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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 first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

There’s something I want to keep going up to date on and that is you’ve got to know your enemy. You gotta know what kind of a bottle of your face. And you’ll fight better when you keep it for front in your mind. It’s not just we have to do what we do, but we have to have a defense at the same time. Satan is always attacking us, and he attacks the mind. And so he does it through people, circumstances, and his main goal is discouraging God’s people from doing right.

So he doesn’t care what he has to do. By all means he will use anything possible in order to destroy us. To get us to where we just don’t think serving the Lord is worth it. Now you and I know that it is worth it. But sometimes we can just get so disappointed or so discouraged, so down and despair that well we might just give up. Then a preacher I get to see that all the time of people that used to be faithful, not faithful anymore.

I went to Bible college with people that couldn’t wait to get out so they could change the world and they didn’t wait long for the world change them and they no longer even in the ministry do anything for the Lord. But I just want to show you this. Look up here on this chart now. We talk about the past, the present, the future. The past is what happens before the cross. The present is this present period of time where we live right here.

This is where we are. So this would be our present. And the future is what’s gonna happen in the future. So when it comes to the devil, you need to understand, you know who he is, where he came from, what he’s doing, what’s he doing now? And you say, well, as long as he leaves me alone. Yeah, okay. If you’ll look over here in the very beginning, and you’ve got some of those scriptures in there, it can take you to the book of Isaiah, And to the book of Ezekiel, and it talks about Lucifer, the anointed cherub, and how that, I believe that he was probably a very beautiful angel in the music and just loved everything.

He had to be choice. I mean, God had to really bless this individual, and he was very wise and so on, but he got lifted up with pride. So he rebelled against God. When he rebelled against God, we believe that he took about a third of the angels. If we take the book of Revelation chapter 12 as a reference to him, when it says that there was about a third of the stars and so on. So if that’s a reference to that, then that would be maybe what are you referring to.

So he has a pretty good-sized army working for him. There is a hierarchy. There are divisions of what he does. And he has organizational structure. I would call it about powers and principalities and higher places and all these things. He’s the prince of the power of the air, this world in which we live. So Satan is very alive and he’s well and he’s working. And I was reading the other day and just sitting down and just kind of reading some stuff in the book of Daniel.

I am prophetic, you know, minded. I got to keep my mind upon evangelism. Did you know you can get into prophecy and all those things and never win a soul? You can study so much about, he’s coming, he’s coming, he’s coming, that you never do anything. It’s better to understand it, know it, and work harder. And try to reach as many people as you can, because you can always find a hobby horse. You know, we’re some little truth that you ride to death.

And the thing is, there’s a lot of things in the Word of God. And you need to be as balanced as possible. Don’t be out of balance between winning and training. You want to win? You want to train? But you got to keep the purpose in mind. He didn’t say, go into all the world and teach to book a Daniel in Revelation. But I believe understanding Daniel in Revelation would help us to go into the world. Whatever we learn in spiritual realms, it should help me to accomplish my purpose, my goal.

Why do I need to know this? Because I believe that Satan works upon our minds and tries to get us sidetracked from the most important things. To me yesterday was a very good day for me. you know, just because of the opportunities, the phone calls that I had, and just, and the letters that I get sometime, because we planted a lot of seeds. To me, that woman called me up and says, I found a track on the ground at one of the shopping centers, I guess it was up here, the sisters part.

So there’s these things that we do that we sow. And I believe when you listen to some of these people, that’s the most important thing ever happens in their life. So if that’s the most important thing that happened in their life and being saved was the most important thing that happened in our life, then somebody telling this must have been the most important thing they could have ever done because that’s the way it works. So anyway, we have this whole story and you’ll find out when you read the book of Daniel, that Daniel was praying to the Lord and he had kind of like had anything to eat for about three weeks, 21 days.

He’d pray to the Lord and well the angel finally got to him and it says that I couldn’t get here early because we were fighting against the Prince over there at Persia. In other words you can’t see them, they’re behind the scenes. And then Michael helped him and got through and so he was able to get through. He said, but the Lord heard thee the day you offered the prayer and it was three weeks in between. And you stop and think, you know, that’s a long time.

But there’s things going on that we don’t understand. But if Satan could, he would prohibit us from doing the things that we should do. And so there are spirits and high places. There are fallen angels. There’s demons. You don’t have to see them. You just know from the word of God, they are real. They are as real as God is real and they’re working and they’re in everything possible to disappoint, discourage and get you sidetracked in so many ways.

