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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. 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 first part of this two part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Well I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of James, the book of James. In view of the experience that we had in Trinidad, we’re on a Saturday, had about 40 that graduated. Things had 41 total. And the church, several hundred there. And then on Sunday morning, several hundred. And then a good crowd on Sunday night. And then think about this. Their holiday was last Monday and still 40-something came to class on a Monday morning for three hours.

And then on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, every night from six o’clock to nine, they came for three more hours every night. And sometimes you wonder, how come God’s people here in America, if you can get them out on a Sunday morning, you’re doing good. Is it because we’re more committed to the things of the world or relaxation or what is it? But it was so refreshing to see people that were hungry to study. And if the doors were open, they’re there and some of them drove hours to get there.

And even after nine o’clock, well, that’s when we finished, but that’s not when they left, but then they drive all the way home and then go to work and come back the next night. Three hours every night, I was impressed. Was you impressed? You couldn’t help but be impressed. To see them sitting there with their bibles and a notepad and just, oh teach me, teach me, teach me, to see people that are hungry, to study the Word of God.

Sometimes I think we might take for granted what we have. And maybe that’s why we’re losing America. That there’s so many that are filled with apathy like it really doesn’t matter. It really doesn’t matter. But today I want to speak a little bit on the subject. What if I don’t? You know the And God tells me what I should do as a believer, how I should think and act, how I should live, talk. What if I don’t want to?

I don’t want to. Because when you board it down, we really do what we really want to do, don’t we? We really want to do something. We try to find a way to do it. So turning your Bible to James chapter 1, and you’ll see that there’s some interesting things that are mentioned here in the book of James. And the church is like a school and the Christian, the students, you know, James is like the teacher. So James has got some people and he wants to teach them and these are some things that he tells them.

So in James chapter 1, look what he says in 1. James the servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the 12 tribes which are scattered abroad greetings. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall in the divers temptation. Well, but what if I don’t want to? What if I don’t want to? He just told me something and maybe I don’t want to. Count it all joy, not on your life, not me. If I want to complain, I’ll complain.

If I want to murmur, I’ll murmur. I’m going to have an anyway and it doesn’t matter. I heard a politician when they make a statement. What difference does it make? Now we might laugh at that person who said such a thing. Because it was on something so critical. This is more critical. This is critical. What difference does it make? If I don’t serve the Lord, who cares? I’ve got my own life to live, and I want to do what I want to do with it.

Mine. And sometimes people forget they have been bought and paid for with a price and they belong to the Lord. Locks fucking barrel. So He makes a statement here in verse 2, knowing this that the trying of your faith work with patience. I don’t want any more patience. What if I don’t want anymore? So my attitude can change a lot of things. What if I just don’t want to? God’s child, I have eternal life. I’m going to heaven when I die.

What else do you want? And I’ve had people that let me alone. I went to see this one teenage boy, it was 19 years old. He was sitting there at a plate called Village Inn. And it was, I turned color right a years ago. He saw me coming. And he saw me walking in the door. He went, oh, I love it when they want to see the parade. when they want to see the preacher. And I walked over and I said, how are you doing?

All right. I said, mind if I said, I’m going ahead, you going to do it anyway? I said, have you decided about serving the Lord? Look, when I get your age, you know, it’s always different at my age. When I get your age, I’ll think about it. Right now I’ve got my own life to live. And he says, and there’s nothing you can tell me. I don’t already know. I have heard you over and over and over. I can tell you what you’re gonna tell me.

And it was true. I said, you know, God may have to chase. I knew that in one week, driving his dad’s pickup truck, turned that over and he was dead. I did, it’s funeral. He had a whole life out there, but was it really his? I’ve had that happen over and over and over again. People who mock God, they mock God like, I can live like I please and get away with it. It’s not going to matter. So therefore look what he says here in the book.

