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

I did something a little bit different tonight. I gave you a copy right out of my Bible. I thought over the years, you know, as I read things, I make little marks here and there and I put down little notes and so forth. And so I thought this is some good thoughts that I have garnered over the years and I have them on this one page. See, that’s what you just got is exactly what I got in my Bible.

It comes right out of Philippians chapter 4. if you have your Bible, turn to the book of Philippians in chapter 4 because I want to cover some things in the book of Philippians that deals with the thoughts and the intents of the heart. As we live our Christian lives, we have all kind of thoughts, imaginations, and they can run wild with us. We even have moments of grandeur where we think we’re probably greater than we are. And we want to be somebody.

We want to be recognized. We want the limelight. We don’t mind a little of that. Now, there are some people that say, no, no, no, not me. Not me. They’re so shy. You have to pull them to get them to do anything. Then there’s people who just do it naturally, because it’s not that big of a problem for them. Whenever I first sung my first song in school, I murdered that song. because I was so scared to get up in front of people and talk.

And it’s hard for people to believe that I used to be timid and shy. But I was scared to death of getting up in front and doing anything, because I didn’t have any talent in the bill, so I couldn’t do anything. And so that scared me. One day they had a little program that came to town. We had a thing called Kid Carnival. Kid Carnival, K-I-D-D, Carnival, K-A-R. But it was good. It was in Wigley, Pennsylvania. And I was, I don’t know, I was young, but my two sisters, they liked the sing, and so there’s gonna have a talent night, and they’d drug me into it.

Because they needed a, no, they thought it looked better if it was a boy with the two girls. And so I had to stand between the two girls. But anyway, the only song we knew was You Are My Sunshine. Anybody know that song? You Are My Sunshine. Well, that’s the first song that I ever learned how to play on the harmonica. And I did that when I got myself a little old dollar harmonica and I was on the way to boot camp in 17 years old.

I just turned 17. And so I was riding the train on my way to boot camp and I got my little harmonica and I learned how to play U.R. and my sunshine. But that was because it was the only song I knew. And so that song was going to sing it in a, you know, tell it night. They had all kinds of people that got all that, so much talent. And so the guy got up there and he introduced us.

And they talked about Eddie Arnold being a singer and all that, you know? And none of us was related to Eddie Arnold. And none of us could sing like Eddie Arnold and nobody that I knew of knew Eddie Arnold. I didn’t even know who he was at the time. So he gave us a build up and now we have to go and perform. We were going to sing the song through three times. We thought. So we got up there and got ready to sing.

And anyway, we got through the first verse. And then we were going to sing it through again. And then Nat, she just, she didn’t sing. After what she ain’t gonna sing, I’m not gonna sing. Well, Lizzie was on the other side of me, she started singing. Because she didn’t know that I wasn’t gonna sing because she didn’t know that Nett was not gonna sing. Anyway, she just went through and me and Nett just looked at her. It was all over with, everybody clapped, told what a wonderful job it is just like, that’s the way we prepared it.

But it wasn’t. And humiliated, I was humiliated. But it wasn’t one of my best moments. But in life, you always want to do something bigger, you know, something grand. And then there’s times when you just want to be alone and nobody bothers you, and you don’t even care if anybody knows you’re alive. So there’s times in life where we fluctuate an awful lot. There’s days that we, and everything just seems to go our way. And then there’s days that seem like nothing goes our way.

