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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. We just 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.

But the key to living for the Lord is dying to what you want. See sacrifice whatever it is you want for what God wants. But if you can’t make up your mind, it’s hard for you to get what you want and to get anything for what God wants. You’ll be a double minded man. But if every day you say, I sacrifice my life for the Lord today, I’m going to live for the Lord. So whatever is right, whatever he wants me to do, however he wants me to think, it doesn’t matter what people say or do, this is where I’m at.

I’m at and you’d be surprised how it can help you in your Christian life and but some days I think I really need that. Oh there’s so many things I could share with you but I just can’t do it all but anyway I want you to take your vibe and look in Matthew chapter 10. Matthew and chapter 10 I really love Matthew chapter 10 I have preached a number of sermons from this book but But here is a verse that I like pretty well.

And it’s in Matthew chapter 10 and verse 39, in order to save your life, in other words, to profit your life, to have something as, you know, what do I get out of it? Then he says, you got to lose your life. in verse 39, he that findeth his life shallers it. But he that loses his life for my sake shall find it. This is, it’s a paradox. It’s just backwards thinking. Remember the Lord says, your thoughts are not mine, your ways are not mine?

Well we try to look at things, as Spock would say logically. And some of the things that God says this doesn’t sound logical. It just seems like it’s the opposite. And so how you normally think is not how God wants you to think. So it’s almost like upside down. God says, you want to find your life? Then lose it for my sake in the gospel. And you’ll find your purpose for your life. You’ll find out what life is all about.

We have a man at the Bible study. He’s always asking me, what’s the purpose of life? And then the next week he asks me, What’s the purpose of life? He never either really listens, but he’s about 80-81 years old and he’ll next time he’ll see me he says, I just don’t get it. What’s the purpose of life? I think, duh. I done told him a thousand times. Well, a few times anyway. But he wants to understand the purpose of life and I said, you better find out something very quickly.

You are running out of time. But look what he says here again. In verse 39, he that findeth his life shall lose it. In the words you live your life of what you consider to be your dream, what you want out of life, what you want to be, your plans, your goals, and you’ll think this is really, this is it. But see, whenever you’re trying to accomplish what you You want out of life, you’re going to be so frustrated because you can’t make some things happen.

And you can’t always get your dream. Well, whatever the mind can conceive, the body can achieve. Oh, Philip, I want to be ten foot tall. It ain’t going to work. I want to be the greatest golfer in the world. I can conceive that. I can think about that. Yeah. I can’t even make the lady sing your tour. But anyway, I can qualify it. Even though at my age now I get to hit from the red T’s, you know, that’s official now.

I can do that because I’m old enough to get it. But you are talking about in the Word of God, he says, lose your life for my sake and the gospels, and you’ll find it. You’ll find your purpose for living. That’s why it gives the church the real reason for living. You take away the pursuit of souls. Take away the pursuit of souls. And then what’s the purpose of our church? Sit around here and just have a nice little Bible so I didn’t get fat.

Do nothing. Just don’t do nothing. But see, we’re always working on trying to figure out a way how to get some more, get some more, because I believe that’s the reason we’re here. It’s not that important until somebody dies. Then it’s very important. For example, if you have trusted Christ as your Savior, but you never tell anybody, do you realize what you’re doing to your family? Because they won’t know that you trust of the Lord. Or if you have trust the Lord but you tell them you haven’t just out of the front of it.

That’s real big fun. But I know people have done that. They just don’t want them. He’s like, oh, I’ve already trust the Lord. I just like to hear them argue. But when the person dies and they don’t know where he is, then they think that person is gone to hell because they never gave him the shirt that they were going to heaven. You ought to let people that you know and love, let them know you trust the Lord. And don’t always take it for granted that, well, whenever I die preacher, I want you to do my funeral.

I can’t impose myself upon the funeral home or your family and demand I’m doing the funeral. There could be some other people involved and they’ll have other plans and you’d be surprised. I’ve had all kinds of things that have happened. People said, not remember, I want you to do my funeral. Well, then they died, but they never told her, they didn’t ever tell anybody. And they have some wild guy give up a service and he’s all messed up, never gives the gospel, and it was the best chance to reach all of the relatives.

And they blow it. Think it through. Anyway, this is a wonderful portion of scripture down through here. But just look what he says here in verse 38, the verse right before where he says, And he that take it not his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. about are you willing to die for the Lord? It means die to that old sinful nature that you have. Otherwise you’ll spend all your life trying to fulfill the desires of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of the life.

That’s what will become your goal and purpose in life. Or you give all that up and sacrifice for the Lord. I’ve had people say, well, I’m willing to die for the Lord. Well, there’s some places you may have to do that, but God would probably really prefer you to live for him. Because dying. Okay, that’s that one moment in time. Oh, when I’m really going, I’m a die of a Lord. Yeah, but yeah, but you lived for 70 years and you lived for yourself or 50 of them.

