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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. From Reach Us Tool 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.

And if you decide to get divorced, there’s going to be consequences that’s going to lead to other decisions that you might make. And it may not be the wisest decision, but it can be a decision, and God can permit it, but that doesn’t mean it’s the wisest or the best. And usually, like he says in the book of Matthew, chapter 19, it’s because of a hardness of heart. People will not submit and do what God wants. They don’t love each other the way they should for whatever the reasons.

And so I don’t always know who’s the innocent party. Everybody tell me, well, I’m the innocent party. Well, now I don’t know about that. You may be. That’s fine. I says, but regardless, does it mean that just because you can, you should. And then when they do, well, there’s always somebody else who comes along. So they get remarried. So you can do that, but understand that when you marry, you’re bringing in not just the person you’re married, you’re bringing in the people that you were married to into this marriage.

You may not think so. I’ve been doing this a long time. Now you’ve got additional families that you’re bringing because you don’t just marry her, you marry her whole family and all of their friends. And you’d be surprised how wonderful it can be or how horrible it can be. But if you are willing for the consequences, that’s fine. But some people can’t handle the pressure, the problems. And so it doesn’t always work out the best. They want it to, they desire it to, that sometimes God will let you have your desires.

But sometimes we say, well, it was the Lord’s will. It may have been. Only ones that knows that for sure is gonna be you and the Lord. I try not to get into it. People are afraid you can do whatever you believe God wants you to do. But I’m just saying there’s gonna be additional problems that you’re going to have. So God says there’s a cause. When you do this, it’s gonna cause something else. It’s cause and effect. It’s gonna effect some things.

And some people cannot handle all the changes, all the pressure. And sometimes there’s some people that are blessed that can go through life and not have to get married. And if you can do that, as Paul says, I would that everybody was just like me. Now whether or not he had to get married to be part of the Sanhedrin, and she died, we never know or heard anything more about it. So I don’t know. But anyway, look at the next statement.

John chapter 12 verse 27, now this is a very important scripture and I want you to turn there to the book of John in chapter 12. John chapter 12, John chapter 12, you notice it says here in verse 27, now is my soul trouble. Jesus is speaking. What shall I say? Father, say me from this hour, But for this cause came I into this world, under this hour. For this cause, this is why I came into this world. For this is why I was born.

I was born for this hour. Now, I want you to look up there in the verse 24, where he talks about except a corner of wheat fallen to the ground and there’s that word die. You ought to circle it or underline it. Because he was born that he might die. And he’s teaching him something here, an illustration about a grain of corn that dies, unless it dies, it abides us alone. But if it die, bring the fourth much fruit.

And then he says down here in verse 32, and I, if I be lifted up, is also talking about how he was going to die, because he says there in verse 33, this he said signifying what death he should die. So the death of the corn is talking about his death. And many people been blessed. He says, for this cause, I came into the world to die so that there could be a multitude of people that will be blessed because of what I do.

Now, whatever it is God wants you to do, and if you do it for his cause, I believe there’ll be multitude of people that will be blessed because you were privileged to live in this world. Wouldn’t it be a shame for you to live in this world for 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 years, and you didn’t affluence anybody. You didn’t influence anybody for the cause of Christ. So you’re to hear and the power of your life is revealed by the influence that you have in the lives of other people.

And you want to do that because that is so very, very important. Now look there in John chapter 18 and verse 37, verse 37, John chapter 18, just turn there a couple pages to your right and you’ll see this, John chapter 18 and verse 37. When Jesus was standing for Pilate, he says, Our Thaw the King? He said, You said it. He says in verse 37, Pilate, therefore, said unto him, are thou a king then? Jesus entered, thou sayest that I am a king?

You ought to underline this statement. Jesus said this, it is so important, it is so powerful. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world. Now he’s on the day of his execution, and this is what he has to say. This cause, this day, for this end, for this purpose was I born.

Could you say that I was born for a purpose? I mean, you’re saying this to yourself. I was born for a purpose. For this cause I live. What is your reason for living? If you could put it down in one sentence, my purpose in life is, what is it? What is it? Now, you’re going to have to give a count and so alive when we get to heaven that what was my cause? Because that is what’s going to cause my effects in life.

Cause and effects. I did this because I knew what my purpose in life was. I did it for the Lord. I did it for reaching soul. I did it for the gospel’s sake. I did it for Jesus’s sake. But why? There’s got to be a reason. And so that’s why you and I should sit down and examine ourselves every once in a while to see in my own course. Am I doing with my life what God wanted me to do with my life?

