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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 message will be a blessing to you and your family.

I, once you take your Bible, turn to the book of Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy chapter 31, chapter 31. Here’s a good little question for you. Now this is a difficult question, but I always like to ask a nice question to see if you’re thinking. You got your brain turned on in the morning. Where was your mother when you were born? Now I know it’s hard complicated question, but where was your mother when you were born? Nobody knows the answer. She was with you?

How many would say that your mother was right there with you when you were born. Isn’t that wonderful to know that your mother was there when you were born. So you weren’t born all alone. It’s good to have your mama there. Well, when you got saved, born again, born into God’s family, where was God? When you were born, he was right there with you. He had to be because you were born of God. Take your Bible and look there in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 31.

There’s a couple verses here that are really interesting because Moses now has, well he didn’t got up here in years and he, 120 years old, see there in verse 1, Moses went and spake these words unto all Israel and he said to them, I am 120 years old this day on his birthday I Yes. I can no more go out and come in. Also the Lord hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan. The Lord thy God, he will go over before thee, and he will destroy these nations from before thee.

And Thou shalt possess them, even Joshua, he shall go over before thee as the Lord hath said. So the Lord was with Moses all those years. Now it’s Joshua’s turn. Somebody else is coming on the scene. But here you are, God’s child, you’re going to heaven when you die and there’s promises that God has made. Now look there in the previous chapter where he made to Stephen verse 15, chapter 30, where he says, see, I have set before thee this day life and good, death and evil.

I, Why? The Lord said, I set before you this day. It means that the Lord must prepare every day. There’s the opportunities God sets before us. Every day is loaded with decisions, choices to make. So we study the Word of God so that we can make the right decisions. The right decision isn’t right because you think it’s right. You know, a lot of people, they do what they think is the best. But that doesn’t mean it is the best.

There is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of destruction. So if you go only by that little brain that God gave you up there, and you don’t put the right info in it, you can’t get the right info out. So that’s why you study what God says, and it makes a lot of sense. So in verse 16 he says, in that I command thee this day to love the Lord. So did you know that it was a command to love God?

And what else he says, to walk in his ways, not just to love him, but to walk with him and serve him, and to keep his commandments and get this, that thou mayest live and multiply, and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land. And whether that goes to possess it. So God made a good bunch of promises to Israel. And he said, I’m setting before you all these opportunities. Sometimes we think, boy, what did it have been great to have lived back then when God made all those wonderful promises that if I do this, he’s going to bless me.

Well, I thought that’s what he’s already done the times in which we live to. You see, that’s in the Old Testament, though. You don’t go in the old church. Testament, pick out what you want and throw it in the New Testament and say, okay, now this is what we got to do. Well, that sounds good. It’s just that it’s not right. For example, look at in verse 6 of chapter 31. He says, be strong and of a good courage.

Fear not, nor be afraid of them for the Lord by God. He it is that doeth go with the, the death go with the, and he, in your underlyingness, he will not fail thee nor forsake thee. That’s a phrase in the Old Testament. Surely you’re not going to find that in the New Testament that we’re supposed to agree with that, right? Okay, look there in the book of Hebrews in chapter 13. Hebrews chapter 13. And you’ll notice, lo and behold, that there is a verse that says the same thing.

And it’s a quote from those scriptures in the Old Testament. But here we are in the New Testament and God is telling us some things that would help us in our Christian life. So Hebrews chapter 13, notice what he says there in verse 5, let your conversation be without covetousness, really refers to your manner of life, and be content what such things as you have. And here’s the reason why we can be content. He had said, I will never lead the nor forsake thee.

lo and behold, where is that found? Back there where we just read it just a minute ago. Deuteronomy 31. So even though it’s a statement in the Old Testament, the truth of it is still good for today. It’s good for you and me. Look what he says, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. Alright? So when did he first come to see you. Well, where was your mother when you were born? She was right there. So when you got saved, evidently, he was right there.

When you say, he was right there with you. And then there’s this verse in the Bible that says, I’ll never leave you and never say, have you ever seen some mama’s leave your kids? You ever heard about that? Parents leave your kids. But you know from the word of God, God says, I’ll never leave you and never forsake you. He says, I’ll never have. That’s a promise. But in your life, you’d be surprised how many times you’ll wonder, I wonder where God is.