Live for the Lord. And when it comes time to die, it won’t be that big of a problem of you dying for the Lord. Look at in other scripts, looking Galatians in chapter 6, something that most people never get. I sometimes teach 12 steps to success. And I’ll go through the things, you know, one run to a two three three four door five, five, six, seven, eight, eight, nine, nine, ten, ten, and eleven and twelve, I’ll go to an emotional side.

But I would tell you, one run, you know, your attitude determines your altitude. Number two, have goal will travel. Got to have a purpose in life. Number three is the tree, and it’s got the fruit on the tree. And so you got to plan big, think big, and act big. Number four, door. And so you got a foot in the door, and God opens up doors, and God closes doors, and if God opens the door, go through the door and look for big opportunities.

And people have a big God, expect big God to do big things. People who have a little God expect their little God do little things. And some Christians that seem like they’re God is very, very small because they don’t think he can do anything. And so number five was always fear. You know, the bee is coming out of a beehive. You’re going to get you. And so people are afraid and they live in fear instead of learning how to trust the Lord.

Fear is a success crusher. And number six is you got to be a go-giver. Learn to go and give before you receive. Number seven, heaven, enthusiasm, excitement. Know where you’re going when you die. And so all these things, and so I would go through and I would teach some of these things in the memory page so I can remember them. And I learned those things about 40 years ago. I still got them right there. I can go through them.

And so you try to work in home your mind so that you can remember these things. But here in the book, I haven’t even got there yet, of Galatians, a book of Galatians, chapter 6, before you receive, the key to getting is giving. See, some people they want to always receive. Bless me. Give me, give me, give me, give me, give me. But the Lord says, verse 7. Be not deceived, God is not mocked for whatsoever man soeth, that’s all you also reap.

Before you can reap you have to sow. So in comes first. So love, so you can reap love. So joy, so you can reap joy. A lot of Christians just mad and miserable all the time. They still are anger and bitterness. Well if you’re that fast what you said that’s what you read back. You got to learn how to you get your joy from the Lord. You don’t get it from everybody. They may not be happy or joyful. But what did you get it from the Lord?

Well I want peace of mind. Well God says he can give us peace. Remember that’s one of the fruit of the Spirit. Peace. Love, joy, peace. So if I sow that God says you’ll reap what you sow. You sow corn you reap corn so butter means you reap butter means and so to the things of the Lord and you’re going to reap those things and that’s why the key to getting is learning to give. Do the Bible talks about giving?

You know when he talks about giving hilariously, cheerfully means hilariously. You got to give us a menu partner. You don’t have most Christians give? Oh, I hate doing this. Oh, here comes that offering plate again. Oh, man, I hate to do this. I need it more than they do. And you be surprised. It’s so hard for some Christians to give joyfully because, see, they think they’re depleting their funds and it’s just the opposite. Did you know when you learn how to give, it’s the key to getting?

And most people never learn that in their whole life. So they’re stingy. They give stinging, grudgingly. The Bible talks about that in Corinthians and chapter 8. Grudgingly. And so they wonder why they have to always never have enough. Because they’re always struggling. Learn how to give, learn to give. You know the Bible talks about that we should learn to work, make money, so you got something to give. He would say, well, I can’t give anything because I don’t have any money.

What did you work? Well, I don’t like doing that. Sometimes, no, work can be against your religion. I’m just, you know, it’s against my religion to work. But everybody knows that we should. The Bible says is if a man does not work, he out now what? You mean you let them starve? Well, that’s what the Bible says. If you don’t want to work, then that’s not. But that is somebody’s, they’re willing to work, but they can’t find work or they can’t work for something like that.

That’s one thing when people need help. That’s, I’m not talking about that. And it’s legitimate. That’s always the case. We can always help that. But here in the book of Galatians, you talk about learning to give, if you want to receive and give joyfully. Let’s just take a quick look at the scripture. 2 Corinthians in chapter 9. 2 Corinthians in chapter 9. And just look at it because it is an important script. It has to do with your life.

It shows whether or not do you really trust God? Do you trust the Lord? Betty’s dead. He had to work on me a little bit on this. It did not come easy. Not when we had to split a quarter for a week. I would get 15 cents and Betty would get a dime. That was our money to spend. Now I could get three cokes with that, a nickel Coke. Y’all don’t remember when you can get a Coke for a nickel?

That was a long time ago. At the end of the week, Betty was still have her dime. She was tight, buddy. But she married me. I was a bargain. I was 50% off. Look at verse six. But this I say he which so sparingly, shall reap also sparingly, but he which so bountifully shall reap also bountifully. I didn’t write this. It must, somebody just added that into the Bible and probably doesn’t mean anything at all. What if it really means what it says?