And so he says here in verse 37, to this end was I born, for this cause came I into the world that I should bear witness unto the truth. Isn’t that what we’re doing? Isn’t that really the purpose of our lives? That’s what we’re doing. bearing witness of the truth. Telling people the truth, we are all sinners. The wages of sin is death. You must be perfect to go to heaven. You cannot earn eternal life. Christ paid for our sins.

King back from the dead. If we would believe, we can go to heaven when we die. Those seven little statements is the truth of the gospel. And I believe it’s so important. Look at the next statement there in your notes. Romans 1, 26 says, “‘For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections, “‘for even their women did change the natural use “‘into that which is against nature.'” Now you can read that whole chapter, the first chapter of the book of Romans, and it says, “‘For this cause, because see, “‘they did not want to retain God in their knowledge.'”

They didn’t want to think about God, And when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, but became vain in their imaginations. And their foolish heart was darkened. And they made the Creator like a creature and brought God down to be like nothing more than a man. And so man became God. And so God let Him do whatever they want to do. The same thing when a lot of other people’s lives is God can let you do whatever you want to do.

You can live any way you want. I can live anyway. I just chose to live a godly life. You can choose to live a godly life. I’m glad we got the freedom. I got the freedom to mess up my life, too. Everybody makes choices, decisions. But there’s consequences to our decisions. Now, turn to the book of Romans in chapter 15. You’re right there. Romans in chapter 15. Romans chapter 15 kind of gives us an idea of what it’s like.

to read and to study the Old Testament because it’s for us to understand and to learn. For the Old Testament was written a four-time, four-hour learning for our learning. And you’ll see that there in Romans in chapter 15 and verse 4. For whatsoever, things were written a four-time were written for our learning that we through patience and conflict scriptures might have hope. So we read, instead of the Old Testament, so we’ll see the testimonies of individuals, stories of people’s lives, and how they responded to what God wanted them to do.

And if they obeyed what happened, and they didn’t obey what happened, because there’s a reason why God did what He did. And so there’s reasons why people do what they do. If you serve the Lord, there’ll be a cause. And if you don’t, there will be a cause. be a reason why you don’t think it’s that important. If you win souls, there’ll be a reason. If you don’t, there’ll be a reason. There’s always a reason why we do what we do.

So here he says in Romans in chapter 15, and I want you to look down there in verse 9, look in verse 9, verse 9 all the way down to verse 12, these three verses, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy, as it is written, for this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles and sing unto thy name. In the Old Testament the Scriptures kept telling us over and over again how that salvation, yes, is of the Jews, but that the Gentiles are not going to be left out, that the Messiah also died for the Gentiles and that they can be saved just like anybody else can.

And therefore it says over and over again, that in Him shall the Gentiles trust. So there’s only be one prophet out of Israel that the Gentiles have ever trusted in, and that just happens to be Jesus Christ. So you look what he says here in verse 10. And again, he said, rejoice, ye Gentiles with his people. And again, praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles, and laud him all ye people. And again, Isaiah said, there shall be a root of Jesse.

And he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles. So is the scripture telling us in the Old Testament that there’s gonna be somebody from the root of Jesse that’s gonna rule over the Gentiles. And this is right there, I wonder who it is. It’s the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. And He says here, and He that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles and in Him shall the Gentiles trust. So the Old Testament is important to us because it tells us about the promises that God made and that He preached the gospel before unto Abraham, saying, in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

not just the families of Israel, all the families of the earth will be blessed. And that means to have salvation by faith and faith alone. So important. Looking Colossians in chapter 1. The book of Colossians in chapter 1. Colossians chapter 1, we know that the Lord tells us how Paul prayed for these people and he needed a pastor to come to this church and so forth. the thing that we’re going on. And so He says here in verse 9, for this cause, for this cause.

We also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you. And to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will and all wisdom and spiritual understanding. Now when you know that that’s what God wants in the lives of His children, then you know what we we are supposed to teach and why we teach. Why do we teach Sunday school class or the ranch or the any class we have, the church? It’s because we want this to be fulfilled and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of his will and all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

This is one of the things that we try to accomplish in church, our Sunday school classes. Grant Kemp, because we want these young people to be filled with the knowledge of the Word of God. So they’ll understand the will of God. Don’t you want people to enjoy and know the Lord like you do? And there’s so many people that will never hear, never understand. And if we don’t tell them and don’t share it, there will be so many that will never know what we know.

And this is why this is so very important. for this cause. You see, there’s always a reason. There was a reason why the apostle Paul was willing to do all that he did, all the places that he went, what he went through and what they did to him. He was willing to go through all that because he had a cause. Now, it’s not in your note, but I want you to look at this anyway. Look there in the book of 2 Corinthians in chapter 4.