And verse 4, but let patient have a perfect word that you may be perfect and entire. That means complete and entire wanting or lacking nothing. what if I don’t care to grow in the Lord? What if I don’t want to know anymore? All I want to know is that I’m saved. I got my pinkies inside the pearly gates. I got it made now. Leave me alone. And that’s pretty much the way a lot of people are. Even when they come to church, it’s just a pay tribute.

You know, God, I was here. Now, leave me alone for a week. I’ll see you next week. as though if I give the Lord this day, the rest of them are mine. Now I know y’all don’t think like that, but you know somebody who does. It’s probably the person sitting behind you or it might even be that person sitting beside you and they’re saying the same thing about you. Look what he’s saying in verse 5, if any of you lack wisdom and I don’t, I’m pretty smart.

I’ve got it all figured out. I don’t need some preacher trying to tell me how to live. Oh, I’ve had that a lot. Who do you think you are? God, you’re not the Holy Spirit. You know what I want to do to them? I want to slap their jaws in love. But I don’t, but I don’t. I just smile because I think in my mind, you’re going to get yours. There’s a God in hell and they’re gonna do some slapping around.

God knows how to humble a person and bring them down. But now I know what he says, if any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that give to all men liberally and that bread of not in it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, but I don’t want to. I don’t want to. Nothing wavering for he that is waver is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and toss, and let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.

Now that verse is very, very important. In verse 5 when he says, ask, and it shall be given. Ask and it shall be given. See God has designed life where you need. You need. You’re always in need. You’re always needing something. Nobody’s ever totally satisfied. I don’t get what it is. You’re needing something. I need more love. I need more money. I need better help. I need, I need, I need. Well, God has designed it with a lot of heartache and problems and things that bring you to the point of despair so that you’ll come running to Him and ask Him.

Now, these things are designed to help you and I grow stronger in the Lord. Now, Now you’ll notice in that verse where he says, this man, this man shall receive nothing of the Lord. Don’t let that man. So there is a man who says, I don’t need it, don’t want it. I’m not gonna do anything in your way. I’m gonna make a difference. Then you have a man that’s mentioned there in verse 25.

But who so looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continue it therein. He being not a forgetful here, but a doer of the work. This man, see there’s two different men that we’re talking about here in this chapter. The man that does, and the man that does not. Now how many of you in here ever seen a man by the name of James Hayslitt? Let me see here. You know who he is? Now, he is 73 years old.

when he walks around, have you ever noticed him? I have. When he walks around he has, he’s built, right? Now if I stood right beside him, would you be able to tell much of a difference? Now he is even at 73, he still looks like a hump don’t he? Then they’re yanky. You see, was this an accident? I’m the accident. He all built strong. Now, if I was the interviewing, how did this happen? I don’t know. I just woke up one morning and there I was.

Well, I woke up one morning too. You know what he told me one day? because I asked him point blank. I said, you still lift weights and stuff. He said, yes, I do. I said, why? He said, so I won’t look like you. Now he said it with a smile. Said it with a smile. And I’m not one that carried grudges. I’m not one to get my feelings heard. But I’ll never forget that. But when he was younger, he had to make some choices.

He had to watch what he ate. He had to exercise and he had to do it continuously for a long period of time. He built himself up to look the way he does. And then he has to maintain it. He still has a gym room. How many of y’all have ever seen this gem room. You used to, you worked out with him and he still lift weight and do all those things and all to maintain. Now I could say, I could have done that.

I can look like that if I wanted to, but I don’t want to bad enough because one day I made a mistake and went into a gym and he says, lift that. I said, what? That? I said, you’re going to help me. Did you know it wasn’t long before he had me doing all these things? I quit. It was too much like work.

I broke a sweat. Then they wanted me to do it three times a week. Like to kill me. Then they said, you can’t eat this. You can’t eat that. You can’t. I said, I might as well die. I’m going to die. But you know, there’s a lot of people. They want something and you might see some people that are, you know, spiritually strong. And I say, man, I wish I could be like that. Well, if you do certain things, you can.

