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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 concluding message of this teaching will be a blessing to you and your family.

So there’s some of these people that would try to stay in caves and that they did hide so they couldn’t be found. And so lo and behold, there’s this one day a Lord came to see this what man named Gideon. And he says, Gideon, thou mighty man of valor. And Gideon turned around about ten times and says, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. And God says, I’m talking to you, bud, and God shows him how that he looks down the road and he talks to him like it’s a done deal.

If we could only see the way God sees. See, God came down the road and knows exactly what’s going to take place. God was looking for a nobody that would give him the credit for delivering the people. So in verse one he says, and the children of Israel did evil, and you ought to say again, in the sight of the Lord. And because they did evil, the Lord delivered them into the hand of the medians seven years, and the hand of of Midian prevailed against Israel and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains and caves and strongholds.

So they had to go into hiding. This is their land, this is their land. But because of the sins of the people, they turn against God. And did you know that all these things that we have read about and studied so far in the book of Judges didn’t have to happen. Well, what did it happen? Because the people rebelled against God. Did you know I actually believe that God’s children, many times in the Christian life, rebelled against the Lord?

And they go in a vicious cycle. They think it really doesn’t matter. If I don’t go to church, if I don’t read my Bible, and if I don’t pray, and if I don’t witness, and I don’t give, and I don’t, it’s not going matter and all those things they walk right into this vicious cycle of a trap. And God allows all these decisions that they make to hurt them and He places around them a hedge of thorns so that their decisions that they make that they thought was going to bring them such peace and joy and happiness becomes nothing but sharp little pricks that hurt them and then they get to where they despise life and things fall apart and every decision they make that they think is the wise decision only enhances their pain and they have forfeited the joy, the peace, the love that they could have had, but they don’t know all of this

could be because they didn’t serve the Lord with all their heart. doesn’t really matter. It’s not going to make a difference, but it does make a difference. And so then they’ll cry out to the Lord, repent. I won’t do it anymore and they change their lifestyle and maybe get back to church, do a few things right, and things seem to be doing better because they’re making better decisions. And then lo and behold, they do it again, and they do it again.

And their whole life is nothing but one vicious cycle. Now this is why you read the Old Testament stories. You learn from what they did so that you don’t have to do that. So you’ll be wiser, isn’t it nice that God put these stories of these people in the Word so we can find out that if God says this and you do this, this is what you can expect. Because we’re smart, right? We can learn from that. Or do we have to experience it for ourselves?

Some people live and learn and some people live and never learn. And so he says here in verse 3, And so it was when Israel had sown that the meeting-night came up and the Amalekites. And the children of the east, even they came up against them and they encamped against them and destroyed the increase of the year, till thou come unto Gaza and left no substance for Israel, neither sheep nor ox, nor asp, for they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitudes, for both they and their camels were without number, and they entered into the land to destroy it.

See, let somebody else do the work, and then they come in here and they devour. In the book of Haggi, it talks about having your money bag where you put your money into the bag and it’s got holes in it and people that will work, slave and have nothing. It just kind of like water going through your fingers and they wonder, well, how come? How come? Well, because you’ve got holes in your money bag and there’s people who got holes in their umbrella.

In other words, they don’t have the wisdom to make right decisions. They lose that edge of discernment of doing right and wrong. Well, it really doesn’t matter, and yet everything matters. When the Bible says, you shall reap what you sow. Most people think that just means if you’re going to sow corn, or if you’re going to sow cotton, if you’re going to sow apples, you’re going to sow this. What are you going to sow, you’re going to raise that?

That’s one thing. not talking about what you sow in your life. If you sow that, you’re going to reap that. So hatred, you reap hatred. So jealousy, you reap it. You sow peace, you can reap it. So bitterness, you reap it. You reap what you sow. And so that’s why people, they never get it until it’s almost too late. They’ve lived their whole life. So unhappiness, you reap that. So a bad attitude. That’s what you reap. You see, people will sometimes treat you the way you appear you want to be treated.

How do they know how you want to be treated? Because they watch how you treat others. And this is why it’s so important. Do right. You reap what you sow. Now here, it makes a statement in verse 6. And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the the Midianites and the children of Israel, well, what do you know? What did they do? Cried unto the Lord. Well, now that’s at least a smart decision. In other words, after so long, it seemed like people finally get it.

