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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 concluding message of this teaching will be a blessing to you and your family.

So he prays that their love will go stronger, stronger, that they’ll love more and more, not less and less Yamato. But the only way you can do that because he love has to have an object. God is going to bring into your life some very unlovable people. You say like who? Your husband. Maybe it’s your wife. Maybe it’s your kids. Maybe it’s your mother-in-law. But God may do it on your job. He’ll let some very unlovable people cross your path and yet at the same time what does he want you to do?

You’re supposed to demonstrate the love that God would show if he was here because he’s not here but he’s here through you and he wants to use you. So remember when Jesus was here people had all kinds of problems and Jesus was a problem solver. You say, well I can’t walk on water, no but you can show love. Now I can’t feed the 5,000, no, but you might be able to do something. Do you think it’s God’s will that you do absolutely nothing for nobody?

Or do you believe it might be God’s will for you to do something for somebody? Though you may not be able to do it for everybody, but there ought to be somebody. So he says here that your love, this is why this is so important. Now look there in chapter one, and also you’ll notice there’s other things that happens because of what God has for us. Look all the way down there and you’ll know that in verse say down to verse 25 talking about this great decision that he has, he said, I desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better, but more needful for you.

You must believe people need you. Otherwise, I have no reason for living. If nobody needs you, you lost your purpose for living. So I’ve always believed. So trust the Lord. You need what I know. You need what I know. I know something. I know God. Therefore I am very rich and I have the greatest knowledge that any man can ever possess in all the world and you need to know what I know. Therefore, that is important and I am important.

I’m here because you need me. I’ve had people say, well, God doesn’t need you. Well, the Bible says just the opposite that he does. Therefore, we should serve the Lord with all our hearts. But you notice what he says down here. And look at this verse 25. Having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you for your furtherance and joy of faith, for your faith so that you will grow stronger, not just in love but in your faith that you can trust and wait upon God.

Faith means you got you can trust God. So are you growing in faith, growing in your dependence upon God, growing in and your love for others, well, that’s the sign of growing spiritually. And so he makes the statement here in verse 26, that your rejoicing, it’s all about you, serving the Lord, I’ve had people say, well, I used to say it too, serving the Lord’s easy is people I can’t stand. You know, boy, if I could just serve the Lord and just leave the people out of my life, but it’s too much easier.

But you figured out how you’re going to serve the Lord without serving people. duh. Because that’s why God left us here. For people. They can get what He says here. And verse 20, that your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again. In other words, I want to be a blessing to you. I told Betty I said, we’re going to go on a trip and we’re going to go bless a few people.

Now, we didn’t go to be blessed. You bless me. I said, let’s go and be a blessing to anybody we can. Wherever we go, let’s encourage you, let’s talk to them and encourage them in the Lord. It is so much more fun. You don’t worry about whether or not did everything go right. Did this work out right? Did that work out right? And that meant that was I a blessing. I wanted to be a blessing to Dr. Scudder. And I think so.

I told him I enjoyed that 100-mile trip. You say, well, did you know? I mean, yes. I did. I really enjoyed it. Because it was over like that. I mean, I don’t want to do it again. A hundred miles to eat a meal. But think of how far we’re going to go to the marriage separable lamb. You say, well, how far is that? Well, I don’t know. But it’s pretty good ways. And it just thing. I hope everybody’s get there at the same time because I want the food to be fresh.

You think the food will be stale in heaven? I think it’ll be just right, just right. You know what I want to do for the first thousand years? Eat without getting full. Wouldn’t that be fun? I know Dan would love that. Eat without getting full. But may not work. Now, look what he says in verse 27. Look at verse 27. Only let your conversation or your behavior, your manner of life, you see what Paul was going through and the reason he was in jail is because of what he did in order to reach people.

And so it didn’t always work out good for him. Sometimes he had to suffer. He had to do without. But aren’t you glad that you have the book of Philippians in your hands? What a book. This is one nice book on joy and serving God and realizing how great it is to have an opportunity, this side of eternity to serve the Lord. So look what he says here. And he says in the last part of verse 27, he says that I may hear of, and you ought to un-align these towards your affairs.

You see, there’s things about your life that you’re going through. Remember, there’s a verse that talks about being not entangled with the yoke of bondage. And then he talks about being a good soldier, and not being entangled with the affairs of this life. Because you see, if you keep your mind focused on the Lord, well then it’s like, you know, you walk in and your life straightens out. Like, you know, hold on to a rope and walk and it’ll straighten out.