This is how you find out. Do you believe what God says? Look what he else, he says. Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give. Not grudgingly or necessity. I have to do this. For God, loveth a, what kind of giver? Cheerful. We ought to be, when we take up the offer in Sunday morning, people ought to be in hysterics. Wow, what a wonderful time. Man, this is better than seeing. This is better than the preaching sermon.

Wow, this is great. This is better than the specials that we had this morning. We get to give some money. Yay! But you watch. When people don’t have that kind of an attitude, I’m just going to figure it out now if I’m not having any trouble. anybody in the church that’s going to jump up and down and hodder and yell and run around auditorium, they’re probably called the white coats. But you know if every Christian did what God wanted them to do cheerfully, we would always probably have all that we need to do the work that God wants us to do.

Like his one preacher, he says, got some good news, got some bad news. Good news, you know we needed some money for our new building. Good news is We’ve got all the money we need. The bad news, it’s still in your pocket. Well, don’t you? Now look at it in verse eight. And God is able to make all grace abound where God is able to do something based upon your giving and the attitude that you give. Think it through.

Cut it any way you want. Devour that verse, meditate on the verse. But do you believe the verse? what else she says, that ye always having all sufficiency means enough and all things may abound to every good work. As it is written, then he uses the Old Testament, a scripture from there, says he hath dispersed abroad. He had given to the poor his righteousness remaining forever. Now he that miners seed to the sword, both men is bred for your food.

and multiply, get it, multiply your seed sown. You give God is able to multiply it. In the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 11 it talks about, cast your bread upon the waters for you shall receive it back after many days. It’s the same principle. Somebody says cast your bread upon the waters. Who wants and soggy bread. But it’s talking about the principle that you sow now and then you’ll reap. And God can multiply. When you sow some corn, do you only get back the amount that you planted or do you get back a whole lot more?

Just think that the principle of a farmer who sowers. And next thing you know, you can plant this little couple of corn in terms of corn and lo and behold, a stock comes up here and it’s got all the ears on it and look how many you got now. That’s what God’s talking about. God is able to bless, but the key to getting is giving, and giving right, and giving with the right attitude. And he says, if you’ll do this, God is able to make all these things happen to you.

So it’s up to the individual, nobody can make you, oh, I just love you. Well, I’ll try it. That’s a good attitude, I’ll try it. Like I’ll give God a chance. All right, it didn’t happen. I ain’t going in the morning. In other words, and so you put God on, wait a minute, that was Gideon who used the fleece, remember? That doesn’t mean you’re supposed to go out here and get you a fleece. Oh, I’ll do this, and then you run to the mailbox and see if your check came in.

God, it didn’t check, didn’t come in. So I’ll let it go. And you experiment, just be faithful. Do it because it’s right, and God will bless you for it. The Bible makes this statement. If you want to be wise in the eyes of the world, you will look like a fool. Let’s look in first Corinthians. First Corinthians in chapter three. First Corinthians chapter three. If you want to be wise in the eyes of the world, you will look like a fool.

Now, there are carnal people, carnal Christians. In chapter three, it talks about how they were divisions among them, all these problems. And so they were making statements about the apostle Paul. And Paul now has to defend his apostleship. And he shouldn’t have to do that. So Paul, when writing to them, refers to him as an example and talks about some of that in verse 5, 6, and 7, and so on. But look what he says here in chapter 4.

for looking verse 9, for I think that God have set forth us the Apostles last. As it were appointed to death, for we are made a spectacle unto the world and to angels and the men. We are fools. For Christ’s sake. In other words, in the eyes of the world, what you do and how you live doesn’t necessarily make sense. And the people of the world that doesn’t know anything spiritually may not understand why you do what you do, why you go to church, why you give like you do, why do you sacrifice like you, why don’t you go out here and enjoy the things of the world, why don’t you take a little drink once in a while, why don’t you experiment a little bit, look at all those people out there, shacking up together and doing this together, why don’t you do the same thing.

Everybody else is and consider you, you must be a fool. You’re not enjoying life. Look at all the fun that lost people are having and here you are trying to be so holy, holy. Well, we’re fools for Christ’s sake. See, other scripture sometimes talks about and bear you one another’s burdens. It also talks about losing your life for Christ’s sake and the gospels. not for your sake, but for other people’s sake, for the lost man’s sake, for the gospel’s sake.

And he says, we’re weak, but you’re strong. We’re, you’re honorable. We’re despised. Even under this present hour, we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling place that you want to be like us. Wouldn’t you like to be like us? They must be failures. If there’s any failures in this world, it had to be them. They follow that man, Jesus Christ, and look at them. They don’t have any money. They have no retirement fund.

