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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. 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.

Now, go back there to verse 12, verse 12 of chapter 4, right there in Hebrews. 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 and 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 intent 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 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, 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 4, looking verse 8 and 9, those scriptures are right there and it tells you how to think. First, a finally brethren. What’s over things are true? What’s over things are honest? What’s over things are just? What’s over things are pure?

What’s over things are lovely? What’s over things are of a good report? 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 thinketh, so is he. 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 wanna 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 nine. Verse nine says, those things, those things. Which you have both learned and received heard and seen in me do in that big word 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 and the hell is it? Have goal will travel. You ever heard that statement? Have gun will travel?

Who was that? Pilot, look at y’all. And so mind is have gold will travel. You’ve 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 where has you seek power, seek purpose, and you’re not going to have a purpose. see 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 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 unto 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 book of Romans in chapter 8, but that’s another message down the road. 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 ahold of me for. What did God get ahold of me for? Because God wants me to do something. Well, I wanna apprehend that which he apprehended me. So therefore, we have a purpose in the golden 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. You 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 your plan, your plan as long as your plan will work and your plan don’t work, you change your plan. 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 you plan to work.

When you plan, don’t work, you change your plan. But you’ve 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, Peter has a plan for the people that sing in the choir, and all the special, they say, yes, I have a plan. And then you have to work toward that plane. You’ve got to figure out the songs and who’s going to do the music and how this is going to work.

Now you’ve got to have a purpose. Lord, you just whirl on the fly. No, you’ve got to 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. In verse seven, he makes a statement. just look there in verse 16, which is see this. In verse 15, he’s talking about pressing in verse 14. And 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 he says, 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 in other words, I don’t pay my dues. I don’t have to do anything anymore.

No, no, no, no, no. I’m not through with life yet. God, not through with me yet. So as long as I can, I should always keep striving, keep pressing. So I should run. And then it’s times when I should, I should walk. And then as he says here in chapter four, looking verse five, let your moderation be known under all men. 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. Now take your Bible and look there in chapter 1. Philippians chapter 1 and notice what he says here in verse 21, for to me to live is football. With the teenagers I used to say the boys and girls and to the girls boys.

Now for me to live is money, fame, popularity. For me to live is Christ and to die is what? Gain. If you live for the Lord you gain. But there’s a lot of other things in life, but Paul brings that out. So look there in chapter 3. In chapter 3 he says, if you want to have confidence in the flesh, he said, now let me kind of brag this and live it. Let me take it. Do you know who I am?

So he says there in chapter 3 verse 1, finally my brother rejoiced in the Lord to write the same things to you to me is deed is not grievous for you it is safe. Beware of dog, beware of evil workers, beware of the incision. In other words he’s telling beware of people who are going to try to destroy you. There’s a lot of danger in this world. There’s a lot of thoughts and philosophies and religions and all kind of people trying to stop you from being what God wants you to be him.

So he says here don’t have any confidence in the flesh. Look in verse 4, though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other men think of that, he hath where of the glory or where of he might trust in the flesh. He said, I’m more. He says, do you know who I am? Let me tell you. He says, I will circumcise the eighth day. I’m somebody of the stock of Israel. I’m really somebody of the tribe of Benjamin.

Man am I somebody. A Hebrew of the Hebrews. Look at me. That’s touching the law. Fair seed. Concerning zeal, persecuting the church, Touching the right, touching the right, just the switches in the law, blameless. Man, look who I am. And then look what he says. But what things were gained to me, though I counted what’s the next word, loss in life. And if you wanna serve the Lord, there are things you will gain. And if you don’t wanna serve the Lord, there are things you’re gonna lose.

So there’s a lot of things in this life you’re not gonna get to do. There are places you might not get to go. There’s a lot of things you may not get to be. You might have to forfeit a lot of those things. But can you be content with whatever God wants for you? Or do you wanna dictate to God how greatly he must use you? Or can you just, Lord, I’m at your disposal, I’m your child, you saved me, you gave me eternal life.

You know who I am, you know what I know, you know where I ought to be. I’ll be content for you to use me in any way you want. And if you wanna put me on a hill where everybody can see and hear the message that I’ve got, or if you wanna put me in a little old room someplace wherever you want, I just want your will for my life. If you come out better with that kind of an attitude, then dictating to God how he has to use you, or I quit.

There’s a lot of people, if I can’t do what I want to do, no, no, no, have an attitude Lord, whatever it is you want me to do, However you want me to be. So look at number four, seek open doors. And the reason for this is why it’s so important. Look at Philippians chapter one and verse 12. Now you know that the apostle Paul had been in prison and he’s also been in the palace. He’s been everywhere. God used him in a great way.

