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

Well, it’s good to see you and hope that what I have to say will help you a little bit. We know that we’re living in some very dangerous times. If you watch anything that’s going on in the world today, you know the Bible says in the last days that Russia will come down against Israel, and it looks like they’re trying to get into position where they can do just something like that. I just enjoy watching the news only because I’ve read the Bible first and I’d just like to see what’s going on, you know.

And most of us, we believe that Jesus is coming back soon. You know, they just acquired just sung the song about Jesus is coming soon. And I didn’t know they were going to sing that and they didn’t know I was going to preach that, but this just happened to, you know, sometimes we think the Lord’s in charge. Sometimes we get that kind of an inkling, you know. But we’re living at some exciting days and we know that here’s with Israel and all that’s going on over there in the Middle East.

it’s still the hot spot of the world. Just like God says, I will make Jerusalem a troublesome stone unto all the nations and buddy it is. And He says, I’m going to gather all the nations of the earth against Israel. And God says, you’re going to bring them against them. And they’re just about everybody’s against them. Well, God said that 2,000 years ago, some places even 500 before that. So anyway, I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Titus, the book of Titus.

You and I are not looking for the blessed tribulation. We are looking for what we call the blessed hope, the blessed hope, that joyful anticipation of the Lord Jesus Christ coming back in the air and coming for our time. Coming in my time. I would love to see that happen. I would love to be caught up in the air and never have to face death. Wouldn’t it be awesome to cheat it? Now he may not do that. He might let me just die like everybody else, but I did think I would be special because I’m God’s pet child.

Now how many of y’all in here know your God’s child? Let me see your hand right quick. Okay, put it down. But Sam is pet. You know, in every home there’s a pet child, I’m the pet child. You ought to feel like that. That you are special. Don’t you feel special? Just a little bit. A little bit. But anyway, I know the Lord is going to come back and he tells it throughout the scriptures. Professite about it. He came the first time just like he said he would.

And I actually believe he’s going to come back the next time, just like he said he would. But you see there’s two phases of his second coming. Now a lot of people don’t believe that, but that’s okay. They’re wrong. He’s coming back as two phases. One he comes in the air. See right here? Jesus has already gone to heaven. And on the 50 days of Pentecost, he sent the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been here for the last 2000 years.

And it’s called the church aid, the body of Christ, the bride of Christ. And so our head is in heaven, Colossians, but the body is upon the earth. And so the body is supposed to get… Directions from the head. And so Christ is in heaven. We’re on the earth, but he left us his word and we’re reading study it because there’s a day coming when God’s going to take the body out of this world. But you see right now, all of us who know Christ is Savior regards to where we may be on the face of the earth.

We live in an old sinful body and God’s going to take this sinful body that we have and make it like unto his glorious body. and we’re going to be perfectly pure and holy, no sinful nature. Changed in a moment, the twinkle of an eye, and caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So Christ is going to come back, we call that the Rapture. He’s coming back and he’s going to take us out of here. Here he comes for his saints.

He comes only in the air, he does not come to the earth. And we are caught up to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Then the Bible says there’s gonna be these seven years of tribulation upon the earth. It means it’s gonna be the worst part of time that the world has ever known. And if you look at the world situation today, it seemed like that’s exactly where we’re headed. And you would think people would try at least figure out a little bit about what’s going on and have come kind of a strategy.

But as we’ve heard recently, I have no strategy. And we are the leader of the free world without America in this world, there’s no hope in this world, except because of America. That’s the only reason anybody has had any freedom, anywhere in the world, because of America. And so I do believe this and let me just kind of slip this in here. There’s no extra charge for this. We have people that are in this nation that want to take our Constitution and replace it with a Koran and they want Sharia law in this country.

I’ve said this for years. Now you’re hearing a lot of commentary. They’re saying this. They’re saying it on the news. But you remember if you can remember, We said it first because we know the book and we will be right. And if you listen, you’ll find out the news first here at Calvary Community Church. And it’s no charge. But anyway, I do believe this and I’ve said this before. The religion of Islam is more than a religion. It is a political arm of a, of Islam that is seeking to destroy our country, our world and they want to totally take over our world.

And they do not care if they have to butcher people, they will do it. And if you listen to anything on the news, they’re talking about what they’re doing and what their plans and goals are in this country to you and me. And they will take little children and cut off their heads and they will cut them in half. And I’ve watched the videos where they’ve shot people and lined them up and just shut them up. I watched where they took off heads off of people and put them on poles.

