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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

He’s coming. Are you ready? Take your Bible and turn to the book of 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. I want you to look first of all at a few of the scriptures here that gives you an idea that one of the things that he wanted the people to know that he’s coming again. You’ll notice in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, look there in verse 10. To wait for the great tribulation. I didn’t say that, did it? To wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Now you have to admit, he says he’s coming again. Look in chapter two, now look what he says in verse 19, for what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming. It’s given us the impression that He must be coming back again. Look in chapter 3, looking verse 13, to the end, He may establish your hearts unblamably in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all of His saints.

He’s coming again. He keeps telling us He’s coming. Take your Bible and turn there to the fifth chapter where he says in verse 23, and the very God of peace sanctify you holy, and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. You and I are supposed to live as though we believe He’s coming again, and we don’t know when, but He’s coming. Take your Bible and turn to the book of 1 John, the book of 1 John chapter 3.

First John chapter 3. And notice what it says in verse one. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God, therefore the world knoweth us not because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it 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 and every man that hath this hope in him purify himself even as he is pure.

There’s something about the second coming of Christ that helps a Christian to purify his life because you’re looking for the Lord to come back at any time. When you lose hope of that or sight of that, then look in verse 28 of 1 John chapter 2 and notice in verse 28 and now little children abide in Him that when He shall appear, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. So the Bible tells us that just Jesus Christ is coming again.

And when He comes, He’s coming back for His bride. He’s coming back to take every person who knows Christ is Savior, and He’s going to take us out of this world. Now, am I ready for the Lord to come? I want you to read that as though you’re reading that. Am I ready? Or have the things of this world become too important to me? You see, you can’t serve God and the things of the world. You’ve got to make up your mind.

You’ve either got to be for the Lord or you’re for sale, as John Henry would say. Now. I’m ready for the rapture, but are you holding on the things that you will? I hope he doesn’t come right now because of what? And you’d be surprised at the people that are hanging on the things down here and they don’t want to let go of anything down here because I don’t fell in love with it and can’t live without it. Some people want the Lord to come back just so that he can remove them from their debts.

I don’t know if that’s really loving the Lord the way God means for him to love the Lord, but some people have reasons why they maybe don’t want to think about the coming of the Lord because they’re living for the things of the world. Now our focus today and right now is going to be on this one main thing and that is the Rapture. It’s the next thing to happen according to God’s timetable. Now we have the church age.

That’s from Pentecost, 50 days after the resurrection of Christ. until the rapture, that’s the church aid. That’s where we are. That’s where we live. God has not left us in the dark. He tells us what’s going to take place in the future. The very next thing to happen according to God’s timetable is for the rapture to take place. When the Lord comes in the air and we there alive will be changed in a moment. The twinkling of an eye caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

After the rapture, yes, is gonna be the worst period of time the world’s ever known. Called the great tribulation period. Now the phrase rapture you will not find it in the Bible. In the Greek it’s harpazo and in the Latin it right here but it means to be caught up or taken away suddenly. In other words in the twinkling of an eye you are here and then you will disappear and the Bible talks about we will appear at the judgments of the Christ.

We will disappear here and we will appear there and we don’t have to say Scotty, bring me up. We’re going. No problems. And it’s going to happen. And the thing about it, when this moment takes place, whether you are obedient in serving the Lord or disobedient, here I come, ready or not, you’re going. He’s not coming back just to get those that are faithful, and not just coming back to get those that are looking for Him. He’s coming back to get everyone who’s ever trusted Christ as their Savior, those that are alive.

It’s going to be wonderful. It could happen at any moment. Just think, here we are today sitting here in church. And another spent second, we could be at the judgment city of Christ. Just that quick. You talk about things changing, things are going to change. The rapture, a snatching away, refers to the sudden removal of God’s people from the earth. So there is a generation of people living that will never physically ever see death. I would love for that to be my generation.

The reason because if he doesn’t come soon, I’m going to have to go by the way to grave. And I really don’t prefer that. I have never done it before. I’m just afraid I might hurt. I don’t want to hurt. But I would rather that moment take place and we’re caught up to meet the Lord of the Now a verse I didn’t have you read while I go was 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. Now take your Bible, turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and you’ll notice there’s a wonderful portion of scripture here that will explain a few more things to us about the rapture.

