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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.

I’m many of you honestly, sincerely, truly believe that Jesus Christ came to be born of a virgin and died on the cross was buried and came back from the dead. I mean, believe that. All right. Now, if he came the first time, just like he said, is it possible he might come back again, like he said. Now, that’s important to know of what you believe. But just so that you see that the Bible does have something to say about that.

And knowing that is supposed to make a difference. So let’s just kind of go around the world a little bit, but turning your Bible to the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation chapter 22. And notice one of the last things that the Bible says. It’s a prayer, but it’s written to the churches. So you notice in Revelation chapter 22 verse 20, he which testify of these things saith, surely I come quickly. The last thing said in the Bible, he’s coming quickly.

Now his timetable is not like ours. And I can say that getting older after I hit about 50 came quickly. You’ll also notice in verse 7, behold I come quickly. Look what he says in verse 12, and behold I come quickly. And my reward is with me to give every man according as his works shall be. So the Lord has promised those who know him Savior and will serve him not only is he coming to get us but he’s going to reward us for what we’ve done.

So who did he say these things to? Look in verse 16, I, Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. So it is written to us believers. That’s you and me? The church is those from the day of Pentecost until the rapture, that’s us. So we’re told that he already came the first time. Now he’s going to come back again. Now today we’re not focusing upon the rapture and the revelation differences. Only that he talks about the Second Coming.

Now there’s time to when I might referred to those, but the main thing is that you’re convinced He’s coming, that the scripture says Jesus is coming back again. So we’re supposed to know that and to believe that. Now look in chapter 19 of Revelation and look in verse 11 where He makes this statement, behold, He says, heaven is opened and behold a white horse. And that said on Him was called faithful and true and in righteousness, He doth judge and make war, Jesus is coming.

Now, sometimes it refers to the rapture when He takes us out of here. Seven years later, He talks about the revelation when He comes back in power and great glory. So there’s two phases of the Second Coming. But the point is, He’s coming. And if He is coming, He’s going to fulfill everything that He said. Many things were fulfilled when Christ came the first time. So now take your Bible and turn to the book of Revelation in chapter 1.

Revelation chapter 1. There’s one verse here that kind of gives you a good picture of the book of Revelation, what he’s talking about. Look in verse 7. Revelation chapter 1 and verse 7. Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, the also which pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall well be cause of him. Now here he says he has been pierced. That’s when he came the first time. So then we must believe he’s coming back the second time.

Jesus is coming. Now a lot of people talk about little baby Jesus. But little baby Jesus didn’t stay a little baby. He grew up and he died on the cross. To pay for all the sins of the world was buried and came back again from the dead, He said, I’ve sent it into heaven and He says, I’m coming back. He said that before on Schwarzenegger did. I’ll be back. You like that? Right there in your notes. He said, He will be back.

So I believe He’s coming back. Now, you’ll notice there in this verse, and also the whole earth shall wail because of Him. referring to when he comes back here in the Revelation when he’s revealed in power and great glory, riding upon his horse, and every eye will see him, and they which pierced him, referring mainly to the nation of Israel, which will be leave on the Lord Jesus Christ that day is coming. So just turn to your left there to the book of Jude, or for some of the book of Judd.

And notice in verse 14, verse 14 says, An Enoch. Now this is the Enoch that was back in the days before the flood. Enoch that had this testimony that he walked with God and he pleased the Lord and he was and he was not for God took him to be walking along and God. Now, that’s we consider to be a type of the rapture, the Wachalom-pinnan-gun. So, he says here in verse 14, and Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesied of these.

Now you might not have known just by reading the Old Testament that Enoch was a preacher of righteousness and that he prophesied about the Lord. Look at this, behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints. The Bible says back before the flood, the seventh from Adam was preaching about Jesus Christ coming back and that was before the flood and about him coming with ten thousands of his saints. Now he’s talking about this one here, not this one here.

He knew nothing about the rapture of the church. evidently they didn’t know about Jesus Christ, who He was, and that He was coming, and He’s coming in great power with thousands of His saints. And He’s going to rule and reign upon this earth. You see, if you believe the Bible, you’ve got to believe all of the Bible. You can’t pick and choose. Even like Jesus said, concerning the law, the prophets and the Psalms, and He taught the disciples things concerning Himself.