But how bad do you want them? As he says right here, what’s the difference? What’s the difference? A lot. lot of difference. And you can be spiritually weak, or you can be spiritually strong. And it does make a difference. And you’re the one that decides, if there’s anything God wants us to do, He wants us to grow strong in the Lord. James tells us how that can be done. But If I don’t, there’s a price for me to pay.

Now, there’s a little note here I want to do to look at. You see that in verse six, where it says, but let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. Have you ever made up your mind? This year is different. I’m going to lose weight. I’m going to lose weight. I’m going to get in shape. I longed it last. In the last month, I have lost 50 pounds. I lost 10 pounds, five times. And if you lost a few, I found those.

We went down there to train a dad buddy, and it’s a good thing we left when we did. We’d have to have two planes to bring us back. They know how to eat. They really, really do. Now, have you ever had this happen to you? I just couldn’t sleep at night. I tossed and turned all night. Anybody ever tossed and turned all night? There’s people who I’ve made up my mind. Well, I changed my mind. I made up my mind.

I like changed my mind. Have you ever had people that say things and you don’t know whether to believe them or not? They quickly give their word, but you don’t know if they’re gonna keep their word. Well, this is a man who’s like a wave of the sea tossed to and from. And so he says in verse seven, let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all of his ways.

Now, there’s a few things that I wanted to mention to you about that. Now, you’ve heard of horse sense. See what his horse says, stable thinking. Some people are not stable in their thinking, they’re unstable. So a person who never learned how to trust the Lord in all areas of his life is unstable. And sometimes you ever try to climb a ladder that’s unstable. It’s not exactly level, it’s kind of lean a little bit. So you try to justify that and then if you get up here and it goes that way, there you go.

Some things are not stable and some Christians are not stable. They’re not solid. They’re not strong and they’re tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. This is why you have to be very, very careful. Now, as you go through here, I want you to know that if you don’t handle life right, because God has designed your life with all kinds of ingredients, because He knows what He’s trying to make out of you. Now, I mentioned this to you before.

I walked into our home, there set my daughter, Trina, on the floor with an upside down tape on the floor and she said, just a crying. I says, what’s wrong? She had no intentions of that cake being an upside down cake, but that cake was upside down. And she was just a, she was surprised and heard, Daddy. And I says, honey, it’s just a cake. I says, you are more important than I take. And I appreciate what you’ve done and so forth.

I says, but sometimes things don’t always work out the way we’d like to. Sometimes when you make a cake, you don’t put all the right ingredients in it. I says, how would you like it if somebody gave you a mouthful of bacon soda? Or what if they just gave you a mouthful of lard? Mouthful of flour. Mouthful of salt. But you know, you can take the right amount of each ingredient and put them all together and make a wonderful cake.

Did you know that God knows what he’s trying to make out of your life and he’s the one who is bringing into your life different ingredients because they will work on you and they do work on you and there’s pressures but God is shaping and molding you and putting into your life and trying to get out other things out of your life because he knows what he’s trying to perfect And that’s why he says, if you’re lacking anything, he wants to put it in.

And maybe there’s some things in your light that he wants to take out. So learn how to trust the Lord. He said, well, they won’t make a difference, yes, it will. You see, if you don’t handle it right and do what James is talking about here and count it all joy and you won’t do it. And when you find out you need help and you don’t ask God, and you become unstable in all He puts it down a little bit like this.

You will be immature in all your ways. Have you ever seen adults that are immature? Immature adult. Now physically age, I mean they can be 40, 50, 60 years of age, and they’re immature. Still acting like a little brat. Ever seen anybody like that? I’m so glad we don’t have anybody like that here. You will be incomplete in all of your ways. Because, see, God has something He wants you to do, and He doesn’t want you putting limitations on Him.

But when you don’t know how to do something, you’re limited. And when you’re limited in knowledge, you’re limited in ministry. So you’re not able to accomplish all that God wants to accomplish in your life. So you’re limiting yourself. So you’re not as complete. God is teaching you things by the people he allows to come into your life. Even husband and wife, even children. Where you work, people at church, God uses everything in your life to make you complete. Stronger.