But I was always under the impression you can endure anything for a short period of time. long as it’s a short period of time I can go through anything. So the book of Philippians has an awful lot to do with your mind on how you think. And now Paul wrote this, it’s called One of the Prison Epistle, but it’s written to encourage people to rejoice in the Lord always. And again, I say, rejoice. But Paul, you just don’t understand what I’m going through.

you just don’t understand. And we find out if you read about the Apostle Paul, yes he did. And there’s things about the Lord that he wants us to rejoice in, but there’s things in this world that we have problems. I mean, grieve, we heard, we cry. And yes, sometimes even we worry. Now you’ll notice in your notes there, I have a road in there, Lee Roberson. What Lee Robertson was the pastor of the Highland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

He was also the president of Tennessee Temple Schools. And in 1964, I dropped in on him. And I didn’t have any money, didn’t have a place to stay. And I had left betting the kids in Georgia with their parents. I had about $15 total, maybe a little bit less than that by now. I had to buy gas to get up there. And so I said, I don’t have a place to stay, but I’m thinking about coming to school. And I says I would like to know if you have anything.

He says you can go to the rescue mission. So I went to the rescue mission and stayed there to rescue me for several months. And these are all the winos and drunks that come to the off the street. Hello. That was all right because I know my daddy was an alcoholic. He was a drunk. He made moonshine. So I mean, I just I just fit right in. But now I didn’t do what they did. But I understood why they acted like they did.

I mean, when you see a guy just grab a telephone because I love you, you know, they’re out of it. But they’d have to stay at the meetings and so on. And so Dr. Lee Robertson, he preached a sermon one time. And the sermon he preached, I wrote it down in my Bible. And these were the notes that he had. And he told us to write this down. This will help you. And as one of the students, I wrote it down.

But look what he has here. He says, you can only think one thought at a time. And now I don’t know about that. I just know that if he said it, it must be true. So I wrote it down. And I find out that a woman can think five or 10 thoughts at a time. A man may be one at a time. But a woman can think of many things all at one time and talk on all the different with five or 10 women, all at the same time and carry on a whole conversation with everybody and never lose track of where they are.

I can’t do that. I’m driving down the road and I’m listening to the news and maybe wants to say something, I have to mute it. because I cannot concentrate if something else is going on at the same time. This is why even sometime we’ll go out to fellowship. We’re sitting here talking and so forth and somebody asked me a question. If somebody else is talking, forget it Charlie. I think I look forward to try to read their lips if I can because I don’t hear good as it is on top of it.

So it really cuts my fellowship in half whenever I can’t hear right. And then I can’t follow all the conversation and you got women over here talking, you got women over here talking, you got women over here talking And the men just sitting there looking at each other. And all the women are talking. You watch the next time we go out. Connie, you watch this, OK? And that son sitting right beside you, he just said, sure. Just like me, quiet.

OK, so there’s always one that really messes that all up. Always one. But look at this. He said, number one, power of the mind. Power of the mind to guard the mind. Look in chapter four and verse seven, look at these notes. And why he said this, you can learn a lot of things from a lot of different people that can help you to know how to think. And it says in verse 7, and the peace of God which passes all understanding, that means human understanding, shall keep or guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

So the word keep, I wrote down the word keep and I wrote down guard to protect your mind, learning how to think. And there is the power of the mind because if you can’t think right, you can’t reason right and you can’t live right because all of decisions or actions of the mind. So their actions are born within the thoughts of the mind. So that’s why that’s so important. Look at the next statement. When you are defeated. When should you guard your mind?

When you’re defeated and when you’re successful. Did you know there is a danger that you can get proud and lift it up if you’re successful? And you can do just the opposite if you get a little discouraged and you want to think quit. and it’s not worth it. So a defeated mind is bad, but if you get too successful in your mind and you think too big of yourself, you should be surprised how the pride that come with before what?

Before or fall. And so there’s always that danger. Just try to stay you know level-headed. Well you don’t get over excited and undriexcited. You just stay the same. So you don’t fluctuate too much and it’ll keep you from overreacting the things because in life there are things that will cause you great excitement and there’s things that will cause you great discouragement, depression, despair. So you try not to overreact one way or the other and that’s only to guard and protect your mind.

Satan works on your mind. So remember that number two, power of the Holy Spirit acts chapter 1 and verse 8. You shall be witnesses when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you shall be witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and the other most parts of the earth and that’s what God wants us to do. So right down beside that, when does he want to start controlling you? When do you think, well let me ask you this first.

