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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. 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.

Let me tell you something that I thought of the other day. And this is gonna sound a little on the strange side. Betty says, are you going to say that in church? I says, no, I’m not planning on it. She says, I think you ought to. And then later she changed her mind. So I changed my mind. I was by myself and I’m thinking, you know. And sometimes I keep trying to figure out why things are the way they are.

And so I try to go back and did past. Have you ever tried to go back and do the past? Well, I was really way back there. But I often wonder just how God did all the things that He did. It just blows my mind, thinking of eternity. And then I would sit and think about here’s a guy like Steven. He was a holy man, a godly man, just man. They probably just voted him in as being a head deacon.

And he preached one super sermon. It was a lulu. He didn’t pull any punches. They didn’t either. They killed him. But before he died, he says that he lifted up his eyes and he saw Jesus on the throne. Now, I have to be honest now, I’m trying to figure out what kind of eyesight did he have? He was able to see Jesus standing up. You realize how far away he must be and then he could see him. Now, I’m trying to figure out in my mind, How long did it take the light to travel from there to come to here for him to stand up and then the light to come by and then he finds he sees him?

I read some scriptures sometimes and it kind of seems like there’s some things that’s going on around us that we can’t see. You remember the story of Baddie, Lacham, whenever there was these, you know, the Syrians were going to zap them. They were totally outnumbered. But a servant? Ah, he says, what are we going to do? He says, well,ruary’s more with us than there is with them. He said, what? Lord, let him see what’s going on. And all of a sudden he was able to see and there were all these angels around the bottom.

Well, it wasn’t much to it. That’s all over with. Multitudes dead. What do you think that way? Where’d they come from? me I always want to know these things. And when Daniel prayed in the 9th chapter, it says that the angel couldn’t even get to him to bring him the message even after he heard his prayer 21 days before. So he says, another angel was bothering that angel and he had to call for another angel to give him some help so he could deliver the message.

You know there’s something going on behind the scenes that we can’t see. I was taken and tell in the bed he says, honey, let me run something by you. This is not what I believe. This is just something that I might think about believing. Here we are. The Lord says the earth is His footstool. Doesn’t it say that somewhere? The earth is My footstool. What if, just if. And if everything we think about God in heaven, instead of it being billions and billions of light years away, it’s right here.

And another dimension that we cannot see. Is it possible for God to have angels. They can appear and disappear it will. Yeah. Yeah, but so outside and I think and John saw the Holy City. New Jioob, there’s a little bit of a lot of attention to the little bit of a time. But I thought. How far away was it? Now most people probably don’t care. Alright, I do. I want to know how far it was away. Did he have binoculars?

How far away was he really small? When we see that 1,500 miles high, wide and long, holy city coming toward the earth, how far away has he got to be? How long is he going to take? Could we spot him coming now because he got to get here soon, you know? Because look how far away or Or how fast would they be traveling? How fast is this holy city going to be moving? And how that somebody can see things they’d never seen before.

And a man like Paul can die and be caught up into paradise. Is it possible that when you go out on some night, if God would let you see it, wouldn’t wonderful if it’s right there, the holy city, but we can’t see it with these eyes. There’s so much that God has done as you read the Scriptures, and so it’s right there. Now I’m curious, I have a curious mind, I can’t help the way I’m wired. No, I’ve never heard anybody else say this, but this is just what I think about it.

I don’t believe my prayers have to make a trip, a journey someplace. Even when Christ was here, He says, the Kingdom of God is within you, or maybe we are within the Kingdom of God. Maybe if God could let us see, the earth really is His footstool, and He’s right there. And He sees and hears everything it goes on, because He’s here. Now we know He lives within us. So, sometimes when you understand a few of the natural things that happens in life, you can understand a few things that are spiritual things happening in life.

Turn in your Bible to the Gospel of John, the Gospel of John. Now everything I just told you, forget about it. Don’t think about it at all. But I want us to look at some things and the Lord says that there’s a lot of natural things that we see, but He uses them to teach spiritual things. You remember when He told Nicodemus in John chapter 3, He says in verse 3, Jesus answered said unto Him, Verily, verily, I said to the accept Him and be born again, He cannot see the kingdom of God.

