these days, the wrath of God will fall and you’ll be eternally separated from God. So there is a great promise of great expectation for those who trust the Lord and you can know now that you have eternal life and know that you’re going to heaven when you die.

And if you don’t trust Christ as your Savior because nobody can make you believe anything, then the wrath of God abides upon you. Take your Bible and turn with me to the book of 2 Thessalonians. 2 Thessalonians. And there’s a verse there that I want you to see. 2 Thessalonians chapter 1. 2 Thessalonians chapter 1. And look there in verse 7. In verse 7. You need to understand that not only is there the love of God, but it was the love of God that cause Him to accept the wrath of the Father.

Jesus take the wrath that you and I should have received. Look what He says in verse 7, and to you who are troubled rest with us. When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels. You see that talking about Jesus Christ coming back again and being revealed and in power and great glory, that’s at the end of the tribulation period. So where are we right now? Well, we’re right here. This is what’s happening next. It’s called the Rapture.

It’s when Christ comes in the air for His saints and takes us to heaven. Then there will be seven years upon the earth that are the worst part of time that the world has ever known. When Christ is coming back at the end of this period of time, and He will be revealed in power and great glory, and they will see Him coming. And the Bible says, and with His mighty angels coming back with Him, well what’s He going to do here?

See, he came here for us. And took us to heaven. All the people who rejected him as Savior will still be upon the earth. And then Christ is going to come back in power and great glory because you see he’s going to deliver his wrath upon the earth. Look in verse 8, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God. Did you know as you studied the book of Jeremiah and places throughout the book of Ezekiel, you’ll find verses talking about that they may know me, that they may know me, that they may know me because God wants everybody to know Him.

And so his love is so that you will know Him and his wrath is revealed so that you may know Him. And God is going to chase in individuals, he chases families, he chases Because churches, he chases nations, nobody can live any way they want and get away with it. As an individual, as a family, you can’t live any way you want and get away with it. Impossible. Consequences. There’s a God that you make mad. You don’t want to make God mad because you don’t know how he’s going to deal, but understand that he will.

in spite of how much he loves you, he hates sin, he hates rebellion, and God will not tolerate his children, saved or lost, anyone living the way they please, and thinking they can escape the judgment of God. Ain’t it going to happen? So he says, in flaming fire taking vengeance, in words, getting even. In other words, making somebody pay for what they’ve done. But what did they do? Taking vengeance on them that no, not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

How do you obey the gospel? Is it something you have to do? You have to go to a certain church, give so much money, got to live with a certain life, a good life, and not do anything wrong. Obeyed the gospel is to believe what it said. The gospel is, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. So you and I are commanded by scripture, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. That means trust Him as the one that died on the cross for you.

When you believe that, He gives you as a free gift ever lasting life. And look what happens to those who reject Christ. Now, nobody makes you trust the Lord and nobody can keep you from trusting the Lord. It’s a choice that we make. But what he said to verse nine, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord. That’s why whenever we give the gospel, we talk to people and say, look, that means that when you reject Christ as your savior and if you die, you will spend an eternity separated from God, separated from the presence of God in a literal fire burning hell because that’s what the Bible teaches.

And you made the statement here, from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power. In other words, there’s results, there’s consequences to rejecting Jesus Christ as your Savior. Now nobody can make you do it. He says, but as many as received Him to them gave He the power to become the sons of God. But those that don’t receive Him, as He says, because they believe not, the wrath of God abides upon them. It’s just that it hasn’t hit yet.

you haven’t died yet. And so you don’t see the consequences, but you say, all I got is that Bible. Yeah, I know. Until I could disprove this book, I would believe this book. This book is true. It makes too many statements that the natural man cannot make. You see, it talks about the prophecies that are given in advance. Showing that Jesus Christ had to come at a certain time and be of a certain tribe, but of a certain lineage of line of David and also of the nation of Israel and be born in Bethlehem, Ephrata, and he had to live a certain way and be rejected and crucified all that mentioned in the Old Testament.

Personally, I want to know the truth, the truth is here. This book is true. Scientific fact, it’s not a scientific book, but every time it speaks on science, it is true. But this book cannot be contradicted. It is true, it is accurate. You can trust it. If it’s true on the things that I can see understand then maybe it’s true on the things that I cannot see. I’m just going to believe it. And by believing it, I have eternal life.