They have no homes they call their own, but they don’t have anything. They must be not living right. And yet, it shows you the wisdom of the world. It’s foolish. And that’s why whenever you make up your mind to serve the Lord, not everybody is going to honor you and praise you and brag on you and be pleased with you. You may suffer some consequences, but that’s okay. Look what he says in verse 12, and he says here, and labor, working with our own hands, being reviled, we bless, being persecuted, we suffer it, being defamed, we treat and treat.

We are made as the filth of the world and as the oft scouring of the garbage of all things unto this day. I write not these things to shame you, but my beloved sons, I warn you.” So he goes on down here and says a lot of good stuff. But whenever you read all these things, what happened? It’s enough to make you wait what Paul went through. But do you think Paul was a winner or a loser? Paul was a winner.

Paul was a champion. Paul was victorious. Paul was an example of the believer, just like we’re supposed to be. So that’s why some things about serving God always make sense. It may not make any sense to spend your life trying to talk to people about going to heaven. Even when you get old, you still want some fruit. And that’s the main drive in force because we’re not going to be here long. My friend Jack, I love Jack, he helped me get through Bible school the last two years.

I was working for him one day and had his long hoes and hooked up onto this truck going to spray these lawns. and I’m it’s rolling and I’m going across this lawn a lickety split and all of a sudden it hung up that hose and I had it over my shoulder and this part was going this way and this part turned around and I dropped. I thought my back was broke I couldn’t move I was hurting my back was totally rinsed turn me completely around And I finally got a job.

I could work a half a day while I’m going to Bible College. And now this, I laid on that ground and I heard I moaned. I groaned. I finally got to where I could roll over a little bit and I finally got up and it hurt trying to get things back. I don’t even know if I called him and he came and got the trucker. I don’t remember. I remember going to the, some back specialists and they would examine my back, you know, x-ray it and says you got back problems and so they gave me this brace that I had to wear and it had two metal rods in the back of it and I had to lace it on like I was wearing a girdle and that thing for almost two years I had to wear that in class and on the job because

I couldn’t hardly bend and hurt when I turned and I was just in aches and pain sitting in class all day and I thought why is it ever going to end? I just go from one chaos to another one. One problem to another problem. And you’d be surprised how many times in my mind if you were serving God right. This one happened to you. You must be doing something wrong. You talk about examining yourself. I couldn’t find what am I doing that would be wrong.

You know, that’s the first time thing that we usually do is I must be doing something wrong because nothing’s going right. And yet you could be doing everything right and everything going wrong. What really helped me is read these scriptures and the teachers in college class, even though they were just teaching the book, they would be giving me the strength to make it through the next day. And finally, when I was in Colorado, I got rid of that brace.

But I was, my back would catch on me and every once in a while I couldn’t walk down the hallway. I put my hands on the side of it and I would be walking and then the bell would ring and here comes 300 kids down the hall. And I was like, don’t hit me, don’t hit me, don’t hit me, don’t hit me. And then someone would walk up, hey, preacher. Don’t touch me, don’t touch me. And I’d inch my way down and sometimes my back would catch and Betty would have to put on my shoes for me.

And I could stand up and I couldn’t hardly, I couldn’t bend, I couldn’t do it. And I would be in tears. And I just hurt so much. For so long, I kept thinking, is it ever going to end? And a doctor told me one day he says, that should probably end in about 20 years. Did you know 20 years passed? And my back got better? Got well. And I don’t have that problem anymore. But I ought to preach a whole sermon one day on my close calls.

They’re all right. But anyway, look up here. You’re gonna die one of these days too. This end represent you and me. The wall represents sin. We all have sinners. Now God, he loves us. He hates our sin, but he loves us. And for us to pay for sin is eternal separation from the Lord. But God loves us, wants us to go to heaven. And we have to be perfect to go to heaven and none of us are perfect. We have all sinned.

And because of sin, we can’t get into heaven. And God says, you’re good works, won’t pay for sin. The only thing that pays for sin is death, you have to die. That’s why everybody dies. This hand represents Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. He came into the world. He doesn’t have any sin, he didn’t have to die. So He, because He loved it, took all of the sins of the world, paid for it and the cross, and came back from the dead.

And God said that if we would believe that He did it for us, He would put this death payment to our account, we get to go to heaven. I want Jesus Christ dead for us. That’s the best news in all of the world. Let’s pray, shall we? With his bow and eyes closed, and no one looking around, if you have never trusted the Lord, just like that lady being coming to the Bible study, she never really stopped and thought it through.

Would you trust Christ as your Savior? If you’re watching by internet or here tonight, would you accept the payment Christ made on the cross for you? If you will, God said he would save you and give eternal life, and you can know that you’re going to heaven whenever you die. I pray that you will. Father, we thank you so much for this time together. Bless each one for being here. In Christ’s name we pray, amen. Are you a new listener to Bibleline?

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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.

Taught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Leaving that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.