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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, 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 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.

I want to share some things with you that I think will help you Help you to be a little blessing to you. First of all, take your Bible and turn to the 13th chapter of the book of Matthew, 13th chapter of the book of Matthew. I want you to see that there are some things that God does not want everybody to know. You see he spoke in the Old Testament and gave revelations at different times about certain things and he would reveal but not everything.

And so we call it progressive revelation where God progressively gives more and more truth, more knowledge. They didn’t have the new Testament and so we are so blessed. But if you’ll notice there in the book of Matthew in chapter 13 where he makes a statement in verse 12, for whosoever hath to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundant, but whosoever hath not from him shall be taken away, even that he hath.” He said, what is it talking about?

Talk about understanding. Have you ever heard somebody say, if you don’t use it, you lose it. So if you don’t use it, you lose what you have. And those who have it and use it get more. So God gives more light to those who use the light that they have. So why should God continually keep giving you more truth when you don’t already obey the truth that you have? So in the book of Philippians in chapter three, he talks about walk according to the truth that you do have.

Some people are always worried about what they don’t have instead of doing what they can with what they do have. And that is so true. So in verse 13, he said, therefore speak high to them in parables because they see not. And hearing they hear not, need to do they understand. So they just don’t get it. So you know that there’s some people that just don’t get it. And believe it or not, there’s some Christians just don’t get it.

They made no crisis, they’re savory, they have eternal life, but when it comes to serving Lord, they just don’t get it. So they chase the things of the world, they walk after the lust of the flesh and the pride of life, and they just don’t get it. But now, don’t know what else he says. In verse 15 where he says, this people’s heart is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing, their eyes they have closed. You see, whenever you refuse to listen, refuse to obey what truth you know, then God is going to cause you to be totally blind.

You will not see, you will not understand. And you can go to church every week and listen to the Bible being taught and you get absolutely nothing out of it. I know I’ve talked to a lot of people that says just that. I’ll have some people that watch this, boy that was some meat, oh that was good. Somebody else, well God, I’m tired of getting this milk. I want some meat to eat. And I thought you should have talked to the other guy.

Cause everybody is different. And he says, there’s some things that you could have known but you didn’t know. Look what he says there in verse 17. For verily I said to you that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which you see and have not seen them. And to hear those things which you hear and have not heard them. You have been so blessed. But you close your own eyes and ears and you don’t get it.

Now take your Bible and turn over there to the book of Ephesians in chapter 2. Now in Ephesians chapter 2, I want to understand there are some people who believe that the church was started by the apostle Paul. And you have others? I’m liking myself. I believe it started on the day of Pentecost. Well, what’s the big deal? Well, generally the other we believe it causes a hyper dispensation. It means that you you don’t believe that baptism is for this time because that that was church was started by Paul and so that was before Paul and so therefore you don’t have to do it and that’s not part of it.

And the Great Commission, well that was really given beforehand too, so that really doesn’t apply to what. So all the truth for the church was given by Paul. Now there’s a lot of truth given by Paul, but there is a difference in the foundation that was laid by the apostles and the prophets and truth that was revealed by the body that was placed upon the foundation. The foundation was laid by the apostles and the prophets from the time on, from Christ on.

But you’ll find out there is a verse in the Bible that says, for no foundation can man lay than that which is lay which is Christ. Jesus Christ is the foundation upon which the church is built. Though the foundation was built and the foundation is Christ, so they still went out and they preached Jesus Christ and Him crucified about the resurrection and people were saved and And then on the day of Pentecost, the Jews that believed were saved and baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ.

And then you had in chapter 10 where the Gentiles were also baptized as they were into the body of Christ. So both believing Jews and believing Gentiles were both added together and God says this truth of the body. It wasn’t started with Paul, it already started before Paul, but Paul had the understanding of the body, of the believing Jews and Gentiles coming together and so God used him to reveal truths about the body. But the body wasn’t born on that day when Paul begins to teach about certain things that were mysteries.

It already was born on the day of Pentecost when Christ came. So here in the book of Ephesians in chapter 2, look there in verse 19. Now, therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. You are built upon that foundation. When was that foundation laid? Back to Christ is that foundation, as it says, in the book of Corinthians.

