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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. We just 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.

In Malachi, Chapter 3, God says that one of the reasons that you’re having such a hard time. He says, because you forgot about me. I mean, they had their homes and they had their venues, they had their crops, they had their cattle, they had everything, but see, they didn’t have, they didn’t have that giving spirit. They didn’t want to keep the law. They didn’t want to obey the law. So, you mean they’ve been out of the land for a long time and years are passing by and from this time until Christ came another 400 years in there?

I mean, after a while, you know, you kind of get away from what does God say? Is there always a remedy for this thing? Yeah, that was a remedy. So he says they’re in verse eight, look in verse eight, will a man rob God? Can you picture a man with a sixth gun walking up to God? Okay, stick them up. This is a robbery. Now give me all your money. Will a man rob God? Isn’t that a good question though?

Will a man rob God? I said, well, where in the, how do we rob you? And so he says here, But you say, wherein have we robbed thee, he says in tithes and offerings. Offering see is above the tithe. A lot of people give an offering, they offer it. And consider that their tithes. I’ve always held that my offerings that I give are to be over and above my tithes. So I would always give a tenth, whatever I make.

I mean, when I was going to Bible school and I mean we were dirt poor and didn’t have anything, I’d always give them a tithes. And if I didn’t have something else, I just didn’t have it. And we did it out without a lot. There were times when I would have to walk the school over a mile and I would walk back because I didn’t have money to put gas in my car. And I did the same thing to work.

But whenever I got any money, the Lord got the tithe. Because I felt, what if every Christian did like me and didn’t do it? God’s work would never get done because the most people would reason in their mind. I don’t have to, therefore anything I give, you ought to be glad. All right? You can think that away. But you don’t understand the biblical principle of why you should give and give faithfully and consistently between you and God. Do you do what you believe God really wants you to do?

Have you learned the value of learning how to sow so that you can reap? Now, look what he says here. In Malachi chapter three, in verse nine he says, you are cursed with a curse for you have robbed me even this whole nation. Then he says in verse 10, bring you all the tithe into the storehouse. Now I’m not saying that church is the storehouse. All I know is we have a place where God says we’re to bring our money on the first day of the week, current in 16, bring it and trust the Lord that what can be accomplished because of what has been given.

And so he makes a statement, goes on to here and he says, and he says, and see if I will not open up a window. Now in the New Testament in Romans chapter 15, he says, now the Old Testament scriptures are given that we may learn how to serve God. What God has done, there’s principles laid down. Christ when he came did not say he came to destroy the law, but to what? Fulfill the law. Whenever you trust Christ as your savior, We’re not under the law, but we are under grace.

And if you’re under grace and you live by love, then love means that you fulfill the law. I fulfill the law because of love. Love, and I want you to see this. Look over there in the book of Romans in chapter 13. Romans, chapter 13. When he makes this statement here, in verse eight. Romans 13, verse eight, oh, no man. Anything. But to love one another. For he that love another half done what? Well, we’re not on the law, so we don’t have to love.

You hear people all again. Well, we’re not on the law. We’re not on the law. So we don’t have to give. Well, wait a minute. That’s not what the Bible says. Now, we sometimes like this. I tell people sometimes people’s morality will dictate their theology. What is it? One that pleases them. Jesus, you are one that pleases God. Do you really do what God wants you to do? And is your conscience clear that whatever it is, you can answer all of these scriptures and don’t think for a moment that there’s verses in the Bible that talks about giving that I don’t know about.

I’ve read them all. I’ve read before the law, during the law, after the law, I know about law, I know about grace. But I know that if I was to live by grace, the live because I love the Lord because of what He’s done for me. It says the righteousness of the law will be fulfilled, not by us but through us because of the Holy Spirit that lives within us. So God teaches us principles on how to live, things to do and things not to do.

So he makes this statement also. You’ll notice where he says in verse 9, for this, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal. Wait a minute, Is this law or not? You ever heard this before? This is in the book of Romans. This is to the New Testament church. Thou shalt not cut. Oh, you mean we’re not on the law. So it’s okay to covet now. And it’s okay to commit adultery now. And it’s okay to steal now.

It’s okay to kill now. Why? Because we’re not on the law. Would you agree with that? No. And if people think about things, it would help you to see this. So look what in verse says in verse 10. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor. Therefore love is the, what? There’s those words again. Fulfill another law. Well, we’re not under the law, but how do you fulfill the law? Because of what Christ did for us, we do what we do not because you have to, but because you want to.

The reason I don’t commit adultery is not because the Bible says, now shall not commit adultery. The reason I don’t commit adultery because I love the Lord. and I love my wife. You see love is greater than the law. That’s why the grace living and love living can help me to do things the law could not do and that it was weak through the flesh. But through the spiritual birth you can do more than you ever thought possible. So love is the fulfilling of the law.