You mean because you can’t see him, you can’t believe him. He tells you something and he wants us to live by faith. God is with you and they’ll never leave you and never forsake you. Looking verse six of the same chapter. He says, so that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Now, why do you think when he says over there in verse five, let your manner of life be without covetousness, desire the things in the world, been content with whatever you have, having him present with me all the time is more important and more precious than anything you will own or possess in this world as I have the Lord.

You may not have money, but I got the Lord. I was telling somebody the other day I said, you know, between me and God we can do anything. I don’t get what it is. Me and God can do it. Oh, of course, you know that I have to depend on him for most of it. And if there’s anything that needs to be known, well, he knows it. If I don’t know, he knows it. So between you and God, you can do anything you ought to do because he’ll never leave you and never forsake you.

Isn’t that a good promise? You ought to be thrilled just knowing that. So take your Bible and look there with me in the book of Matthew. The book of Matthew 28. Matthew 28, and you’ll notice Right before the Lord was to go back into heaven. He looked at his disciples in. He said something to them. See, they’re in verse 18. And Jesus came and spoke under them. This is in Matthew 28, 18. Jesus came, spake unto them, saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptize unto them the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all of them. things whatsoever I have commanded you and you ought to underline this last statement. And lo, I might be with you most of the time. I will be with you always. I will be with you always.” So you have a promise in the Old Testament, you’ve got it here at the end of the Gospels and you have it later on in the book of Hebrews, where God makes a promise.

God must keep his word. So therefore, believe him and don’t worry about it. statement is, you know in John chapter 1 in verse 12 where he says, but as many as receive him to them gave he the power to become the sons of God that were born of God. It would be hard to be born of your mother and your mother not be there. But it’s another thing to say I’m born of God and God wasn’t there. He is my father.

He fathered me. I am his child. And my father says he’ll never leave me and never forsake me. He must say that for a Because we live sometimes because you know we can’t see God we go about what we do see and I don’t see God But I have his word I got his promise and he wants us to believe him and to really trust him now Has there been times in their life when you had a lot of sorrow sorrow and You’ve suffered you go through things and it hurts and you’ll wonder whether or not Lord Do you know what I’m going through?

Now, thank for a moment. Because almost everything that happens in life, we always wonder, well, why that happened? Why that happened? Sometimes we brought a measure, what did I do wrong? I didn’t deserve this. Have you ever thought you deserved to be hooked and didn’t get it? And you’re thankful for the mercy of the Lord? Well, sometimes God will bless you and you didn’t deserve that. He just blesses you. He gives you more than you could think of. where he says, he talks about, he will give us abundantly, above all that we ask or even think.

That’s why life is so wonderful because it’s so surprising. You can never figure out exactly what’s going to take place the next moment. You can’t always accurately predict everything. So in the process of life, God allows us to have a lot of heartache and a lot of sorrow. But in the midst of the heartache and sorrow, is the Lord always there? And he says, I’ll never leave you and never forsake you. And I will always be there because I used to always ask this question when I was going through difficult times.

Lord, where are you? Sometimes it seemed like God has forsaken me. And then I came to the conclusion true faithfulness to the Lord is when you remain faithful when it appears, he’s let you down. Let me repeat that again. True faithfulness is when you remain faithful. When it appears, He’s let you down. Because there’ll be times in your life when you expect and it didn’t happen and God failed you. But He says, not only I will never leave you nor forsake you, I will not fail you.

Those words are also in there in the book of Deuteronomy. I’ll not fail you. It means God doesn’t fail. He cannot fail. Now sometimes we expect things, but see there’s a plan that God has and God is working out his will in your life. You and I are supposed to believe that. Another time, when it comes to praying, can you imagine that God’s children pray? He says, whatsoever you ask, you shall receive.

According to his will, oh, I forgot that part. whatever you ask according to his will. What does God want? Lord, I want you to give me a million dollars this afternoon. Well, I didn’t get it. So there. God doesn’t answer prayer. He says because you ask a miss or that you may consume it upon your own lust. See, it’s one thing to ask God, but whatever you need to do whatever God wants, you to do. Whatever God wants you to have.