So in Corinthians, the foundation was laid, this is in chapter 3, the first Corinthians, and therefore he says, take heed how you are built upon the foundation, and he’s talking to the church. So we believe that the church was started on the day of Pentecost, and it will end at the rapture. We are that body that God revealed truth to the Apostle Paul. So take your Bible and look there in the book of Ephesians in chapter 3. In chapter 3 you’ll notice there in verse 1, for this cause I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ, for you Gentiles, if you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given to me toward you.

So there is a period of time. This year is called the church age or the grace age or the body age. It’s the time of the church. It’s where we live. And there’s truths about this period of time that God did reveal to the Apostle Paul. But just like when he gave them the command to go into all the world and preach the gospel, baptize in them in the name of the Father of the Son and the Holy Ghost.

If that was only good until Paul came, then he gave a command to go into all the world and preach the gospel to everybody and baptizing them would have only been good for a few years. And I hate to tell you, you’re not going to win the whole world in a couple of years before Paul comes along. If it doesn’t start until Paul, so therefore the command wasn’t given to Paul and therefore the baptism wasn’t given because, well, church started here when Paul had these revelations.

Well, that means a command to go and all the world and preach to all the gospel to all the people and all the world had to be fulfilled in this little couple of years of time. I don’t believe that. And I have not found where God has rescinded the command to go and to all the world. That’s still what we do. And I believe it’s what the Word of God says. And so when he was to in those churches and when these people he was going into all the world.

And the Apostles went all over the world. During the church age, so that means that they were obeying the command from Matthew 28 and also in Luke chapter 24. So the command, yes, was given to the church and water baptism was given to the church and it’s something that we carry out. Therefore, that’s why we have this phase of the ministry we call communion that we did this morning in water baptism because it’s part of that great commission that was given to the church.

Now, hearing the book of Ephesians in chapter 3, I want you to notice it. He says there in verse 3, how that by revelation he made known unto me a mystery. Now this mystery is these believing Jews that were saved on the day of Pentecost, and these Gentiles that were saved in chapter 10 of Acts, he says they came together and they form one body. This truth that was not known before is not being revealed. So he makes a statement here in verse 5 which in other ages or dispensations, periods of time was not made known unto unto unto unto his getth holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.

So they laid the foundation and it doesn’t say just the apostle Paul, but they were laying the foundation, as it says in chapter 2, and therefore I believe that all this perf contains to the church. And there’s truths that God used by Paul to reveal some things that were to be a blessing to us. Now go down there and look at this verse in verse 11 to the intent. according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord to whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

So because we know who we are and where we are what our purpose is in life what we’re supposed to do and not do we know when it starts we know when it ends and therefore you take that away and you don’t have a clue what in the world you supposed to be doing with your life. If the Great Commission is not true and doesn’t apply to us, and the baptism which is a part of the Great Commission is not part of what we do, well if you take all that away from us, what do we do?

What is our responsibility? Therefore you cannot distinguish between that and our purpose and life they go together. all part of God’s plan. Now look what he says up here in chapter 3cffff I want you to look there in 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. Now he says this for a reason because in a few verses right before this, He talks about, I don’t want you to be discouraged, down, depressed, because of what’s happening to me.

See up there in verse 13, wherefore I desire that Yards that you faint not at my tribulation for you, which is your glory. In other words, all the troubles that I go through don’t pity me. It’s worth it. In other words, the price Paul says that I pay to reach you, you’re worth it. Because you see, you have to understand what’s the purpose of the church age. So that you know that when you’re going through all of the things here, to reach the people in the world with the gospel, there isn’t any greater calling in all the world.

It’s the greatest thing any man can ever live for. Is to get people to trust Christ’s Savior. They have fire insurance. They won’t go to hell. They get to go to heaven whenever they die. And people are going to die. And isn’t it wonderful? The price that we are privileged to pay in order to reach those people. So it doesn’t matter how many hardships you get, all the problems that you have in life. You see, the devil wants to keep us from doing our job.

And he wants to disappoint us and discourage us and depress us and cause us to be in total despair and quit and hang up and Paul says, you faint not. That’s why he said in verse 13, that you faint not. It’s worth it. It’s going to be worth it all to give up your life here because God is going to reward you richly when you get to the judgments of the Christ, it will be worth it all. And then when you get to live in the kingdom upon the earth, it will be worth it all.

