This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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. and 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.

Have you ever tried to figure out, man, I wonder what Hank’s doing right now. Well, I wonder what Hank’s doing. Here, I am, I got to get up at six o’clock in the morning. He had to sleep in. What if he’s up there sleeping? What is he doing? Look what he did to me. And so there is a curiosity, but we know that whatever heaven is, it’s going to be wonderful. It talks about pleasure forevermore. It’s supposed to be a wonderful, wonderful place and I’m so glad that I’m going to heaven whenever I die.

Now in 2 Corinthians 5 and 10, take your Bible and look at this. Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 10. And if you look up here on the chart, this is where we are. Right now we’re right here on this chart. All that is passed, this is yet future, and in the process of time, time has been processed, we’re right here. The next thing to happen on God’s timetable is for the rapture to take place. That means Christ is coming in the air and we that are on the earth who have trusted Christ as Savior are going to be changed in a moment the twinkling of an eye caught up to meet the Lord in the air and the Bible says, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Then he says, comfort one another with these words. So we know that we are going to be with the Lord and that we’re not going to stay down here forever. This earth down here is going to be renovated by fire and everything here is going to be gone. But we’re going to have a new heavens and a new earth where in dwelleth righteousness. But when we get to heaven the Bible says we will stand at what is called the judgment seat of Christ.

It is a rewarding stand. It’s not to see who gets to go to heaven. You’re already in heaven. The Bible says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. So the very moment you leave your body, you’re present with the Lord. Now if you know Christ as your Savior, I know Christ is my Savior. If I was a die right now, kill over here with a heart attack. Where is the preacher? Where is the preacher?

You say, well, he’s right there. He’s sleeping in his body. I will be more alive than I’ve ever been in my life. I am not going to be in that body. This whole house is just a house of clay. And it’s getting older and older and getting worse and worse. But one day we’ll leave these bodies, absent from the body, present with the Lord. And we’ll stand at the jubbins of the Christ, and God is going to reward you for what you have done for Him.

So that’s why this little short period of time on the earth that God given to us to live, it’s not long and it’s fleeting and it’s going to go by very quickly. And that’s why He makes the statement here in verse 10, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that everyone may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether good or bad. So God is going to reward you and I when we get to heaven the only reason we got to heaven is because of what Christ did for us.

Now what we get when we get to heaven is because of what we did for Him. So going to heaven is free. That’s the gift of God. Eternal life is the gift of God. Nobody earns it, nobody works for that. Going to heaven is free because Christ paid the price. He redeemed us, bought us. We belong to him. Now rewards There’s not something you have to have. If all I got with my salvation that gets my little pinkies inside the pearly gates.

But rewards are something God wants to give to you because you loved him and you served him. Now God will not make you be obedient. He will not make you serve him. But if you choose to, I think it’s a wise thing to do. God said, I’m going to reward you when you get to heaven. And when we get to heaven, we’re going to get whatever crowns and rewards. And then when we come back to this thousand year reign upon the earth, whatever the position we have is determined by this little short period of time we got to live here.

So God’s going to reward you when you get there and then you get to roll and reign with Christ, not only for this thousand years, But then there’ll be a new heavens and a new earth and the increase of his kingdom, there will be no end. It’ll be forever. So that’s why we look forward to it. And we are going to be rewarded. Look at the next statement. Rest from our labors. Let me ask you. Down here we sometimes talk about we get weary and well doing.

We don’t want to get weary of the work, but we may get weary in the work. Sometimes you may not like getting up early in the morning, these college kids are poor things. Don’t you feel sorry for them? Having to get up early and coming to college at 8.30 in the morning, suffering like they do. But one day they won’t have to get up early in the morning and go to class. And God bless those teachers won’t have to get up early in in the morning that are three times their age and show up to teach all these little darlings.

You know, I never knew how blessed I was to have three, four, five kids in a class. You realize how easy it is to grade four or five papers. The last night I had 21 in my class and they all took tests. I got a grade 20, something, papers. I’m not looking for that. So I decided I’m gonna give them any tests. I’ll just say everybody got a hundred. You just show up and I’ll give you a good grade.

Well maybe not. You’ve got to require them to do something don’t you? You’ve got to know if they’re learning anything at all. So in Hebrews 4 and 9 it says, Derry, maneth a rest for the people of God. Now this can be taken two ways. One is whenever you get to the place where you really understand that Christ paid for my way to go to heaven. And I don’t have to work. I can rest in the fact Jesus paid it all.

And so for the last fifty five years since I trust the Lord, I’ve never had to sweat it. I’ve never had to do one work, not one deed. And I rest upon what He did and I get to go to heaven. Isn’t that wonderful. There’s no stress there. There’s no pressure because see my salvation’s already done. But now there is to the Christian in the Christian life there is still a rest for the people of God who learn how to mature in the Lord and you learn the word of God in such a way that it becomes a blessing to you.