You can’t do it by yourself. You You can’t do it on your own. God brings people and their negative attitude is to teach you sometimes some discernment and how to be patient. God has a school and he’s sending you to school. And if you don’t pass the test, you have to take it over. And don’t you want to pass the test? So if you don’t pass the test, some people just get in a vicious cycle and they never get out of it.

What grade are you in? 10 in the garden. How long have you been there? 10 years. You know why I never went to the 11th grade? My dad was still there. I’m just going to have your three meters of my life in the 10th grade. Not really. You will be immature and you will be incomplete and you will be unstable. You’d be like the wind that tosses you to and fro. You’d be like a wave on the sea that’s up here and down and so forth.

And it was interesting we went down there to the beach and we’re out there in the water and you’re standing in water that’s down to your knees. And I turned around and looked at the people on the beach and in the meantime a wave was coming behind me. About four or five feet seemed like over my head. And it kind of slapped me up against my back, threw me down into the water, and I thought I was never gonna come up.

I was unprepared. And then I noticed that Sam, who was with us, he just turned and faced the wave. And we got right close to him, he just ducked down. And we’ve never bothered them. Me, it was turning me upside down and throwing me all over the beach. But fun, all that I have fun. But at my age, I can only have about five minutes of fun. So anyway, but you don’t want to be an unstable person. You’ve got to learn it.

You’ll have unanswered prayer. Because you won’t be asking God for anything, so you’re not going to get the wisdom that you need. You will have human wisdom. Hold your place right here in James and look there in verse 14 of chapter 3. Excuse me, verse 13. Look at verse 13. He says in verse 13, Who is a wise man and in dude with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good behavior is Worked with maintenance and wisdom maintenance of wisdom in other words if you’re really smart And most men likely consider themselves a little smart a little much of That’s why we never asked the direction from how to get somewhere We’d rather run around in circles for the next two or three days After all I’ll figure this out sooner or later But there’s wisdom that comes from God and there’s wisdom of man.

So there is a human wisdom and there’s divine wisdom. And if you think there’s no difference, you’re mistaken. There is a difference. It does matter because you can guide your life by human wisdom and that would make you no smarter than the smartest lost man, because all you’re using is the wisdom of man. Or you can study the wisdom of God and make decisions based upon God’s wisdom. Now the wisdom of God is better than the wisdom of man.

Well that doesn’t matter. It doesn’t make it, yes it does. And your lack of wisdom will tell you it doesn’t matter. Now look what he says in verse 15. He says, this wisdom descended not from above, but is earthly, sensual, and devilish because it’s all about yourself. Making decisions that you think are right, but they’re not right. There is a way that seems right, but the end thereof are the ways of destruction because that leads in the wrong direction.

That’s why we need the Word of God, need to know the Word of God. So then he says here in verse 17, but the wisdom, see there is a difference. The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable and easy to be intrigued full of mercy and good fruits, good fruit, good result, you’ll get so much more from the wisdom of God you will the wisdom of man. So the only way you’re going to get God’s wisdom is for God to let you see you don’t have all the answers.

You can’t produce all the peace and the joy and happiness on your own. You can’t manufacture it. It leaves you empty, doesn’t satisfy. Maybe just get you in one jam after the other, but the wisdom of God is different. And if it’s different than it’s not the same. It does matter, and God can do so much more with you, and He wants to help you. Are you a new listener to Bibleline? Do you enjoy the teachings of Dr. Arnold?

Well, if you’ve never contacted us before, we want to give you Dr. Arnold’s book, The Gospel-Driven Man. Every day we receive many emails from folks who have questions about repentance and salvation, about faith in works, and about how to share the gospel with friends and loved ones. This book, The Gospel Driven Man, covers all those topics, and we want all new listeners of Bibleline to receive a free copy. There’s no obligation, no donation necessary, simply call us at 1-800-576-3771 or write to us and request your free copy of The Gospel Driven Man.

The mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Again, don’t forget to include your mailing address, and God bless you, and thank you for listening to 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.