And you’ll be able to look back and remember It was worth everything. I wish I would have done more for the Lord because the Bible tells us that these things are going to happen. It’s going to come. And he talks about that Christ may dwell in your heart to richly by faith. When he talks about that phrase, the riches of his grace. Did you know that that phrase is also used in Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 7? Look there very quickly.

Just turn the page back to the left. Look in verse 7, that in the ages to come, that means, not now, but in the future. He might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward us through Christ. He’s a, so it’s not only what Christ did for me now and he saved me by grace now, but what I’m going to get later to see the riches, the treasures, the rewards. You and Isych I will be the trophies of God’s grace.

God wants to show us off. I don’t know if it’s going to be before the angels. Do we, John? I don’t know. I don’t care. I just know that if God says it, it must be worth. So there’s a reason why you and I ought to, yes, be willing to suffer for the Lord and give up whatever we have to for the Lord, because it will be worth it all. I love that song. It will be worth it all.

Take your Bible to look in 2 Thessalonians in chapter 2. 2 Thessalonians in chapter 2. The Bible tells us in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. There’s something else that everybody wants to know. When is the Lord going to come back? When is He going to come back? Well, we know that the next thing to happen according to God’s timetable is for the rapture. Christ is going to come back in the air, and we will be changed in a moment the twinkle of an eye caught up than meet the Lord in the air.

And then the Bible says there’s going to be this great tribulation paired upon the earth. So here in 2nd the Slones in chapter 2, he makes a statement in verse 1, now we beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him, our liquor bear. He’s going to come and we’re going to be gathered unto him. That’s called the rapture. And the rapture is not just for the obedient Christians. I’ve had some people say, well, all the obedient Christians will get to go and those that are looking for him and those that are not ready when he comes.

Remember the 10 virgins and all that. No, when he comes in the air for his children, every child goes, ready or not, here I come. Every believer will be caught up. Whether you’re obedient or disobedient as a child of God will not matter. So once you’ve trusted Christ as your Savior, and you know you have eternal life because you’re trusting Him to take you to heaven. You cannot earn your way to heaven by your good deeds. Salvation is the gift of God.

He saves you by grace, not because you earned it or worked for it, but deserved it. It’s because God loves you. He paid for your sins. All you had to do was believe He did it for you. That will get you to heaven. Now what you have when you get there depends upon what you do for Him. So God has blessed us with a privilege of having some time. And this little time that we have is very valuable because it’s so limited.

It’s priceless. I love it a little commercial. This is priceless. But he says there in verse two, neither be you soon shaken in mind or troubled, neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us that the day of the Lord, the day of Christ is at hand. He says, let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come except they come a fallen away first and that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition, our leg of air.

This day is coming. This day was prophesied in the Old Testament. This was not revealed in the Old Testament. This was the truth that was revealed by the Apostle Paul from God to the Apostle Paul. So they saw the cross in the Old Testament. And they saw the revelation, Christ, the Messiah, coming as the lion, the king. They saw him as a lamb. They just had difficulty distinguishing between these two comings. So Christ came the first time as a lamb to be sacrificed for the sins of the world.

He’s coming back in power and great glory, but this day will not come until something else happens here. This will happen before this. This will happen before this. So not get to it. Here in the second, the Sonalians in chapter 2. He says they’re in verse 3. In the last part of it, except they’re coming, falling away first. That, I believe, reads a reference to the rapture and that man of sin be revealed. Now, that means that we will be taken out of here.

The man of sin will be revealed during this period of time. But it’s always interesting because down through the years, there are those that try to, they call themselves, Preterus. They believe that the history’s already been fulfilled and, you know, we’re now living with the Lord. in the kingdom and you’re talking about getting messed up on scripture, they really do. But you see, this will take place, the rapture. Then the man of sin will be revealed. And we want to, and we always try to find out who he is ahead of time, don’t we?

And you’ll find out that they have named all kinds of popes. It was Napoleon. It’s been Hitler’s the Antichrist. Even Obama’s been called the Antichrist. All these people of the Antichrist. Well, so far everybody’s been wrong. So I’m going to tell you the night who it is. I’m lying. From lying I’m dying and I’m dying. Now, he says he’ll be revealed in his time. That means after we’re taken out. Now whether or not those who know Christ is Savior will know who He is, that’s a different story.

