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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 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 message will be a blessing to you and your family.

I want to share a few thoughts with you that I think will help you in your walk with the Lord, at least It’s some of the things that helps me and if it helps me I think it’ll help somebody else So we’re gonna be looking in the 119 Psalm, but Just hold your place there and we’ll be coming back to it turn in your Bible all the way over there to these book of 2nd Corinthians 2nd Corinthians and chapter 1 Second Corinthians in chapter one God has so designed life that everybody needs to come to him everybody wants something that he has to offer and There’s some things that he has in his call Comfort He is called the God of comfort the father of all comfort Because you see sometimes when you’re going through a rough time in life Sometimes, you know, your wife, she can’t comfort you, you can’t comfort her, kids can’t

comfort her. Nobody seems to be able just to have the right thing and you wouldn’t know, well, what can I do? Well, God also wants us to know that even though we love people and we need people, we need Him more. He is and should be the most precious thing in all your life. So here in Second Corinthians in chapter one, you know, the Apostle Paul now had been having a hard day. Well, he had a hard life. Everything seems to be going wrong with the Apostle Paul.

He said, I’m just about ready to take my own life. He said, I don’t have enough of this. He said, this has just brought me down to the point of death. So he sees there in verse eight, for we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble. Isn’t it nice sometimes just to share your trouble? You don’t want to be, everybody be ignorant of what you’re going through. Sometimes it’s good to have somebody you can talk to and share.

Look, I’m hurting. This is what’s going on in my life, and I just need somebody just to listen Sometimes you don’t want advice. You just want somebody to hear what you got to say just unload on somebody Just try to make sure that they’re able to carry the load because otherwise you can destroy them Because you might deliver it on to somebody who cannot solve the problem or even help you But he says here in verse say for we would not brethren have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, and it says this, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life.

Now that’s been down pretty low. That’s pretty bad. But notice what he says in verse three. Before he mentioned all about those problems that they have, he didn’t mention this, blessed be God, even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of mercies. The Father of mercy means that God doesn’t let you suffer the consequences of all of your evil deeds. Isn’t that wonderful? Have you ever thought, you know, I deserve a weapon for this and you didn’t get it?

But you know you deserve it. There were times that I think I did some things that I should have got a weapon for, but I never got one. The reason is because I didn’t tell my mom and dad about it. Because if I’d have told her, I know I would have got one. Sometimes I got some and I didn’t deserve it. Well, every time I got a weapon, I didn’t deserve it. Now, like, why are you laughing? But notice what he says here.

The Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. Now, get this. This is a tongue twisted, but it’s good. Who comforteth us in all our tribulation. You would think, well, Lord, why don’t you just remove the tribulation? Remove the problem. And then I won’t have a problem. But you see, God doesn’t remove all of our problems. He allows us sometimes just to go right through the middle of them. Sometimes you try to go around them, you can’t try to go over them, you can’t try to go over them, you can’t try to go over them, you can’t.

God sometimes wants you to go right through the middle of them. Because there’s lessons that he wants you to learn, but he also wants you to know that he is the God of all comfort. And you can’t know that if he doesn’t allow you to have tribulation that you can’t solve problems you can’t handle. Get what he says. Who comfort us in all our tribulations that we may be able to comfort them, which are in any trouble. By the company, Wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

Isn’t that awesome? In other words God may be teaching you a lesson so that you can teach somebody else something Don’t you want to be used to God Lord use me God’s okay? lesson number one Tribulation work with patients and a lot of people need patience. Well God’s gonna teach you how you get it So that you can share isn’t that wonderful? Don’t you think it’s a great idea? How you doing? And then whenever that comes we don’t really want to learn Have you ever been afraid of the dark and it scares you to death when you see God’s hand moving toward the light switch and you know he’s fixing to cut off the lights.

So sometimes you can just sense it’s coming. I’m headed for a problem and I don’t know what in the world to do. Well it happens to us. Take your Bible and I want you to see this. Turn there to the book of Bob by the right there. 1 Thessalonians in chapter 4, 1 Thessalonians in chapter 4. This whole chapter has a lot to do with the second coming of Christ. And he talked about those who have lost loved ones and how that we will sorrow, but not as those who have no hope.

Because you and I know that we are going to see them again. So he says that he’s going to come back and bring them with him. And there’s something in these words that’s supposed to help us. And you’ll notice in verse 18, wherefore, comfort one another with these prescription drugs. Oh, these these words. Do you realize what most people do? They got to have drugs to go to sleep and drugs to wake up, drugs to face life. If you get down, get them riddling.