They finally realized, hey, no, maybe it stopped. It might be because we’re not right with God. Did he ever occur to you? He might not be right with God. And then you need to go back and see what God’s word has to stay and study it. Verse 7, and it came to pass when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of the many nights that the Lord sent a prophet, but we will do it. He wasn’t a prophet before.

He didn’t know he was a prophet. He didn’t plan on being a prophet. He hadn’t prepared to be a prophet. He was just a guy out there trying to make a living, but he was in his own mind. He just considered himself a nobody. You see, we’ll just kind of jump over there, but I want you to see this. See there in verse 12, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, about mighty man of valor.

And Gideon said unto him, oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? I mean, if you’re on our side Lord, why is all this happening to us? It’s just like, don’t you get it? Don’t you know why yet? Are you talking to me? He hasn’t even figured this out yet. And God’s gonna use this guy who cannot even discern this. And he asked not only why he wanted to know where, see what he says, where be all his miracles, which our fathers told us of.

Hey, we’ve heard about things. Just think about this. These fellows now in this next generation after Joshua had died, you see, all they know is the stories. They’ve heard these stories. How they were down there in Egypt And what God did and opening up the waters. Hey, Joshua’s generation saw that. Their generation didn’t. They were automatically fed for 40 years miraculously in the wilderness. They hadn’t seen none of that. So you see, it leads to apathy after a while.

When you haven’t seen anything happen, you know what used to really burn me? I’d sit down and I even read books like oratory books. I read Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secrets. I read stories about Billy Seinfeld. Sunday, Dwight L. Moody, a bunch of other evangelists. I was sitting at the Freedom and I thought, Lord, look at the way these, some of these revivals and fenion, all these guys and what feels and I mean it’s just amazing. I said, Lord, I want something like that.

I want that. I’ve never seen it. I’ve never seen a great revival. I’ve read about them, heard about them, but Lord I’ve never seen it. And Lord, before I die, I would love to see a great sweeping revival of God doing something wonderful, awesome, But not generated by a man in manufacturing it, but God did it. Now be honest, wouldn’t you love to see a great sweeping revival hit America? Something happening. But because we haven’t, we sometimes lose ourselves in our little ministry here and there are a little ministry over there and there are a little ministry over there.

And we see the world getting bigger and bigger, and everybody’s joined together in the world, and the world’s coming. And we’re not affecting the world. We’re trying to find a way to hide from the world so that the world can’t get us. And we need to cry out to God and say, God, why can’t I see a revival in my day? I’ve heard about it. I’ve read about it. But I want to be part of one. It may take my whole life of sowing seeds for 50, 60, maybe 70 years.

Maybe I’ll not seed in my lifetime, but I’d like to believe I planted enough seeds that somewhere some young kid is going to hear what I’ve said from the Bible and he’s going to pick up a track or hear one of the YouTubes or a radio broadcast is going to sit there and think that makes sense to me. I’m going to trust Christ as my Savior and then He’s going to think to Himself, Lord I want to do something.

I I want to do something big. I want to attempt something great. I expect you to do this. And some guy is going to read the Bible and believe it. And God is going to raise up some young man somewhere. And maybe he’ll put one foot on America and one foot on Europe and he’ll stand out of the ocean and claim both continents for God. See we may not do it ourselves, but we might influence somebody that would do it The start of fire to light somebody to encourage somebody To want to make a difference I live for that That’s why I love these scriptures, but look again.

I I usually get sidetracked. I don’t know if you notice that or not, but I do every once in a while. So he says in verse 13, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us and where be all his miracles, which our fathers told us of say and did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? But now they have it now. The Lord hath forsaken us. Is that really the problem? Is that why they’re having the misery they’re having because God forsook them?

Or could it be because they forsook the Lord? Which way do you think it is? They forsook God. And so when you forsake the Lord, there’s a price to pay. A lot of things will happen in your life that probably will never have to happen. It didn’t have to happen, but because of choices that you make, there’s a price to pay. He says here in verse. 13, but now the Lord had forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

No, that’s true. He gave them to the Midianites, but why did God do that? So in verse 14, and the Lord looked upon him and says, go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have not I sent thee? look at his attitude. You can see that this wasn’t something Gideon planned. He said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewithal shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in monasm and I am the least in my father’s house.