So when you love the Lord, well what was the principle he laid down in giving? Well he does it. So take your Bible and turn to the book of 1 Corinthians 9. 1 Corinthians 9. You’ll notice when he’s talking to the Corinthians about the principle of giving, he also refers to something else in the Old Testament. Look what he says in verse 7. In verse 7, 1 Corinthians 9, who goeth a warfare any time at his own charge? who planet the vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof, or who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milk of the flock?

Say, are these things as a man or, you know, don’t lie in these words, or say if not the law, the same also? Is he referring to the law to explain something in the New Testament? Look what he says, for it is written in the law of Moses, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doeth God not take care? Doeth God not take care of oxen? In verse 10, or say it he had altogether for our sake.

In other words, something said in the Old Testament about not muzzling the ox that treads out the corn, and he said it for our sake. So there are things that we learn that were written in the Old Testament that can help us. So am I under the law? No, I’m not under the law, but I am under grace. And now I do it because I want to. I do it because I love the Lord. And therefore I like that principle a lot better than I have to do it.

I like it because I want to do it. But a lot of times you know you might struggle with this year, Well, what if I don’t want to learn to do what is right when you don’t want to do it and become such a habit It becomes part of your natural. Well, it’s not so hard after all And you can become faithful in that which is a little bit you can become faithful in that which is more But look what he says In verse 10 or say it he had altogether for our sake for our sakes no doubt This is written that he that plough of should plough in hope hope, and that he that threshes in hope should be partakers of his hope.

If ye or we, if we have sewn unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things or your material things? If the preacher preaches you spiritual truths, is it wrong for him to live off of the means by which you give of material things? It’s the book. It’s the book. God’s laid it down. Paul says, if there’s anything that I’m wrong in, he says, I’m wrong in this area. He said, I robbed you of that.

I cheated you out of that because I would not be chargeable to anybody. And I made tents on the side, not to everything. So that somebody couldn’t say he did it for money. So Paul had to deal with this. So he says up here in verse 12, if others be partakers of this power over you, or not we rather, nevertheless we have not used this power, but suffer all things. And here’s the reason, unless we should hinder the gospel of Christ.

Verse 13, do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? That’s Old Testament principle because you see the tribe of Levi didn’t actually have to own the land and they were given all this stuff because they had a ministry to do and And the other 11 tribes would bring and they lived off of what they brought, but they had a responsibility to fulfill.

So he says in verse 14, and look in verse 14, very important verse, even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preached the gospel should live of the gospel. So we go by what the book says. So there’s principles God’s laid down. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of 2 Corinthians in chapter 8, 2 Corinthians chapter 8. 2 Corinthians 8 looked there in verse 10. Now you know verse 9 he says for you know that God sent the Lord Jesus Christ into the world and though he was rich he became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich.

So he’s talking to them here in verse 10. And herein I give my advice for this is expedient for you who have begun before not only to do but also to be forward a year ago. So a year ago, we had a congregational business meeting. And every year we have a congregational business meeting. And each year we try to see what can we do? What is our responsibility? Well here they were talking about, they had committed themselves to do certain things for a year and a year ago.

And didn’t notice what he says, very important. He says in verse 11, now therefore perform the doing of it. That as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which you have. In other words, first of all, you decide in your mind, a readiness to will, I want to do this, I’m ready to do this. He’s not perform, do what you know you should do. And some people commit themselves, so this is what I’m gonna, probably 50 years ago, I committed myself that for the rest of my life, I will always give at least a tithe and my offerings are over that.

And that really watches the, see what a lot of people do is they take vacations on God’s money, they buy new houses on God’s money, they buy cars on God’s money, they buy TVs on God’s money, and they can get the internet on God’s money, and they do all this stuff on God’s money, And then they said, well, I can’t fortitize. Well, slap my mouth. Every person needs to re-examine themselves. Now, I know this is not the best sermon I’ve ever preached in my life, but it is one of the most difficult sermons because I know that I’m dealing with people who are always struggling with money.

Everybody has to struggle on how you get it and what you buy, what you give. But God has something wonderful in store for us. If you see the principle of the giving of what he wants. Now look what he says here in verse 12. Verse 12 says, for if there be first, you ought to unwind the line of the word first, first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he does not have.

And then he says in verse 13, For I mean not that other men be eased and ye burdened, but you know what you have, and it’s not to be carried by just a few people. But by all of God’s people. So proportion wise. Now, I also want you to see this in chapter nine, look in chapter nine and look there in verse six. Verse six. There’s a wonderful principle here. If God’s people could learn it because he’s talking to some people there in Corinth.