So Jesus put His stamp of approval upon the whole Old Testament. Didn’t leave anything else. He even talked about Jonah. As Jonah was three days in three nights in the Will’s FIX, even so shall the Son of Man be three days in three nights in the heart of the earth. So I believe the Bible is truly the word of God. So he says this, that he is definitely coming. Not just turned to your left there to the book of 1 John, the book of 1 John, and 1 John 3.

This is so that you can see and understand one main truth that I want you to get today. He’s coming. He said he would. He prophesied he would. And if he came the first time right on schedule, just like he said, then we should be looking for him to come back again. Here in 1 John chapter 3, notice what it says in verse 2, Beloved, now are we the sons of God? And that doth 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.

Jesus is going to appear. He is going to come back for those who believe on Him it will be an appearance. We will disappear here and appear at the judgment seat of Christ. That’s moving on. That’s pretty fast. In the twinkling of an eye. So does the Bible tell us that Jesus is coming? He said that the first time in the Old Testament, he was coming. He gave many scriptures, he was coming. Would you say the world was ready for him when he came?

He even told him where he’d be born, how he would be born, the city he’d be born, the year he would be born, it’s all in the Old Testament. And they were surprised, like nobody was looking for him, nobody expected him. And yet he came right dead on schedule. Now here we are and we’re supposed to believe that Jesus is coming back again. Any moment they could happen. But do you believe that most Christians are looking for Jesus to return?

Expecting him at any moment. Because if you’re expecting him at any moment, did you know that it makes a difference on how you live? You really believe it? Notice what he says in 1 John chapter 3. Look there what he says in verse 3. And every man that hath this hope in him purify of himself. Do you really believe it? If you really believe it, really believe it, it’ll affect your life. Now look there in 1 John chapter 2 and verse 28.

Look at verse 28. where he says, and now little children abide in him that when he shall what? Up here, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming. One day he’s going to appear, just like he said. We know he’s coming back. And whether you believe the rapture takes place at the same time of the revelation, you can go ahead. I don’t believe it. I believe there’s seven years separating the two.

So there’s two phases of the second coming, and he tells us he’s coming back. And I believe Jesus Christ could come back at any moment. One day it will happen. There will be a generation of people living that will not physically see death. I’d like to believe. I love to believe. It’s my generation. You’re afraid to die? No, I just never did it before. I just don’t want to hurt. I’m a whiner. No, I want no pain. I just want to disappear and to be with the Lord that I can’t hardly wait for it.

Now turn to the book of 2 Peter in chapter 3, 2 Peter chapter 3. And you’ll notice that the Bible tells us again about his coming and it says in verse 10, verse 10, but the day of the Lord will come, the day of the Lord will come. So why is that so important to say, will come? Because a lot of people don’t believe he will come. You see up there in verse 3, knowing this first, that there shall come not only Christ is coming, but also scoffers are coming.

And what are they going to say? He’s not coming. So he says in verse 3, that there shall come in the last scoffers walking after their own lusts, saying in verse 4, where’s the promise of the fulfillment of His coming? You said, He’s coming, He ain’t coming yet. Been 2,000 years. That means we’re 2,000 years close, right? But is He coming? Are we going to listen to scoffers, people who mocked the Bible, ridiculed the Bible, that old-fashioned book? Or are we going to believe it?

We’re living at some exciting times in history. when you consider the things that are going on in the world, we ought to believe Jesus is coming. He even told about all these things. Paralless times shall come. Paralless times. And He describes all that. But we’re supposed to believe Jesus is coming. Now, you’ll notice, He makes a statement down here in verse 10, But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heaven shall pass away with a great noise, the element shall melt with fervor and heat, sound like a nuclear blast to me.

The earth also in the works that are therein shall be burned up.” I want you to get this. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved. In other words, this world is going to end. Send that the world is going to be burned up and everything that’s in the world. Why should a Christian live for the world? Why should a Christian give up his whole life trying to gain the things of the world only knowing that he’s going to lose it all.