But He will be revealed. And get what He says here. He makes a statement in verse 4, who opposes and exalted Himself above all that is called God or that is worship so that He as God, siteth in the temple of God, showed Himself that He is God. So we know that when he does this, he’s revealing this is the Antichrist because he’s the one that will do that. So that means the temple has got to be rebuilt and it means that there have to have a peace treaty made with Israel.

And I don’t know if anybody’s talking about a peace treaty today with Israel and things like that or not. Have you heard anything like that? Well it’s more of a like that they want to just totally annihilate Israel to get the peace treaty. And they want Israel and a peace they want to are in pieces. But this peace treaty with Israel is not going to come out probably and say, this is a seven year peace treaty that’s mentioned in the Bible.

It probably won’t even mention seven years. It just says there’s going to be a peace treaty. A covenant’s going to be made. We happen to know that it’s going to be a seven years because we know that after three and a half years They’re going to break the treaty. And then we know that there’s only three and a half years left. We know that the seven year period of time has just happened to be the 70th week of Daniel.

69 weeks have already been fulfilled. That was done from time to age to the critical back and to rebuild Jerusalem, which was before Christ got here. And then when Christ died on that cross, it had to be a certain amount of weeks, which was 69 weeks. Then the Bible says, there’s one week left. Well, that week is right here. That’s why it’s called seven years. It’s part of the 70 weeks of Daniel. 69 weeks, the Messiah will be cut off and He was cut off.

So this week is not here in the future. Because see, this period of time right here is like a parenthetical expression in the sentence. You can take it out and then it will flow right into the 70th week. This is where it starts and stops. Take that out, push that over and all the scripture just flows right in there. And this is why when you understand this, you don’t try to solve the problem here too soon because you can guess and guess wrong.

Wouldn’t it be a shame for us to say, well, he’s coming back next year and go out on the limb. Some people have done that. Some people have given 88 reasons why it was coming in 88. And it didn’t happen. Others have sold their property and give it all to the preacher. No, that’s a pretty good idea. Because, you know, he’s coming back, he’s coming, and then he didn’t come. So I’m not going to set a date, even though I know it’s tomorrow at noon.

No, wait until the proper time. All we need to do is concentrate upon the time in which we do live, not the time in which we don’t live. I like knowing prophecy because it’s a motivating thing. It helps me to keep focused upon what I’m supposed to do with my responsibility. In other words, let’s say that all this had been revealed. To Noah and God says, Noah, build me a boat and Noah’s built this boat and all he could think about was the tribulation period and the millennial kingdom coming down the road.

And it’s all he thought about. You know, he could have thought about that and forgot to build the boat. And what if he forgot to build a boat? Well, nobody would have been saved. Everybody would have drowned. He has to do the responsibility God gave to him. Moses had to do a responsibility, it was given to him. Now God has given us a responsibility, and I like to focus upon my responsibility. That’s why I try not to get buried in all the news that’s going on in the world today.

Do you realize how much there is out there? And what is happening in the world? Yes, I have a clue what’s going on. But if I preached on what the world is preaching on and teaching on, what is it going to change? Did my responsibility get changed? How is it supposed to change what I’m already doing? All I want to do is just keep doing what I’m doing and keep myself focused upon my responsibility and some things I’m not going to change.

I don’t believe that little O Yankee down here is going to change America, but if I want to save America, then I need to get America saved. I believe that that’s the most important thing because see, the people are still going to die. If you save America, does that mean that the people are saved? Now they’re going to heaven, so they need to be reached with the same gospel that we’re talking about. But there are responsibilities we have as a citizen of America.

I know that. But notice what else he says here. In verse 6, and now you know what would hold it that he might be revealed in what’s those next three words? In his time. So I think I would be probably wasting some of my time if I’m trying to figure out who’s the Antichrist. He’s not going to do it till here, the peace tree, when he sets in the temple, and I’m not even gonna be here. But I do believe that we need to warn the world about what’s coming.

Because see, that’s part of our responsibility to teach the whole council of God. And then whenever you read and study the book of Revelation, he says, to the church. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit said unto the churches and the whole book of Revelation was given to the church. So I guess I’m supposed to study all of this and teach all of this because it lets us know. We’re not going to be here bringing in the Kingdom.

No, because the Kingdom’s out here. We’re not going to produce a utopia upon the earth because I already know what’s coming down the road. And the next thing that I see coming is not a utopia. This is not going to be a paradise. This is the worst period of time that the world has ever known, and it lies right ahead of us. 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 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 home page 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.