See, little faith takes the soul to heaven, but great faith brings heaven to the soul. And here you and I are, we’ve got to live life down here. And there’s a lot of pressure. When you want to do what’s right, there’s a lot of stress trying to make the right decision, sometimes trying to understand what is the right decision. Then have the strength and the grace to do the right thing when you know the right thing. And so here we are, but there’s a rest to the people of God.

And as you get older and mature in the Lord, there is a rest for the mature saints of God who learn how to just trust the Lord, and you don’t worry about it. It’s amazing how many Christians worry about everything. And the God that sent his son to down the cross to pay for your sins did all that work so that you you can have it freely. And just think. The one that can give you the free gift of eternal life.

Can He give you a hamburger from day to day? Can He meet your needs? And we’re supposed to live our life trusting the Lord because we believe that’s exactly what He’s going to do. Now look at number five here in your notes, riches, riches in glory. Did you know that the Bible talks about you and I have been trophies of His grace? In other words, We are trophies of God’s grace. In other words, when we had just gray trophy case, and of course we had kids that would win.

A lot of comped comped. We had all these trophies inside of this trophy case. And I thought, one of these days we’re going to get to heaven and we’re going to be rewarded and God’s win a lot of competition and we had all these trophies inside of this trophy case. And I thought, one of these days we’re going to get to heaven and you know we’re going to be rewarded and God’s going to give us a trophy for what we did for him.

I don’t know what it’s going to look like. I’ve offered one to how I’m going to have four or five crowns on my head at one time. But whatever it is how God is ever going to do it, there’s these trophies. But also when you stop and think about it, But the Lord has this great big old trophy case in heaven. And when you get to heaven, you and I are the trophies of God’s grace. God will be able to, I don’t know who it’s going to be for, whether it’s for the rest of us or for all the angelic coast of heaven who never understood the plan of salvation.

God never told them all the things that he’s doing and they didn’t get it all. to realize look at the grace of God. Look over there. See, there’s Louie. Look what the grace of God did. You remember what Louie was like? Let me show you. No, Louie won’t be there then. But now look at Louie. Look at Greg Missile. Here he is. Look at what God’s grace has done for us, good for nothing, low down sinners that deserve to go to hell.

And we all are there as trophies of God’s grace.76561 Wouldn’t that be an interesting time? And realize that if it hadn’t been for the grace of God, none of us would be there. But that day is coming. And then one day we’re going to rule and reign with Christ. I don’t know how God’s going to work it all out, but I do believe this. That the church of believers is not going to be split up. I don’t believe that there’s, you know, the inclusion of those that are faithful, you get to go into the kingdom.

And those who are not faithful, you’re excluded from the kingdom. And there’s a lot of people that teach that, and I don’t believe that. I believe though, in the rapture takes place, every child of God, obedient or disobedient. Here I come, ready or not. And you’re going up in the rapture. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re walking in the spirit or walking in the flesh. If you’re a child of God, you’re out of here. And we will all appear at the judgments of Christ.

And then when we come back, we will all come back with the Lord because we are the bride of Christ. And I don’t believe he’s going to leave his arm somewhere else or leave his leg. Some of it, he’s taking the whole body. We are a body. We are a unit. And so we’re coming back to this earth. So we’re going to rule and we’re going to reign with the Lord. Now look at the next quick little portion here.

Make me look until he comes. This is what the rapture does for me. Because we’re not there yet. Now I know what’s going to happen there, but we’re not there yet. So what should I do? How should I be until that time arrives? Make me look until he comes. Looking for the blessed hope. I want you to look at this verse because it’s a very good story. a very good scripture. You’ll notice there in Titus chapter 2, you have all your Timothy’s, the Desonians, Timothy’s, and then Titus, but Titus chapter 2.

Now look what he says here in verse 11, verse 11. This is on page 1284 in the church Bible, one that’s alone to you, right there in the front of you, and it says, for the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. It’s appeared to all men, but for all men. All people can be saved. And grace and Christ cannot be separated. Talking about being strong in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is the same with being strong in Christ.

So we’re to be strong in the gospel and the grace of God and that’s why he says that Christ died for all men, everybody, so that everybody can have eternal life. And then he says there in verse 12, his grace teaches us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust. Now see some Christians, they’ll trust Christ to save your heavy eternal life, but they’ll never listen to what God’s grace teaches. So many of God’s children will never know what they could have done or should have done, then there’s those who do learn what God wants them to do and won’t do it anyway.