Did he see himself as just a humble individual? He didn’t see himself as a leader. He didn’t see himself as a great man, he didn’t see himself as having the talent or the ability of the military genius that he needed to be to do this great job. But that’s not what God was looking for. God was looking for a person that would do what he says. You say, well, I’m not great, but will you do what God says to do?

Will you obey the Lord? If you do, you don’t know how God’s going to use you down the road. But you see, it’s because of your humbleness, your attitude. I know Christians who have a mean sour puss all the time. They’re always down and mumbling and cungriping and complaining about something as though God is dead. You don’t have to be like that. God is alive. You ought to be as alive as God is alive. And it’s not over as long as you can.

Suck in air Got a heartbeat You got a pulse You got a purpose in that right out That’s right And that old man’s sitting there beside you mr. Waddell the same way I bet he still probably wants to try to do something for God even in his old age How old are you anyway? 87 see he’s right ahead of you now You know the Bible says water seeks its own level and people that are that age they find each other You know they just they just find each other But these things are in the word of God for a reason Because you see if you don’t think the way God thinks There’s no hope God is looking for somebody that can believe him can trust him now you think well after after God came to him and said all these things, that he, Gideon, was all of a sudden a man

that was a giant for God. Oh no, no, no, no. He had to put God to the test. Usually it’s God to put us to the test. But Gideon, one of the tests God. So he lays out several things. He said, no, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. If you’re really gonna do what you say do, But I’ve got a couple things I need to ask. Look what he says here. He makes a promise to him in chapter 6. Just look at verse 23.

I can’t wait. I’ve got to show you this. Because he tells him, this is something that you need to understand. He says there in verse 23, and the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee, fear not thou shalt not die. How do you think he told him that? He probably had an idea, hey, if I do this, they’re gonna kill me. I don’t know what to do. They’ll kill me. So God had to tell him, you will not die.

So God promised him that. So, Judges in chapter six, look down there in verse nine, And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, dragged them out from before you and gave you their land. God said, this is what I did for you. And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God. Fair not the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. And you are on the line this.

This is from God’s point of view. See, people always see things from their point of view. there’s a human perspective and there’s a divine perspective. The divine perspective is God has a reason why he does what he does. He says, because you would not obey my voice. You wouldn’t listen to me. Here you are. And what is the Bible? What is the Bible? The Bible is the Word of God. Bible is the Word of God. And you and I cannot hear his voice unless we hear the words.

The Bible is the voice of God. So when we hear the voice of God, as we start to hear the words of God, we hear the words of God. of God, as we study the Bible seeking the Lord with all our hearts, God says, you will find me. And when you find the Lord, you will find the way he wants you to walk here, something he wants you to do. But he says, seek the Lord, seek the Lord. I mean, chronicles, first chronicles, he talks about seek the Lord.

He told Rea Bohem that he did not seek the Lord with all of his heart. and because of that he did evil in the sight of God because he did not seek the Lord with all his heart. So is there a price to pay? There’s a price to pay. Nobody can make you love God, nobody can make you seek God, but studying the Word of God is one way of seeking God and you study the Word of God and you hear his voice.

You hear what he says and all All he wants from you and me is our faith, our confidence. Can you trust God? Can you trust the Lord? And this is why you find that the call of Gideon in chapter 11, God is going to talk to you. Now God does not make Gideon obey him. God gives him a choice. Even Joshua. didn’t make him, but he did tell him, Joshua made this decision, choose you this day whom you will serve.

Choose you this day whom you serve. As for me and my house, what are we going to do? We will serve the Lord. So you got to make it be your own mind. As you said here tonight, have you already determined in your mind, I want God’s will for my life? I mean, have you really done that? Do you really want it? How bad do you want it? How bad do you want it? Is there anything the devil could do to you that would keep you from seeking his face, from seeking the Lord?

How much do you love the Lord? You see, Gideon had to ask a few questions. Well, if you are God, I mean, why is all this happening to us? Don’t you want something more? Did you know it was God who wanted more for Israel than Israel wanted for themselves? Did you know that God wants to send a deliverer? God wants you to hear more than your desire to hear? Have you ever wondered whether or not does God love souls more than I do?