And the Bible says that if you follow its principle, it can change your life. I’ve tried that for 52 years. It works. It does. What it promised it fulfills. And look what he says here in verse 10, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints and to be admired in all them that believe because our testimony among you was believed in that day. Now get that statement. Our Among you was believed. You see, I preach here, now I’ll be on the radio sometimes, and I used to be on the television sometimes, but whenever you go so winning or you talk to anybody about the Lord, because somebody believed your testimony.

You told them how to have eternal life. Somebody believes it. Because you gave the gospel. Your testimony says our testimony among you was believed. You won’t win everybody, but you’ll win some. It’s better to open your mouth and get a few once in a while here and there than never talk to anybody about the Lord. So the day will come when there’s gonna be an accountability. Not only for you and I about what did we do with our lives, but the lost man will have to account for the times that somebody did talk to them or gave them a track, witnessed to them.

They heard the gospel in the ready, yo, or in church service. God knows everything that everybody has ever done to reach a lost man. And God knows every lost man and what he heard and the attempts made upon his life to try to help him to see and to understand. And he says, there’s judgment day coming. Look what he says in verse 11. Wherefore also we pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of his calling fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power, get the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, may be glorified in you.

This is what’s coming. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of Revelation in chapter 6. Revelation and chapter 6. The thing that’s going to happen after the rapture, let’s pretend the Lord came today and every one of us that knows the Lord will be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So shall we ever be with the Lord. But there’s a lot of people, multitudes of people, from all nations and languages that will still be upon the earth.

And there’ll be 144,000 Jewish evangelists preaching all over the earth. And multitudes will trust Christ as Savior. So in the book of Revelation chapter 7. But a lot of people are going to be killed during that period of time, multitude of people. Look what he says in verse nine. This isParents that takes place in heaven during this tribulation period that comes right after the rapture. Look what he says in verse nine. When he had opened the fifth seal I saw unto the altar, the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God.

And for the testimony, which they held in other words, because of their testimony, because of what they said, they were killed. We live in a wonderful country where we can talk about the Lord and nobody has to go to jail for it. Yet, preachers can preach on any subject they want. So far, but the day is coming when we’re going to be silenced. It will come. And look what he says here. In verse 10, and they cried with a loud voice saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, thus thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth.

See, they were on the earth and they were killed because of their testimony. Now they’re in heaven saying, Lord, how long before you judge those take vengeance upon them that did this to us? So the Lord told them and says, you just rest a little while because the day is coming, looking, verse 11, and white robes were given unto every one of them, and it was said unto them that they should rest yet a little season until their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled.

In other words, the people up on the earth do not count God’s people as a great individual. As Paul made the statement in Corinthian, he says, we are as the oft-scouring, as the garbage of the world in the eyes of the world. The people today don’t have much respect for Christians or Christ, the God, the Bible. It’s looked down upon, shunned, what nothing to do with it. God says, you just go ahead and be faithful. There will be a price to pay.

But when you get to heaven, I’m going to reward you. I’m going to honor you. Be faithful, even unto death. Now that’ll be in Revelation in chapter 2. We talked about the church church’s murder. But understanding that God is going to pour out his wrath to those that do not believe. There’s a price to pay. Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. I’ve often wanted God to make me one of his avenging angels. I would like for God to let me settle the score.

There’s a few people that I like to do in, but God says, you just wait, I’ll take care of that. So I’m just gonna wait and let God take care of that. And then he makes the statement down here in verse 16, and say to the mountains and the rocks, fall on us, hide us from the face of him that siteth on the throne And from the, and you ought to underline these three words, or wrap of the, not lying, wrap of the lamb.

You see the lamb of God that taken away the sin of the world. When Jesus Christ came the first time, He came meek and lowly as a lamb. He went to the judgment. He opened not His mouth. He didn’t defend Himself. He let them spit on Him. He let them plant some thorns and put it on his head. They put a sack over his head and they beat him in the face and says, prophesy who smite us now. All those things they did to him and then they beat his back until it was nothing but a bloody piece of beef steak and put a robe on him and blood drying and then he ripped it off of all the things they did and then nailed him.

