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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 Bibleignmenistries.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.

Turn in your Bible to the book of Joel, Joel in chapter 3, page 933. You know the Bible says that God gives us choices in life, choices. It means that we’re not robots. It means we get to choose. And we get to choose the direction we want to go. We can decide what to believe, how to live. And some of us God allows us to live long enough to enjoy the benefits or the blessings of our good decisions. And He also allows us to suffer the consequences of our bad decisions.

Have you ever made any bad decisions? None? Have you ever regretted some of your decisions? Have you ever made some decisions that you don’t regret making? Now I know that I have made a lot of decisions in my life, but one of the best decisions I ever made was marrying that little girl right there. I don’t think I could have ever found a better woman in all the world to have married. That’s what she told me. No. So God has been good to me and I thank Him for that.

But I had to make a decision. And she had to make a decision. And we got married that I’ve often said this, most people think I’m joking, but it’s not a joke. After we left out of the justs of the piece up there in Anderson, South Carolina, Betty says, did you give him anything? I says, no. So I walked back in there. I felt kind of bad. So I walked back in, I said, how much do I owe you?

He says, how much is she worth? I said, it’s $5 all right. He said, don’t be fine. So I got five dollars from Betty and I gave it to him. The reason her dad did not want her to marry me is because I didn’t have a job, didn’t have any money, didn’t have a place to live. And that was so true. We knew not what we were doing. But you know, that’s one decision I don’t regret. Now I regret the way I did it.

I wish I had never run away and got married. I wish we’d got the blessings of mom and dad and everybody could have been there and had a nice church wedding, wasn’t that have been great? But I regret not doing that. But I don’t regret ever trusting Christ as my Savior. So there’s some good things. I’ve made a couple of good decisions in my life. But I’ve also made some that I deeply regret. You know, the Bible talks about Mount Calvary and Mount Zion and the valley in between.

And yet though we walk through this valley. We could also look at an application that all of life is walking through this valley, like mountains on both sides. We didn’t ask to be here, but here we are. And it’s like having a valley of decisions. So here in the book of Joel in chapter 3, he makes a statement in verse 9, prepare ye this among the Gentiles, prepare war. No, I’m not associated marriage with this. Don’t don’t get me messed up here, you know.

Prepare war. Wake up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near. Let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears and let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves and come. All ye heathen, gather yourselves together round the bow. Did the shall or caused thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen be awakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat. And there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.

Put ye in the sickle for the harvest is ripe. Come get ye down for the precious full, the fat’s overflow. For their wickedness is great.” Now the Bible tells us even in the book of Revelation. It describes a great big valley, the same valley. It talks about how he’s gonna send forth his angels and they’re gonna bring these great minds and pull them into this valley. And in God’s, you’re gonna take and get in there with his feet and he’s gonna stop all these grapes.

But these grapes are people and the juice is blood and it’ll be as high as the horse is bright on. And he makes his statement in verse 14, multitudes, multitudes and the value of decision for the day of the Lord is near in the Valley of Decision. Now people make decisions all their life. You and I are living in this Valley from beginning to end. We like walking through the Valley of the Shadow and God has given us a multitude of decisions to make.

Things we can choose and that’s why He gave us His Word so that we could know how to discern good decisions from bad decisions. Most of us consider that when you have lived a long time and you finally get some gray hair and you’re old, you’re supposed to be wise. Haven’t you heard that? That the older you live, the wiser you’re supposed to be. It’s not necessarily true. Gray hair is not a sign of wisdom. It’s a sign that you have gray hair.

That’s all. But God has given to us some things to think about. Now I want you to think about this. In the book of Genesis it talks about Adam and Eve. He told him if you eat the fruit of this tree, you’re going to die. Do you think for a moment that there could have been a time in their lives that they could have thought we made the wrong decision? You think they ever thought we regret the decision we made?

I believe they regretted that decision and wish they could go back and change it. Have you ever made decisions that you wish you could go back and change? You said, yeah, you ought to see what I’m married to. I had a man tell me one day, he says, I’m just waiting for this perfect wife. Perfect wife. I said, whatever you do, if you find her, don’t marry her. He says, why? He says, because she’s probably looking for the perfect husband.