And if the rapture takes place, he’s going to leave it all. I ain’t making this up, this might be in the book. Look what he says. What manner of persons ought ye to be? In other words, if this is true and you and I know it and we believe it, what kind of a person should we be? He makes a statement in verse 2. He says the word looking three times here in this verse in verse 13 and also in verse 14, but look what he says about looking.

Here we are. If these are true. looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God, looking for that day to come. And look up here on the chart. God says that when He comes, then there’s going to be the millennial reign of Christ upon this earth for 1,000 years, and this earth is going to be destroyed by fire. Then there’ll be a new heavens and a new earth. Look what He says in verse 12. Where in the heavens, being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.

In other words, if this is true, what manner of persons are we supposed to be? God expects His truth, if it’s believed, should make a difference in our life and why we live, and what we live for. In other words, time to discern the priorities of life. I don’t want to waste my life just doing things that’s not going to mala the hell of means a hundred years from now But look what he says now in verse 13 nevertheless we according to his promise What promise the promise of his coming?

according to his promise Look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness a perfect place We’re in developed righteousness, a new heavens, and a new earth. One day there will be no more sin. There will be no more sorrow, no sickness, no disease, no Obamacare. When we need it. I can guarantee you this, there’s going to come a day when it will totally be ended. We won’t need it. And we don’t have to pay taxes. Doesn’t the Bible have some mighty good things looking forward, looking forward.

Are you looking forward to it? Looking forward to the Lord coming back more than anything else in the world. Now we might love and have a lot of plans and desires and dreams, but I look forward to the Lord coming back at any moment. There, it could happen at any moment. Now I’ll just pretend for a moment. If you’re here and you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, and the Lord came back right now this moment. He appeared in heaven, all of a sudden you that have believed on Christ will be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye and you’ll disappear.

He said, well, what happens to me? Nothing. You’re still sitting here. He said, well, what will I do? I wonder where we are. So I’m going to tell you where we are in case you want to know. We’re in heaven. We’re with the Lord. And we’re going to be at the jagman’s seat of Christ where God’s going to reward every one of us that have served the Lord while we were here. So how you live, if God’s going to reward you for according to how you live, just how you live, make a difference.

That means if God’s going to reward you when you get to heaven, he must be keeping an eye on you right now. He must be checking your motives. He knows your heart, knows your dreams, knows your fears, knows everything about you. He’s keeping the books. You can’t fool Him. You can fool anybody. You can fool everybody, but you can’t fool God. Look what He says. In verse 14, wherefore it beloved seeing that ye look for such things. Be diligent.

In other words, you’re looking for that which God promised. Then He says, be diligent that you may be found of Him in peace without spot and blameless. you’re going to have to stand before the Lord and give an account to God for why you did what you did. I’m glad that our sins will never be brought up again. We’ll give an account to God for what we did for the Lord. We’ll suffer a loss of reward that we could have had, but sins can never be brought up at the Jubbins City of Christ because God says they are forgiven and removed as far as the East is from the West and God will remember our sins no more.

But the good that you do for the Lord he’ll reward. And for the time that you did not, because you wasted your life, you could have had so much more, and God’s going to reward you for all eternity for what you did for him. And the only time you have to invest in the future rewards is this little bit of time that God gave to you and me down here on Planet Earth. That’s why every moment of your life is so important.

Every minute, every day, every week, every month, every year, is so important because life is what time is made out of. And when you waste time, you waste life. Do you see it a little different now? I hope so. And so this is why he says these things in his word, because it is so very important. Take your Bible and look there in the book of Suck it Peter in chapter one. And just notice what he says in verse 11.

Because you see, when you and I get there, he says in verse 11, for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You see, this kingdom is coming. It’s just saying here yet. And he says, you could have an abundant engine. Oh, you’ll be there. But how God is going to make it different is every man shall receive his own praise, own honor, and own glory, and rewards that will last for eternity.

