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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida, clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Alright, I want you to take your Bible, turn to the book of Job. In the Old Testament, the book of Job, And look there in Job chapter six. Image is not necessarily the real thing, it’s just an image of something else. Sometimes you can make it mean whatever you want to. You see an image in a cloud and you say, oh, it looks like a horse or it looks like a bird, it looks like a plane, it’s Superman. No, but you can imagine things too.

It’s not necessarily real, but you can imagine. So there are some things you’ve tried to imagine of what it would be like. Did you ever try to imagine it would be like being married before you got married. Well, I could get off the side track here too. In the book of Job in chapter 6, look in verse 26, do you imagine to reprove words and the speeches of one that is desperate which are as wind? Do you imagine? You see, the Bible talks an lot about vain imaginations.

What you think, make, not necessarily what’s real, but you can imagine things. So when you imagine things, sometimes it’s based upon what kind of an attitude do you have? What is your thought process? What are you thinking about? Have you ever imagined something, but it’s not real, but you imagined it? I used to imagine that there was a boogeyman in the corner of the house, and I laid there all night watching that corner because there’s a boogeyman over there, and I couldn’t go to sleep.

Boogie Man all night long. And when the sun slowly started coming up, there was my coat hanging on a broom handle in the corner. And I thought, I imagined something, and I was scared and filled with fear as though it was real, but it wasn’t real. I imagined it. You see, the Bible talks an awful lot about this imagining things. Look here in Job chapter 21. Job chapter 21. And there’s another word here that’s used also that lets you see a little bit of this.

Look in verse 27, verse 27, behold, I know your thoughts. Isn’t that scary? I know your thoughts. But this is Job saying this to some of his friends who are there to give him some words of wisdom. And he says, and the devices which he and underlined this part in the verse, you wrongfully imagine, you wrongfully imagine against me. Can you imagine things against somebody and it’s not true? It’s possible. Listen, what I’m telling you tonight is very important for your own spirituality, for your walk with the Lord, because if the devil can, he will get you to imagine things that are not true.

And if he can ruin your life, he will, because he works upon the thoughts of a person. Remember, Satan can’t read your mind, but he can interject thoughts into your mind. The reason you studied the word of God so that you can discern your thoughts. And that is so critical, so important to your Christian life. Look up there in verse 34, where he says, how then comfort ye me in vain? It’s in vain because your thoughts are wrong. You’re imagining something that isn’t true.

You’re making accusation that are not true. And he says in verse 34, seeing in your answers, there remain a falsehood. So you have to be very, very careful that you don’t let your mind run away with you and imagine things that are not true. Go by what the book says, learn how to think. Now go to the book of Psalms, the book of Psalms and chapter 38, the 38 Psalm, Psalms 38 and look there in verse 12. Now remember in the Psalms, second Psalm it talks about why do they heathen rage and the people what?

Imagine a vain thing. So you imagine something but it’s vain. It’s not true. They were imagining something that was not true, and they made decisions based upon falsehood, but it wasn’t true. So here he says in the book of Psalms in chapter 38, it makes a statement in verse 12, They also that seek after my life lays snares for me, and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things and get this, imagine de-seats all the day long. You can do this to yourself and you can do this to other individuals.

You can imagine things that are not true. You can imagine somebody’s saying something about you that’s not true. And whenever you think something that’s not true, you’ll act upon it as though it is true because you believe it. And just because you believe something, does that make it true? It doesn’t make it true. Learn to be wise. Satan will work on your mind to destroy you. He doesn’t care how he does it. That’s what his goal is. Now look in Psalm 62, the 62nd Psalm.

Psalm 62 and let there in verse 3, Psalm 62 verse 3. He makes a statement there, this is on page 628 and he says in verse 3, how long, how long will you imagine mischief against a man. You shall be slain all of you and get the illustration that he used. As a Boeing wall shall you be and as a tottering fence. Now a Boeing wall and a tottering fence means that it’s it’s on the verge of falling. It’s not stable and this is the way a person is when you allow vain thoughts.

It can control your whole life and you’re not strong and you’re not stable and you’ll be as a divided man and if the Bible says a divided house cannot stand. A double-minded man is unstable in all of his ways and you won’t be strong. You’ll be as strong as the last thing you heard and just what you believe. Learn how to stand upon what truth is and that’s what you believe and you don’t let nothing else bother you. Learn truth and stand there.

Now look at another scripture with me. In Proverbs chapter 12, Proverbs in chapter 12 and verse 20. Now a verse that I’ll just quote for you is found in Psalm 140 and in verse 2 where it says, which imagine mischief in their hearts continually are they gathered together for war? Continually, there’s always somebody imagining things, not necessarily true, but it affects their life. If you think something that’s not true, chances are you will spread that which you believe. And if it’s not true, thank for a moment.