He wants to destroy your testimony. Now remember you can’t get your soul. Your soul is saved. He can’t get you to go to hell but he shall ruin your life and he’s done that with a lot of people. So even though we know that’s in the book of Daniel. It gives you an inside view of something going on behind the scenes. And so Satan is real. But now we know that he is in the garden, we know that he tempts.

But does God tempt us to sin? Who tempts us to sin? So then if God doesn’t tempt us to sin, what scripture or is there any scripture that says God if no man is there any verse like that anywhere in the Bible that says God doesn’t tempt us where is that verse found where is it found don’t say in the Bible where’s it found James chapter what chapter one verse verse 13 put somebody say? Bob you got it there?

Where’s it found? Book of James, O Schofield reference Bible, left-hand page, right-hand column, down toward the bottom. What? Is that what it is? Alright, would you read that verse out loud? Yes. Let no way say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil. He your death is the end of your name. So, God doesn’t tempt anybody to sin. Well, I wouldn’t have failed if God hadn’t attempted me. God does not tempt any man to sin.

But there is someone who does tempt you. I wonder who that is. We know that that is the devil. And the Bible says he had deceived the whole world. Where does it say in the Bible that God has deceived the whole world? And if you’re in the world and I’m in the world, we’ve all been deceived by him. One way or another, we’ve all been deceived. Oh, no, God didn’t deceive us. Did I say that? I was just testing you.

So, where does it say that Satan has deceived the whole world? Where does it say that in the Bible? Here we are, we’re God’s children and we’re fighting this battle. And the Bible says that God doesn’t tempt any man. But the Bible does say that Satan has deceived, tempts the whole world. But don’t you think that would be a good verse to know? So they’re in the book of Revelation chapter what, 12? Very good. So on the right hand page, left hand column, where does it say that?

you’re in a spiritual war need to know your enemy no where’s coming from no what is going to do what’s that twelve nine read it you got it he has the Bible Bible committed to memory. Alright Gary. The Great Dragon was cast out at Old Surfers called the Devil, and saved which deceiving the whole world. He was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with it. So you see there? The SIVA is the whole world.

so whether you like it or not and I don’t like it Satan has deceived us There’s times in our life when we’re didn’t been deceived. We believed a lie. We’ve been lied to. There’s people that lied to us. Have you ever had any person before you were saved try to get you to do something that was wrong and you knew it was wrong? Try to get you to do something wrong. And now since you have been saved, that’s never happened has Could a Christian try to get another Christian to do something wrong?

Why did you do it? Now so here you are. Is it possible that the devil can even use you? Could you disappoint somebody, discourage, say things to put them down to rip the heart rot out of them because of maybe not to be found faithful, not to be forced something because you didn’t like it and it’s your opinion. Nothing wrong with it it’s just I don’t like it and you can be surprised how many times the devil can work through God’s people.

I’m glad there’s nobody like that here but you and I know that Satan is alive and he works. Now on your notes there I just wanted to to kind of bring that. Not so much as the past. You can read those things later. But I want to talk about the present where we are right now. Now, there’s these three things that it calls there. The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life. Now, those are found, and I want you to look at it in 1 John chapter 2.

First John in chapter 2. First John chapter 2. because the whole thing about your testing in life is to see who do you love. Do you love the Lord more than you love the world? You see God may test your faith. He may have something you want you to do. What if God took away the world from you? Can He take your health away? Can He take your wealth away? Can He take all those things away from you. Can you take your loved ones away from you?

Would you still love God? God wants you to love Him more than anything else in the world. Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind, soul, strength, everything. Love Him more. Even in the book of Luke chapter 14 it says that if a man does not love Him more than his mother and father and brother and sister and everybody else, he can’t be my disciple. God wants love more than anything else in the world. He wants you to want Him more than you want anything from Him.

Did you know that God wants you more than He wants anything else from you? Because if He gets you, He got everything else, doesn’t He? If He can get you, He got everything you have. And you’ll not hold back on anything if He gets you. Is it possible that Christians could try to buy God off? You know, I give a little bit, serve a little bit, but not with all my heart because, well, you know, I’ve got my limits with God.