Now in the next verse verse five down there, it says, you cannot enter into the kingdom of God unless you’re born again. So you must be born again to see it and to enter it. So is it something we can see? Now we know that it goes far beyond this time in which we live. But we’ll have to admit there is another world being lived at the same time as ours. There is an angelic world that we cannot see.

There is the good angels and there’s the bad angels and there’s the devil which we cannot see, but is he real? And does the devil have power and does he influence? But you can’t see them. As far as you and I know, there could be a hundred thousand angels in this room. I don’t know because I’ve never seen one. I don’t know how many angels can sit on the head of a pen. Never really tried to figure it out.

But he makes his statement. He says, when I said anything, you must be born again. That’s which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. One, you can see, one you cannot see. Then he talks to Nicodemus and he tells him something that he should understand after all been a ruler in Israel. But it’s amazing how Jesus, who was a young man in his 30s. It was probably talking to a saint individual that’s been around for a while and he says down here in verse 9, Nicodemus answers to them, how can these things be?

Jesus answered, said unto him, our Thaw a Master of Israel, knoweth not these things. Very, very I see unto thee. We speak that we do know and testify that we have seen. And ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you believe not, how shall you believe if I tell you of heavenly things? So there is a correlation between the two. So while Christ was here, He used many different things. that you could see and understand to teach spiritual things you could not see and understand.

Soon as he said that, he referred to something that, hey, Nicodemus, you supposed to know this. And he refers there in verse 14, and as Moses lifted up the servant in the wilderness, now that literally happened. It was solid material. A literal man made a brazen serpent put it on a pole and had it lifted up. But why did he do that? Because there were people being bitten by serpents and they were dying. And so the only thing they had to do was look at the serpent and they would live.

Nothing else. Look and live. So simple. But do you think there is a spiritual truth to the illustration, to the story, to the natural thing that literally happened of a pole, a snake, the people dying, is that an illustration of some spiritual truth. So we have a microphone down here. All right, I want to know, and I’ll start with Bob Gilbert, Tell me what is the spiritual truth that we’re supposed to learn from Moses and the serpent? Jesus said to Nicodemus, as the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.

That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life. So is there spiritual truth to the illustration? The spiritual truth is that he was going to be lifted up and eternal life would be offered to anyone that just as in the other day they had to just look. He says now all a person can do is believe in him. All right. So there is a relationship between that which you cannot see and that what you can see.

So he uses the visible things, things we’re supposed to know and understand, to teach us something else that we could not understand without it. That which is flesh is flesh that you can see. That which is spirit is spirit that you cannot see. So then you look up there in verse 8, the wind bloweth where it listed and thou hears the sound thereof, but can’tst not tell whence it cometh and wither it goeth, so is everyone that is born of the Spirit.

Now, wind is something that is real to everyone of us. But what is it a picture of in the story? Why is he doing this and using the wind for anything? What’s the purpose of it? Bob Brooks? The Holy Spirit. All right, to type of the Holy Spirit. Now, how would you relate that to this? What is the purpose of it? What’s the point? There’s got to be a point to this. There’s a physical birth and a spiritual birth.

The spiritual birth is something that happens because of the Spirit. And though the wind, you may feel the wind, you know it comes and you know it goes. And you can see results of the wind blowing through the leaves and so forth. But the Holy Spirit birth, you cannot see the Holy Spirit birth. If you have a spiritual birth, nobody can see it. Can you see my spiritual birth? I can’t see yours. But you still have a spiritual birth.

It comes from the Lord. All right, let me run this by him. Oh, wait. Oh, you’re not through yet. Bob’s not through. In John chapter 7, it does say, he could believe it on me, as the scripture said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this he spake of the spirit. So he makes sure that you understand it. This he spake of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive, where the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because he was not yet glorified.

So there in John chapter 7, it ties those two things together. And it shows you that that’s exactly what he’s talking about. But the water… Is something that you do understand and that is used and we might take a look at that later. But right now, it should take your Bible and turn to the book of Matthew and chapter six. Matthew chapter six. Matthew chapter six. Look down there in verse 28 verse 28. Jesus is talking and he’s given another illustration.