When do you receive the Holy Spirit? When you trust the Lord, right? When do you think the Holy Spirit wants to start controlling your life? Right then. And so the key thing is how does the Holy Spirit control your life? He teaches you the word of God. So as you learn the word of God, the Holy Spirit brings things to your remembrance and he leads and guides you according to the truth to the Word of God. He never leads you to be unholy because he is the Holy Spirit.

He never leads you to do something you shouldn’t do. But if it leads you and you’re doing in sin, guess what? The Holy Spirit didn’t lead you. You can think that, but that’s not true. There is an error in your thinking. Number three there, the power of a great purpose. Did you know that just having a great purpose in life gives you energy, gives you strength, it gives you joy, having something to live for. Do you know what I’ve heard?

I’ve only heard about this. I’m not saying it’s true. That a lot of people can’t wait until they retire. Then they retire and die. And most of them don’t live very long because they don’t have anything to get up for. They don’t have any reason. They They don’t have a purpose. There’s no goal there. It’s that keeping going and never stopping, always getting up and always going, having something left for. There is a great purpose. Somebody asked me the other day, he says, what are you going to retire?

Well, as long as I can talk, I’m not sure why I should. And right now it’s like my vocal cords are in pretty goodimura. So I might be good for another six months. Who knows? But I am planning my 100th birthday already. I got several people planning on coming. And James Hayslip said that he was coming and he’s a couple months older than me. And I didn’t know this, but Mary, she’s a couple months older than I am. She’s a celebrated another birthday.

And she’s planning on coming to my birthday, so there’ll be that. Just think how old I’ll be by that time. What did he say? Income see you older. Yeah. What person told me, says, Yankee, he’s so old, he remembers when the dead sea was sick. Warren, that wasn’t funny. I didn’t think it was very funny. I remember when the dead sea was sick. Well, I guess that’s pretty good. But look at Philippians in chapter 3 and verse 13, brother and I count not myself to have apprehended.

But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind andimation forth untocules things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus. Now, we’ll look at that again in just,,, a momentphia. Now, another statement I have done here because I heard another preacher preach, a sermon. And as I was listening, I’m always looking for a place where I can write a note. Well, there’s an empty place in my Bible there on that page.

So I might write down a note there. But this was, I thought, very good. I died, one died for sin, one died in sin, and one died to sin. What is that a reference to? What is that referring to? There was three people on three crosses, right? Three people on three crosses. One died for sin, one died in sin, and one died to sin. So I liked that and I wrote it down. When you hear me say something really good, You ought to write down a note.

If youstanbul hear <-…] Dhabi say anything good. Feel free to write it down anywhere. You will do that, won’t you? Have you ever done it yet? No, I forget it. We were just moving right along. Look at the next statement. I want you to look there and this is very important verse. Look in Hebrews chapter four. Now, keep your place there in Philippians. will come back, but in the book of Hebrews and chapter 4, because you need to know and understand the power that’s in the Word of God itself and why God wants us to read and study the Word of God.

Because sometimes people will say things to you and you don’t, well who do you think you are? To tell me anything. So we don’t like to listen to certain people because we know they’re not the authority, but you need to have an authority. And so the authority for you and I is the word of God. So if you’ll read and study the word of God, you’ll find out the word of God will tell you about your thought life. It will reveal things to you that you didn’t think of.

It will also tell you the intent of your heart. You’re motive, why you do what you do? So look there in verse 12. He says in verse 12, for the word of God is quick. That means it’s alive and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul, spirit, and the body of the joints of the morrow and get this and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intent of the heart. If you wanna be able to discern your thought life, whether it’s right or whether it’s wrong.