But if you try to push a rope, well, then it’s gonna get all tangled up. And people’s lives, when you follow the Lord, your life straightens out. You go against the Lord, He will resist you and everything gets messed up. So some people’s lives are just a bundle of nothing, but nerves and emotional breakdowns. And they just, they can’t face life. Well, stop trying to push against God. Just walk with the Lord and trust Him. Trust Him to walk you through it.

And He’ll give you a peace of mind, because all of it, remember, deals with the way you think. This book deals with your mind. So notice what He says here. He makes a statement in the last part of verse 28 that you stand fast in one spirit with one, see that word again? One mine striving together for the faith of the gospel. And then you’ll find out then everything that you do. Remember, if God is in it, there’s an adversary that’s also going to be in it.

So in verse 28 and then nothing terrified by your adversaries. Did you know that one of the the greatest dangers in a Christian’s life that shows question and doubts and distrust of the Lord is the element of fear. What are you afraid of? Fear will destroy you because you’re afraid and it will rob your mind because you don’t know how it’s going to work out. You don’t know how God’s going to do it. You don’t know how you’re not supposed to know how God’s going to do everything.

And it will just rob you of your joy for the present moment. Learn to trust the Lord and just keep getting up and you don’t have to figure all out. What’s the worst thing that can happen to you? To die and when you die what happens? You go to heaven. So what’s your problem? I mean really when you get right down to it because your greatest problems are even taken care of. These little things that we go through here is pittance.

As he says in the book of 2 Corinthians in chapter 4, he says, the light affliction has but for a moment. This whole life of ours. There’s only a breath, a vapor of smoke, only a moment. Gone. Remember just yesterday when you were 17 years old? Just yesterday. When you looked in the mirror and you were so young and cute or handsome, just yesterday. Surprise! And isn’t it true that we can’t hardly stand growing old? You look in the mirror and you say, mirror, mirror on the wall.

crap. I could get sidetracked here. I have to watch myself. I have to totally restrain myself. But there is going to be an adversary. There’s things that goes against you to rob you of your peace of mind, rob you of your joy, but you got to learn how to think. So, look what he says here in verse 29, but under you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to, I think you ought to just tear that out of the Bible.

What does it say? Suffer for Him. Well now, if He says, suffer for Him here, then you tell me in verse 4 of chapter 4, Rejoice in the Lord always, how’s that going to work? That’s got to be a contradiction in the Bible because you’re going to suffer. I’ve got some good news for you. You’re all going to suffer. But rejoice because you know there’s more than meets the eye. You know that regardless of what happens in this life you have entered into the fellowship of his suffering.

So that’s why in chapter 3 in verse 9 and 10, especially verse 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection. In other words, it’s about living above the circumstances. How are you doing? Well, under the circumstances. And pray, tell, what are you doing under there? You’re seated into heaven, please. Look down upon all of that stuff. Well, under the circumstances. We can sound so pitiful at times. I think God says, oh my goodness, God’s a person.

You’re making me sick. Did you know there’s verse in the Bible that says, God said, I want to spew you out of my mouth. That’s because you may God’s sick. But anyway, you’re removing right along. So he says, you’re going to have these problems and see they’re in the next verse, having the same conflict that you see me go through because of my stand for the Lord. I want you to know that the sufferings that I’ve gone through have happened to the furtherance of the gospel.

See over there in verse 12 of chapter 1, it’s for the furtherance of the gospel. So there it’s okay, it’s alright to suffer a little bit. God is not going to remove all of your sufferings, he’s going to let you suffer in this life. There’s a verse in the Bible and talks a little bit about the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory. In other words you’re not there yet. If God would just pull open the skies and let you get a glance of the glory that you’re going to have because of the suffering that you’re going through, you’d want more of it.

You would want more of it, not less, because you know that all of your problems are nothing more than opportunities for you to serve God and to be found faithful. And wouldn’t you want some opportunities? Of course you do. be surprised if you learn to think the way God wants you to think, you can live a happier life. You can have more peace, more joy. You can smile more. Or when something goes wrong, do you fall apart? Oh, come on.

Is it really that bad? Do you think God had fell asleep, fell off the throne, and he doesn’t know what’s going on with you. He got knocked out when he hit the floor. No. So this is why in chapter two, he says in verse five, let this mind be in you. Humble yourself now under the mighty hand of God. And in due time, what will he do? What will he do? Raise you up. He will raise you up. In other words, you’re going to win.

You’re going to win. Always believe in the new mind. I am a winner. I’m going to win. It doesn’t matter what Satan does. Doesn’t matter what people say. It doesn’t matter how bad things seem to be. I’m going to win. Because God’s walking with me, I’m walking with God, and we’re going to walk through this. And it doesn’t matter. Sometimes it looks so black, so dark, so bleak, but you know that God’s doing all these wonderful things for you.