But remember, he’s using something they can see and they can understand to teach something else. Now, when he says in verse 28, and why take he thought for Raymond, consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, they toil not, neither do they spend. Yet I see in the you that even Solomon and all of his glory was not arrayed like one of these. What is the point? What is he teaching? What is the purpose of using a lily?

What’s the purpose of that? Mr. Peter Amato. That the things of the world that are even though they’re beautiful, they’re here and they’re gone. They don’t last. There’s only the physical things regardless of how beautiful they are, they disappear. All right. And it talks about they will fade away. These things will fade away. There’s also something else that’s mentioned here about this. In the context it reveals several other things. But the other one I want you to kind of put with that is about the fowls of the air.

See there in verse 26, behold the fowls of the air. He talks about the birds, but what is he teaching about the birds? So remember God created everything. He comes into this world and he’s using these things that we can see to teach us things we cannot see. But what is the point of telling us about fowls of the air? What is the point purpose of that. Yes. Really both the fowls of the air and the lilies of the field have the same point, which is you guys are caught up.

You guys are too caught up in what you’re going to eat, what you’re going to drink, what you’re going to put on. He said your father in heaven cares about lilies, he cares about birds, he cares a lot more about you and you need to get caught up with the things of the kingdom of God as opposed to the things of mundane life. He said, seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.

Take no thought about what you’ll put on or what you’ll eat or what you’ll drink.” All right, very good. So all these things have a spiritual meaning, even though it’s about the natural things, the things you can see and understand, but God takes these choice objects. He was the master teacher and he would know how to illustrate a truth, spiritual truth. And everywhere he went, the Bible just talks about all these things, the wisdom that he had, because he had an advantage over us.

He made all those things. He knew exactly how to use everything because he used it. And if you go through the Scriptures, you’ll see this over and over and over again, how that there’s things that he wants us to know. And one of the things about these things that he’s saying here is so that you and I will not worry. And why should we worry? Because we have somebody that can take care of the birds and there’s somebody who can take care of the lilies.

And that’s why you’ll find it in here. How much more important are you? How valuable are you? And when you think about this, there are some things you can not change. See there in verse 27? There are some things in life you can’t change. Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto a statue. I think I’ll make myself another 18 inches taller. Hmm. Hmm. I’m talking about going higher, stature, this way. But he says you can’t do that.

There are some things you can’t control. You can’t do. But look how he says it all and just two little lines, two sentences. And he says all of those, one sentence, and he didn’t say it. And then you look there where he makes this statement in verse 31, therefore, therefore, as you apply these simple little things. Take no thought saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink or what with all shall we put on and so on.

And the purpose is your heavenly Father knoweth what you have need of. And he can take care of the files of the air and he can take care of the lilies of the field. How much greater value are you? Can God take care of you? Yes he can. Take your Bible and look there in Matthew chapter 10. Matthew chapter 10 and you’ll notice that down through here. He’s talking to his disciples about Not been afraid But then he right in the middle of it.

He says something so there’s got to be a reason for it. It’s got to be a purpose for it So in verse 31 Dan verse 31 it says excuse me, verse 30, but the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Now God got a lot to count on Dan’s head. Me, it’s not as big of a problem anymore, but the very hairs of your head are numbered. What’s the point? What is the point? Here’s Jesus Christ, God that created the heavens and dear, do you think He has a purpose or point and everything he says.

So when you read the Bible, you don’t just read it over his head. Now what’s the point? What’s the point? What’s the purpose? Why does he say that? And the reason I keep talking is because I’m giving Dan time to try to think of what it might mean. And Dan, the man is ready. My hair is important. I’m gonna give him some of them soap flakes. God is all knowing. He’s all knowing. Alright, can you tell me anymore? He knows what we’re going through.

He knows everything about us. He knows if he can number the hairs of our head, then he knows the problems that we’re having, the problems we’re gonna have. He knows the tribulations and the answers to all of our prayers before we ask them. So if he knows every hair on your head, then he must know everything else that is important. If he knows the least little thing, like how many hairs do I have on my head, then he must know everything else that we don’t know.