And God ought to be, well, he ought to be thankful he got anything from you. But do you think sometimes that, have you ever seen children when you told, they told to do something? They try to do just enough to keep them getting whooped. But you know their heart isn’t right, their motive isn’t right, they just don’t want to get whooped and they just enough to get by. Have you ever seen kids in college? Well, I have. that will study just enough to try to pass a test.

Nothing more, nothing less, just learn something, get a good grade. Just as long as I can get through. But do we give it all that we have? Do we want to do the best that we can? Have you ever had a job where you did only what was required and nothing more? I’ve always wanted to give more than I was ever paid. I’ll work whatever somebody gives you so that when you get paid you don’t have to go up this way like that to You ought to be able to look them straight in the eye.

I earned that bud And keep it in mind Whenever you and I are in this world doing whatever it is God wants us to do Do you think people are watching us? Watching to see how we handle things Do you think other people watch you on the job to see whether or not you cut corners? or when the boss is out you put your feet upon the desk, sometimes I’ll come in the door here, and I know that they’re in there and they’re talking, and I says, boss is in here get your feet off the desk.

I never caught them with their feet on the desk anyway, but I just love saying it. And I wanted to enjoy doing what they do, but sometimes we have to watch because there’s thing God is going to test us with. So look there in this verse. Now start off in verse 15 because there’s something here about some things to love things not the love. You see if you love flowers you have to hate weeds. Now why? We’ve heard flowers.

Now when you talk about the Lord there’s some things that God doesn’t like. What doesn’t God like? I want to know what God doesn’t like. Because if I love God, I want to please God. Well, I want to know what doesn’t please God. Because he says in the book of Revelation in chapter 5, he talks about you and I, or chapter 4, I believe it is, for we are created by Him and for Him, but it also says to please Him.

We will create to please Him. So we should try to find out what pleases God. What makes God pleased? How I’m like, please God. So you study the Bible to find out how to please God. Now most people, they’re only golden life is to find out what pleases them. What makes me happy? And the thing isn’t about making you happy. That’s why really sometimes I really don’t care whether you’re happy or not. I don’t get caught up in people’s emotions.

I’m sorry. I just know that you have a responsibility to God and you ought to do it. I have responsibility, God, I better do it. This life is short and we have to give an account. There is the principle of accountability. Every man shall give account of himself to God. And that account is what did you do with your life. So all these things that we gotta go through, God keeping books, you’re gonna have to answer to God for everything that you did.

So he says in verse 15, love not the world. If he didn’t say any more than that, love not the world. Okay, here we are. Are you in love with the world? What is the world? Is it the planet, the stars, the galaxies? What is the world? Boys, girls, money, fame, popularity? What is the world? But whatever it is, whatever it is, you’re not to let it. whatever it is. It’s just like I had a person one time says, I says, you know, everybody sends, not me.

I said, everybody sends, not me. I said, you know, I don’t care what sin is. I really don’t care what sin is, but whatever it is, yeah, you did it. Whatever it is, you did it because God says all that sin. So whatever sin is, you did, so am I. So we have all sinned. And, evidently, if God wants us not to love the world, and we love the world, did we sinned? Where’s it saying the Bible that to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not to him it is sin?

Is that a verse in the Bible? Boy that’s one of your favorite verses isn’t it? But he had that one right there. And it makes a simple little statement to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not to him it is sin. So, We wouldn’t sin if we knew what to do, right? I mean, we wouldn’t just do it purposely, right? Of course. So God says in His word, love not the world. Look at the next part of this verse.

Neither the things that are in the world, things, things. Don’t love the world, don’t love things that are in the world. Is it easy for us to get caught up in the things of this world and just want more and more and more of the things of this world? because think for a moment. When Christ, He left Heaven’s glory. The Bible says, though He was rich, He became, hmm, that’s that word, poor that we through His poverty might be what?

Rich. Now, can you imagine God created the Heavens and the earth, all that gold, all the diamonds and silver and precious jewels and all of that. And he came into this world and was poor. He was in poverty. Maybe if he lived the day he’d be on food stamps. But he was poor. He was poor. And so he’s the one that’s telling us love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. And look how much is in the world that we sometimes we’ll lose the blessings of God because we want the things of the world.

And God says that things of the world are all going to be lost. They’re all going to be burned up. Everything in this world is going to be going. I keep looking for it and expecting any day now to be taken out of here. Whether by rapture or by death, it really makes no difference to me because I’m going to be where I’ve been waiting to go for a long time. I’ve got some precious people on the other side and I got some precious people here.