And then there’ll be a few. They just got to have more, want to do more. Teaching us that deny it in godliness and worldly lust, these two words are not unlike we should. A Christian does not have to serve a lord. He doesn’t have to live godly. He doesn’t have to deny worldly lust, but should he? But he should. God’s children ought to live like God’s children. We ought to live as righteous, as holy as we possibly can. Not to get to heaven, but because we’re going to heaven.

Not to be a child of God, but because you are a child of God. And so he makes this statement in verse 13. While you’re doing all of this, one of the things you should be looking for in this present world, world is looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God in our Savior Jesus Christ. We should be looking for Him to come. In verse 14, who gave Himself for us. But what is He asking us to do now?

The grace of God teaches us to give ourselves for Him. See, we’re going to heaven because He gave Himself for us. But in this life, since God hasn’t taken us out of here yet, we’re supposed to give ourself for the one who gave Himself for us. Now somewhere in the Bible it makes the statement that the love of Christ constraineth us because we just judged that if one died for all, then all were dead and that they which live should not henceforth from now on live unto themselves, but unto him who died for them and rose again.

So we should live for the one who died for us. Now some of God’s children will, some of them won’t. To me it just makes sense. And I think one of the greatest things that ever happened to me in my life There’s one thing that I hate in despised, but yet it was a good thing. My daddy was not a good man. There’s a lot of things he just did not know. Nobody ever told him or taught him. Yes, my dad was a bootleggist.

He mostly life in the chain of gain, running from the law. All those things are true. He did want to drown me when I was just a little baby as soon as I was born. He’s going to put me in a burlap sack and throw me in the river and drown me. My mama would not let him. All that’s true. It’s not a joke, it’s not, it’s the truth. And my daddy would beat the tar out of me. I mean, he’d use a razor strap, a belt, piece of wood, limb off of a tree, and it seemed like he beat me with an inch of my life.

I had well sewed them down my back and my legs. I mean, you would say, you were abused. Well today, they probably wouldn’t get away with that. But back then, a lot of parents raised their kids that away, and you respected your parents, and you, yes, ma’am, yes, sir, and you did what you were told, or die, but because of all those weapons that I despised and I hated them, because I felt so many times, I didn’t deserve this, I didn’t deserve this, but maybe I didn’t really see myself the way I should have, maybe I did deserve every last one of them, I don’t know.

You know, as a child you see things from a different perspective. I was always innocent. But you know, hating those weapons, after I trust the Lord and the Lord and the Lord, God is now my Father. And my Father sees everything, knows everything. My Father, He could do anything to me. I don’t want to make Him mad. Last one I ever want to make mad is my Heavenly Father. So I decided I’d rather have his blessings than his chasteens.

So all those chasteens that I got, let me realize I don’t want any more of them. I would rather go ahead and obey the Lord and serve the Lord and walk with God. And so for the last 55 years, I think it was a good decision. Now I don’t have to, but it just makes good sense to serve the Lord. So we looked at letter B, crowned for those who love his appearing. One of these days God is going to reward you for what you did for him.

Now nobody can make you serve him, but you’re going to be mighty glad you did. Make statement. See it makes me look until it comes, makes me pray until it comes. Did you know we pray, pray, pray, pray all the time? Pray about everything. If you don’t get something, it might be because you didn’t pray. So I ask the Lord for everything. I really do. I want the Lord’s blessings more than anything else in the world. I just want to be used by the Lord and I want the Lord to feel free to do whatever He wants to do in my life.

Good battery indifference, it doesn’t matter. And then to be able to do it without complaining. Mm. Do you know that’s one of the things that God despises, his children complaining, whining, always whining. Because nothing’s ever right. We get all the problems and it’s so easy to complain. You read the book of 1 Corinthians in chapter 10 and you’ll find out what God did for some who were complainers. and what God did. So you looked at the last one down there, make me work until He come.

Remember, it will be too late when He comes. There’s a day coming in which no man will do any more work. All of our opportunities are now. There was one guy by the name of His Akai, God was going to take him one out of here. He said, Now Lord, if I die, you know, a man that dies, He can’t do any more for you. He can’t praise you anymore. Can’t accomplish anything. If you If you get onto the grave, it’s all over.

It can’t do anything. So Lord gave him 15 more years. I don’t know if he should have done that, but he gave him 15 more years. Why do you want to live? Why do you want to live longer? What’s the purpose? What’s the goal? Because you want to accomplish more for the Lord. This is because you, what? You got some plans and purpose goals of your own. And those are more important to you and Jesus coming back. If He came back today, would that mess up your plans?

Would it make you mad upset if He came back today? Is there something in this world you love more than Him? You know the Lord allows us to examine ourselves, to see whether or not do you really love the Lord? And sometimes God proves how much you love Him by taking something away from you. He can take your health away, he can take your wealth away, he can take your friends away. You have had people turn on you and you ain’t done anything to him and you don’t know why.