And he’s telling them this is the principle. I want you to learn this. He says, but this I say he that so with sparingly. shall reap also sparingly. Is this about sowing and reaping? Sowing and reaping. And get what he says. And he which soweth bountifully shall reap. What? Now I didn’t write this, but do you believe it? It’s in the book, but you got to believe it. Some people are afraid to trust God because they don’t see how God’s going to do it.

That’s not your responsibility. You just faithfully do what God says to do and then let him work out however he wants to do it. And there’s been times just when I’ve wondered. But see, the church as a whole would be blessed when all of God’s people did exactly what God says to do. You’d be surprised what we could do. But for example, if you don’t believe that a person should tithe at least that much, you better be thankful for the ones who do believe it, or there would not be a ministry here.

There wouldn’t be a ministry if it wasn’t for the people who believe that they should tithe at least. Because see, that’s the ones who keeps the doors open. It’s not going to be because of people just not doing anything. I’m so glad and so thankful there’s some people who believe that what I have belongs to the Lord, and I’m going to trust Him and they invest. This is the best investment you can ever have in your life. This is better than the stock markets.

This is better than gold and silver. Because you see the investments you make in the things of the Lord is something God going to reward you for for all eternity. As the Apostle Paul says that fruit may abound to your account. All those people who trust Christ is Savior, there’s fruit that may abound to your account because of all the concerns that you have. Now look what he says here, looking verse 7, every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly or of necessity for God, loveth a cheerful giver.

Now, I don’t tell a person how much they should give. I simply say under the law and before the law, that’s what they gave. I simply believe it’s a good principle to give. It’s a good average for me to figure out. And therefore I do it because I want to. I hardly ever call what I give a tithe. I just know how much it is, and I want to do at least that much. Because if they could do that under law, why should not at least do that much under grace?

Because of all that he’s done for me. And I believe that if I take a tenth of whatever God gives to me and I invest it into his work, like he says, I believe that if I do it willingly, I believe he’s going to bless the 90% that I have left in a greater way. Because if I have the wisdom to give him a tenth, I believe he’ll increase my wisdom to do more with the 90 that’s left. But if I cheap it all, my judgment wasn’t good, my wisdom wasn’t discerned, and therefore I will not make the wisest decision with the left.

What a recap. And God says, you can lose what you have and you’d be like putting it in a bag full of holes, putting your wealth in a bag that has holes in it. And you’d be surprised how you can lose so much and you wonder why. How come I can’t never get ahead? There might be a reason. I don’t know. But look what he says here. Look what he says here in verse seven. Every man, according to this, he purposes in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, like, well, it’s the law and I got to do that.

No, no, no. He says, but of a cheerful heart, out of necessity. He says, for God, loveth a cheerful giver. When you give, do you do it cheerfully? Or do you give it like, oh, look at the back. cheerful giver. Because you know why you do it. And you know that God in heaven will give you greater wisdom to use what you have left. Because see, what you give and you do it for the Lord, God knows why you did it.

And God’s going to bless you because you did it. But if you give it because you’re going to run to the bank tomorrow and see somebody deposit a thousand dollars in your account, or you run into the mailbox to see if there’s a big check in for you. You don’t get it yet. That may never happen. But the results from your gift may be that a lot of people trust Christ as Savior, or they hear it on the Internet, or they hear it on the radio.

And what we’re talking about is this, even when we look at our budget this afternoon, do you realize that what we do for the radio ministry is separate from our church? And separate from our church, it’s over $10,000 a month just for our radio broadcast. And in three and a half or four years, that’s almost a half a million dollars. Can you believe this little church paying over almost a half a million dollars for airtime and for Greg to work on it?

I don’t get one cent from that. I don’t want to. I told him that whenever I came here, all of my messages, the CDs, whatever they do, the DVDs, all those things, the church makes all the profit matter. I don’t make a sin from that then. Because I have learned over the years, it’s more blessed to give than to receive. And you’d be surprised how God will bless you if you learned this principle, but nobody can make you apply it.

Because you see, you have to believe that there are gonna be lessons that I’m going to get. And I don’t understand how God’s going to do it. All I know is I’m gonna trust Him and I do it. Look what else He says before we close here. down in verse eight. And God, get this. Now this is so important because this is at the basis of all of this. God is able to make all grace abound toward who? Toward you.

God is able. Do you think God knows what you do and don’t do? Does God know how much you give and don’t give? Do you give what you believe God tells you to give? Has nothing to do with the preacher. Has nothing to do with the elders. Has nothing to do with the deacons. It’s you as an individual, you and God. But look what he says, and God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye, you, having always all sufficiency enough, and all things may abound to every good work.

You take it any way you want. Believe it any way you want. But it says it. Now, we can twist things, and we often get on those people out there that twist the gospel and try to add works to it, change it in some way, but there’s Christians who put a twist and a spin on things because they really don’t believe what God says or who will work. Therefore, because they don’t trust them, they rob from God. They steal from God.