Some people don’t even know this verse is in the Bible. I want you to look there, and if you don’t have a Bible, there’s one right there in the front of the pew in front of you. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. Look what it says in verse 13. But I would not have you to be ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleep. That’s a reference to those who have already died in the Lord. He says that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with a voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first.

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, so shall we ever be with the Lord. We’re for comfort one another with these words. It is a great comfort to know that those who have already died in the Lord, we’re going to see them again. Now in 1991, my son, he was 28 years old. He was, he died and I know where he is. Apps him from the body, present with the Lord.

So I know that my son is there and I know that I’ll get to see him again one of these days. Now, understand this as we go through those very verses we just read. He said, I wouldn’t have to be ignorant, brethren, because there are so many ignorant brethren. Too many brethren are ignorant of what’s going to take place in the future. And therefore they live as though they have no hope. They don’t understand. God has given us things to comfort us and we’re to believe what his word has to say.

He says, concerning them which are asleep. That means those who have already died trusting Christ as their Savior. You trust Christ as your Savior. You have eternal life. You’re going to heaven whenever you die. So whenever that person dies to be absent from the bodies to be present with the Lord. So they’re not in the body. There’s no such thing as soul sleep. Absent from the body that would the Lord. That’s in 2 Corinthians in chapter 5 and verse 8.

He says that you sorrow out even as others which have no hope. See the lost man has no hope and whatever hope he has is a false hope. You and I know the truth so we can believe the truth, but believe in the truth is supposed to bring us great joy if we know what God’s word says. So he says, for if we believe, this is the only thing a man has to do to go to heaven. You don’t earn eternal life, you don’t work for eternal life, you don’t go to church to go to heaven, you don’t give money to go to heaven because eternal life is the gift of God.

It’s not of works lest any man should boast. So he said, if we believe that Jesus died in rosig and even so them also would sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him? Now he can’t bring them with him unless when they left here, they went to be where he is. So whenever a person dies, they are with the Lord in heaven. And one day he’s gonna come back and he’s gonna bring them with him. So you know it and believe it?

There’s a great day coming very, very soon. For this we send you by the word of Yankee. Now by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord. So some of us are gonna be alive when the Lord comes back. And I, like I said, I like being that number cause on the way up, I’d like to be able to slow it down just a tad so I can tell everybody, I told you so, I told you so.

I warned you. You wouldn’t listen, but we’re going to be changed in a moment, the twinkling of an eye. But now one of the words that’s in the King James prevent has changed its meaning over the years, but it’s still there and it’s easier to explain it than to try to rewrite the word of God, which I despise. But it means to go before. In other words, shall not prevent or go before them, which are asleep. So when the Lord comes back, of all, the dead bodies are going to be raised from the dead.

And then we which are alive will be changed in a moment and twinkle of an eye and then caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Now, he says in 1st, the first chapter 4 verse 16, he says, for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven. So that’s how we know that he is in heaven with a shout, with a voice of the Archangel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ. That’s the bodies that are in the braves are going to rise first.

Then we which are alive will be called up to meet the Lord in the air. So we know there’s going to be a resurrection. One of these days all the bodies that are in the grave. Now whether it’s in the graves or where it might be, God is able to take those ashes wherever it might be or whether He even needs anything. Who knows? But God is able to bring them back again and those bodies are going to come back from the grave because He says the corruptible must put on incorruption.

So we which are alive shall remain and caught up together. That’s the rapture. With them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Now this is what God’s Word says and I believe that it’s going to happen just like God says. So one of these days here we are we’re doing our various things and the Lord comes back and will be changed in a moment so quickly. The twinkling of an eye.

Now you see, if the Bible talks about Jesus Christ coming to the earth and He was born as a child and He lived for 33 and a half years and He went to the cross and He died and now all the scriptures that have been fulfilled, if that is true, this is true. This is just as real and just as true of an event as the crucifixion of Jesus Christ when He came and He died on that cross. Because if that happened, is going to happen because the same one told us about both of them.

This is in the Word of God and it will take place. Now, some of you are going to one of these days go and have a funeral and I’m going to do your funeral and then we’re going to go to the cemetery and there’s going to be a little marker up there where you were born and where you died. But don’t look for where my death thing is because Yankee Arnold, he didn’t die. He was Raptured so where’s he at he’s gone One day up there in Georgia, we went to this little old Methodist church.

We out in the boonies, we out in the woods. And in the backyard, they have a cemetery. And so I went out one day and I’m looking around at these grave markers. And lo and behold, there was a grave with a marker on it. It says, Ralph Arnold. So I laid down beside, I laid down on the grave, and Betty took a picture of me laying there on the grave with that marker, Ralph Arnold. Now that’s not going to happen.

