This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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. 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.

Take your Bible and turn to the book of Hebrews chapter 12. There’s always a few new things, things but sometimes a few of the old things. To refresh your mind because we live in a day in which our faith is truly on trial. To see just how much do we really love the Lord? Wouldn’t it be great if all of God’s children faithfully serve the Lord with all their heart, all their lives? But something happens and you need to understand and believe that there is grace for the race.

Every one of us knows that we’re running a race. But you may think you have to run it on your own steam. You have to make it happen. All you have to do is just be faithful to do what God says to do and He doesn’t require you to do anything you can’t do. What you can’t do, He will take care of. And that’s what you have to believe. So that you don’t try to manufacture some false Christianity, that whatever walk you have with God, it should be real.

You should not be a hypocrite. You don’t know what you believe and just live it. If you believe right, you can live right. But if you don’t believe right, you can’t live right. Then you try to try to make yourself because you’re not really sold on something. it’s important. I want you to take your Bible and look at the book of Hebrews in chapter, first of all, look there in chapter 4. I shared this verse the other night with those that were here.

And I wrote a statement down, and that statement was, grace is money God put into an escrow account to pay for all of your service. Remember whatever service God has for you, whatever He wants you to do with your life, God is going to give you the grace that you need to do it. All he wants you to do is just use it. It’s like having a million dollars in escrow and you live in like a paufer because you never draw anything out of it.

And so many of God’s people think that all depends upon them and it doesn’t. You learn how to trust the Lord and go to God for what you need and you’ll be surprised what God will do for you. So here in Hebrews chapter 4, look in verse 16, let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Grace for the race is all the power, the desire, supplies of whatever you need to do what God wants you to do for your life.

Now turn to Hebrews in chapter 12. We’re going to run through these fairly quickly because I believe it’s so important because if there’s anything that you have to have between you and God is you have to be honest with God. You can’t deceive God. And if you want God’s blessings, you can’t try to lie to God. You can’t lie to God. Now, some people think there’s a time to lie and a thing not to lie. You know, maybe you heard about this preacher.

He was walking down this parkway and he looked over there and there was about 10 or 12 boys and they’re all around this dog and he thought, they’re over there trying to hurt that dog. So he walked over there and he says, What are y’all doing with that dog?” And he said, Mr., he’s just no stray dog. He says, but all of us want him. But we can’t decide who gets to keep the dog. He says, so we just thought that whoever can tell the biggest lie gets to keep the dog.

And the preacher looked at him and he said, I am astonished. I am so ashamed. When I was your age, I never told a lie. And they all bowed their heads. And finally one boy looked at him and says, okay, mister, you get the dog. But you have to learn to be honest with God because you want God’s blessings upon you. So here in the book of Hebrews in chapter 12 and look in verse 1 and 2 here, he says, wherefore seeing we also are encompassed about what so great a cloud of witnesses.

Let us lay aside every weight. sin which does so easily be set us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. So we know there’s a race and we’re all in this race and that we all have to be in the race. So if you’re going to be in the race you might as well try to win. I didn’t ask to be born but lo and behold I was born. I didn’t get to choose my parents I didn’t get to choose a lot of things in life and Sometimes I can look over my life and I can see so much bad and I can also see so much so many blessings that God has given to me also.

I guess it all depends on what I want to focus on. But when you want to run the race, you got to understand, there is someone who wants to stop you from running the race. The devil is real and he is alive. This woman, she goes shopping. She came home and she showed her husband her new $250 dress. He explodes. What? He says, but honey, when I looked at that dress and I put it on, and I looked in the mirror, and it was like the devil just kind of walked up in whisper and says, you sure look good in that dress.

He said, but honey, you should always tell the devil, get behind me Satan. Honey, I did. He says, you look good back here too. When you want to do something bad enough, you’ll find a reason to justify whatever it is that you want to do. And I just heard this. This is a new bulletin. It just came out. But it’s along the lines of trying to be careful in what you say. But they say the new statistics out is that women who are just a little bit overweight live longer than the men who mention it.

it is a warning. If you want to live long and have a good life, you have to learn what to say, what not to say. I haven’t learned all of it yet. I’m still working on a few things. But anyway, I want you to take a look in verse two, looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith. That’s where you began. You started off trusting Christ as you’re saved. You took him at his word. There’s things he wants to do for you in your life too.

He wants you to run the race but wants you to finish the race. Not just say, well I started. I had a couple of good weeks. No, but finish the course. Finish the race. It is so important. And the Bible talks about us looking unto him. Now take your Bible and turn to 1 Corinthians in chapter 9. 1 Corinthians and chapter 9. 1 Corinthians chapter 9. And you’ll notice in chapter 9 verse 24, we’re not running against each other.

