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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 concluding message of this teaching will be a blessing to you and your family.

get this, signs of weaknesses are revealed by my unhappiness, misery, discouragement, depression, madness, bitterness, jealousy, fear, worry, lying, deceiving, and so on. So if this is a description of my present status in life. I have a problem because that’s not how God wants us to be because those things are the works of the flesh. It means that you may want more and your willpower won’t make it happen. And just because you desire something better won’t make it happen. There’s a responsibility that God has given to you and to me and that will make it happen.

when we seek to fulfill that which God has given to us, and to do things the way that God says to do it. Now, look at the part that I have in bold there. It is also revealed by my failure, my failure, to bless. Are you a blessing to people? Does God, is he able to use you to be a blessing to other people, or are you a curse? Do people want to be around you or do they run from you?

What kind of a person are you? Are there people going to heaven because of you? Do you witness? Do you do the things you should? Look what I got here. It is also revealed by my failure to bless, to encourage. Did you know that people are having a hard time? Everybody’s having a rough time. We’re living in a time where there’s a lot of economic woes in this whole world. A lot of fear about things that may happen or not happen.

And a lot of people don’t know where to come down. They don’t know what to do. Well, here you and I are, and we know the Lord and we’re rock solid on the Word of God. And we don’t have to worry like people who don’t know the Lord. So we don’t have to worry. The reason because see, when you get strong in the Lord means you have become immune. You need to build up your immune system. So how you doing?

Now you know and I know that there’s some people, they’ll run to the doctor every time they get a running nose. Get a hang nail. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. It’s gonna be major surgery. And you get a run to the doctor on every little thing. And then there’s some people, they don’t go until they’re just about dead. They wanna be able to keep that record. I’ve been to a doctor all my life and they’re half dead. But they got the record they gotta keep, you know?

I don’t need no doctors. Well, blessed be God, I’d be dead if there wasn’t for you a few of them. So I guess I could say I’m thankful that we have hospitals and doctors and nurses. I think we need all of them. But there’s some things that God wants us to be able to observe in our own life and see how we’re doing, examining yourself. You’re in a war. If you’re not fighting, what did you do, surrender? Did you wave a white flag?

It’d be like there’s people over in other countries, say the Middle East, and they want to destroy our country. Isn’t it amazing that as strong as America is, there’s people who still wanna bring us down? True? They don’t matter what you do, how much good you’ve done around the world, trying to preserve freedom, and given to people and all the foreign aid that we’ve done over there, and yet there’s people that want to destroy America. Okay. Should we just go ahead and surrender?

Just let them have the thing. If they want this country, I’m tired of it. Let’s just let them have it. Just come on. Now, there’s a few people that agree with that, but there’s still a few that says, over my dead body. And he’ll fight to the death. Oh, here you are in the Christian realm. But see, ours is not foughtPhoenix in blood, not with guns and tanks. The battle we talk about that we have to fight is a spiritual battle.

But God has given to you and I all the means necessary to stand to fight. And that is a responsibility. But it is a commitment. And so it’s up to us to decide what we really want to do. Look there at number two. How to be strong. How to be strong. Well, you got to build up your immune system. The power of his might. You know that was mentioned there in that verse. Be strong in the power of his might.

The power of his might is an expression of his potential. is an expression. Might is the potential. Did you realize that you have the expression of his potential available to you and I? So that we’re able to do what God wants us to do and we can fight and we can win. But like I wrote up there that that the key to winning is believing you can and yet you will. I actually believe that I know the temptation is out there, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, all those things are everywhere and they’re real.

I have an old sinful nature, but I know, according to the book, if I walk in the Spirit or walk in obedience to what God says, that the Holy Spirit that He gave to me is able to whoop the devil. I don’t have to be able to whoop the devil. All I have to do is yield to the Lord and He will fight by battle, but I have to do the yielding. I can’t fight Him myself. I don’t help Him fight Him.

I’m just to learn and stand according to the truth of God’s Word because He is a battle of the mind. He says, be not conformed to this world, but be it transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may be able to prove or to accept that perfect will of God, that you can understand, that you can fight that battle. And he talks about in the book of Corinthians about bringing every thought into the captivity of Christ, where the Lord captures your thoughts.

Why? Because if the Lord doesn’t capture your thought, the devil will. And if he captures your mind, you’re done. You’re done. And that’ll cause you to be unfaithful to your husband or to your wife. It’ll cause you to be a bad father or a bad mother. It will take its toll. You see, the devil wants to destroy. And all the feuding, the fussing, and a bum, bum, bum, all that, because there is a devil and he’s real and he’s powerful and he works.

Now letter A there I have down is take your spiritual medicine, building up your spiritual immune system with the Word of God. Now physically we know that in this world there are certain things that we can do to become immune to certain diseases. of you in here, if you’re getting the age on you at all, had to have shots when we were growing up. We had shots for, what, months, chicken pox, measles? I don’t care, all kind of shots.