Why? Because I believe the Lord is going to come back and I don’t, I just don’t care for the worms to get ahold of my body. But anyway, it’s going to happen one of the day. There is a generation of people living that will never physically ever see death. that be neat if I was our generation, wouldn’t you like that? How many of you were either go in the rapture or would you rather go by the grave? How many of you would like to go in a rapture?

Let me see him. All right Lord, we got on them. How many of you are willing to go right now? Doesn’t many hands? Some of you want to wait till after the ball game’s over. Even if they lose, John 14, 1 through 3 He says, let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In other words, you believe there’s a God. Hey, you can trust that. And you can believe that I’m real. Don’t you trust me?

Because I’m gonna pay you something. That’s the truth. Because you wanted them to realize, hey, I’m going to prepare a place for you. He says, in my father’s house or many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you. He says, I go to prepare a place for you. not a state of mind. Heaven is not a state of mind. Heaven is a real place. Hell is not a state of mind. Hell is a real place. The devil is real.

That’s just one man that says, you believe in the devil? He says, I sure do. I says, why? He says, come on, mayor, to sister. Now, some of you will know that the devil is real. Heaven is real. Hell is real. All of it’s real. But he went to prepare a place for it. He says, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will what? I will come again. I will come again. He says, and receive you unto myself.

So he’s going to come in the air and receive us to himself. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. So wherever he goes, that’s where I’m going to be. He says, comfort one another with these words. Now, 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 50. Oh, won’t you see this in your Bible. Look there in these verses. 1 Corinthians chapter 15. You might come to the conclusion that’s not even in the Bible. Yes it is. Notice in verse 50, verse 50.

1 Corinthians chapter 15. Notice in verse 50, now this I say brethren that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Neither death corruption inherit in corruption. Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

Now get this, because this is very, very important. When he makes the statement that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, that’s why you need a new birth. Now watch, I want to show you a simple illustration real quick. When you are born into this world, you have a flesh birth. Means you are born of flesh and blood parents. And because of that, you have a sinful nature. You are a person with a sinful nature. So you naturally sin.

It’s our nature to sin. It’s the nature of a dog to bark. It’s our nature to sin, to be rebellious, because our parents were like that. They pass it on down to us. So when people talk about getting saved, they often talk about trying to get this person here to convert his life. In other words, you’re doing all those bad things, promise you’re not going to do those bad things anymore. And you’ve got to promise you’re going to live better to meet your life to Christ.

Make him the Lord and the master of your life. So they say, well, now you got to stop being bad, turn from your sins, and you got to commit your life to Christ. It means start being good. So they’re trying to get you to convert and change this guy. And that’s not the Bible. That’s not the gospel. See, whenever God talks about saving a person, he saves you from this guy totally. And how does he do that? gives you a new birth.

When you trust Christ as your Savior, He doesn’t do anything to this first one. That’s the flesh. He gives you a new birth, and this one is born of God. Born of God means born of the Spirit. It means God’s the Father of this birth. If God’s the Father, God has no sinful nature. This birth has no sinful nature. If it has no sinful nature, it cannot sin. If it cannot sin, it cannot die because it cannot die. You’re a child of God for all eternity.

You see, God doesn’t try to change this one. He’s giving you a new birth. And that’s why he says flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. But when you trust Christ as you’re saving, you’re given a new birth. This was born of God and you inherit everything your Father has. Ears of God join ears with Christ because you’re born into his family. Flesh and blood is not in his family. Those are the children of the flesh. These are not the children of God.

So once you understand that, it helps you. When Christ comes back, he’s not coming back because he said flesh and blood cannot inherit neither death corruption inherit in corruption. So what God is gonna do is gonna be totally miraculous. You see, he’s gonna take these corruptable bodies that have already died that are corrupted and He’s going to make them incorruptible. And God’s going to take those of us who are still alive and change us to where we’ll be made immortal.

See only God is immortal, but now notice the flesh, birth cannot inherit eternal life. But the new birth does inherit eternal life because you’re a child of God and that does make a difference. The whole I show you a mystery. That’s a truth that’s hidden in time past, but now revealed for the first time. We shall not all sleep. It means we’re not all gonna die, but we’re all going to be changed. That little phrase, we shall all be changed.