Well, see, there’s some things you have not because he says you ask not. So whatever it is you want. Ask. You say, well, God knows what I need. I don’t have to ask him. That’s not what he said. He says he has knowledge and he knows what you have need of before you ask. But it doesn’t mean you’re going to get it just because he knows you want it. Did you ask him? And you have not because you didn’t ask him.

I just think I’m going to ask for God for everything. If I don’t get it, it won’t be because I didn’t ask. Don’t you just feel like if this any part of this is even close to me? true the difference it ought to make in your life. What have you been asking God for lately? Talk to the Lord about everything. God says to do it and He’ll bless you. Now, there is this thing called persecution. Everybody loves it, right?

Okay, nobody likes it. But take your Bible, look in the book of John, chapter 16, the gospel of John, and chapter 16. John, chapter 16. Jesus says that in this world you’re going to have persecution. So look there in verse 33. Verse 33, he talks to his disciples about some things. He told them about the Holy Spirit’s going to come and how it’s going to, you know, reprove the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. He talks about the joy that he has and the joy that he wants to give.

And so he says, you’re gonna be a little sorrowful because I’m gonna go away and you’re not gonna see me for a while. So they weren’t happy about that. So before we get that, let me just show you that. Look here in verse 20 of John chapter 16. Verily, verily I send you that ye shall weep and lament. Well, wait a minute, why don’t you just, Lord, keep that from happening? So we’re not sad and discouraged or despair. Couldn’t God prohibit us from having a bad day?

But you know God doesn’t stop you from having a bad day. A bad day is the attitude by which you face that day. You’re the one that determines whether it’s a good day or bad day, not God. God simply gives us opportunities every day The choices to make decisions. We’re the one that decides whether or not this is going to be a good day or is this going to be a bad day? I believe this is the day that the Lord hath made.

I will rejoice and be glad in it. So look what he says. In verse 20, he says, very, very I say unto you that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice, and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. You ought to underline that in your Bible. Because you know that you’re going to win in the end. You’ve already cheated. You read the last book in the Bible and it says, we win even if they were to kill you, they’ve only shortened your life and heard you to heaven.

Isn’t that where we’re waiting to go? So if we was gonna take a load right now, would you be ready? Or would you wanna wait a while? I mean, he’s ready to go right now. Most of you, that’s pretty good. Well, I don’t want to seem to be too spiritual, but y’all are going to need somebody to perform the funeral services. So I’ll stick around here and do the funeral services for everybody. And then after everybody’s dead, I’ll go.

Okay. Now, John chapter 16 verse 33 says, these things I have spoken unto you that, and you’re underlying these two little words, because that’s very important. In me you might have peace because you’re not going to have it from the world, even though it’s going to be persecution. A lot of things go wrong. A lot of heartaches and suffering and sorrow. In me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation. You see those prepositional phrases in the world and in me.

Two different places. And while you’re in one place having persecution and the heartache and the sorrow and the trials and tribulations and the sorrow yet in him I can have peace. In him I can have joy. And that’s why he says, my joy I give and my peace that I give. See there in verse 22 and ye now therefore have sorrow, but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice and your joy. No man take it from you because see God’s going to give you his joy.

His peace. All you and I have to do is to abide into the Lord and you’ll be surprised what God will do for us. And so therefore, back in verse 33, these things I have spoken unto you that in me you might have peace in the world that ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. He’ll never leave you and never forsake you and he has all power and he can change anything. He can alter anything.

He’s God. So therefore, what’s the problem? You got a problem that’s too big for God to handle? How big is your God? And don’t think that your problems are too small to concern God with. Well, I don’t want to embarrass him. You know, he might not be able to, you know, he don’t want to be bothered with my little things. And the big things in my life, well, there to be for him to do anything about anyway. So you might just worry worry worry worry.

Right? Take your Bible and I’m looking to book a Proverbs chapter three. The book of Proverbs and chapter three. Because we’re talking about where was God? Where is God? He was there when I was born. He said he’d never leave me, never forsake me. And I’ve been to a lot of, you know, rough places. and he said he’d never leave me. He must have always been there. And now he says this in book of Proverbs chapter 3, look there in verse 5, two verses that many people memorize, they love, and so forth.

But it says, trust in the Lord with all thine heart. Lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy path. a couple questions. It says, trust, trust. Okay. What does it say about trust? Trust in who? And the Lord. Well, where is he? Where is he? Well, he’s on the other side of the world. He’s on the other side of those galaxies out there. I mean, he’s so busy, he ain’t got That pond will be messing around with your little old life.