We’re running against the things that are trying to destroy our lives, destroy our testimony, get a sidetracked. A Christian has to stay focused upon what is the most important thing in the world. In chapter 9 and verse 24 says, no ye not that they which run in a race run off, but one receiveth the prize. So run that you may obtain. And every man that striva for the mastery is tempered or self-controlled, disciplined in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we and incorruptible.

In other words, you’re doing it for something that’s going to last for eternity. Your race that you’re running is going to have eternal consequences to it. You see, your future is being determined by your obedience to God today. Your faithfulness to the Lord now is going to pay off in eternity. For all eternity. The cause of Bible says that every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. If you don’t labor you don’t get the reward.

Now remember going to heaven and that’s free. We know that. But what you have when you get to heaven, the rewards, or however God uses you for all eternity, he hasn’t told us everything. He hasn’t explained it all to us. God wants us to trust him to believe him. And so run the race with your faith in the Lord, confidence in the Lord. God knows what you’re going through. He knows every heartache they had. He knows what to struggle when you have with your kids and with your husband or with your wife on the job, the finances, the medicals.

You name it, God knows what you’re going through. It’s part of the race you have to run. We’re all running a race. We just all hit the same thing at the same time, but we all experience pretty much the same things in life. And some people will go through it smoothly because they got confidence in the Lord and they have peace. And there’s others who totally fall apart because their confidence is not built around the Lord. And the way the Lord kind of reveals things to you is by taking the things of the security in this life and take it away from you.

We often sing that song, Christ is all I need. Well He’s all you need but probably not all you want. And when you don’t get what you want, you think the one that pulls a meat-chose needs isn’t doing a pretty good job. So it costs you confidence in the Lord. So then you begin to look at yourself and what you can do, what you can supply your own intellect, talents, your abilities, and you can’t perform. You can’t produce and you can’t get all that you want out of life.

So at least you totally depressed, empty feeling. Life isn’t worth living. But life is worth living if you’re living it for the Lord. And remember that God has a plan for your life. A lot better than anything you could ever dream up. He’s the one that lays out the course for us. He’s the one that knows where all the obstacles are, the trials and tribulations that are all scattered throughout our life. And all he wants us to do is just trust him and he will walk you through it.

All of it he’ll walk you through it. He said, I’ll never leave you and I’ll never forsake you. We’re supposed to believe that. But it is true. He will never leave you and never forsake you. So you run and you run that you may win. And notice in verse 27, but I keep under my body. In other words, this body of yours is supposed to be a good tool to use. Without this tool, you can’t do anything. You need this body.

The body is not to be your master, it’s to be a tool. If you are in charge of the body, you’ll be okay. But if the body is in charge of you, you’re in trouble. Within the body is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. Those things are in your members within your physical body. So therefore many people let the lust of the flesh become their master.

Instead of you using the body and controlling the body and giving it only what the body needs. Many people never learned that Paul says, less I should be a castaway or rejected set aside, disapproved for service. See a lot of God’s children are not approved for service. They may want it desired but they’ll never be used because they don’t have the discipline to get things done. When I was in Bible college and when you had to take public speaking, remember I used to be scared to death to get up in front of anybody and say anything.

I mean scared to death, petrified. I wouldn’t do it. I got bad grades because I wouldn’t do it. But I was on it for the Bible college and I had to get it in front of all the students. And I said, every one of us had to say exactly the same thing. I know men in the rank who are going to stay in the rank. Why? Because they don’t have the ability to get things done. And so we had to, each one go up there, and we had to say it as strong and forceful as we could, pound the pulpit if we had to.

But everybody had to do it. And I said, turn it off. Man, I was good at that. So I knew I had to go. I had to do what they’re doing. I know men in the rank, you got to stay in the rank. Why? because they don’t have the ability to get things done. I went back and hearing Trembling and said down, did you get me a name? Sometimes you have to get a little mad, a little angry. But I know men in the rain are gonna stay in the rain because they don’t have the ability to get things done.

Some people that could have been used and do great things they’re gonna sit for the rest of their life and never do what God could have done in their life. And you’d be surprised because of fear people hold back. And fear is a success crusher. It just ruins your whole life because you’re afraid of been a failure. of been rejected. But listen, I would be more afraid of offending my father, being rejected for the service and being rejected for the rewards and the crowns that I could have had if I had just faithfully certain, why should I let people rob me?

Of everything God could have given me because I was afraid of people. Don’t live in fear. You’re running a race. Keep your eyes on the Lord. People come and people go into your life. So you shouldn’t base things upon whether people accept it or reject it. It’s because know the truth, stand for truth, and let the chips fall where they may. But honor God in everything that you do. Take your Bible and also look there in the book of Philippians in chapter 3.