And if you know and understand that your God in heaven knows everything, you ought to be able to trust him. Now in context he’s also warning them about don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. And then he talks about how that God can take care of everything. Why do you think he uses this illustration? Look in verse 29. In verse 29, are not two sparrows so far apart and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

What in the world does that mean? Why would he say that? What’s that got to do with anything? Alright, Peter Amato, you want to take a stab? We are talking about verse 29, verse 29, one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. Okay, what’s the point? What is the spiritual, I got to have a spiritual lesson from this. You got to be a spiritual. God knows the most minute details that we overlook all the time and yet it’s God is paying attention to every We don’t notice when a sparrow falls to the ground.

God does, so the lesson is, God is saying, listen, if I know those little bitty things about sparrows, the least, the smallest of the things, how much more do I know about you? How much more do I care about you? He’s trying to show his love by giving these dramatizations. All right, y’all accept all of that? Sounds good to y’all. All right. All right, go ahead. Well, in the context of this, he’s already talked about not being fearful of him which can kill the body, but to fear God who can kill the body and the soul.

And he’s in the context of what he’s saying here is that you need to go out and preach the gospel. You need to go out and speak the word of God and not be afraid of man, and not be afraid of being persecuted, not being afraid of being killed for the gospel. That is very good. I appreciate that. You’ll also notice in the same chapter, When you look at it and get close to the end of the chapter, there’s something there that relates to everything he said before.

You see, what does he say there in verse 42? All right, Mr. Bob Gilbert in verse 42, and whatsoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water. A cup of cold water. So small, a little cup of cold water. There must be a story. There must be a spiritual lesson here because just like He told Nicodemus, How can you understand spiritual things if you can’t even understand these physical things, the earthly things?

Because he uses earthly things that we do know and teach us spiritual truths. Bob? Well, he’s from about verse 38 to the end, he’s teaching about the value of serving and following him as opposed to serving yourself. He that findeth his life shall lose it and he says that there’s reward for this kind of service and then he says even if it’s just to somebody who seems like a Person that’s not worth very much I’m thinking about visiting the people in prison or the people that are in hospital and whatever then another passage he talks about the least of these my brother and you’ve done it unto me and here he’s saying if you give a couple of cold water under one of these little ones in the name of a disciple.

You’ll be rewarded for that. It doesn’t matter that you’re not actually able to give Jesus a cup of cold water. You’re giving it to him when you serve the least among you, the little ones or the ones that can’t help themselves. So you could add to this, you get a reward even for something as small as offering somebody a cup of cold water. Every little thing. Every little thing. These little things are big things. You see, most of us in our life, we’re looking for those great opportunity.

Well, when the great opportunity comes by that, you know, deserves my attention. I’ll be right there. But you know, if you’re not faithful in those little many things, you may never get those big opportunities because you won’t take advantage of those little why should God give you big opportunities? Learn to be faithful in little things. And if you will be, then you’ll be faithful in that which is much. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of Matthew chapter 16.

Matthew chapter 16. And I want to tell you what is the point. You know everybody know what a rock is. Everybody knows what a pebble is. But there’s something that’s mentioned here, in verse 13 of Matthew 16. When Jesus came into the coast of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, whom do men say that I, the Son of Man Am? And they said, some say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elijah and some Jeremiah, and one of the prophets.

He said, but whom say ye that I am? Simon Peter answered and said, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered and said unto him, blessed are thou Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood have not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Mr. Bob Brooks, there is a statement there that says, this rock, and we know that Peter is a pebble.

What’s the point? He’s building upon the rock which is Christ. All right, but what other foundation can no man lay? All right. Why did he refer to Peter as a pebble and him as the rock? What’s the purpose of it done? He’s bigger than Peter is going to Peter’s going to Rome and he’s going to start the church and the church has founded upon Peter. No, no No found it upon Christ Okay. And built upon the foundation. 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 in 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. Thanks again. Thank you for supporting Bibleline and may God richly bless you. 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. Cut 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.