And you’re really going to be blessed when you get into the kingdom. So he’s talking about your entrance. Well done, thou good and faithful servant. In to the end to the joys of the Lord. You’re going to be so glad and some Christians are going to be ashamed before him at his coming, as it says in 1 John chapter 2 verse 28. Now, my little children abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may have come to us and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

Now, turning your Bible to the book of 1 Peter and chapter 5, 1 Peter chapter 5. And you’ll notice in verse 1 where he says, the elders which are among you, I exhort, who who am also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, sufferings of Christ when he came the first time on the cross. And also he says here, and also a part of the glory that shall be revealed. See, one day Christ is going to come back, reveal revelation, power, great glory.

And if you have suffered with Christ, you’re going to row with Christ. He is going to honor you. If any man served me, him will my father honor. You just haven’t been there yet. You haven’t seen it yet. But if he came the first time, just like he said, do you believe he’s gonna lie to us about the second time? You are gonna be so glad that you took God at his word and believed him and you served the Lord.

Now, look at verse four. And when the chief shepherd, You ought to underline those two little words in your Bible. Shall appear. Shall appear. But also look what he says here in chapter four and verse 13. We were in chapter five just a minute ago. And in chapter four, he makes a statement. In verse 13, he says, “‘But rejoice in as much as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings that when his glory shall be what?’ Reveal ye may be glad also with what kind of joy.

So if you suffer for the Lord here, you see all I got dreams and plans and so forth of what I want to do with my life and what I want to be. God says, would you give all that up for me? He says, if you’ll give all that up for me and what I want you to do with your life, he says you’re going to have exceeding joy. You’re going to be so glad you did with your life what I wanted.

So he says that you may be glad also with exceeding joy. You will be so glad you did it. So what you need to do is transport yourself into the future and realize what you would want. Now go back to earth and get it. If you don’t learn to think this way, you can’t think correctly. And if you don’t think correctly, you can’t live correctly. Well, you can stay out of trouble, pay your bills and all that. not going to award you for because you paid your bills.

What did you do for him? A lost man pays his bills. Well, some of them. Well, there’s some Christians don’t pay theirs either. God’s going to reward you what you did for Him. Do you live for Him, for His glory? Now, there’s nothing wrong in people bragging on you because of how great you are and you know how great you are. And if people can brag on you, that’s fine, but you always make sure you give the honor and the glory to the Lord.

You brag upon the one who gave it to you. You accomplish anything in life. Thank you Lord. and giving God glory is always, thank you Lord, thank you Lord. Because you realize he gave me life, he gave me opportunities, he gave me a wife, he gave me kids, gave me grandkids, gave me health, he gave me this, he gave me that. Thank you Lord, thank you Lord. You’d be surprised how wonderful it will be. Because God is a jealous God.

He doesn’t want anybody stealing honor from him and glory from him that belongs to him. You got to remember, without the Lord, we are nothing. Without Christ, ye can do nothing. But with the Lord, I could do all things to Christ, which strengtheneth me. This is what he’s talking about. Look what he says down here in verse 10. In verse 10 of chapter five, he says, But the God of all grace who had called us into his, what, eternal glory.

That means in the future to be in a glorified body to receive the glory of the Lord, that’s going to be awesome. That’s what God has for us. But not only that, look there in chapter 1 of the book of 1 Peter. I’m looking verse seven. Now you and I, while we’re here, look up here, while we’re still living here, we’re gonna have a lot of heartache and trouble. As long as you’re in this physical body, you got problems.

And remember, when you married somebody, you also married their problems. Everybody’s a problem. Have kids, you got problems. Grandkids, a few more problems, but they’re not as bad. Because you can see those problems and love those problems and leave those problems done anyway. Everybody has problems. But God says this, as He says there in verse 7, that the trial of your faith, your faith is on trial. Now you may have trusted Christ as you say to your His child, you’re going to heaven when you die.

You’re not there yet. But God is putting your faith on trial. Is there going to be enough evidence to convict you? If you had to go to court and they had to put you on a witness stand, And is there enough evidence that would be able to convict you of, well, he said he was a Christian, but you know, he never lived like it, didn’t talk like it, didn’t act like it. So I don’t, I just don’t believe he is.

And the eyes of people, that’s how they judge. God sees your faith. He knows whether you trust Him as Savior or not. But the other people though, they go by what they see. Are you a new listener to Bibleline? Do you enjoy the teachings of Dr. Arnard? 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. A 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.