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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. and 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.

Have you ever made up your mind? This year is different. I’m gonna lose weight. I’m gonna lose weight. I’m gonna 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 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 going to keep their word.

Well, this isuctions a man who’s““ aAssumingiew of the sea tossed to and from. And so he says in verse 7, 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 DISTR to you about that. Now, you’ve heard of horse sense. what is horse sense? 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. And so you try to justify that and pretty you get up there and it goes that way. I’m thinking 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. And 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 take on the floor and she said you’re 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 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?

But 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 it’s not going to be a good thing.

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 life 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 your ways, 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, no, physically age, I mean, they could 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. 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 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 you never get out of it. What grade are you in, Ken 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. No, I’m just there. I spent the happiest three years of my life in the 10th grade. Not really. You will be immature and you will be incomplete and you will be unstable.

You’ll be like the wind that tosses you to and fro. You’ll 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.

head. And it kind of slapped me up against my back, threw me down into the water, and I thought I was never going to 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 wave never bothered me. It was turning me upside down and throwing me you know, all over the beach. But fun, all that I have fun.

But you know, 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 that. 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 works 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 macho. That’s why we never ask the directions on how to get somewhere. We’d rather run and run 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. Make a decision 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 it leads you 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 fruits, good results. You’ll get so much more from the wisdom of God than 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, then it’s not the same. It does matter, and God can do so much more with you, and He wants to help you. So you will be unstable in all these things. the test and you’ll have to take it again.

Now, this one statement. Decisions set in motion a chain reaction. When you make a decision, it sets in motion a chain reaction because that decision you make affects another one, that affects another one, that affects another one. And what if you’re going in the wrong direction? So, will that decision, important, learn, slow down. Now look what he says in James in chapter 1 and notice this verse, it’s a very, very good verse where he talks about here in verse 19, wherefore it might be Levitt brethren, let every man be swift to hear.

That’s why he gave you two ears. Slow to speak. That’s why only gave you one tongue. I hope you got that. Listen twice as much as you speak. Most people speak in order to hear what they think, and it leaves you in the wrong direction. So God in His Word has a lot of things that He wants for us, and it will make a difference. Now, I want you to take your Bible and just turn with me over there to the book of 1 John 1 John chapter 3, who know that there is a great difference in knowing what God’s Word says, even about Him coming again.

Chapter 3, look in verse 1, Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. We’re for the world knoweth us not because it knew him not. Beloved, now. Now. Are we the sons of God? And it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purify himself even as he is pure.

Now the Bible tells us to be looking for the Lord to come again. So you see there in verse 28 of chapter 2 where it says, My little children abide in him that when he shall appear, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming. Now, when you have this hope that any day, any moment the Lord could come back, it helps you to purify your life. So when you see a Christian not living right, he’s not anticipating the Lord’s return, especially at that moment because that view of Scripture that He shall appear is a purifying hope.

If you believe that Christ could come back to you at any moment, any moment, why would you want to do some things that would cause you to be ashamed before Him at His coming? If you’re going to let yourself go and do something wicked, and I say, the Lord is going to be here in 30 seconds. I don’t believe that. I don’t believe that. But if you didn’t believe that, then I don’t want to be ashamed before Him and His coming.

I’m not going to do that. Whatever that is. And a lot of Christians say, well, it doesn’t really matter. Everything matters. Now, I want you to take your Bible and turn it over to the book of Titus, chapter 2. A book of Titus, chapter 2. In the book of Titus, this is on page 1284 in a Bible that’s loaned to you. Titus chapter 2, and look there in verse 11. Verse 11 says, for the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.

Now, it’s almost the same as sin, Christ hath appeared to all men. That’s why we give the gospel so that people can hear it, and by hearing it they can believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. So Christ died to bring salvation to everybody because He died for everybody. Then He says that this grace teaches us, look in verse 12, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live. Now you don’t have to live this way, but you should.

You don’t have to grow in the Lord, but you should. You don’t have to go to the Lord and ask Him for help when you have a problem that you can’t solve, but you should, you should. You should count it all joy when you fall in a different testing. You should because it’s an opportunity to go to the Lord and learn something you didn’t know. You see, it’s a humble man that admits, I don’t know everything and I’m going to walk through life depending upon the Lord to help and guide me.

See, the proud man, I don’t need church, I don’t need the Bible, I can do it on my own, I’ll do whatever I want to¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ do and leave me alone. That’s a prideful man and God hates pride. And there’s a price to pay and they’re going to pay it. So what you should do is what God’s word says, but you got a choice. You have human wisdom and you got divine wisdom and you can decide. But now notice what he says here in verse 12 teaching us.

So God is teaching us that’s what the book of Romans is about. of James’ love, teaching us why we should. And if we don’t,BILITIES, IMITURITY, proletarian,adowity, incomplete, unstable, that’s what you want for your life. That’s what you have. And you can’t escape it. You can’t get out of it except to accept the wisdom of God. Now, nobody He says, we should live soberly and rightly in this present world. So you’ve got to be taught how to do that. It does not come automatically.

You have to be taught. Now look what he says in verse 13. This is why the second coming of Christ is a purifying hope looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God in our Savior Jesus Christ. And because Christ is… is coming again and we’re looking for him to come again. At any moment he could come. He says here in verse 14, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority. This is what God wants. And then he makes this statement. Look there in 1 Corinthians chapter 11. 1 Corinthians and chapter 11. When we have the Lord suffer. He also threw something in here that I want you to see. And look in verse 26, verse 26, verse Corinthians chapter 11, for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup ye do show the Lord’s death to what? comes.