Well, a lot of things happened to him. But he writes a verse that’s really awesome, looking verse 12. But I wouldn’t be would understand, brethren, that the things which happen in the me have fallen out rather unto the, and you ought to underline this in your Bible, furtherance of the gospel. Now, in your life, there are things God is going to allow to happen for the furtherance of the gospel. You can use it. Whatever happens. for his honor and glory.

To reach people that you might never have reached any other way. And so the furtherance of the gospel simply means an open door. Betty knows this lady across the street. I don’t know the ladies too well. There’s a bunch of them around there, but Betty has a way of just meeting all the ladies. And so this lady has a friend that lost a loved one. And so they told this lady that They want to have a funeral service. Well, Betty happened to know somebody that does funerals.

And lo and behold, that person is me. So lo and behold, that day they want to do it is on Thursday, right? That’s my golf day. Now see, I’ve got a choice to make, don’t I? No. I don’t. Okay, there is no options here. There’s only one thing that I got to do on this Thursday. But see, that’s an open door. It’s an opportunity that for the furtherance of the what? Gospel. Now I may do the other, and not me, not be an option, that I may not have further something else.

So you let the Lord open doors, close doors. And so my golf door was closed. But am I gonna live? I got it. But God can use you. But you trust the Lord. God will work in your individual life. And there’ll be times when he’ll close doors and he’ll open doors for the furtherance of the gospel. And if you know that, then you don’t curse the dark. You just light a candle. You know there’s an opportunity that God has there for you.

Look at number five, fear not, be at peace. And there’s things that will cause us not to have the peace that we should have. So look there in verse 5 and 6 and 7. You see there in Philippians in chapter 4 when he says in verse 6, be careful for nothing. Means don’t worry. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid to trust the Lord. If your heavenly Father can give you the free gift of everlasting life, He can give you a hamburger from day to day.

there’s a day coming that he might not even provide that hamburger. And if he takes you home, well, then he just provides for you a new body. And now you won’t have to worry about getting hungry anymore. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? See, God’s going to answer all of our prayers one of these days. Lord, heal me. Oh, he will. He may not do it the way you want. He might just give you a whole brand new body. Have you thought about that?

So don’t cut him short, God may have a higher purpose in your life. And he may want you down in this world, in this life, you may have to suffer for a while. But you know this only for a while, a short period of time, this light affliction, which is for us but a moment, but the glory of the suffering will last forever. That is, if you’ll trust the Lord through it. You may have to understand everything that happens.

But the Lord will walk you through it and God will bless you for doing so. And so he says, be careful for nothing. Don’t worry about everything. But in everything, get this everything by prayer, supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God. Why let your request be made known unto God? Because in the book of Matthew in chapter 6, the Bible talks about God knoweth that you have needed these things before you ask. But in the book of James in chapter 4 he says, you have not because you ask not.

So God knows what you have need of. And he says some people don’t have the needs met because they didn’t ask. So I just ask God for everything. Because if I don’t get it, it won’t be because I didn’t ask. Learn to talk to the Lord about everything, whatever you want, ask. And if you don’t get it, you don’t get it. but it won’t be because I didn’t ask, because it’s what his word says. And he says, in everything by prayer, let your request be made.

That’s something, what do you want? It’s like we’re God’s children down here and he’s that great big God up there and he’s my daddy. And he says, what do you want? Oh, I don’t need anything. I don’t need anything. I never need anything. And so you go through life, never getting anything because you didn’t ask for anything. But God says, I know what you have needed before yet, but because you didn’t ask, you didn’t get it. He said, that’s not fair.

Why not? He said, that’s the same for everybody. So if you don’t want to ask God, I mentioned this one time before. I’ll tell him it’s the beginning. There was a time when I needed $70,000, $70,000, and I needed it in about 10 days. And I had, I don’t know if I had 70 cents. And lo and behold, this man, I was walking out of the restaurant and this man saw me, he says, what do you need? I says, no, I don’t need anything.

I had been sitting there drinking my coffee and eating a bowl of soup, thinking about how I’m going to come up with $70,000. I had to school at the college and church and bills and payroll and all kind of things going through my mind. And I’m trying to figure out, and I needed $70,000 so I, I did it on my mind and I started walking. He says, don’t you need some money for this thing that you want? And I says, oh, yeah, yeah.

He said, how much you need? I told him. He says, come on to the office. I went over there, he gave me $70,000 cash, $70,000 cash. Now did God meet my name? Yeah, I was ready to walk out of there and what do you need, nothing. Somebody said, how are you doing? I’m doing fine and you’ve got this problem, this problem, this problem, this problem, this problem, this problem, you’ve got all kind of problems. How are you doing fine?

And you never go to the Lord, never cast your cares upon Him. And He says, if you’ll cast your cares upon the Lord, He carreth for you and you don’t have to worry. But if you don’t, you’re gonna worry yourself sick. And most Christians go to sleep every night. We’re worried, worried. And we ought not be worried because there’s a Lord we have. Look at number seven, praise the Lord anyway. When I was at Florida Bible College and the students would get up and did testimonies and sometimes it was always a hard luck story.