Philippians in chapter 3. Philippians chapter 3 and look in verse 13. Paul made this statement. It’s a good statement. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended or to attained what I was after, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the High Column of God in Christ Jesus. One thing that I do, forgetting those things are past, forgetting those things of the flesh, the things of when I was in my first birth and think about what I am in my second birth now.

Everything’s different. Everything’s changed. God is not my father. I am now his child. Now I should live as though I have been crucified and buried and come back from the dead until now walk in newness of life. And to live for the prize of the high calling of God, did you realize the Apostle Paul made that statement? King O’Gripper, I have not been disobedient unto the heavenly vision. When you read the word of God and you catch that vision that God has for you, that God has something for me.

Don’t you have that sense in your being that I was created for something special? I just feel like God wants to use me for something, do something with me, to accomplish something. Me, I’m important because God made me. And you know, if you learn how to think the way God wants you to think, you won’t have a self image problem. You don’t have to always be down and depressed discouraged. That’s because you’re not thinking right. Do you realize you are a child of the King?

Act like it. Your God isn’t dead. He’s not even sick. Talk to him this morning. He’s doing fine. But he makes this statement here. I run. I press toward the mark of the prize. There’s a prize that God has for you. There’s a call in that God has for his children. He’s wanting to you to do something that’s different. Don’t spend your life doing something a hundred years from now it won’t mount to a hill of beans. Your future, what you have for all eternity, is determined by your obedience, but nobody can make you obedient.

Nobody can make you see this and understand this, but it is so important that you rise to the occasion. You want it, you dream of it, now you have the opportunity, and God is looking for you. the eyes of the Lord run to and throw throughout the whole earth looking for a man that God can make strong on his behalf. God wants to use somebody. He wants to use you as a magnifying glass to magnify himself through that person and God will honor and bless the individual that will so yield themselves.

So it’s important here. Look there in the book of Philippians in chapter 1 in verse 20. The Apostle Paul made this statement. I covered this a couple weeks ago but once again look at it, verse 20. According to my earnest expectation and my hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that all boldness as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body whether be by life or by death, for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.

For me to live is Christ, to die is gain. What you gain in heaven, now getting there is free, he did that for you. But gaining something there depends upon what you do for the Lord now. And so many of God’s people are wasting so much of their life and they don’t get it. And they do not dedicate their life to the Lord. Dedicate yourself to serving God. Seek to live as holy, as godly as you possibly can. Lay aside every weight that holds you back from doing what God wants you to do.

When Christ called His disciples, His follow me, they dropped their nets, they dropped everything, they left, and they followed the Lord. They gave up something for something better. Anything you give up for the Lord here in this life? Just to get something better in the next one. Be wise, put the Lord first, and you’ll be surprised how God will bless you. Now take your Bible, I’m looking 2 Corinthians 12, 2 Corinthians 12. 2 Corinthians 12, there’s a statement here where the Apostle Paul has undergone some terrible things in his life.

Down there in verse one he says it is not expedient for me doubtless to glory He says but I’ve come to visions and revelations of the Lord He says I knew a man in Christ about 14 years ago whether in the body or out of the body cannot tell but such a one was caught up into the third heaven He said whether in the body out of the body. He said I don’t know but it’s caught up in the paradise I saw things he can never tell anybody else about and because of the visions and the revelations of how too big a kid get for his britches and be proudful and boastful.

He says, God put a thorn in my flesh to beat me and to buffet me. Now I don’t know what all of those was but he says Satan was a messenger to do him in the humble and always beating him down. You see what what all happened? He says when I knew a man in Christ about 14 years ago it was outside the city of Lissar when they stoned him to death. You want to serve the Lord but But you want everything to be good.

You don’t want no hardships. You don’t want no problems. You just want everything to be smooth. I even say, you ain’t get slowed down and smell the roses. I did it in a beach on my nose. Stay busy doing what God wants you to do. Now, I want you to see this very quickly. Direct there in chapter 11, chapter 11 of 2 Corinthians, in verse 24 five times, he says, received I 40 stripes. one, five times that happened. That means a cat of nine pales with broken pieces of metal or a glass in them and they were striking across their back and ripping across their back.

He said, I’ve had that done 39 times. They did that to me. He said, I had five different times. They did that to me. That was just trying to get him to quit. Paul don’t serve God. You stopped preaching this gospel and this is what’s going to cost you. So did he quit? They’re quitting quit. But it was designed to make him quit. You may lose your job. I quit serving God. God took away my job. Boy, you wouldn’t have lasted long with the apostle Paul would you?

Somebody said something hurts your feelings. I don’t like the way the preacher parts his hair. That’s why I don’t part my hair. Nobody can say that. Nobody can say, well, I don’t like your mustache. I don’t have one. I don’t like the way you dress. My wife dressed me. But look what he says in verse 25, thrice, that means three times I was beaten with rods. He was a race car driver. Once I was stoned, that doesn’t mean drunk.