Now, look there in Philippians in chapter 2, verse 12. And verse 12 says, his work for it might be love it as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence. I’m not there. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Work out your own salvation. Didn’t say work for your salvation. It’s talking about working it out so that regardless of what the devil throws at you, you can walk through it and he will deliver you.

this word salvation here, you can draw it all the way over there to verse 19 in chapter 1, that I know that this shall turn to my salvation. He’s not talking about hell, he’s talking about being delivered even from the prison that is in, if that be the will of God. And trust the Lord to deliver you from whatever can come in this world. That’s where your trust is. And so he says, do all things because he says in verse 13 of chapter 2, for it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

It’s not according to your will and it’s not according to your good pleasure. This according to his will, his good pleasure. So your life isn’t about how please are you. How happy are you? That doesn’t really matter. You see this is with heaven and view. This is with eternity in view of what God wants done. See God has a purpose. God has a will and he wants to bless you. So as you go through here and you see all these things that God wants done.

Now in chapter 3, chapter 3 he goes down and he talks about all the things that I am. He said, I’m of the tribe of Benjamin and I’m a Jew, I’m a Pharisee and I’m, yeah, he said, but all those things to have, what Christ has for me, those things are nothing. And so the things of this world, where’s the same Colossians someplace where if we then be risen with Him, seek those things which are above or below. I bet you don’t know the answer.

Seek those things which are above Colossians and chapter 3. It’s very, very important because says, He is our life. He is our purpose for living. So here in Philippians in chapter three where he makes his statement about your walk with the Lord. Now go down here and I want you to see this because it’s so important. Looking verse 15, he says, let us therefore as many as be perfect or mature, complete, be thus minded. You ought to underlined is be thus minded.

See all of it deals with how are you thinking? Because you know all your success and all of your defeats starts and stops in the mind. Your success, your failures starts right up here with how you thinking. So he says be thus minded and if in anything you be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you. In other words if you will walk according to the truth that you already have. According to the light you already understand. And if you will obey what you do know to obey and you’re not doing something that’s right God will reveal that even to you.

Because he truth leads to truth. And if a man will obey truth and obey light then God will give him more truth, more light. But a man who rebels against truth, rebels against light, he will find himself not getting more. He cannot grow. He cannot mature and that’s why he says in Hebrews in chapter 6 and we will go on to maturity if God permits. God will not permit you to grow when you rebel against divine truth and divine light.

You see, if this is a river and there is a truth here and a truth there, well if I don’t get on this truth and accept this truth then I can’t get to that truth and then I can’t get to that truth. So when you rebel against truth, you can’t get on the path of righteousness that God has intended for you. So this is why this is so important. So we look there in verse 16, nevertheless, where do we have already obtained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing, walk according to the truth that you have.

Some people, and they’ll call me and say, yeah, I need some help, I need some help, I need some help. And they’ll tell me their problem. I says, you don’t need not my help. I says, you already know what to do. You just won’t do it. They want me to give them some new truth, some new light, or justify what they want to do. . . . . . . . . They just don’t want to do it. They already know what to do.

They know what’s right. They just won’t do it. And I can’t help some people. So he made this statement in verse 17, brethren, be followers together and be and mark them which walks away as you have us for an example. So that’s why you’re supposed to live a good godly life of Christ because somebody’s walking behind you to follow your example. Follow Christ. And then he says this down in verse 20. For our manner of life, our citizenship is in heaven.

From whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And who’s going to change our vile bodies? Because one day we’re all going to win. We’re going to lose these old bodies. We’re going to be with the Lord. Every person that Paul talked to in Philippi, when he wrote this letter, where are all these Christians today? They’re in heaven. They won. And today, while they’re in heaven, does it really matter? How bad they had it down here?

No, because of what they’re enjoying. You see, you’ve got to look beyond this life. Now, in closing, I want you to see this. Look now in verse six of chapter four, verse six of chapter four. Be careful for everything. Worry, worry, worry, worry about everything. Is that what it says? Is that what we do though? He says, be careful for nothing. don’t be anxious and worry about anything. He said, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.

See, all the problems of life is what forces us to go to God and talk to the Lord. You know, you’d be surprised how many of God should have been living their whole lives and never talked to God. They don’t talk to Him. Have you ever seen parents, got kids? They kind of get old enough to get out on their own and you ain’t heard from from my year? Don’t it make your heart when the grandkids don’t call? When it’s my birthday, Father’s Day.

Guess what I’m waiting on? I’m waiting on a phone call. I’m not waiting on a call from Peter Amato. I’m not waiting on a phone call from Tom Stokes. I’m waiting on a phone call from my little granddaughter and my grandson and the kids can be thrown in there too if they want to. But they mean more to me. I mean, I shouldn’t have said that. I mean, they mean more to because of their age. Phew, I didn’t like it.