When I got ready to go to India, they wanted to load me up on a bunch of more shots. Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and I had to have shots for, I don’t know, a whole bunch of shots. I felt like a pink cushion. And then I had to take peels for cholera. And even after I got back, I had to take them for another two weeks or so. But what? Because to build up your resistance so that the disease can’t destroy you.

You see, but if I don’t take my medicine, it still doesn’t do me any good. You say, well, I went to church. I heard the word, but you don’t take your medicine. You’re not faithful in taking your medicine like the doctor said. You see, the Lord is the great physician, doesn’t he? Doesn’t he know what you need? And he’s trying to build up your immune system spiritually. So when that temptation comes up, you are immune to it. Because, see, it’s created a stronger resistance to that.

And a lot of God’s children won’t take their medicine. And they don’t build up their immune system, and so they have no resistance. and the devil is able to tempt you to lure you, or some little girl kind of a hello big boy, and you go, you look at her. Why, because you don’t build up your immune system, so that you can withstand the temptations of the devil. So sometime you play little games, like the mosquito around the flames of the fire.

won’t get me, won’t get me, won’t get me, won’t get me, won’t get me, won’t get me, got him? When you play with fire, you’re going to get what? And a lot of you’re going to get burned. And that’s what causes you, listen, when you don’t take your medicine like you should and build up your immune system, that’s why you get angry so fast. That’s why you get cutting sharp, bitter, say mean and ugly and hateful things to each other.

You see, that is evidence. That’s the evidence. You’re not taking your medicine. It means you’re not taking the word of God and applying it. You should have, I took it last year. I mean, could you see me doing that as a doctor? He says, yeah, but it says two times a day in a row for six weeks. Yeah, But you realize, okay, if I take all of this at one time, just think how fast I’ll get well. Now, I almost went to see the Lord one time.

And the reason was, is because, I just wasn’t stupid. I had hurt my foot in this tank, a duncan tank. It was for Western day. And there wasn’t much water in it, because so many people had been in it before me, and then splashed it all out. So they say, yank is your turn, the pastor’s turn. So I got to get out there and do this thing. So I climbed up on this little board. And as I, climbing up on this board, I’m leaning down, I haven’t got on it yet.

And I looked and I see this guy winding up. And I thought, not yet, I’m not on it yet. Of course, all the hollering and yelling, he didn’t hear me. And I thought, well, he probably couldn’t hit the side of a barn, he was on the inside of it. He swung that thing and he hit that thing dead center. It went that way and I went that way and I wasn’t fully braced. I was half the water and the tank’s gone and my right foot hit up against the edge and it really ate.

I was in the bottom thing and they couldn’t see me. I was cringing. I was hurting. I wish you could feel my pain. So I got up and I smiled and laughed. But I couldn’t get out. I had to stay in there for about half an hour. So I climbed back up on there and they put me down again. I got there. Everybody wants to put the preacher in. Don’t you who it is? Everybody wants to get the preacher.

So at the end of the day I was in Hertzville. I could hardly walk. So that night I saw that little pill says 800 milligrams Ibroprofen. I thought I want that’ll help. That ought to help. I have knocked blue where we got him. I don’t know. There’s one. I thought well if one will help, just think what two will do. But I didn’t know you were supposed to eat them after you had food. I didn’t know anything about him.

So right before I go to bed, I take two of those things. Just slept like a log. My foot felt so much better. No pain. The next day, it started wearing off. So that night I thought, I’ll take, I never told Betty this. I mean, I know how to take a pill. I mean, what do you think I am? Dumb. So I took two more of the next night. Well, the next day I could hardly move. I had to believe in Alta, but I didn’t know it.

And by the time my wife got me to the VA hospital, they said a little bit more, he said he would have been dead. He had to give me a blood transfusion. Anyway, I didn’t die. But see, the reason that you studied the Word of God is, and you can’t do it all at one time, because it’s here little and they’re little. Here little, they’re little. Too much light will blind you. So God doesn’t want us to have too much all at one time, so He gives us a little bit here and a little bit there, a little bit here and a little bit there.

So we studied the Word of God and God has to have time to apply it. We have to apply it. And when we do that, we’ll be stronger and we build up a resistance to things. So when those people say those mean ugly things to you, you don’t have to say those mean ugly things back quite because you can resist that. Now, you may want to. but you can resist it. See, I’ve often wanted to take and come out of the podium and get ahold of somebody.

And I wouldn’t do that if it wasn’t for love because I just love to do it. But you constrain yourself because you got the power to say no. But see, that takes the power from the book and a lot of God’s children don’t have that discipline and so it’s because but they haven’t built up their immune system and this is what God wants you to do. Build up your immune system. Now, let her be. Seek spiritual fellowship. So it’s not just a matter of you studying the word and believing the word and you might even do it on a regular basis.