It has to do with him coming again. See, we remember, because it’s a remembrance, do this in remembrance of me, but remember not only what he did but what he said, I’m coming back. I’m coming back. And if you live with this hope, not only did he come and die the first time and come back from the dead, he’s coming back. He’s coming again. Should it matter? Does it make a difference? Well, God says, this is a purifying hope.

And ][this is why we should have the Lord suffer. Because it keeps it in our minds. You know, the Lord could come back today. Come back today. And I don’t want to be ashamed before Him and His coming. If the Lord came back today, are there things in your life that you know have have not been taken care of. That’s a child of God. Anything you need to confess to Him, not to everybody else, just to Him. That’ll be sufficient.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and in cleansse it from all unripe. That’s to His children. That’s between you personally and God. It’s not between you and everybody else, it’s between you and God. And God tells us to examine ourselves. How are you doing in your walk with the Lord? Are you limiting God using you because of your lack of knowledge or lack of skill, but are you preparing yourself to be used by God in a greater way?

Always keep learning. Always keep learning. Always have that desire, burning desire. This is one of the things that Peter and I were really amazed. Is that their eagerness to study the Word of God. Every day, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, three hours every day, studying the Word of God. Yes, you can’t help but be impressed by the hunger that some people have for the Word of God. And then there’s sometimes people that don’t have any desire at all.

I have not been able to live my life like that because And the fact that he’s dead led me to Lord, I wanted to serve him. I was so hungry and I just got to get some more. And every time the doors of the church were open, man, I’d be there. If it was on Sunday night, I’d be there. Wednesday night, man, I’m there. And I wasn’t a preacher. I was working a full time job. And I’d come into work on a Wednesday night from after work.

And I had on cloth hoppers. I had ink all over me because of a certain job I was doing. Then I had on a uniform. I was, I was, I looked pathetic, but I was there. I was there. I’d rather be there dirt, than not be there at all. And I was sacrificing. And I had to get up every morning at 3.30 in the morning. Every morning, 3.30 in the morning, seven days a week. But I’d be in every service that I could make.

It didn’t matter. When I went to Florida Bible College, I averaged two and a half hours of sleep a night for two years. But when I could make it, man, I’d make it. I took my wife and my two kids and we walked over a mile to church every service so I didn’t have a car I could afford to fix. So we’d walk and then walked down in Miami with the sun beating on in the shoe heading. In time we got there, we needed another bath.

when they came out with this washing wear clothes. How bad do you want something? You’ll get as much as you want. You’ll grow if you really want to grow. You’ll be mature if you want to be, but if you want to be immature, unstable, do whatever you want. But ask, how strong would other Christians be if they follow my example. What kind of a ministry would we have if everybody followed my involvement? Be like me. Doesn’t the Bible say, be thou an example of the believer?

Be thou an example? Be an example? Pay a price. Sacrifice if you need to. It’s between you and the Lord. It’s not between you and I. I’m not going to reward you one Iota. And you may do a lot of things around here and I won’t even thank you for it or praise you for it because I either won’t see it and I’m blind. and I have sometimes, I don’t care attitude, you’re supposed to, but you’re doing it for the Lord.

And you know God’s going to reward you, right? So you never get mad at me if I didn’t say something because you didn’t do it for me anyway. Did you? Got out of that in there. This is you and me. This is sin. We all have sin unless God loves us. He hates our sin, but He loves us. For us to pay for sins, the eternal separation from God, but He loves us. He wants us to go to heaven and go to to heaven we have to be perfect as righteous as perfect as God and none of us are.

So we all send and we have a payment to make. We can’t save ourselves. This church can’t save you. I can’t save you. You can’t save yourself. You need a Savior. I only know one. This hand represents Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. Came into the world because He loves us, hates our sins. So He took it, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead. And said, if you’ll believe He did it for you, He’d give you eternal life as a free gift.

And you can know that you’re going to heaven when when you die. Would you trust Him? I pray that you will. Let’s pray, shall we? Every head bound, every eye closed. With heads bound, eyes closed and no one looking around. Would you right now? Would you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior? If you never have, you may have heard about it, but just never did. And if you’ll trust Christ right now as your Savior, He said He would save you and give eternal life.

And you can know that you’re going to heaven when you die. So I’m going to ask if you’ll just slip your hand up very quickly. And by that means, yes, I will trust Christ is my Savior and I pray, I’d like you to pray for me. And what it all, and what it all. You that have trusted Christ is your Savior, does it really matter? Your involvement, your love, your dedication, do you want to be unstable and mature, always floundering?

You want God to use you? I pray so. But remember the Lord come back today, But then he may come back tomorrow. But whenever he’s coming, you live as though he could come at any time and you don’t want to be ashamed before the Lord is coming. Therefore it does make a difference what you do. And as we partake of the Lord’s Supper, understand and let the body of Christ, the bread. He bore in his body our sins. And the cup, he shed his blood to pay for our sins by giving his life.

He did that for you. And it says, well, you remember that I’m coming back again. I’m coming again. Father, we thank you so much for all that you’ve done for us. Thank for the privilege not only to know you’re Savior, but to serve you. Bless each one here. and help us father to examine our own selves. The judge those things in our life that needs to be taken care of. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen. 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 believe in that the Lord is coming soon just keep looking up