All of a sudden those good close personal friends begin to hate you, say things against you, stab you in the back, curse, lie about you, all kind of things. He said, what do I do? You’d be surprised how God can always be testing the love of His children. Your faith is on trial. Your faith is on trial. It’s always on trial. So we always keep working. Look down to bottom, make me preach and witness until it comes. So until then, I’ll keep on preaching and keep on a witnessing because I believe the time will come when we can’t do it anymore and then make me purify my life until it comes.

First John chapter 3, every man that hath this hope in him purify himself. When you’re looking for the Lord, knowing one day you’re gonna be like him, you’re gonna be with him. And as he says in book of 1 John chapter 2 verse 28, my little children, he says, abide in him. That when he shall appear, we will not be ashamed before him at his coming. We don’t wanna be ashamed before the Lord. The Lord’s coming. It could be today.

It might be tomorrow, but whenever it is, just keep getting up. And don’t spend so much time trying to figure out all of your motors. Just do it. Just do what you do. God will sort out all the motors and stuff like that. Just do it because maybe you love the Lord. Just do it because it’s right. But always do right. And you’ll be surprised how God will bless you. Now look at the last thing on the bottom in bold.

When you stop looking, preaching, praying, fighting, and witnessing is a sign you’ve lost sight of the Lord’s coming. Don’t ever lose sight of the Lord’s coming. He’s coming back. It might be today. It might be the night. Just think maybe tomorrow all of us will see each other in heaven. We think we’ll see each other down here. But one of these days, one of these days it’s going to happen. Let me show you something you’ve never seen before in your whole life.

Now watch my hand real close. At no time would my right hand ever leave my risk. Don’t you watch this. This hand represents you and me. The wallet represents sin. We all have sin on us. God loves us, but He hates our sin. The Lord says for us to pay for sin, eternal separation from God, in hell. God loves us, wants us to go to heaven, but we’d have to be perfect and none of us are perfect. So because of sin, we can’t get in.

And God says, you have a dead. You owe a dead. And so going to church and giving money will not pay that debt. Death is the only payment acceptable. Then we have to die, but then we don’t have power to come back from the dead. So we’d be eternally separated from God forever. This hand represents Jesus Christ, he’s the Lord God in the flesh. He came into the world because he loves us, hates our sin, because our sin separates us from him.

So what Christ did for one person he did for everybody took all the sin of all the world. paid for them to cross and came back from the dead. He says, who’s so ever? Believe it then him. That means you believe that Jesus died on that cross, paid for your sins, that he came back from the dead, and he did that to pay for your sins. And you believe he did it for you? Then God puts that payment to your account, you go to heaven on what Christ did.

You don’t earn it, don’t work for it, it’s the gift. Paul for you my wallet, and you accept me to have a wallet, Paul for you my Bible, and you accept me to have a Bible. Christ walked in here right now and offered you eternal life and you accepted. You had to have eternal life. And if it’s eternal life, it will last forever. It will last forever and all your sins are paid. Can you know you’re going to heaven before you die?

Yes. How many of you know positivity if you died right now you go to heaven? Let me see you in. All right. Put that. I mean, no, you go to hell. Not only. But can you know you’re going to heaven? Yes, you can. And since we know that we have eternal, know that we’re going to heaven Occupied till he comes, keep serving it until it’s all over. Don’t quit now. Don’t stop serving God now. Don’t get down and discouraged and wanna quit serving God.

Serving the Lord’s the most important thing you’ll ever do. Let’s pray, shall we? With every head bowed and every eye closed and no one looking around. If you’re here tonight or if you’re watching by internet, if you never trusted the Lord, would you trust him right now? Would you believe that when Christ died, dying for you. And by you believing that, accepting the work that he did, God puts that payment he made to your account. You go to heaven because you won’t have any sins to pay for Christ’s pay fall of your sins and it’s put to your account when you believe it.

Would you believe it? And if you will, trust the Lord. I’m going to ask in just a moment for raise a hand, raise in your hand doesn’t save you. Just let’s me know that what I said in made sense and you see yes preacher that made sense and I will trust Christ as my Savior. And if you have never done it before, but you’ll do it tonight and say yes, I will trust Christ as my Savior and we’ll be certain of going to heaven and our life is a pray for me.

Would you slip it up very quickly and put it right back down? Is anyone at all? Just slip it up very quickly. Our Father, we thank you again for your blessings. Thank you for all you do for us. And Father, we know there’s many of our number that are not doing well that are physically down and we ask your blessings upon our bodies. They heal these bodies as much as possible so that we can serve you. But help us to be faithful whether you’re doing it or you don’t.

Thank you so much for this time together. Let’s each one of Christ’s new friends. 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. Cut up and meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.