I didn’t get out of it. But now he says, in verse seven, and the peace of God, get this, the peace of God, which passes all understanding, human understanding, shall keep or guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. So God says, if you’ll cast all your cares upon him, He will help guard your mind. It’s like putting some protection up here and you got all these little angels around. They K-47s protecting you. Would you feel safer? I saw this one little piece of paper with a drawing of a little kitty cat walking along.

He was walking into a prayer room. And then it says, coming out of a prayer room, this lion comes out, turned a little kitten into a lion. See, when you pray and you talk to the Lord about everything, it turns that whimpering little kitty cat into a lion. And that’s what makes you strong, cause you to be bold because you didn’t pray. I have a prayer on that there. I mean, a sermon on that prayer. It was three and a half hours long.

You haven’t heard that. You need to get that. But then he says here in verse 8, get this, finally brethren. You know, he keeps saying finally and then he keeps going on for another half hour. I’m talking about, you know, Paul did. Paul did that. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure. Whatever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of a good report, don’t do it. No, it’s just if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, now look at the next word and you ought to underline it or draw a match to it, think on these things.

See, whether you’re happy or whether you’re sad is a result of what you think about. where you’re fearful or peaceful is a result of what you’re thinking. It’s the sign of a disciplined mind to trust in the Lord and the peace is that result. But if you don’t trust in the Lord, you’re not going to have the peace. He says, there is no peace unto the wicked. Didn’t you know it’s even wicked for a child of God in the question and doubt, God’s provision, God’s leadership?

Seek the Lord with all your heart. Then notice what he says in verse 9, those things which you have both learned and received and heard and seen in me. And here’s the biggest word in the Bible. Do. Do. And in verse 13, I can do all things through Christ with strength in its name. Now there’s a lot more involved than that, but I’ll get into that at another time. Look up here. This hand represents you and me, and the wall of represents sin.

We all have sin upon us. And the Bible says that God loves us, but He hates what we do wrong, but He loves us. And for us to pay for what we do wrong is eternal separation from God in hell. But God loves us and wants us to go to heaven and to go to heaven. We have to be perfect as righteous as God. And none of us are perfect. None of us are righteous. So no one can save himself.

No one can do any good deeds to earn eternal life. God says we need a savior and we cannot save ourselves. You can’t save anybody else. Isn’t that something? You can’t save you and you can’t help saving anybody. Well, what if I get 10 people to help me? That ought to help. Well, what if I got a hundred people to help me? Would that help? No, what if I got a thousand people to help me? You know, everybody would be good for me.

Give me all their good deeds. Would that help? No. All the people in the world can’t save one man. This man represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord God in the flesh. He came into the world because he loves us. He hates our sin because it separates us from him. So Jesus Christ who had no sin didn’t have to die. So he took all the sin of all the world, paid for it on the cross. He came back from the dead.

said that if we would believe that He did it for us, He would put that payment He made, He’d put it to our account. I have a payment now for all my sins. Well, who was this payment? Christ was the payment. So when you accept Jesus Christ, He was the payment for my sins. I have got a living proof of payment that my sins have been paid. And I get to go to heaven on what He did on the cross for me.

And He said, He’d never cast me out and never lose me. I can know I have eternal life, know that I’m going to heaven whenever I die. That’s the best news in all the world. Let’s pray shout it. But heads bow nice clothes and no one looking around. If you hear tonight or if you’re watching by internet, and we often have a lot of people that watch by internet that trust Christ as their Savior. We thank the Lord for everyone.

But friends, you’re not able to be in service tonight. And there’s no more that you have to do there than these people have to do here. Because see, you don’t have to come forward in a church. You don’t have to fill out a card. You don’t have to give any money. All you need to do is the only thing God wants you to do, and that’s what you trust. Christ is your Savior. Well, you believe that when He died, He died for you.

And if you will believe that, He said He would save you. Give you eternal life and you get to go to heaven on what Christ did for you. I pray that you will. Our Father, we thank you so much for all that you’ve done for us. Thank you for the free gift of eternal life. And Lord, for the opportunity we have as your children, to do some of these things that are mentioned here in your word, that yes, we should have the love for one another, that we should abound in it, and that we should have the fellowship that we need.

And Father, we should have the joy because we’re looking to you and trusting you. So bless each one here and help us to do right. No doubt there’s different ones that are maybe struggling and having a hard time, and maybe some of these things will help them just to trust you a little bit more, and that depend upon you to walk them through it. We thank you so much for this good church, these good people, bless us in Christ’s name we pray.

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. Trump it 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.