Second Corinthians in chapter 4. In verse 1 of chapter 4, it’s a very important verse. When he makes a statement, therefore, seeing we have this ministry as we have received mercy, we faint none. Seeing we have this ministry, there’s macaws we don’t quit. When you understand, I have something worth living for. I can’t quit. I can’t quit. I can’t see doing anything other than what I’m doing for the cause of Christ. And this is why he says in verse 16, looking verse 16 of 2nd Corinthians in chapter 4, for which cause.

See that? For which caused we faint not. You see there’s got to be a reason why. And if you understand that what you’re living for is more important than anything else in the world, you see why I can’t quit, I can’t stop. There’s nothing better to live for. And God hasn’t done me wrong. God hasn’t done me wrong. Why should I turn on God? Now, why are you right here? You might look at it. Second Corinthians chapter 5, looking verse 14, where he says, for the love of Christ constraineth us.

That means to motivate you. Because we thus judged. If one died for all, then we’re all dead. That he died for all that they which live should not henceforth from here on, live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them.” And Rosie, does the Bible say that we should live for the one who died for us? So I have a reason for living. I should live for the one who died for me. And there’s a pretty good cause because that’s what God wants.

That’s the will of God. So look there in your notes and we’ll just kind of comment on this just a little bit. First thessalonians 2, 13 says, for this cause also we thank God without safety because when you receive the word of God which you heard of us you received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God which affects you, work is also in you that believe because for this cause we thank God.

And then I underlined, why am I thinking God? Well, for this cause why? You received it not as the word of man, but as it is in truth. And so you have a reason why are you doing what you’re doing, why are you praying for these people? What do you want from these people? How do you care about these people? And you want them to be filled with the knowledge that says in the Colossians in chapter 1 verse 9, and then in this scripture here, looking The next one, 1 Thessalonians 3, 5, for this cause when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith less by some means that tempter have tempted you for this cause.

What cause? I don’t want to labor in vain. I don’t want to labor in vain for this cause. I don’t want to labor in vain. And I want to do everything I can to make sure that I did not labor in vain. That’s why you always are inspecting yourself. How are you with the Lord? How are you walking with the Lord? Do you spend time with him, talking to him, praying to him all the time, seeking his will. Don’t just rest upon the knowledge.

See, I’ve been studying the Bible for 55 years at least, but I don’t rest in all of that studying I’ve done before. I study all that. You can talk to my wife. I’m reading and studying every day of my life I study, study, study. Every day I study. There’s not a day I don’t believe goes by. I don’t study this book because it’s so much I’m just beginning to understand it. It’s only taking 50 years. I’m just getting worse.

Man, that’s good. I didn’t see that before. Why didn’t I see that before? The Bible is rich. You’ll never get all of it. of it. We’re just scratching the surface so much to learn, so much to learn. The next one. Second, as the line in chapter 2 verse 11, right during your notes, for this caused God shall send them strong, diligent, why? So that they’ll believe a why. Why? Because they wouldn’t believe the truth. They wouldn’t believe the truth.

So God has a reason for them believing a lie. And God will let a person believe a lie. God will allow you to break all the rules in the book. God will allow you to become an ungodly person. You can live like the devil got all that you do it, but it’s not as well But he wants you to understand there’s consequences to him and I can assure you you’re not gonna like the consequences Because that’s why your heavenly Father chasing you.

Why does your heavenly Father chasing you cause? Cause you didn’t obey Your bay? Okay, you don’t You’re not gonna like it Look at the next one when we talk about the Apostle Paul in the example what that he was and when he says I am the chief of sinners He says this is an acceptable saying that I am the chief of sinners I’m the chief and If God can save the chief. Yeah, I can save all the little Indians, but he says all this was done To me that I might be an example example that others that may trust Christ of their Savior, that if God can say Paul, then God can save anybody.

And so Paul lists a few things where he had messed up good and God was able to use him. And he talked about that glorious gospel that God had given to him. And that’s why it’s such a wonderful thing to know and to believe this. The next thing I want you to look down at the bottom of the page, he He tells them they’re Titus. Paul writing to him says, look, I left you in Crete for a reason. I want you to sit in order of the things that are lacking.

You see, there’s a church and they need to have some elders in the church. And I want you to appoint them as I appointed you and there’s people that have some needs. And so I did this so that you could do this. tomorrow, tomorrow. Wouldn’t it be great if God would just tell us what’s going to happen tomorrow? You think that would be good? If He would tell you everything is going to happen tomorrow, would you want to know?

Or do you just like the surprise of Christmas? Surprise! But see God may say, now tomorrow I’m going to let this happen you because you need to learn patience. I’m going to let this happen to you because you’ve been bragging and you think your great health is because of you. I want to show you how weak you really are and so I’m going to allow you to be sick for a while. And you’ve been thinking you’re so big and powerful because you got so much money, I’m going to take some of that away from you.