Now, that’s what their intent is for us. And not just us, anybody who opposes them sooner or later. Now, the Bible describes this seven year period of time as the worst period of time the world has ever known. And it says in the book of Revelation in chapter 20 that when Christ comes back and He says, and I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded. I didn’t make that up. That’s the book. You look at it and read it, it says that.

There’s only one great religion that even seeks to cut off people’s heads. Well, anyway, God describes it as a terrible, terrible time and He says there’s going to be a man come on the scene And he’s gonna fool everybody. He’s gonna promise peace and safety, and then sudden destruction come up upon them. So there’s peace and safety. This is where the takeover, and then sudden destruction, because it’s a peace treaty that will be made with Israel. And Israel will do almost anything for peace.

Israel wants peace. But you see, there can be no peace because they rejected the Prince of peace. When Christ comes back in power and great glory, that’s the revelation of Christ. Here, every eye will see Him, but they will be a gathering of nations together in the plains of Jezreel outside of Megiddo. We call it the Battle of Armageddon. And that’s where Christ is going to come back upon the Mount of Olives, and it says there’s going to be this great Battle of Armageddon, which takes place here.

I believe the Battle of God can make God takes place before that. And that’s when Russia comes down against Israel. The world is lining up, just like God says. So you and I will be so sad. Our world falling apart and we’ve been well, and now shartete. Or the Bible says we’re looking for the lesson hope, a joyful anticipation before this happens and all of its misery. I don’t know how bad it’s gonna be before this, but we’re told to look up.

Not look out, but look up. because Jesus says, I’m coming back. I’m coming. So I want you to take your Bible, look here in Titus in chapter two. Our redemption will be completed. See, when you trusted Christ as your Savior, God saved you, you were redeemed, bought off the slave market of sin, where your penalty for your sins has been paid for. You have been redeemed, that means that you don’t have to ever go to hell the future. You can never pay for your sins because your sins have all been paid for.

I am redeemed. Means that I don’t have a debt to pay. He paid my debt. That’s why I can’t go to hell today and I can’t go to hell in the future because I’ve been redeemed. I don’t have any sins to pay for. I’ve been redeemed. That’s what that means. So I have been redeemed and I can’t go to hell. But I’m not in heaven yet. And so the Bible tells us, this is what I want you to do.

After you trust Christ as your Savior, to understand that God is going to redeem one of these days our bodies. Because the Bible says these bodies have to be changed, changed. Look what he says here in verse 13 of chapter two, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God in our Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us, redeem us from all iniquity and purifying to Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good worship.

Now, since I trusted Christ as my Savior, a few years back, I was 18 years old, I trusted Christ as my Savior. Now I’m a child of God. Now in my life as I live my life God wants to purify in my life to where I’m what He wants me to be and live the way He wants me to live so that I will do with my life what He wants me to do so He’s working in my daily life and when I’m obedient He’ll bless and use and I’m disobedient He can chasten and discipline and may even take me home before my time.

So we have choices to make. But I wanted you to know that he says there’s a time coming when there’s going to be another time of redemption. And this is mentioned in the book of Ephesians where it says you’re sealed until the day of it when he redeems the body. The body is going to be changed. So number one there in your notes redemption will be completed and number two redemption of our of all of God’s people. So take your Bible looking first thessalonians.

First thessalonians and chapter four. First thessalonians chapter four. Now look at verse 13. Usually these are verses that we share at a a funeral, but we’re not having a funeral this morning and it’s still the Bible so we’re going to cover it anyway. But if you want to die and go on the heaven that’s okay, that’s alright, you can do it in the service or afterwards, whenever. But look at verse 13, but I would not have you to be ignorant brethren and he says this because there are so many ignorant brethren.

Concerning them what you are asleep, that means they’ve already died. Now we know that there’s people that have already died. So he says, I don’t want you to sorrow as those who have no hope. Now we know that there’s people that die and have no hope. And in the book of Ephesians it talks about those that have no hope. They don’t know the Lord. They don’t know the promise. They don’t know the body eternal. They don’t know no hope.

But you and I, we have what we call the blessed hope. It is a blessed, joyful anticipation that what God says is true, and what He promises coming, is going to happen, just like He said. And because we believe that the Lord is going to come back in the air and take it on, we, with patience, wait for that. But joyfully anticipate Him. We stay busy, but we keep looking. We’re busy, but we keep looking. Today might be the day.