I mean what I said, but he got hurt by that. But anyway, why would I wish that upon any sweet little woman, take your Bible and turn to the book of Genesis? The book of Genesis, the book of Genesis in chapter 13. And Genesis chapter 13, there’s a verse here. I want you to look at it with me in verse 10. Lot was the nephew of Abraham. It came a time when they both had grown so much and they had so many cattle and they were kind of becoming some strain relationship so they were going to separate and go different ways.

So Abraham says, you choose, in which everyone you choose, I’ll just take whatever’s left. So what Bible says here in verse 10, and Lot lifted up his eyes, beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou cometh unto Zorrah, then Lot, and here’s that word, chose. Him all the plains of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east, and they separated themselves, the one from the other.

Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. Do you believe that there’s a possibility that Lot ever regretted the decision to go towards Sodom in tomorrow? Is this decision that he made based upon he sought the will of the Lord, or he looked at the plain and what it had to offer him. It wasn’t that decision that Eve had it look good for food and pleasant to the eyes.

Do you think people make decisions and live to regret those decisions? Years later, here’s lot not only having his tent pitch towards Sodom, he is in Sodom and he is now at the gate as the, like a judge. Do you think he was a good judge. The Bible says he vecked his righteous soul from day and day with their unlawful deeds. He lost his wife, he lost his kids, he lost his testimony. They laughed and mocked at him. It didn’t have to be that away, but see, there’s decisions that people make and they live to regret those decisions.

Isn’t it wonderful that we know that God can forgive us? And you know that regardless of whatever you and I have done, that God forgives us, that’s such a wonderful thing. So you don’t have all that guilt, but it doesn’t eliminate the regret. You still wish you had never done it. There’s people that have broken marriages and they live to regret it. There’s people that have gotten married and lived to regret it. You can have children. I hate to say this, but I’m going to say it anyway.

And you regret it. You can take a job, move to a certain town and regret it. There’s regret all over the place. And that’s why I think there’s so many unhappy people. So many Christians are even in misery because they regret so much. Now I want to give you just a couple things that then we’ll look at something a little bit more serious down the road. But look at Numbers in chapter 13, the book of Numbers. In chapter 13, first of all, in verse 31, they had sent some spies out into the land to check out the land, see what was going on.

And so it says here in verse 31, but the men that went up with him said, we be not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are. Who did they leave out of this equation? They left God out. Did you know that you and God are a majority? You and God, if you do what God says to you and God can do anything between me and God, We know everything. What I don’t know He does.

And what I know He knows. Me and God can accomplish anything. But you take God away and how much can I do? Zero. They left Him out. Who’s the one who brought Him out of Egypt? God. And when they were in the land and they didn’t have any water, did God give Him water? And when they wanted food, did God give Him food? And their clothes never wore out for 40 years. Can you imagine your wife wearing the same dress for 40 years?

Same shoes for 40 years? I’m going to get better some new ones coming up. After 54 years, I think she deserved a new dress. But you’d be surprised how many things that you have done and you can regret. Did they ever regret leaving Egypt? Look what we gave up. Onions and leek and garlic. Now if they’d have said eclairs, I could have understood that. You remember about a week ago, I mentioned about if I was right before I die, I wanted to eat all the eclairs I could and then die.

She bought two of them and brought, they were huge, huge. And I’m on a strict diet. Do you think I would even come close to eating that E-clear? The lifespan of that E-clear was about three minutes. But I only ate one. I saved the other one for later. I figured if I’m going to die, I’m going to die happy. But anyway, but now look in chapter 14. Chapter 14, look in verse 3, where it says, And wherefore hath the Lord brought us into the land to fall of the sword that our wives and our children should be a prey?

Were it not better for us to return into Egypt? Did they regret leaving Egypt? But it was a wrong regret. They were the ones that were crying out to God, do something for us so God sent Moses and he brought him out. How quickly they can forget. Has God been good to you? Did you know that how you live your life is how you say thank you to the Lord for what He’s done for you? Have you been thanking the Lord by how you live?

Or have you been misusing the freedom that He’s given to you? Misusing the blessings that He gives to you. See all these things happens to us. Look in verse 27. In verse 27, he makes a statement, how long shall I bear with this evil congregation? Which murmur against me, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. Say unto them, as truly as I live, sayeth the Lord, as ye have spoken in my ear, so will I do to you.

Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness. And all they that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from 20 years old and upward, which have murmured against me. He’s going to let him die in the wilderness. Did you know it didn’t have to be like that, but people make choices? He sent twelve spies into the land and ten of them came back and they were against it. Those were the Democrats. There were two Republicans in it. And look what happened to all the rest of the people, about two million people, suffered consequences.

Do you believe that they ever lived to regret their decision? To regret what they could have done, if they don’t believe God, they could have been into the land. No, they spent 40 more years in the wilderness and those that were 20 years old and up, that were against died. Died. It didn’t have to be that way. It’s because God says this is the value of decisions. You’re always making decisions. You didn’t want to be a robot. You want it to be able to be free to make your own life, your own way, do whatever you want.

And we reveal how wise we are by the decisions that we make. The reason we study the Word of God is to learn how to discern the Word of God, the will of God, the way of God, how to make wise decisions for our lives. And many people live nothing but a life of regret. the first Samuel chapter 15. First Samuel chapter 15. First Samuel chapter 15, this is on page 335 in your Bible. And you notice that he says, Saul, he tells him there in verse 17.

And Samuel said, when thou was little in thine own eyes, when you were little in your own eyes, well, thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel. And the Lord unknowned the king over Israel, because you were little in your own eyes. He looked to the Lord. He believed the Lord. He walked with the Lord. God was able to use them. But then he got too big for his britches. You ever heard somebody say you get too big for your britches?

Well, there’s people to get that way. They get too filled up with pride that they can do everything. And God says, no, you can’t. Did you know that God can raise you up and God can put you down. That’s what he says. And why did he do this? Because in verse 20, and Saul said into Samuel, yay, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and have gone the way which the Lord sent me and have brought a gag the king of Amalek and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

And he says, what meaning of the bleeding of the sheep that I hear in my ear? Is that what he told him to do? No. Because he had to add to what God said, God didn’t say do that. God says, kill them all. So he says in verse 23, 4, rebellion. Get this, rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. Now, if you were not given the freedom to choose, how could you ever be rebellious? How could anybody ever be rebellious if God has pre-programmed you to do certain things and whether you like it or you’re not, God has already got you wired.

No, He didn’t do that. You’re making decisions. He says, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Are you rebellious? Are you stubborn? Do you know the will of God but you don’t want to do it so you justify your rebellion? I’ll live like I want to live. I’ll do whatever I want to do. My life. Yeah, who gave it to you? Are you responsible to somebody? Is there accountability? I have seen and lived long enough to hear a lot of the stories of people who have regretted some of their decisions.

They rebel against the Lord and they regret it. So he makes a statement here in verse 23, because thou hath rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king. Why did he reject him from being king? Because he rejected the word. that he made. Did he regret the decision that he made in not taking care of the Amalekites like God said? Yeah. Did he suffer the consequences alone? No. Israel was defeated. Saul was dead the next day.

Jonathan, his son, was dead the next day. And so when you start off in Samuel, it talks about how did the mighty fall? How did the mighty fall? Because when the mighty take their eyes off of God, you’re going to fall. It will matter who you are. It will not matter how many great things you have done. You are to maintain a good testimony. Maintain a good walk with God. Have you regretted some big decisions in your life that you’re still suffering the consequences of today?

See, most people when they’re young, they sow wild oats. When you sow wild oats, you reap wild oats. And the law of the harvest is to read more and later and same thing. So a win will reap a whirlwind and you’ll wonder why because of choices, decisions that we make. And it is so important. your Bible and turn to the book of Matthew, and chapter 13, Matthew chapter 13. Jesus Christ in the Old Testament had given so many prophecies about when He was going to come, how He would come.

He would speak in parables, even said that He would be rejected, despised, And he still came in spite of all of that. But the people who knew the word that he gave the word to, they had his word. They could quote his word. They were the religious leaders of the day. But Isaiah spoke about these people. And so he makes a statement here in verse 14. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which said, by here ye shall hear, shall not understand.

being ye shall see and not perceive. For this people’s heart is waxed gross. Their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes full, they have clothes, unless at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their hearts and should be converted and I should heal them, but all because they didn’t want to be. They didn’t want to see, they didn’t want to hear. They had the Word of God and it meant nothing to them.