Or can I love souls more than God? Do you have a burden you want to reach the world? Wait a minute. Can my burden be greater than God’s? Or where did I get this burden from? Who gave this to me? It taught in the book. The labors are few. The harvest is cleanness. And somebody needs to do it. Look up here. This hand represents you and me and the wall of represents sin. We all have sin upon us. God loves us.

I hate our sin, but He loves us. But the payment for sin is death, eternal separation from God in a literal fire burning hell. But God wants us to go to heaven and to go to heaven we have to be perfect as righteous as God and none of us are perfect. None of us are righteous. Some of us are good to go because of sin we can’t get in. And God says that good works will not pay for sin.

So going to church won’t pay for sin, giving money won’t pay for sin, or he’s sin is death. This hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord God in the flesh. Came into the world because he loves us, hates our sin. He held our sin, separates us from him. So Christ took the sin, paid for it on the cross, and came back from the dead. He said, if you and I, if we would believe that He died and paid for our sins, that He’d put this payment to our account.

It means I won’t have to pay for my sins. I mean, all those bad things, I won’t have to pay for them. He paid for them. What about all the ones in the future? Well, he’s already paid for the man that’s going to be born 100 years from now or 1,000 years from now. When he died once, he died for all sin, of all time, for all men. And all I had to do was accept this one payment he made once and for all.

And you put it to my account and I can know that I have eternal life. I can know that I’m going to heaven because of what Christ did for me. The reason salvation is by grace is less any man. should boast. It means no man can take credit for it. A man can’t brag about what he’s done to get him to heaven, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. Therefore no man is justified by his works and the sight of God, the just shall live my faith.

That’s why it makes so much sense just to trust the Lord. That’s pretty sharia. But heads bow nice clothes and no one looking around. I pray that you have all trust in Christ as your Savior, but just in case. Or if you’re watching by internet, I’m thankful that we had three that indicated this morning that they would trust the Lord. Two this morning, one this afternoon. But if you’re here tonight and you never trust the Lord, why not trust Him right now?

Believe in it when He died, He died for you. He paid for your sins. Will you trust Him as your only hope of going to heaven? You cannot earn it. You can’t work for it because it’s the gift of God. It’s not of works. So if you will trust Christ as Savior, I’d like to know and I want to ask you in just a moment to raise your hand. Raise your hand. It doesn’t save you. It just lets me know that what I said made sense to you.

And I hope that it made sense. So would you trust Christ as Savior? If you will, He never done it before. He said, preach to that made sense. And would you let me know by just a little bit of a hint of birth quickly and put it right back down and say, well, no one at all. If you have trusted Christ as your Savior, there’s God’s child and you’ll go to heaven. Or if you’re watching by internet right there on the screen, just to let us know, he said, to that made sense to me and I will trust Christ as my Savior.

And if you just click that on, it lets us know that somebody trusts the Lord. We don’t know who you are. We’d love to know, but we don’t. Our Father, we thank You again for Your blessings. And I pray, Lord, of each person here, gain just a little bit of insight on how important it is the decisions that we make. That sometimes people don’t think that’s that important, that they can just live as they please and get away with it, there’s consequences.

We ask the Lord your blessings upon each one here and help us to seek you and to love you and to walk with you. And Father, we have no clue at how you’re going to use this, but we know that you will. Help us to be vessels that are clean, usable, liable. Christ, name we pray. Amen. You’ve been listening to another great message from Dr. Arnold, and we hope that Bibleline is a blessing to you. In appreciation for your support of this ministry, we’d like to send to you a gift.

During this month, for a gift in any amount, we’re going to send Dr. Arnold’s teaching on the subject of marriage. This nine-lesson CD series includes titles such as God’s view of divorce, eight pressures of raising children, how to love your wife, and the humorous but insightful teaching and then the war began. Whether you are married, single or dating, you will certainly benefit from this teaching series on God’s design for marriage and divorce. And this CD series is yours for a donation in any amount.

Our mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And don’t forget to include your mailing address as well. God bless you and thank you for 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.