Today might be the day. It could come doing its service this morning. But one of these days it’s going to happen. Hain’t used to love to talk about the rapture. Christ coming back. He would love to talk about, you know, it may be in October. And he would always be looking for the rapture to take place at any time. Well, it’s amazing. God did take him in October. So the more you look for it, it might just, you might just get your wish But yes, when you die, you are separated from your body.

It’s not annihilation, it’s separation. When you leave your body, the Bible says the death of his saints is a precious thing in the sight of the Lord. We look at it just the opposite, but inside of the Lord it’s a precious thing that God takes us out of this world and graduates us to heaven. So we get to go to heaven. the body. God says that old body that was placed in the ground and goes back to dust. He says, I’m going to change that old body.

And what if the Lord was to come back today, right now? All of us said in this room who have trusted Christ as Savior, your body will be changed, miraculously changed. God will give you a new glorified body and it will never die. It won’t have any more pains, no sickness, no disease, nothing like that. and no sinful nature. You will never have to worry about your old sinful nature ever again. So you want to do right even now but you still do wrong don’t you?

You know what’s right you know what’s wrong and you’ll still make the wrong decision and blame God. Lord it wasn’t my fault that woman you gave me. Lord I wouldn’t be like this if it wasn’t for my mom and dad. I got that old central nature from them. Yeah, I know, I understand. But here in the book of 1 Thessalonians in chapter 4, look what he says there in verse 14, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

Our look up here. Here’s people that have died, could have been in yesterday, could have been a year ago, two years ago. You’ve had loved ones that have passed away. If they trust the Christ, the Savior would be absent from the body present with the Lord and they’re in heaven. So the Bible says they’re with Him. So when He comes back He’s going to bring them with Him. And when He brings them with Him then something is going to happen upon the earth.

He doesn’t come to the earth, He comes in the air and this is what He said. And look at there in verse 15, for this we say unto you by the word of Yankee. No. This we say and to you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. In other words go before them which are asleep. This is what he’s saying. We are alive when that takes place.

Those bodies in the grave are going to be resurrected and the people who have already died are going to get this new glorified body. I don’t have to understand it. I don’t have to explain law. I can’t. I’m going to tell you what he said. You have to probably have to take it up with God. But he says, we that are here and remain when this takes place, then we will be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye and caught up.

Look what he says here in verse 16, For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, where they shout with a voice of the archangel, with the trump of God and the dead in Christ arise first. That’s the bodies that are already in the grave because they’ve gone to sleep and they are with Him in heaven. So these bodies are going to be resurrected and changed. And then He says, in verse 17, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together.

Now the reason this Together is important is because why tell us about sorrowing? Because of somebody else who’s died if we’re never going to see them again. But he says, you don’t have to sorrow as those who have no hope. You know you’ll see them again. You will be with those people that you knew and you loved that were here, but now they’ve died and gone to heaven. And so God says that when they come back, we will be changed in a moment, twinkling of an eye, and caught up to meet them in the air.

And we will be together, you’re talking about a family reunion. You’re going to see them again. I’ve got a mama that’s already gone. I’ve got two sisters that’s already gone. I’ve got a son that’s already gone. And a whole bunch of relatives that have already gone. And one of these days, you’re going to go. See, I have to stay here because, see, I just want to stay long enough to bury of the rest of you and then I’ll be ready to go.

But you got to have a preacher to do the funeral, right? So, anyway, then he says here in verse 17, Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord There not here We’re gonna meet him there and so shall we ever be with the Lord. So from after this point we will always be wherever He is, we’re going to be with Him. We are the body of Christ, the body of believers.

From this period of time until this period of time the rapture takes place, we are going to be the bride of Christ. And then the Bible says we’re going to something. So we are going to have a reunion so you know that. Look at number three there in your notes and you’ll see that rewards we’re going to leave here and we’re going to go there. We’re going to a place where there’s going to be this judgment which is called the beam of seed.

It’s a rewarding stand. We’re not going there to be beaten. We’re not going there to get 40 lashes. We’re not going there to pay for our sins. Our sins were paid for right here on the cross. We’re not going to the jubbins of the Christ to receive any kind of punishment of any kind. That’s been taken care of. Christ took the punishment for my sins. They removed as far as the east is from the west end. The twain shall never meet again.

They are never coming back. They can never be brought up. What the rewarding stand is, is where God is going to reward us for what we did. And a lot of people have wasted their lives. God has given to some of us, maybe 20, 30, 40, He’s given me 53 years to live after I trusted Him in my Savior, 53 years. Do I have to give account to God for those 53 years if He came today? I got to give an account for those 53 years.