And you think about things all the time, whether it’s good or bad, whether you should or you shouldn’t. You’re always trying to seek wisdom. So the discerning of these things are so important. Look what he says here in verse 14 of chapter five, right here in Hebrews. He says in verse 14, “‘But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, mature it. “‘Even those who by and you understand, “‘reason of use have their senses exercised to discern discern both good and evil.

So you studied the Word of God so that you can discern what is right and what is wrong. And then you’ll be able to discern your own thoughts whether they’re right or whether they’re wrong. You’re always seeking for leadership. Something to guide you. Something to say, well I should do this or shouldn’t I do that or whatever. And so you’re always wanting to know what is the will of God. You can’t know the will of God without knowing the word of God.

So that’s why you have to study that. Now go back there to verse 12, verse 12 of chapter 4. The last part of verse 12 says, and is that his s earner of the thoughts and the intent of the heart. Now get this, neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. In other words, believe this. God sees everything.

God can see the soul and God can see the spirit. He sees through the joints and the moral of the body. God knows everything. He knows the intent. He knows what your discernment is at this point, what it can be with the study of their application of the Word of God. So you and I have been blessed to live in a country where we can have a copy of the Scriptures and we can read it and study it. Now, go back to the book of Philippians, back to the book of Philippians.

Because when you think about the thoughts and the intents of the heart, you’d be surprised how much is loaded just in this little old book of Philippians. Now I got 10 things wrote down here. And whether or not we’ll finish them all, I do not know. But number one, if you’ll look at that, this is to reach your spiritual goal, your spiritual health. Number one, quality of life determined by the quality of thoughts. In other words, if you want to raise the caliber of your life, raise the caliber of your thoughts, because your life will be on the same direct ratio of the caliber of your thoughts.

You think trash, you’ll live trash. You always think immoral, you’ll live immoral. You think pure, you want to live pure. And this is why in the book of Philippians, it will help you to see this and understand this. So in Philippians chapter four, looking verse eight and nine, those scriptures are right there. And it tells you how to think. And first, a finally brethren, what’s over things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatever things are of a good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, what’s that next big word?

Think. That’s a big word. Think. Think on these things. Things that are like this. You think about that and you’ll raise the caliber of your life because as a man think it’s so easy. You will live your life direct ratio to the caliber of your thoughts. And if you think the wrong way you’re gonna live the wrong way. You want to live the right way? You have to think the right way. So isn’t it nice that God puts it into the Bible so simple, so easy to understand?

And so look there in verse 9. Verse 9 says those things, those things, which you have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do, in that big word, do, do. What, what you’ve seen him do? In other words, keep your eyes open as you come to church, you get involved, study the life of the person that you look up to and you believe that person is a spiritual person, a godly person, and if I need some help, some counseling, I feel like I can go to that person and they won’t necessarily tell me what I want to hear, they’ll tell me what I should hear.

They won’t tell me what I want to do, they’ll tell me what I should do and then I can make my choice. But you always need to have some good counselors, people that you can trust and go to and seek for some wisdom in these matters. Now look at number two, goal in life. I used to tell them it said, have goal will travel. You ever heard that statement? Have gun will travel? Who was that? Pilate. Pilate, look at y’all.

And so mind is, have gold will travel. You got to have a purpose. Without a vision, the person parishes. You’ve got to have a vision, a reason for living. And so there’s three little things that are under this because it’s so important here in the book of Philippians in chapter three, especially, whereas you seek power, seek purpose, seek prize. Now, look there in verse 10. The apostle Paul is talking about that I might know him and the power, the power.

You see Paul needed a power in him greater than the power or the lust of the love of this world, something greater. And that’s why he said that I may know him in the power of his resurrection because he wanted to live a resurrected life. When he talks about it in the book of Romans in chapter 6 that when we’re baptized with him, raised to walk in newness of life. That takes a Holy Spirit power that you want to do what God’s word says.