Now that would have made me mad. I would have got a little upset, but he went like a lamb to the slaughter. He allowed people to do whatever they want. And when he said to somebody, smack you on one cheek, turn to them the other cheek. And so they smacked him on one cheek and they hit him on the other. He did what he had told that you’re supposed to do. He did all of that. That would have been very difficult.

but they made him mad. The wrath of the Lamb. We see when Christ comes back the next time, he’s coming back as the king, as the lion of the tribe of Judah. He’s not coming back as a lamb the next time. He did that the first time. But when he comes the next time, he’s also going to prepare the world for judgment because God is upset. God is mad. Did you know that you can toy with God a little while if you want to?

But the Bible puts it this way. God is not mocked. You see, what does that mean? It means that you can’t make fun of God and get away with it. It means you can’t sin against God and think there’s no consequences. For he says in that same verse in the book of Galatians in chapter 6, he says, for as you sow, so shall you reap.

And that’s what he means when he says, God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. So people can live any other way to want, you can make any choices you want, but you reveal your wisdom by the choices you make. So he makes a statement in verse 17, for the great day of his wrath is come. We’re so excited about Christmas. I think it’s one of the best times of the year. I love it.

I love the element of surprise. I often tell everybody, you don’t have to get me anything. You don’t have to get me anything but you better. I don’t have to have anything. You don’t have to get me anything. I can’t wait. I can’t wait. It’s such a wonderful time of the year to give things and to get things. Here comes my wife. Hello, Han. I wish you’d have heard that last part. I need to repeat it a little bit louder, maybe over again.

But you see, Christmas is a great time of the year because you know you’re giving and people are singing in about Jesus Christ. And it’s just a wonderful time. Jesus is coming. He came as a babe. We saw excited Christmas is coming, Christmas is coming. They always used to use that as a threat to me when I was growing up. You better behave yourself. You know, it’s only three weeks to Christmas. It was to force me to be good so that I’d be deserving of my Christmas gift.

And if I didn’t behave, I won’t go get nothing. Now, I know you wouldn’t do that, would you, kids? Would you threaten a little liars? And you hide them? They find them? We’d tear up the house trying to find things. I saw a wonderful Christmas card the other day. I opened it up and it seemed to be a good day. says about the king size bed. And it was a little manger with a little baby in it, a king size bed.

I thought, now somebody did some thinking on that, but I liked it. I really did. But I got some news for you. Jesus is coming again. He’s coming again. And the next time he comes, yes, he’s going to take us out of here because he’s going to do some bad things to those people that are still here. God knew of how to deliver his people from this day of wrath that’s coming upon the earth. It’s called the tribulation period, right ahead of us.

You hear them talking about this debt problem we’ve got? Now, listen, that’s just symbolic of most families in America. They’re over their heads. And most people max out on their credit cards and they can’t pay for them. They can’t do what needs to be done. And our federal government is the same way. And it could get worse and worse and worse. So I’m not looking for the White House to solve all our problems. I’m looking for the upper taker and he’s going to take us out of here.

It may not happen in my lifetime, but one day it will happen. He’s going to take us out and there’s going to be a tribulation period, the worst period of time the world’s ever known right after that. And then Christ is going to come back in power and great glory. But you see, the last three and a half years of that period of time that call the great tribulation, God pours out his wrath upon the earth. And who shall be able to stand?

And you can read all about these things as you go through here. But look there in Revelation chapter 11, Revelation chapter 11, and look in verse 15, verse 15. And the seventh angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever. America is only a little over 200 years old, and some of the great nations they only lasted maybe a couple hundred years, but Jesus is coming back as the King, and He He’s going to set up a kingdom.

And the Bible says that the increase of His kingdom, there will be no end. He will live and reign forever and ever and ever. Only a thousand years upon the earth, and then He’s going to give us a new heaven and a new earth. You ain’t seen nothing yet. I haven’t seen anything yet. I have not seen ear-hath not heard, neither has entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love Him. You can’t imagine all the things that God has.

Stored for us in the future, in eternity. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tapp of 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 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 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.