What is of value what I did for Christ will last? As they heard that little book, only one life will soon be passed and only what’s done for Christ will last. So in our life we are laying up treasure in heaven. By your obedience to God you are laying up treasure in heaven. And God says that when you lay it up in heaven you cannot lose your reward. And Matthew 10 says you shall in no wise lose your reward.

Rewards once they are earned cannot be lost. You can lose what you could have had because there’s a God in heaven that says, this is what I want to give you. And you can lose all of that by your disobedience because you didn’t get it. This is what I’m going to give you for your obedience. Now I’m going to send you a lot of trials and testing and you’re going to go throw a lawful lot down there. But if you love me and you’ll be faithful, this is what I’m going to give you.

And so a lot of people will not love the Lord enough. They’ll love the world more than they love God. They’ll love their own way more than they love God. Is it going to cost them? It’s going to cost them plenty. Oh, it doesn’t cost them eternity to be with the Lord in heaven. Going to heaven, that was free. That was to show you how much God loved you and how much you love me. Now what you do with your life is your way of saying thank you to the Lord.

life is just your way to show God you love Him. Now do you love God more than you love the world? Do you love the Lord more than you love your family? Love the Lord more than you love money or fame or popularity. God says if you don’t love Him more he says you can’t be my disciple because you love something more than man. And so life is just a nice long little test of showing what first in your life.

God says if you seek His righteousness… All these other things will be added unto you. But you can forego that and reject that and seek the things of the world and you are going to lose. Because God’s going to strip everything away and your whole life will be a wasted life. As Zos Solomon says, it’s all vanity and vexation and sphere. In other words, hay, wood and stubble. And those are the things that God says is going to be burn up.

It’s a waste of time. God is not going to reward you for wasting your time. He’s only going to reward you for investing your time for His cause, for the gospel, for Christ’s sake. You do that for Him and you will win. But nobody can make you do that. Nobody can make me trust Christ as my Savior and nobody can make you trust Christ as Savior. So what does he say? He says this day is going to happen, it’s coming.

Look there in the book of 2 Corinthians in chapter 5, 2 Corinthians and chapter 5. Awesome verse here. 2 Corinthians chapter 5, look in verse 10. Now many of you know these words, these verses very well, but there’s nothing like a nice little refresher course. stimulate your mind again. For you’d examine, where am I? How am I doing? An unexamined life is not worth living. Here in verse 10, look what he said, for we must all appear before the judgments of the Christ.

Oh, look up here. For we must all. This is all the believers talking to those who know the Lord. This is found in 2 Corinthians. These Corinthian Christians were very worldly minded, carnally minded, babes in the Lord. They were not the spiritual giants. They had 14 major problems in their church. They were not walking close to the Lord. There were divisions and envy and embitterness and strife and all the things that you can imagine, they were doing it. They were having the Lord suffer and getting drunk.

Man was sleeping with his wife. I mean, that’s normal. He was sleeping with his mother. Well, it may not be as normal, I don’t know. But they were wicked, wicked. And he’s telling them, look, God’s not going to take away your salvation. That wasn’t the issue. That means you weren’t really saved. He didn’t say that. He said, I got some news for you. We all must stand at the judgment to the Christ. You see, going to heaven, that’s a gift.

That’s because of what Christ did for me. He loved me so much. He loved you so much. He would rather die than live without you. He loved you so much. He paid for everything you have ever done wrong so that you wouldn’t have to pay for it. And He’s still on top of that, that some people were rejected. But that payment he made is only put to your account when you believe he did it for you. When you believe he did it for you, he puts that payment to your account.

You get to go to heaven on what Christ did. Salvation is the gift of God. It’s not a word. Hello, this is Peter Amato, and from all the staff at Bibleline we want to thank you for tuning in to today’s program. This month, we’d like to send to our listeners and supporters the book, The Declaration of the Gospel. This is yet another book authored by Dr. Arnold and it addresses the concerns over what is called the Crossless Gospel. Is it enough to simply tell someone to believe in Jesus for them to be saved?

Does the topic of sin need to be addressed in order for someone to understand what the gospel really is? What are the essential points that a lost man must be told in order for him to be saved and what does believing in Jesus really mean? These are just a few of the topics that are covered in this book. So for the month of May, when you send a gift in any amount, we’re going to give you the book, The Declaration of the Gospel.

Our mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634, and don’t forget to include your mailing address as well. God bless you and thank you again for supporting Bible Eye. Thanks for joining us on Bible Eye. 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. 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, just keep looking up.