He was stoned. Get what else? He said, I’ve suffered shipwreck night and day. I’ve been in the deep journeys often in water and robbers and my own countrymen. 40 people took a vow one time to kill him. Has that happened to you yet? Ha ha, how are you doing? And yet he was probably one of the most godliest men we’ve ever read about. And look at the things that happened to him to keep him from doing it. This is the price that he paid to get the gospel to somebody.

And we have people today, well why can’t you go so winning? My favorite TV broadcast is on the night. And you know there’s no way a good Christian can sacrifice that. Well, I can’t give a track to somebody. Why? Because they may laugh at me. They may hand it back. The sufferings that we have to go through. Look in that mirror. Because one day God’s gonna let you see yourself of the way you really are. We are going to see ourselves the way we really are.

We may think we are so holy and so good and so godly. And God’s going to show you, Paul, come up here a minute. Why don’t you give him a testimony? And you’re going to set down with him. Boom. And you listen to some of these others from the hall of faith chapter and what they went through for the cause of Christ. Now all the disciples that were killed for the cause of Christ, one of them was even crucified upside down.

One was ran through with a spear when it was cut in half in a tree. All kinds of things that happened to God’s people. And we can’t serve God totally because after all it might cost us something. We serve God today if it’s convenient for us. Our dedication is based upon if it’s convenient. I’ll be in church if it’s convenient. I will give if it’s convenient. I’ll pray. I’ll do this. I’ll do that if it’s convenient. Well, when does it become?

I have to. I must. Are you really dedicated to the Lord? You see, this isn’t something that I can answer for you and you answer for me. I do believe that it’s important because one day we’ll have to answer to God. Don’t you believe that? You and I are gonna have to answer to God for whatever we did and we can give him all the excuses we want But if God doesn’t accept them Why should we accept them? Dr.

Hudson told about a person he went to witness to a man and led him to the Lord and he says I’ll be in church next Sunday He promised you’ll be in church next Sunday. Well, he didn’t come Dr. Hudson went back to see him. He says you promise you to go me in church last Sunday He said, why didn’t he come? He says, because I got a jug of milk and refrigerator. He says, what’s that got to do with going to church?

He said, nothing. He said, but if I’m going to tell you a lie, any lie will do. Some people are pretty smart to feel the same time. But as you go down through here and you see all the things, look in verse 27, you say, well, it should be easy upon me. Verse 27, in weariness, painfulness, in watching off hunger, thirst, fasting, cold, nakedness, beside those things that are without that, which come at the farmed daily, the care of all the churches.

Who is weak and I’m not weak? Who gets offended and I burn not? You don’t think he gets angry? He gets hurt, he gets burned? He did, but he wouldn’t quit. All this was to make Paul quit. I’ve had people get their feelings hurt in church so easily over some little thing they thought that I said or maybe I did say it and I shouldn’t have said it and it won’t matter. Phew, gone. They really can handle some persecution in their life.

Somebody said something, I didn’t like it. Think, where’s the men today? I’m talking about men, men of God, that know what truth is and stand for what truth is. Don’t you realize there’s a devil that’s always saying, you know, it’s not that bad. Don’t do this, don’t do that. Don’t listen to what that preacher says. Always trying to wish me your, get into your email. He wants you to quit. His goal is to get God’s children to quit. We’re running a race.

God will give you the grace that you need to face the devil, the grace to face all your trials and your tribulations. Don’t let what your wife said so destroy you, that you’re willing to destroy your marriage over something. Something that’s just the pittance of something, that’s why they can’t even remember what it was. And they’ll just pick at each other. Pick it. Isn’t there something more important in life? The problem you have today may not be the problem you’ll have to face next week.

And if you can’t learn how to trussle over with this one, what you’re going to do when the next one comes? And the next one comes. You can quick, quick, quick. It doesn’t get easier. Increase your faith. Get more grace from God that you may be able to bear it. God always makes a way of escape. On every trial and tribulation, there’s a way to stay strong and keep honoring God. Have you heard about Bibleline Institute, the online Bible College of Bibleline Ministries?

There are 11 different Bible College courses to choose from, and for this month, we’d like to give you a free enrollment to the class Cult Evangelism 1 taught by Dr. Arnold. For your gift to Bibleline Ministries in any amount, you’ll have full use of the 10-hour course which you can access whenever you like and as often as you’d like. It’s all online. The classes include video instruction, lecture notes and quizzes if you’d like to submit and again it’s all online.

When you send in your gift, please include your email address and will enroll you in the class Cult Evangelism 1. Our mailing address is 4811 George Road Tampa, Florida, 33634. Don’t forget to include your email address or contact information. 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. 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.