I mean, who in the world do you think you are? You’re just a little bitty nothing down here on this little planet. Have you been in the airplane? You look down and you see all those people that look so small, cars. I used to just be amazed at that thing. Remember when time I got on the plane and I looked at her and said, honey, look at that. Look at that, look at that. Those people, they look like a ranch.

She says they are, we ain’t took off yet. But you know from your perspective, everything looks just, you know, so how to join. It’s just can’t fathom things. There’s a divine perspective and a human perspective. So how do you look? Well, who is God? Where is He? Is He here right now? Is He in this room right now? Where does He live? He lives where? Inside of you. Do you really know that? Do you really believe that? I know God is here because I brought him.

Now some of you probably brought Amalek this morning. I mean, you didn’t even hear have Amalek. I mean, you know who Amalek is. Some of I’d miss a sermon a lot a week ago. Amalek’s a bad man. That’s an old sinful nature and he lives inside of you. But you also, he says, greater is he that is in you than he that’s in the world. I got the Lord living inside of me. My body is the temple of the Lord.

So therefore my body is where the Lord lives. And he lives in me. So I know that wherever I go, the Lord is with me. And so I know that I need to watch how I think. It’s not like I could have my own thoughts, no, nobody can read my thoughts. Or do they, does God know what I’m thinking? Isn’t that scary? Isn’t that humbling? Don’t you wish you had a delete button?

Wouldn’t it be neat if in your Christian life, okay, I had something on it, delete. No trash pot can’t bring it back. And you could forget, it’s gone, it’s gone. I don’t have that. No recollection. Have you ever did something that said, no, I don’t remember. That it says, I told you that, I don’t remember. I don’t remember. You know, we can try that with each other. But there’s the Lord is, the Lord says, I told you, I don’t remember.

I didn’t hear you. Lord, you know I’m hardly here and I got here and I’m aging both ears. Not my fault. I wish we could sometimes figure out a way to get out of heaven to be chastened of the Lord sometimes. Just plead ignorance. Well, look what else he says here in this verse 5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart. Now, wait a minute, if I’m going to trust in the Lord with all my heart. Okay, what am I going to trust in for?

What am I trusting in for? Now, these two verses really believe it or not is talking about, Your course of life is talking about your understanding, your spiritual discernment. So you’re going to trust who you’re going to trust. Well, it says trust the Lord. Okay, when? When do you trust Him? All the time. And all thy ways. And all thy ways. How much? With all your heart. Man, that’s pretty inclusive here. Well, if I do that, then he must be there.

He must be with me. He has to know and hear everything and that I’m trusting him. Isn’t it something that God knows who’s trusting him, depending upon him? If you never say a word, but by faith alone is though faith is some invisible thing that, you know, locks on to God. He’s like, God knows those who lock in on him. It’s just like the woman that says, if I can just touch the hem of his garment, I shall be healed.

She knew that. A lot of people touching him, but she was touching him with faith. She was believing something about who he is and what he can do. See, a lot of God’s children, he’s all about God’s children. He’s all about God’s children. do. See a lot of God’s children is all of our Savior and God’s our Father, but there’s a lot of people that don’t understand and they don’t learn to walk with the Lord and to trust the Lord.

So even in this trust in Lord with all thy heart, lean not unto thy own understanding. One other verse before we close, look there in the book of 2 Corinthians in chapter 6. 2 Corinthians chapter 6, I want you to notice this verse. Notice what he says in verse 18, he’s talked in here about us as a child of God, not walking in darkness, but walking in the light. How to believe God because of who you are. So he says in verse 18, and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my son and daughters, Sayeth the Lord Almighty.

The Lord Almighty. See you trusted Him as your Savior but God’s talking about I want you to live as though I am your Father and the Father says I’m going to treat you as you’re my child. And that’s why in chapter seven in verse one when he makes the statement having therefore received these promises. See there? Having therefore these promises Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. You see, it makes a difference when you know that you’re living in the presence of the Lord.

He is with you. Where’s God? He’s right here with me. Everywhere I go, I’m his child. He was there the day I was born and said he never leave me, never forsake me. That’s news in all the world. 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 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 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.