See, God may have a reason. Do you believe that God is able to work in all of our lives because He knows what every one of us need? He knows that we need to stay closer to Him in humility than to exalt ourselves as though I don’t need God. I’m a self-made man. Look at me. So you need to go to the Lord to try to make the right decisions and then you thank the Lord for giving you the ability to make that wise decision but always He’s thank the Lord and praise the Lord, brag upon the Lord.

And you’ll get so much more from the Lord. God has just happened to be a jealous God. And He don’t like it when you put anything between you and Him, because God can take it all away. And one of these days He’s gonna miss you so bad, He said, I think I’ll just bring you all home to be with me. So I got a little flyer that I was gonna send out, newsletter, I never did send it. I had it all figured out of people that I’ve known over the years that have passed away.

I had a picture of, you know, Min Hank, Min, this person and that person, Ray Stanford, and I had a whole bunch of them. And I was going to put it all on a nice newsletter. And I was going to say, God is picking his bouquet flowers for his bouquet. And so God is just picking this one and this one. Have you ever seen a woman go out in the yard and speak up certain flowers? pot to put them to a nice flower ring.

She don’t pick them all. Just certain ones and then different ones so that they look good. Then she’ll put a little this in there and a little that in there. She makes a nice little bouquet. Now I mean I could just go get some dandelion to put it in and I’m fine. So God knows what he’s doing. And he’s getting ready for the marriage of the Lamb. I guess he needs to bouquets the flowers they put here. This is going to be wonderful.

One of these days he just liable to look down there and says, you know, I think I’ll just take you today. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. And I know you’re ready to go, but you just don’t want to go yet, right? How many of you would like to just go tomorrow? There’s a few of you. How many would like to put it off as long as you can? Same people. Okay. God’s coming. The Lord is coming and it’s a wonderful thing, but always remember for this cause.

For this cause, there’s a cause. Now the reason we have to meet in the morning at 7.30, because there’s a Baba college class isn’t there? That’s a good cause isn’t it? And the kids have to go home and study tonight because there might be a test tomorrow. That’s a good cause. So you see, these causes are important and isn’t a shame when you forget the cause, you forget, I forgot about that, I forgot about that. Well, we have ways of reminding you, look up here, this hand represents you and me.

The wall of represents sin. We all have sin on us. God loves us. hates our sin because you see the sin cause it keeps us separated and the wages of sin is death eternal separation from God so we’re gonna be separate him because of sin God wants us to go to heaven but we can’t go to heaven because of sin you know that’s pretty bad that’s keeping us from everything isn’t it? Hell, if we get to go there, it keeps us out of heaven, keeps us from the Lord.

So the Bible says there’s nothing that pays for sin except death. And there’s a cause, there’s a reason because of the wages of sin is death, the law. This hand represents Jesus Christ, the Lord God in the flesh came into the world because He loves us. He hates our sin because our sin separates us from him. So Jesus Christ who had no sin did not have to die. So he took all the sin of all the world, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead, and said that if you and I would trust Christ as our Savior, He would give us as a free gift of eternal life.

So I get eternal life and I get to go to heaven because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross for me. Good news. Let’s pray, shall we? Where the hedge bottom I close, no one looking around. If you hear tonight, you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior. I wish you would. I pray that you would. I would hate to think that you came to Calvary Community Church and never trust the Lord. We can’t make people trust the Lord, but we can sure give the gospel and pray that they would understand it.

Or if you’re watching by internet tonight, bottom of the screen says, yes, I will trust Christ as my Savior. And if you click it on, We know about it. So Father, we thank You again for Your blessings. Thank You all You do for us for the free gift of everlasting life. And Father, we know it because you so love the world. You love each and every one of us. And so Father, thank You so much for the free gift of eternal life, making us Your children and giving us the cause, a reason to live.

We thank You for it in Christ’s name, Amen. Are you a new listener to Bibleline? Do you enjoy the teachings of Dr. Arnold? Well, if you’ve never contacted us before, we want to give you Dr. Arnold’s book, The Gospel Driven Man. Every day we receive many emails from folks who have questions about repentance and salvation, about faith in works, and about how to share the gospel with friends and loved ones. This book, The Gospel Driven Man, covers all those topics, and we want all new listeners of Bibleline to receive a free copy.

There’s no obligation, no donation necessary, simply call us at 1-800-576-3771 or write to us and request your free copy of the Gospel-Driven Man. The mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Again, don’t forget to include your mailing address, and God bless you, and thank you for listening to Bibleline. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634.

And now, a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound and we will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believe in that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep in looking up.