I mean, the kids get too wild. It’s always something. Did you know the Bible says, comfort one another with words? But you see, there’s comfort in word, but not just any words. There’s comfort in God’s words. So the Bible, as I’ve mentioned this before, is like a medicine cabinet. It’s like having your own pharmacy. But sometimes, there’s nobody who can comfort you like the Lord. There’s comfort in scripture. There’s some problems, you know, medicine can’t solve. Some things will happen to you that, you know, the prescription drug is just not gonna take it away.

And sometimes people think, well, I’m just gonna go to sleep when I wake up, it’ll all be brand new again. And the problem’s gone, you wake up and there it is, they’re waiting on you. This isn’t out of nightmare, that’s a nightmare. So you go to sleep, well, I hope it don’t wake up yet. That problem’s still there, it goes back to sleep. And so, some people just gonna go and do something physical because it helps them to get their mind off of it.

And some of these things we can handle, but there still come the time when nothing works. Nothing works. Nothing anybody says works. So understand that God is the God of all comfort and He comforts us with His word. Now look in Romans in chapter 15. Look there in Romans and chapter 15. This is a very good verse. One that every child of God should know. See, this is like a medicine cabinet and you’re going in here and you’re checking out, this is what I need today.

This is what I need today. And sometimes when you don’t know what to do, it’s amazing that you can just sit down, open the Bible and start reading it. And it’s amazing how that all of a sudden something you see will make some sense to you and help you. And sometimes I’ve looked at something and said, well, I don’t need that right now. A couple of days later, that’s exactly what I needed. God knows. So here in the book of Romans chapter 15, look there in verse 1, we then that our strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak.

So there are Christians that are strong, there are Christians that are weak. Now I don’t know how you consider yourself, are you a strong Christian, then you can help the weak. And you may be a weak Christian, you need to listen to those that are stronger. what he says and not to please ourselves because you know and I know that majority of people their only goal in life is to please themselves. Make sure they’re happy. They get whatever they want and sometimes they fail to see what the needs are of other people that’s right around them.

And he says in verse 2, let every one of us So it doesn’t exempt anybody. Everyone that knows the Lord is included. Every one of us pleases neighbor for his good to edification. That means to build them up and add to beautify what’s there. You want people to benefit, to be blessed because they were in your presence. But now look in verse three. He says, for even Christ pleased not himself, but as it is written, the reproaches of them that reproach they fell on me.

That word reproach, I’m gonna say a few things about it just a little bit later. And I want you to remember that we found this verse here in the book of Romans in chapter 15. So then in verse 4 he says, for whatsoever things were written up for time, were written for our learning. I used to wonder what God, wouldn’t it have been easier if you just cut a hole on top of my brain, poured in all those ways of man I need and cap it and that’s it.

No, I’m smart. Wouldn’t it be so much easier, quicker. But no, he wants us to learn through life. But notice what he says here, that we through patience, and here’s that word. I want you to underline it, comfort of the what? Scripture. Comfort of the scriptures. So this is why you read and study the scriptures because it can bring you the comfort that nobody else can, and that no medicine can give to you. when you know what God does and how God works, how God blesses, and about prayer, and about understanding the promises of God, it can really help you.

Now go all the way back there to the 119th Psalm. Years ago, I mean years ago, I was there in Shreveport, Louisiana, and I would go in the house and I would open my Bible and I’d read it. And I’d never do some time where I was going. I’d just flip it open and just start reading. And I did that to the 119th song, because I kept thinking, what am I going to do with my life? It seemed like everything goes wrong.

Well, nothing was going wrong. It’s just I was not right. But I was trying to find a way I wanted to be. In verse 9 says, where without shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed according to thy word? Verse 11, thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against God? Boy, those are powerful verses. He says, in verse 80, open down mine eyes that I may be whole. Wondrous things out of thy law.

Open my eyes. Sometimes you seem like things are so dark and I can’t see. And it seems like sometimes the ceiling is brass, and your prayers don’t go anywhere. And it seems like you just forget so much. And it really takes its toll upon you. But I wanted you to see just a couple of things here in the 119th Psalm. Look down there now in verse 49 verse 49 verse 49 says remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hath cause me to hope.

Remember the word that has caused me to hope. Sometimes you can live and you have no hope. I think it’s one of the worst things in the world. It says in the book of Ephesians in chapter 2, it says, remember when in times past you were Gentiles outside of the Commonwealth and outside of the promises and the statutes and all that that God had promised to Israel. He says, and without hope in the world, without hope. You see, you’ve got to have somebody that gives you the reason to really believe in the joyful anticipation of the future, of what God has, what God can do for you and through you.