So the Holy Spirit that lives within you is to teach you the word of God so that you’ll know the will of God. And now you wanted this. And then you had to have the power of a purpose. And that’s why he says, I have this desire to be conformed on the Christ, to be like Christ. Did you know that the reason that God wanted to have so many people trust in his Savior is because he God only had one son and he was so in love with his son he wanted some more and that’s why you and I are becoming the sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

So we are one day going to be just like his son. Now that’s in the of Romans in chapter 8, but that’s another message down the road. But now notice when he talks about the purpose here in verse 12, not as though I had already attained. In other words, you and I have not yet reached that limit, that state of maturity where we can’t grow anymore. We can always keep listening and learning and growing in the Lord. And so he says, Either we’re already perfect or mature, but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended.

In other words, I want to get what God got a hold of me for. What did God get a hold of me for? Because God wants me to do something. Well, I want to apprehend that which He apprehended me. So therefore, we have a purpose in the goal in life. Seek the will of God. Seek because of the power of God. and seek because of the program that God has, the purpose that God has. And then we have the word press, the press.

You see there in verse 14, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high call of God. Got something that you’re reaching for. And so every one of us should remember that and keep pressing on. Now, I have in the next statement there, number three, plan for success. because you don’t want to plan for failure. I have this little statement. I didn’t originate it. I don’t remember where I got it from. You plan your work and you work your plan, you work your plan as long as your plan will work, and your plan don’t work, you change your plan.

Don’t that make sense? Tell me what I said, Dan. You want me to repeat it again? See, you plan your work and you work your plan, you work your plan as long as your plan will work, when your plan don’t work, you change your plan. But you got to have a plan. And so that’s why you study the word of God and you have a vision and then you work on accomplishing something. Jesse has a plan for the teenagers and for campus of our, Peter has a plan for the people that sing in the choir and all the special, they have to have a plan.

And then you have to work toward that plan. You’ve got to figure out the songs and who’s going to do the music and how this is going to work. Now they’re going to, you’ve got to have a purpose. Lord, you just whirl the fly. No, you’ve got it otherwise if they will become chaos. So you work at things and you plan things. Now under that number three, you’ll notice there’s Philippians 3, 14 when he says, press and verse seven, he makes his statement.

Just look there in verse 16, which is he this. verse 15, he’s talking about pressing in verse 14. That’s running. And in verse 15, let us therefore as many as be mature, be thus minded. And if in anything you be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. In other words, if you’re willing to do what you can with what you have and study the word of God, live according to what you do know. Because what you don’t know, you don’t know.

But as you have attained certain knowledge live according to that knowledge and learn some more and what you don’t know Because you’re applying what you do know God will teach you some more Don’t that make sense? Then he says in verse 16 nevertheless where to we have already attained Let us walk walk according to what you have attained to but you’re always striving for more And this is why I said I have not yet apprehended all of it because I’m not through with life yet God has some more for me to do just because I can say well I’m 75 years old and that was I done paid my dues I don’t have to do anything anymore no no no no I’m not through with life yet got that through with me yet so as long as I can I should always keep striving keep pressing so

I should run and then just times when I should I should walk and then as he says here in chapter 4 looking verse five. Let your moderation be known under all men, the Lord is at hand. So that’s where you stand. So whether you stand in a certain spot, whether you’re walking or whether you’re running, you’re with the Lord and you’ve got a reason for living. And I just think it’s neat how all this is just always broke down in the scriptures like this.

But remember, there’s also two things that Paul brings out in this. And he brings out this thing about gain and loss. Gain and loss. Are you ready to learn how to live your life as a strong Christian, lead others to Christ, or excel as a church worker or ministry leader, then look no further than Florida Bible College of Tampa, with traditional and online classes taught by instructors with years of experience. Florida Bible College of Tampa can help you grow in your Christian life.

Whether taking individual classes or working toward a one-year degree, Florida Bible College of Tampa is here for you. To learn more, visit online at florida-biblecollege.us or call the Register of Bob Gilbert at 8502275325. That’s 8502275325. 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. Believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.