What if what you believe is not true? And if it’s not true, can it do damage? Can it do a lot of harm? It sure can. And you’d be surprised if you understand this because this is so important. Let’s say for example, we’ve got Larry down here, if I offend Larry, somehow I say do some I offend Larry. If Larry doesn’t get it right between me and him, but he goes to you and he tells you, it won’t be long because you are his friend.

You will take up an offense against me and I didn’t do anything to you. You’re taking up offense for him. Is that wise or unwise? Sun wise, you don’t do that. Because you go to the person and try to get it resolved and if it doesn’t then you are going to take an offense and nobody’s done anything to you. But because you want to, I’m his friend, therefore I take him an offense for him and you hurt him, you hurt me.

you have to be very, very careful. I want you to know what the book says and go by the Bible. Here in Proverbs in chapter 12, look in verse 20. 12 and verse 20, the seed is in the heart of them that imagine evil, but look at the last part. But to the counselors of peace, there is what? There’s joy. You want to enjoy doing the right thing, but that’s because you believe the right thing. The Word of God for the Christian should produce a peace and a joy that you have, but you must believe what truth is and know what truth is and stand there.

Now take another scripture and look there in the book of Genesis in chapter 6. Genesis and chapter 6. And look in verse 5, in verse 5, it makes this statement, and God saw that the wickedness of man, the wickedness of man, was great in the earth. And get this, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Does God know what we think and how we think and why we think, what we think? God knows it all.

And one of the things that you have to do all the time is guarding how you think. Does the Bible say anywhere in the Bible about whatsoever is pure, whatsoever is good and holy and honest and of a good report and virtue, think upon these things. And the God of peace will be with you. So see, how you think is important. For example, and I’ve used this before, but one more time won’t hurt. Somebody walked in here right now and says, Yankee, you just want a million dollars.

I’m so excited. But somebody could walk in here and say, Yankee, your brother, a little man, yet he just passed away and I’d be very sad. So whether I’m excited or sad depends upon how I’m thinking. So as you go through life, Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed upon thee. Trust ye in the Lord Jehovah, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. So if you learn how to think, you won’t have all those vain, empty imaginations.

You imagine things. And what if it’s not even true? And if it’s not true, look what you’re doing to your life. You’re robbing yourself of joy, of peace. And next thing you know, you’ll be so in seeds of discord instead of so in peace and joy and harmony. Which do you think God would want you to do? Right or wrong? He wants you to do right all the time. Always have this in the back of your mind. I wanna do that which I believe God wants me to do.

I wanna say what I believe God really wants me to say. And it’s whatever I’m going to say, Is it gonna bring grace to the hearers? Those who hear what I have to say, is it gonna help them and build them up in the Lord? This is what you always try to watch in your Christian life. And we do it with each other. So we can either build each other up and strengthen each other or we can destroy one another.

Yes or no, we can destroy one another. And so God says, I want you to realize it. So it says here, The imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Now, turning your Bible all the way over to the book of Jeremiah, the book of Jeremiah. Now, you know where Jeremiah is, right after the book of Isaiah, in Jeremiah chapter 3, Jeremiah 3. And look there in verse 17, verse 17, because you notice as you go through the Bible from one end to the other, The biggest problem that people had was their vain imagination.

It all revealed their attitude by one way or the other of your obedience or disobedience by not guarding your thoughts. By your own thoughts, you can encourage yourself in the Lord. By your own thoughts, you can discourage yourself in the Lord. By your words, you can destroy people’s will to serve God and be faithful. It all depends on what really is your purpose and your motive, your golden life. So he says in verse 17, at that time, they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord.

All the nation shall be gathered into it to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem. Neither shall they walk anymore after the imagination of their evil heart. Evil heart is your own sinful nature. When you let your old sinful nature and where does he dwell? Inside of us that old man that old sinful nature we have Is always working on you he’s always working on me and he works on our mind He tells us things that are not true.

He deceives he lies to us This is to believe something. It’s not true. This is the so siege of discord ruin whatever we can do this damaging That’s the old man and he lives on the inside of every one of us and every person every person Me included every person has to watch The imaginations of our evil heart, of our old sinful wicked individual. Now look at another scripted there in the book of Jeremiah. This is in Jeremiah chapter 7 and look at verse 24.