They loved their traditions more than the Word of God, and it says you have made the Word of God of none effect. It didn’t have to be like this, but it wasn’t. Do you believe that at this time, do you believe they regret the decision to reject Christ as the Messiah? They rejected Him. Do you believe they regret what they did? Well, of course they regret it, but it’s all too late. see once you die you’re either saved or you’re lost and that’s the way it’s going to be for all eternity.

If you reject Christ as your Savior do you think that you’re going to live to regret that decision. You will regret that decision but nobody can make you trust the Lord. Can somebody make you serve God? No. But you could live to regret not having served the Lord. You and I, one of these days, are going to stand at the Judgement of the Christ that God is going to reward you for what you did and you’re going to suffer the loss of what you could have had.

At that moment, do you think there could be regret that you did not do more? Nobody can make you, not a soul. This preacher can’t make anybody do right. I can only teach you a truth and let it do what it does. You either obey it or you can disobey it. You can be obedient or rebellious. I have enough trouble taking care of Yankee and you got enough trouble taking care of you. Well not worry about whether somebody else does or doesn’t do it.

Are you walking with the Lord? Are you an obedient child of God? Are you stubborn or rebellious? Are you resistant to the authority of God in your life? So he says in verse 16, but blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear for verily I send to you that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which you see and have not seen them. And to hear those things which you hear and have not heard them.

He says all those people know them they desired this and they didn’t get that. And here you are. And he was there and they knew not to David’s visitation. When God visited the earth, he came unto his own and his own received him not and they rejected him. I believe they lived to regret their decision. Every person who goes to hell has regret. When When you read the 16th chapter of Luke when he talks about the rich man that lifted up his eyes in hell, he regretted.

He regretted. But there’s nothing he could do and there’s nothing that God would do. It’s over. Regret for eternity. Take your Bible and turn to another scripture with me. The book of Matthew in chapter 20, there’s many stories in the world of God that talks about what God has done for us. But there’s so many people that just will not listen and regret the decision that they have made. The Lord says there’s those who want to be greatly used, but they just want to lord over people, be little bosses, instead of being examples, servants of the people.

So He says here in verse 25, Jesus called them unto Him and said, You know that the princes of the Gentiles exercised dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them, but it shall not be so among you. But whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister. This is an opportunity. This is a choice. The opportunity that God’s given to us to serve him. What an option. I can do this, but I can also make a bad decision, say I’m not going to.

A decision that I made years ago after I trusted the Lord, I was sitting there in church, Dr. Verdalene was with the pastor, and he was preaching. And I don’t remember much about what he said, but it stirred me so much that all I knew is I want to serve the Lord with all my heart. And they had everybody standing, they sung, I surrender on, and I listened to that song, and I stood there, and I cried. I surrender on.

I I didn’t want to just sing those words. I wanted it to be true. Because I know I’m making a decision. These decisions can affect the rest of my life. And I knew that the most important decision I’ll ever make after I trust the Lord. I will serve Him. And then I try to make all my other decisions as it relates to that one goal. But see, if you have never made up your mind, that’s what I want more than anything else in the world, then you’ll flounder because you don’t have any direction.

You don’t really know what you want yet. You’re just trying to say who’s going to offer you the best. Has the world got something to offer me better than what I see God has to offer me? You’re not looking far enough down the road. Look at the end results. Look when this life is over and then think about it. What would you want to have? Are you want it where I serve the Lord and God was pleased and he rewarded me?

Or do you want it to where I didn’t serve the Lord? I live with regret. He is not pleased, and I’ve got no rewards for all eternity. Which one would you want? If you really understand it and believe it, it can change your life. And this is what this is done for Hello, this is Peter Amato with Bibleline, and we hope that you’ve enjoyed today’s program. We’re so thankful for those of you who support Bibleline and would like to offer you a gift.

During the month of October, for your donation of any amount, we’re going to send to you Dr. Arnold’s pamphlet on why we cannot believe an evolution. We’re also going to include his prophecy chart titled the Prophetic Survey of Time, and lastly we’re going to include a CD that features Dr. Arnold’s funny jokes and sayings that we hope will tickle your spirit. So for your gift of any amount, we’ll send the three items, the pamphlet on evolution, the full color prophecy chart, and the CD of Dr.

Arnold’s funny jokes and quotes. Our mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634, and don’t forget to include your mailing address as well. Once again, thank you for supporting Bibleline and may God richly bless you. 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. Believe in that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.