Well, I don’t need church. Okay, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. That shows your little naive as it is. says you do. You said, well, I don’t need God says you do. Now, who would you believe you were God? The church wasn’t designed by the pastor. This is not my idea. God designed this. God started this thing 2,000 years ago. So it’s the will of God. God says that we come together because it encourages one another. You’re building up friendships because if you don’t build the right kind of friendship with the right kind of people that believe the right kind of thing, you’re going to build the wrong relationships with the wrong people.

You see, water seeks its own level. And whenever you don’t choose wisely and you choose people that don’t walk with God as your closest friends, you’ve got a problem. That’s not wise. So you seek the fellowship with God’s people because they help you build up immunity to the wrong kind so that you You can be strong and withstand, and especially in the evil day, when it all come pouring down upon you. Remember it says it rains upon the just and the unjust.

It means that lost people have problems just like Christians have problems. But the Christian becomes immune to the destructive force of the wind and the rains and the flood. Because you are built upon a rock and you can stand when others fall. So it’s important for a Christian to keep us in mind. Now I want you to look there very quickly in the book of James and chapter 4. Just turn of it real quick to your right. James chapter 4 and look in verse 7 and verse 7.

I have written down here, weekly fellowship helps to build your immune system. A strong immune system builds up your resistance to the temptations of the world, which are used by the devil. So it’s like the doctor saying, you know, take these two pills and see me in the morning. Often tell Christians, read this portion of scripture and see me next week. And if you’ll read this scripture every day for seven days, I’ll bet you’ll help you. You see, this is what gives you the control of your attitude because it affects the way you think.

And that’s what helps you. When you live your Christian life and you’re filled with anxiety and worry and fears, that’s a dead giveaway to an undisciplined mind. It means the devil is having a heyday with you because you haven’t built up your immune system. You haven’t built up the resistance that you need. You say, well I don’t go on Sunday nights. I don’t go on Wednesday nights. I don’t come to the sun and just go, I don’t need it.

You do, but you don’t believe it. But you do. It would help build up your resistance to a lot of things that is affecting you, but you don’t see it’s affecting you. Nobody in over 50 years has ever had to try to get me to go to church on Sunday morning Sunday nights, Wednesday nights. Nobody. You You say that’s because you’re a preacher. No, I’m a preacher because I did do it. I did it before. I did it before I ever went to Bible College.

I did it while I was in Bible College. I did it when I went to Colorado and I started a ministry. You see, you do what you know. If you want to stay strong and build up your immune system, then you need to get all the word you can get and all the fellowship you can get. You can do whatever you want, but don’t blame God when you’re down in discouraged and you’re always depressed. And when you’re whining and complaining and moaning and groaning about everything else, that’s a sign because you’re not doing what God says do.

This book works. But just like I can have that medicine on the counter and it’s my pain pills that helps me to survive this until it goes away. But if I don’t take the pain pills and put them into the body, you don’t work. And as long as your verses stay in your Bible and not into your heart, it won’t work. And you are causing it to have no effect. No effect. Look down there at James chapter 4 verse 7.

Submit yourselves, therefore, to God, what’s that word? Resist the W… How do you resist the devil by resisting the temptation that he puts in your way? He will lure, tempt, pucks about to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, that you may be able to stand against the wiles or the tricks or the snares of the devil. He’s real. And he’s going to get you. He’s saying, well, so far, so good. Like the lady that jumped off the Empire State Building halfway down, well, so far, so good.

Some people can’t figure this out. I’m sure you can. Listen, do you know why I want kids to go to family camp and why I want adults to go to family camp? I wanna give them a shot to help them be immune to the cares of this world. Where you become more concerned about spiritual things that will help you cause everything is what you’re gonna lose in anyway. I’m not interested in saving America, but I am interested in getting America saved.

But I know if I can get those kids to go to camp and I eliminate a lot of things and give them that which is good, it’ll help build up their immune system. Now I know it don’t last long. That’s why you used to always have camps three times a year, give them another shot. I think it’s time, it’s even good for adults to get a good old shot once in a while to help build up your immune system.

So you could be a stronger Christian. Stop and think. Don’t you wanna be a strong Christian? Don’t you really, really want to enjoy life. Don’t you really wanna be happy? Don’t you really wanna have joy? Don’t you really wanna have peace? It’s where I’m talking about. It’s in this book. It’s in the Lord. Be strong and in the power of his might. The expression of that potential that’s there, But you never avail yourself of it like having some medicine that you’ve gone to the doctor, but you never take the medicine.