So he makes this statement in verse 50. Now verse 50, you ought to on the line. He says, this is my comfort on the line, those words. This is my comfort. He says, well, what are they in my affliction? Because isn’t that when you want them? And when everything’s going wonderful, everything’s great. Well, it doesn’t stay that way. But he says, in the last part of that verse, that thy word hath quickened mate. It means it makes you a lie.

That’s why you live. That’s why you breathe. You have a purpose, a reason. And sometimes in the midst of your affliction, you just wonder sometimes what in the world is going on? Has God forgotten me? Doesn’t he love me anymore? And so God wants to comfort you, but he does it with his word. Remember the Holy Spirit lives within you to bring to your remember to things that you’ve studied. And if you haven’t studied it, you’re going to have a hard time that’s why you got to put it up there.

Hide thy words in my heart that I might not sin against thee. And notice this, there’s three ways to get comfort, as you’ll see here in just a couple of these verses. And one is to state faithful in the face of reproach. The church was on the cross and he was reproach. Like we was talking about over there while ago. And the reproach, it just simply means that it’s like you’re mocking God and people will mock you and make fun of you.

And Christ was on the cross and he was reproach. In other words, to look down upon to despise. Did you know that today in which we live, there’s people who look down upon Christians. They despise Christians. that you have, years ago, preachers used to have an honor. They were looked up to, respected. Now it’s the scientists, because the scientists are God. You know, they are the one that’s going to deliver us and so forth. And nobody pays attention to preachers anymore.

Well, most preachers understand that. We know that. But we still got to keep doing what we are supposed to do. But you can’t just ignore the world like it doesn’t matter. It does matter and sometimes you do get hurt and your, yeah, it bothers you a little bit, but you better take and have comfort in the scriptures because you know what that’s going to be. So reproaches in this world, they are sure. They’re sure to come. So they’re going to happen.

And the second thing is they are severe. Some things are more severe than others. Some things can happen to you and it’s not so bad. And other things happen to you, just cut you too quick. And what might affect you may not affect somebody else. And so different people are going through different trials and tribulations. And so therefore not everybody learns exactly the same lesson by the same experience at the same time. And so we’re to share, we’re to listen, to learn, to pray for one another, to be involved in people’s lives.

It’s easier not to be involved in anybody’s life, just not care. And just think about only yourself, but see, there’s a time coming when you’re going to need it. And you’ll wish there were somebody that you could talk to that really cared and loved you and so forth Not somebody, you know, I shared my problem with this person and next thing you know was on the internet It was on Facebook That’s not too good together. What’s that? and also to remember that Regardless of what problem there is and this is the great thing that I like I Don’t care how bad a tribulation is or a problem.

It’s always subservient to the scriptures. The scriptures are supreme. God has placed his word above his name. It rained supreme. In other words there’s nothing in the world greater than the word of God. Everything is subservient to it. So when you trust in in the word there’s nothing in the world that should be able to pull you down and away from that. It has no authority over the word of God. God’s word is the Word of God. It is final.

It is the scriptures in which we are supposed to have our hope. And so whenever you focus only upon your problems and so forth, then you get down in the story because you don’t think there’s any hope. There’s no way out. You’re trapped. And you see, you get trapped with a lie. That’s how Satan captures you. You’re set free by believing truth. And that’s why he says the truth shall set you free. So we know the truth, we read the truth, we believe the truth.

And remember this, stay faithful in the face of reproach, but also stay fearful to the horrors of sin. As I live my life, I’m scared of rebellion to God. I’m scared of falling into sin. I really am. I’ve watched some good people that I know and I love and I’ve seen what been the results. I don’t want that. And see what happens is when you don’t get comfort from the scriptures, you have a tendency to try to solve things your own way and not trusting in the Lord.

And then you usually get into worse trouble than you were before. So he says here in verse 50, this is my comfort in my affliction, for thy word hath quickened me, made me alive. The proud have had me greatly in derision.” But look at the last part of this verse 51, yet have I not declined. See when you know what God’s word says, you know that it is superior to anything in the world. Everything else and all trials and tribulations and reproaches of what people say and do it is subservient to the Scriptures.

So therefore I’m going to trust that which is superior and I’m going to take comfort in what God says and I may not see how God’s going to do something but I’m going to trust him. I like that. Looking for 52 where he says I remember thy judgment I’ve old old Lord and have comforted and you ought to underline this word, comforted myself. The Bible even talks about when David encouraged himself in the Lord. Sometimes when you know scripture and you memorize scripture, you can take those scriptures and encourage yourself.

And at times you might even rebuke yourself. possible to. But to comfort yourself and there’s things in life that nobody else can do for you because somebody else may not know the turmoil you’re going through or perhaps something that you’ve said or done. Nobody’s aware and you know it wasn’t right and it’s causing you a lot of discomfort. Remember the Holy Spirit living within us is the great comforter but when you’re not doing right he is the great discomforter.