So whether I live or whether I die, I am the Lord. And the Bible talks about, and Paul talks about this in Philippians, he talks about the people that are here. He says, I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better, but to remain here in the flesh, in the body is more what? Needful for you. In other words, Paul knew the reason God left him here was not for himself but for others. Now, why did God leave you here after you were saved?

For others, it’s not for you. So God is going to reward you according to the time he gave you to reach others. Now we can either do it or not do it. And this is why we have such a great opportunity. Because see, when we work together, we get more accomplished. See, by us working together, look at the various ministries distinguices God given to us. We had some people trust the Lord this morning on the internet. I just love that.

I just think it’s so neat. Some of them like people were telling me, it was a couple of clips before that we ever finished the service. Isn’t that awesome? But we keep planting seeds, and after a while, some of this stuff’s gonna start growing. Do you realize that down the road, I can see a lot of things happening, and it amazes me. Let me just share this with you, because I don’t know where it’s gonna go, but I just wanna let you know.

I want you to pray for this. And I think it’s a great opportunity. The other day I got a phone call. Well, it was because of an email that they sent to me, and I emailed them back and said, well, I’m interested. They emailed me and wanted me to come to California. And I thought, well, I like to know what do they want me to come to California for? So I emailed them back and says, who are you? How do you know me?

What do you want? So they email him with back. Says, we know you through a guy named Chris Gould, who was the general manager of Salem Communication down here at the radio station. He got transferred to California. And he, they call me, was the president of Capital Ministries, which has the Bible study at the Capitol in Washington. and they have Bible ministries that they want to get started in other states. And so he has a website and I went to it and I looked at his website.

And I couldn’t believe the people of endorsements that are on this thing. And so I asked him, I said, well, what do you want me to come out there for? He says, we want you for about 20 minutes. I said, no, let me get this straight. You want me to come to California, spend about four days for 20 minutes. I said, that’s right. We’ll pay all your expenses, airplane flight, everything. We want you to come. I said, for 20 minutes.

I said, yes. I said, could you explain this to me a little bit? I’m just got a curious mind. That’s all. He says, because we want video tape you how you present the gospel and the content of what you do in your Bible study downtown in the county court building. I said well I can do that. He said that’s what we want. We want to use this video as a pilot to do this in all 50 states. Every county courthouse, every county, and we have people that are behind them to get this done.

But as we know of, you’re the only one that’s doing it. I said, well, I didn’t start that. I said, a guy named Hank Linson started this about 15, 20 years ago. He said, yeah, but you’re the only one that we know of that’s doing it. I said, but I didn’t start it. Yeah, but we want to. He says, we want you to come and says, as soon as it’s over, we have to videotape you doing this. I said, no, I give the gospel.

So we Well, that’s what we want. I said, I’m not sure you understand how I give the gospel. And he says, I’ve already talked to Chris Gold. He’s already informed me. He says, and this is what we want. He says, all right. He says, and then I’m going to be speaking at the Southern Badges Convention, at about 350 pastors. And he says, I got a meeting there, and then he had other meetings. He says, and we want to show them this video.

I thought, Lord has to be doing this. I thought, how in the world can you get a chance to reach so many people? And then you don’t need, and pray about that. Because anything that can be good and used for the Lord, the devil is going to fight. If the Lord is in it, the devil is in it. Anything you want to do that’s good and right for the Lord, The devil is going to be right there with you.

He’s not going to leave you alone. Now if you don’t serve the Lord, he’ll leave you alone. But if you’re going to serve the Lord, you can expect God to interrupt your schedule and the devil. And he’s going to do all that he can to hinder. There’s other things that’s going on right now that I sure do need some prayer on because I’ve got a lot of interesting things that are happening. And I need some special prayer on the Jim Tingen story and people I gotta find.

And it’s just, we’ve been working on this for over eight months now, eight months. And it ain’t over yet. And the reason is because I believe a lot of things are hindered because of the devil. Paul says in the book of Philip, he says, I would have done this and come to, he says, but Satan hindered. So you don’t get to do everything you want when you want it because Satan is fighting the battle. He will hinder you. And so he doesn’t care how he does it.

So even if the devil doesn’t do it, God says, I want you to watch out for these things because these three things that are mentioned right here are the same things that God Eve, what she looked and thought about it, make it wise and all that. It’s the same three things that are found right here. 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 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.