They rob from their own church. They steal from the church. What belongs to the church? I’m not God and I’m not the Holy Spirit, I have a responsibility to teach God’s people the truth as I see it in this book. Do you want me to do that or not? And look what he says. In verse 9, as it is written, now he’s going back to an Old Testament scripture, he that dispersed abroad, he that had given to the poor his righteousness, remained in for how long?

What you do last for eternity, last from now on. And look what else he says in verse 10. Now he that ministered seed to the sore, both minister bread for your food and multiply, get this, multiply your seed sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness. You figured out. Do you believe that you should give to the Lord’s work? You believe you should give to the church? You rest in your own conscience because that’s where it has to begin.

a man on his own, purposes in his own heart. This is what I believe is right and this is what I’m going to commit myself to do and I’m going to do that. So for 50 years I’ve kept my word to God. I made a vow and I don’t like lying. I don’t want a lie to God. I said, Lord, I’ll give one tenth of everything I have and then whatever I can I’ll even give more, but at least that much I do.

Did you have to do that? You don’t have to do anything. When the plate comes by you can take some out as for the heat in anyway. I better stop that before y’all take me seriously. It’ll be the only thing you take seriously on there. So you see, giving isn’t a bad thing. It’s a sign of you trusting God and He’s able to take what you sow and multiply that and make sure that everything you have is sufficient for you to do what God wants to do.

If you can believe it, you won’t have no problem given. But if you have questions and doubts in your minds, you won’t. And it can affect every other area of your life. Because if you won’t be wise to give to God what God tells you to give, you won’t be wise in the 90% that’s left. And if And to keep all of it you’ll have less. You’ll have less, well, 100% than 90% when you do what’s right by God.

I’ll try to be honest with you. This is you and me. This wall represents sin. We all have sin on us. Everybody’s a sinner. But God says that the pay for this sin is eternal separation from God in a place called hell. He loves us, wants us to go to heaven. And to go to heaven, we have to be perfect is righteous as God. But you see, we’re in debt. We have a debt we cannot pay. So what Christ says is you cannot pay for your sins by your good deeds.

Good work, can’t pay for sin. So this hand representing Jesus Christ, he’s the Lord God in the flesh, came into the world because he loves us, hates our sin because it separates us from him. So Jesus Christ took all that sin, paid for it on the cross and came back from the dead and said, if we would believe that he did it for us, he would put But this payment to your account and you get to go to heaven on what Jesus Christ did for you.

Do you believe that? So once you believe that God gives you the free gift of everlasting life and you go to heaven whenever you die. You don’t have to give any money. You don’t have to join the church. You don’t have to be water baptized. You don’t have to change anything. Stop anything. All you have to do is receive something, receive what He offers. He offers you eternal life as a gift. It’s free. I pray that if you have never trusted Christ as your Savior, that you would.

Let’s pray, shall we? There be head bowed and there be eyes closed and no one looking around. I hope that what I’ve said this morning, you understand. You can decide for yourself what you do. Nobody’s going to be coming to your house and giving you a card and getting you to promises and that and the other, but would you just talk to the Lord? If you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, don’t you think that’s an important thing? You paid for your sins and they will save you and give eternal life if you trust Him.

If you will trust Him, I’d like to know and I’d like to have prayer for you. And so this has bow and eyes closed. Anyone at all before we close it, yes, that made sense to me and I will trust Christ as my Savior this morning and preach our life for you to pray for me. Would you slip in a very quickly and put a right back down? If you’ve never trust the Lord, do it now. It’s the most important thing you can never do.

It’s free. It’s a gift. Anyone at all. But the head still bow nice closed. What would you promise God for one year? One year. Just do it mentally in your own mind. Is there anything you need to change or correct? Has God brought something to your attention? Are you willing to do what he wants you to do? I pray that you do. Our Father, we thank you so much for this time together. Bless each one. Lord, I love these people and I want your richest blessings upon them.

I don’t want it to be any reason for you to hold back and give them all that they can have. In Christ’s name we pray. 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 the Dora Lake story. It is a true story about the splitting of a church in Minnesota after a young preacher taught a gospel message that contradicted the theology of Calvinism and can you guess who that young preacher was?

Yes, it was Pastor Arnold. In this book, Pastor Arnold thoroughly discusses the dangers of the five points of Calvinism and this book is offered to you as a free gift for your donation in any amount. Our mailing address is 4811 George Road Tampa, Florida, 33634 and don’t forget to include your mailing address as well. We are pleased to be able to give a little something back to you for your financial support. So for this month, receive the door-like story with your financial contribution of any amount and thank you for helping us reach the world with the Clear Gospel.

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, 336-34. 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, believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.