Like I’ve said before, whenever you preach, you’re trying to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comforted. Some people are so comfortable because they haven’t done anything and not plan on doing anything. They’re just comfortable doing nothing. So I’ve got to try to afflict them in some way. To wake them up, look alive, do something. So you have those people that are afflicted and you want to bring them comfort. And that’s why the scriptures is the medicine for God’s children.

Another thing I want you to see here, see there in verse 53, horror has taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law. See, you would think, well, it doesn’t bother me what other people do. Well, it does and it doesn’t. I’m Unresponsible to do what I’m supposed to do, but whenever you’re purposing your goal in life is to try to challenge people Not only to trust the Lord, but to walk with the Lord And that’s why he says in the book in 1 John 2 John He says about might I have no greater joy than to know that my children walk in truth They’re John So we do want people to serve alone We do want them to walk the court knows and it does hurt when people go in rebellion to God and We do care and And it says in verse 54,

thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage. So we know that we’re on a pilgrimage. The Bible says in the book of Peter, we are pilgrims and strangers. Stranger meaning away from them, pilgrim means you’re going home. But we’re pilgrims on our way home. We’re not there yet. But while we’re on this pilgrimage journey, Thy word will be the foundation for my song. And notice that he’s talking about all these afflictions, the problems, and the song.

If you will, there’s another one. Look down in verse 71. I love this verse too, where he says, It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes. So you don’t learn everything just by reading. Sometimes you learn because of experiences in life. What God allows you to go through will teach you. And that’s why he says in the book of Romans in chapter 15, we read just a moment ago in verse three and four, where he talks about that the things in the Old Testament were written up for for our learning.

So there are things that we’re supposed to learn from the Old Testament because it’s the testimonies of the Lord of how God deals with people when they obey When they disobey So we often when we have little children in Sunday school You’d be surprised how much is taught of the stories to little kids in Sunday school and very little of the New Testament doctrine because kids love stories and people that teach Sunday school know that stories will hold kids attention a lot better than telling them about justification and sanctification and so on.

But they love a story and through those stories you can teach those deeper principles in the found in the Word of God. And later on in life when they learn a lot of the Bible doctrine they can relate to the stories and they become the light upon the New Testament doctrine. God knows how to teach. Jesus was the master teacher. And so He makes His statement here. In verse 55, I have remembered thy name. O Lord, and you ought to underline these three little words.

That’s in the night. See, it’s okay during the day when you can see good, and everything’s going great. But there will be some times when, regardless of how bright the day may be, regardless of how bright that sun may be shining outside. You’re having some dark moments in your life. And it seemed like all the lights are turned out. And you don’t know what to do. You can’t see and you start stumbling. Well, the Bible makes this statement. I have remembered thy name, O Lord, in the night.

And have kept thy law. Now get this verse 56. This I had. What this? Of this hope, this comfort, this song. And the reason he had the hope and the reason he had the comfort, The reason he had this song was because I kept I precept. I know thy word, and I remember thy word. I believe your word. And therefore, as he says in verse 50, this is my comfort in my affliction, thy word. And that’s why he makes a statement over there in Romans in 15 talking about comfort through the scriptures that they may be comforted through the scriptures.

And when he made that statement in the book of Thessalonians in chapter 4 and verse 18, that you may comfort one another with these words. So words have power, words have meaning, and they have medicine. And there was a great message in just that one thing alone. But this is why you and I are supposed to study the Word of God so that we can do it. Now look what he says in verse 57, Thou art my portion, O Lord, I have said that I would keep thy words.

You see, this is something that you should determine in your mind. Not only do I want to know the Word of God, I want to live the Word of God, I want the Word of God to flow through me, to live in me. And so you apply the scriptures, but it’s a determination. Nobody can do this for you. This is why we come and we read, we study the word of God and he says in verse 58, I entreated thy favor with my whole heart be merciful unto me according to thy word.

I fought on my ways and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. I made haste and delayed not to keep thy commandment.” Now almost every verse in the book of Psalms 119 has something to do with the word, the law, the statutes and testimonies and so forth. It’s about the Word. And 119 Psalm is loaded with it. If you want to know what he thought about the Word, but you just read this one. And look what he says there in verse 62, At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgment.

Midnight, midnight. Don’t you have better things to do at midnight? I am a companion of all them that fear them and of them that keep thy precepts, there’s your basis for church. Because you see, we should come together because God says to do so, but we want to be a companion of those that believe the same way, that have a high, holy, reverential respect for the Word of God. Believing that it is the authority, it’s over everything and everybody.

And we are all subservient to you. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you are blessed by today’s message. 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 Bible line 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.