In Colorado, we put that little slogan above our nursery door. So when parents dropped off their little children, we shall all be changed. They know they come back anyway. We’re right along. You can fill in the blanks there. In a moment in the twinkling of an eye, At the last trump of the trumpet shall sound the dead shall be raised in corruptible and we that are alive shall be changed. The scriptures teach it. You can’t deny it. It’s in the Bible.

For this corruptible the dead body shall put on in corruption and this mortal alive but subjected death shall put on immortality. Now in Revelation chapter 2 and chapter 3 talks about the church aid, talks about the seven churches. And at the end of the seven churches it says in chapter 4 and verse 1, I look at the can behold, a door was open in heaven. The first voice which I saw was the trumpet pocket with me and it says, come up hither.

And I’ll show you things that’s going to be after the church age and then he gets into the tribulation stuff. So the church does not go into the tribulation. There’s those who teach that. They don’t know how to rightly divide the Word of God. It’s not like, well they know something you don’t know. No, no, no, no. I know what they know and I know more than they know. But what they know isn’t right. I know their view and I know the Bible view.

But anyway, as we’re moving on along, he says, come up hither. So as soon as the church ages over, we’re going to come up and meet the Lord and we’re going to go to the Judgement Sea to Christ. Now get the sequence of how this is going to take place. The Lord descends from heaven with a shout. The trumpet of God sounds. The dead in Christ will rise into the air and our mortal bodies are going to be changed, made in mortal.

And living Christians rise into the air and we are with the Lord forever. Now that’s how it’s going to happen because that’s how God had laid it out in His Word. So do you believe it’s going to happen? I do. How will Satan try to explain away the rapture? Now let’s just pretend for a moment. If the rapture took place today, right now, how are people gonna explain where we are? I mean all of a sudden, we’re all gone.

I mean, can’t you imagine this afternoon the Broncos and the Bucks are playing? It’s a quarterback snake. Everybody piles on! Everybody gets up, the quarterback’s missing. Wouldn’t that be exciting? What about their flying along in an airplane? All of a sudden somebody says, has anybody heard from the captain lately? No? He’s missing. Can you imagine what happens to the plane? Would it be interesting and exciting trying to figure out how they’re going to explain all these people that are missing from the earth?

Because if it was to happen, here you are with your wife and you’re driving on the road And you never did believe she trusted Lord anyway. And all of a sudden she’s gone and you’re still driving the car. Now you won’t believe this one day. I went to the church in Colorado and me and Betty, we got there early. We didn’t think it was that early and nobody showed up. Nobody was there. And after about five to a minute, nobody showed up yet.

And we kept thinking. And I was thinking, I thought it was the rapture. And if it was true, what am I doing here? We forgot to set our clock. I hate that. They have no idea. But one of these days wouldn’t be something. Millions are missing from around the world. Now some churches will be able to continue without any effects whatsoever. would have hated if the rapture took place right now and the half of y’all got to stay, because you’d never trusted the Lord.

Is it possible that some of you sitting here have never really ever trusted Christ as your Savior? It’s possible because see, you can fold the preacher. You can fold each other. You can’t fold God. He’s coming back to get only those who have trusted Him as Savior. And how are they going to explain where everybody went? What will they say? The Christians are abducted from off the earth. They got to be missing. Where did they go? I mean, it could be everywhere, all over the world.

All kind of it. Imagine the accidents there’s going to be. I mean, trains and planes and boats and cars and motorcycles and everything. All of the people just disappeared. Racks everywhere. When the body of Christ is caught up to be with Him in the air doing the harp huzzo, which is the rapture. who are left behind must produce a reason that is believe of all about those who have suddenly vanished from off the earth. Well, we’re finally rid of those right-wingers, those fundamentalists, they’re gone.

People were perhaps more readily believed that millions of people suddenly have been abducted by UFOs than they have been caught up in the clouds with Jesus Christ. If it came down to believe in that we must have been caught up by Jesus Christ into the air or we were abducted by UFOs. What do you think most people would believe?

I don’t know. I’m not going to be here. But they’re going to have to come up with an explanation. Imagine a worldwide blackout. Millions of people vanishing. Car wrecks. Plains crashing. Babies missing. Shoes and clothes where bodies once stood. Can you imagine the fear, the despair, and the total confusion by people all over the world? It’s going to happen one day. If what What the Bible says is truth. That’s going to happen one of these days. 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 Mail.

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 it that the Lord is coming soon. just keep in looking up.