Jeremiah 24. Jeremiah chapter 7 verse 24 and he says, but they hearkened not nor inclined their ear, but walk in the councils and in imagination. Imagination, you can get several words out of that one word alone or like image. That’s not the real thing. And imagine you’re thinking, but it may not be true. But he says here, the imaginations of their evil heart and get this and went forward. No, when you have vain imaginations, you’re not moving forward in your Christian life.

you’re not standing still, you’re going to go backwards. You’re not going forward, you’re going to go backward. And because you’re not going to see and be able to discern because your mind is clouded with evil thoughts. And you would think because I know the Lord and I love the Lord, all my thoughts are holy. That’s deception number one. That’s why you study the word of God to discern your thoughts. And then whenever you realize something is right or wrong, then you got make the right decision concerning that.

And that’s why it’s so important. Now there’s other things that we can look at, but I want you to look at this verse also in the look in the book of Romans in chapter 1. Romans chapter 1, we’ve all done looked at this scripture. You’ve seen it a million times, but look at it one more time. And you’ll notice here in the book of Romans in chapter 1. He says here in verse 21, Romans chapter 1 verse 21, page 1192 verse 21, because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful but became vain in their what?

Their imagination. They imagined something that wasn’t true, that God is not really God and that it’s okay to do whatever you want to do and have whatever freedoms you want to have and men with men and women with women and they didn’t want to thank God to retain God in their knowledge. And so they, as the Bible says here, their foolish heart was darkened, but it’s because of their vain, they imagined things not true. Where do we find truth?

The Word of God sanctified them through thy word, thy word is truth, the book of John in chapter 17. And then notice what he says, professing themselves to be wise. They became fools because he says in verse 23, get this, change the glory of the uncorruptible God into, there’s a word, image. They made it into something that’s an image, but it’s not real. You see, there is no such thing as a real false God. There’s only a true and living God.

All other ones don’t exist. So understand really what God says, what He does, and what He reveals, and He’ll tell you all about yourself and help you to guard yourself because it’s so easy for the mind to race toward that which you really don’t know and don’t understand and do you a lot of damage because He doesn’t care how He ruins your life. Satan will do whatever possible. Be wise. Now I want you to see how it all comes together.

You say, well, that was to the lost man, what they did. And that was to the people before the flood. That’s what they did. Well, that’s what they did back there with Job. And that’s what they did in David’s time. Yeah. Now, look in 2 Corinthians in chapter 10. 2 Corinthians chapter 10. And you’ll notice as he says here in verse 3, chapter 10 and verse 3. though we walk in the flesh in the body, we do not war after the body of the flesh.

I mean we don’t get out bazookas and tanks and bullets and all those things. No, we use, we’re in a spiritual warfare. The devil is real and the devil is fighting. Everything that we try to do that will be good, devil will fight it. Now look what he says. In verse 5, casting down of what? Is this to the Christian? Evidently, we must have a problem. Did you realize as you go through the book of Corinthians, 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians, did these Christians have a problem?

Did you realize all of their problems, there were 14 major problems, was because of their vain imagination, because they didn’t believe truth, what God really said. They were doing things in spite of what God says. They weren’t listening to what God says. They did what they thought was okay. They made excuses for themselves. A man could be sleeping with his mother. Or maybe it was a stepmother. Who knows? I don’t know. I don’t really care. But it was still sin and it was wrong.

They’re popped up about it. They imagined, well, there’s nothing wrong. It’s not that bad. And so they don’t look at sin the same way. And then getting drunk at the Lord’s table, they didn’t see it that bad. They didn’t imagine the truth. They imagined something that was wrong and wicked. And so he says, how do you solve this problem? Because, buddy, My problem is right up there. Look what he says in chapter 10 and verse 12. In verse 12 it says, for we dare not make ourselves of the number or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves but they, measuring themselves, by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves are very wise.

Or what? Not wise. You don’t go through the Christian life comparing yourself with other people. If you want to compare yourself with anybody, compare yourself with the Lord. Not how you’re doing. Because everyone will have a tendency to judge what they’re doing while I’m doing more than they are. And somebody else, well I’m doing more than him. More than her. That’s not how you judge your Christian life. Do all you can do that you’re dedicated to the Lord to do according to how much you love the Lord and keep your eyes on the Lord and you take care of you.

You’ll have a full-time job just taking care of yourself. You’re not going to straighten out everybody else in the world. Even Christians, but always try to encourage people, pray for one another, share their burdens, help in every way you possibly can. But now he makes this statement. Down in verse 5, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God. Vane imagination is a sign of pride against God. Instead of going by what God said and believing what God said, pride lifts a man up to where he has vain imagination and get what he says here, that exalted self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every what?