Look at the conclusion. We have looked at the strength of Satan, the weakness of man, and the power of God. The one who totally defeated the devil can strengthen you. I wonder who that was. Christ came into the world and totally defeated the devil, and he’s the one that can tell you how to deal with him. Doesn’t it make sense to listen to somebody who really knows the enemy and knows how to fight him? And knows how to protect you and defend you and give you all the strength and the grace that you need.

Doesn’t it make sense? I think it does. Romans chapter 8 says, we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. More than conquerors. So it’s not just that I can win a little battle here. It’s going to last for all eternity. I’m more than just a conqueror. I’m really gonna win. I’m gonna get something when I win.

I hope this makes a little sense to you. By the way, I got a great big old needle over there. And I’m gonna give everybody an inoculation shot. We’re gonna be just going to church and everybody, okay roll up your sleeve and give everybody a shot and that’ll keep you suffice for for the next week. Well, that’s why we studied the word God on a daily basis. You can’t just do it. Well, I studied the Bible last year. I memorized the verse five years ago.

Now, daily, all the time been at it. How strong do you want to be? Look up here. If you’re here this morning and you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, I’ve been talking to those who have. But if you don’t know where you’re going when you die, let me show you this. This is you and me. The wall represents sin. We all have sin on us. God, He loves us. Now He hates our sin, but He loves us. The pay for the sin is eternal separation from God in a place called hell.

But God says He wants us to go to heaven. And to go to heaven, we have to be perfect as righteous as God. None of us are perfect. None of us are righteous. So God says you cannot save yourself by your good deeds. All of your good works will not get you to heaven. Heaven is not a reward that you earned the right to go there. No. This hand represents Jesus Christ. God in the flesh, He came into the world because He He loves us.

Hates our sin because it separates us from Him. So Jesus Christ took the sin of the whole world, died on that cross, paid for the sin, came back from the dead. And He said that if we would believe He did it for us, He would put that payment to our account. Christ was my payment. He paid for my sins. If Christ paid for all the sins of the world, why should I have to go to hell and pay for sin?

Well I won’t if I accept the payment He made. So the only reason anybody goes to hell is because they have not accepted the payment Christ made. He was that payment. So when you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, you have the living proof, the payment for your sin, for all eternity. And God says, when you believe He did it for you, He gives you the free gift everlasting life and you get to go to heaven on what Christ did for you.

Good news. Let’s pray, shall we? They hit boundary, I close, and no one looking around. If you hear this morning and you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, friend, I’m not going to have you stand up and come forward, not going to embarrass you. I don’t want you to join anything. I don’t want anything from you. I just want you to receive something. I want you to receive the free gift of eternal life. I want you to trust Christ to take you to heaven when you die.

And I’m not going to have you, like I said, do anything except in your own mind right where you are. Would you just talk to the Lord and say something simple like this, Lord, I know I’m a sinner. And I believe Christ died, paid for my sins. And I’m going to trust Him right now to take me to heaven whenever I die. And friend, if you will do that, God that He will save you, give you eternal life. And you can know that you’re going to heaven.

I’d like to know it. I’d like to have you in just a moment to raise your hand. Raising your hand just lets me know that what I said made sense to you. And I’m not going to embarrass you. not going to point you out. You don’t have to come forward. Over here is by nice clothes. Is there anyone at all say, yes, that made sense to me this morning. Then I’ll trust Christ as my Savior, which will slip you hand it very quickly.

Yes, God bless you back there. I’d say, your hand. You can put it down. Anyone else before we close? So yes, that made sense to me. And I want to know that I’m going to heaven. And I want you to pray for me. Anyone else? Just slip it up very quickly. Our Father, we thank you so much for all that you’ve done for us. the one that indicated they would trust your Savior. By doing so they become your child, your child forever, that you’ll never cast about, never lose them, and to give them eternal life.

We ask all of you blessings upon each person here, each family represented, and Father, I pray that each one will seek to be strong. Build up their immune system by taking the medicine that you’ve offered in your word. You’ve been listening to another great message from Pastor Arnold and we at Bibleline thank you for tuning in. In appreciation to those who support this ministry financially, we would like to send to you a copy of the Jim Tingen story. The Jim Tingen story is a true story about a young man that just couldn’t explain the gospel clearly.

He wasn’t the type of kid that most people made friends with, but he knew that people needed to hear the gospel to be saved. Believe me, you’ll be affected by this story in a profound way, and this book is offered to you as a gift for your donation in any amount. Our mailing address is 4811 in George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634, and don’t forget to include your mailing address as well. So for this month, receive a free copy of the Jim Tingen story with your donation of any amount.

It’s a small token of our appreciation for your support of Bibleline because without your thoughtful gifts and prayers from listeners like you, we would not be able to remain on the air. Thank you once again for your continued support. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. 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. And now, a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friends, 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. Believe in that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep looking up.