Thought to the what? Obedience of Christ. Does the Lord have control of your thoughts? If you’re thinking something that’s wrong, do you judge whether or not is this something that edifies the brethren or does it hurt and destroy the brethren? You have to make decisions. You have to learn how to think the way God wants you to think. And as he says here in verse 6, and having in a readiness, the willingness to revenge all disobedience, bio-obedience. How do I take care of my disobedience?

Bio-obedience. Take vengeance upon your disobedience. Learn to think the way God wants you to. You to the Lord. I love that song we sang as Morim, even though it was done to the Offertory. It’s still a good song. I surrender all. That means even your thought life. Otherwise your thoughts can destroy you because you’ll be down in discouraged and when you get down in discouraged do you have a tendency to share that with others and you can destroy other people.

A lot of people are of just walking like you’re on eggshells and it doesn’t take much to make them go one way or the other. You were probably here tonight as a person that’s you could go either way at any time because you may not be as strong as you think you are and you have to get close to the Lord and say, Lord, what do you want me to do? What do you think I should believe? How did you want me to act?

And you talk to the Lord all the time stay as close to the Lord as you can and try to see if one of my thinking, what am I thinking? Is this from God or is this from the devil? Does this lead me to do more for the Lord? Does this help me to be stronger in the Lord? Is this going to cause me to be weaker in the Lord? So you try to be wise and if you will, God will bless you because He wants to bring every thought into captivity to Christ so that we all think the way God wants us to.

And it’ll help us look up here. I know most of you maybe have all of you have trust in Christ as your Savior, but if you have not it’s a good time to trust the Lord. Have you noticed what’s going on in this world? I get about 200 emails a day. Where’s me now? Look up here. This is you and me. This, while it represents sin, us what all of us are guilty of. We have a vain imagination. We have an evil heart.

We imagine everything that’s ungodly. Everything is wrong. And we can live in fear. But God says he loves us. He hates our sin. But he loves us. And the Bible says to pay for sin is eternal separation from the Lord. But God says to go to heaven you have to be perfect as righteous as God and none of us are perfect. None of us are good enough to go to heaven. So the Bible says since we can’t save ourselves Jesus Christ, he came into this world.

God’s Son let this hand represent Jesus Christ. He came into this world because he loves us hates our sin because it separates us from him. So Jesus Christ took the sin, paid for it on the cross, and came back from the dead, said if we would believe He did it for us, He would put this payment that He made to our account. We get to go to heaven on what Jesus Christ did. And this is the truth, at the lot of religions, but their vain imaginations of man.

This is the truth, that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Now, whosoever believe it in him should not perish, a have everlasting life. We go to heaven on what Jesus Christ has done for us. It’s the best news in all the world, let’s pray, shall we? With heads bound, nice clothes and no one looking around. Or if you’re watching by internet, realize that right there on the screen is a little statement that says, yes, I will trust Christ as my Savior.

We want you to. You don’t have to do that, but it let us know that somebody was watching and trusted Christ of their Savior’s name. We want you to know that God loves each and every one of you. And I pray that every person here that you have trusted Christ is your Savior. If you haven’t and you may be here and you’re not sure, would you believe that when Christ died, He died for you, He paid for your sins so that you wouldn’t have to?

And if you’ll trust Him as your Savior, He’ll put that payment He made to your account and you have a payment for all of your sins. That means you won’t have to pay for them. He paid for them. Would you believe that? You can do that. And if he will, I’d like to have prayer for you. So I’m going to ask you with heads about nice clothes. If you’ll just slip your hand up and put it right back down, just to let me know that, yes, I will trust Christ as my Savior at night.

Anyone will know it before we close. And we’re going to go on. You’re that no Christ is your Savior. What I’m talking about tonight is so important. It’s not just a little flippant message. It deals because if it goes from the beginning of the book, all the way through about our vain imagination. Learn to think the way God wants us to think and believe truth. Our Father, we thank You so much for all You’ve done for us. Thank You, Lord, for this Church and all these good people.

We pray Your will to be done in our life and help us to do all that we can, help us to love each other as we should, to walk together as we should, and follow the minister to each other in so many things we ask Your blessings upon us. Give us wisdom in Christ and we pray. Amen. You’ve been listening to another great lesson from Pastor Arnold, and we hope that you’re growing in the knowledge of the Lord through this ministry.

To help you continue your growth and maturing, we are going to give those who make a financial donation in any amount, the DVD teaching series, How to Witness to a Jewish Person. You know, most Christians think Jews really know the Old Testament, but in reality, most know very little. So most are familiar with some terms of the Bible, very few know any details about how Abraham, their patriarch was saved. Most have never read Isaiah 53 and have no idea it’s all about Jesus.

So for this month only, for a donation in any amount, we’ll send you this DVD teaching series on how to witness to the Jew. 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 Bibleline. 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. 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.