They’re going through something. They didn’t have money to pay to go, be like, I did a job. And I got to, whatever. So we always just say praise the Lord anyway, praise the Lord anyway. Well, you know that verses into Bible, look here in chapter four and verse four, Philippians four and verse four rejoices the Lord always. And again, I say what? Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, rejoice. Rejoice because you don’t know how God’s going to do it, but you know, he isn’t.

So you’re rejoicing because you believe he will. Does that take faith? It’s just like, we’re going to pray for rain. And five of you brought an umbrella. And the rest of you did. What did you believe it was going to rain? Like this one woman, she has pandish water. She opened the wind and she’d throw it out, but it’d hit the tree outside and splash back in on her. So she hurt, just cast all your cares upon the Lord, pray about everything.

Lord, move that tree. She opened the window up and she just closed her eye and threw it out there and water splashed back in and just as I thought. Just like I thought. So some people believe and some people don’t really believe. Who knows how much your life could have been different? Or the more blessings you could have received if you had only believed. I mean really believed the Lord. And ask the Lord because we go through a Christian life, yet we worry.

We got no sinful nature. We still have problems in life. still got to live in this body, this body is deteriorating. This getting older is going to fall apart. You got help problems, you got financial problems, you name the problem, you got problems just like every other person in this world has. But God is faithful and will not allow you to be tempted above that which you’re able. But will with that temptation make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it and that’s what’s important.

Number eight, think heaven. In other words, think about God all the time. Verse 20 and 21 of chapter 3, because you are a citizen of heaven and he says you are a stranger in pilgrimage. You’re away from home but you’re going home. Always keep remembering I’m going home someday. I’m going home someday. This isn’t forever that I’m going home someday. So you think about that. And how you think will make a lot of difference on how you live and the joy, the peace of mind that you can have.

And number 9, be willing to learn the hard lessons. That’s down in chapter 4 and verse 10, 11 and 12. What Paul went through? He had to learn to be content in what’s over state that he was in. And notice what he says in verse 12, I know both how to be a based and how to abound everywhere in all things. I am instructed both to be full, to be hungry, both to abound the suffer need. Paul had all this.

And so he says, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me because all the problems of life is to push you closer to the Lord so you’ll depend upon the Lord even more so than you would before. And so many of these things are good and he says in number 10, desire the fruitfulness in other people’s lives. In other words, you want to be fruitful yourself. You want to be a soul winner. You want to have fruit to your account when you get to heaven.

Luke what he says in verse 17, not because I desire a gift, but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. See, every one of us has got an account set up, and you’re putting things into that account when you get to heaven, God’s going to reward you for what you had in that account. And he wants you to have fruit that will abound to your account. God’s going to bless you someday for the effect that you had in the lives of other individuals.

And all of this is to try to help us to know how to think your thoughts and the intent of our heart. Letting this hand represent you and me and the wallet represent sin. We all have sin on us. Now God says that He loves us. He hates our sin, but He does love us. And because our sins have to be paid and we’re all guilty, the payment is eternal separation from God, eternal death and hell. But God loves us who wants us to go to heaven.

And to go to heaven, we have to be perfect. As righteousness has got, none of us are perfect. None of us are godly. We are all sinners and we’re separated from God because of our sin. This end represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord God in the flesh. He came into the world because He loves us and hates our sin. So that’s why you cannot earn your way to heaven because the payment for sin is you have to die and go to hell and you’re in debt.

So regardless of all your good works, don’t help none. It doesn’t help at all. And so that’s why we need to save you. So Jesus Christ took all the sin of all the world, paid for it on the cross and came back from the dead. And God said if we would believe He did it for us, that He would put the payment to our account and we get to go to heaven on what Jesus Christ did for us. Eternal life is the free gift.

Now these other things we’re talking about is for those who have already trusted Christ as Savior. But if you’re here tonight or if you’re watching by internet and you’ve never trusted Christ as Savior, then these other things that I said doesn’t really apply to you. Because who cares how well you live and all the answers to prayer if you don’t trust Christ as Savior still wind up being separated from Him for all eternity. The most important thing, the wisest thing is to trust Christ as your Savior so that you know that you have eternal life.

And this is something that God wants every one of us to do. Let’s pray, shall we? With headbound eyes closed and no one looking around. If you have never trusted Christ as your Savior, would you trust Him right now? Would you just say in your own mind, Lord, I know I’m a sinner and I believe Christ died, paid for my sin and I’m going to trust Him as my Savior as my only hope of one to heaven, if you will, then God said he would save and give eternal life.

If you’re watching by internet, right on the screen, it says, yes, I will trust Christ as my savior. If you’d like for us to know that you’re trusting Christ, all you have to do is click on that little link and we’d appreciate it. It doesn’t save you doing that. Or raise in your hand or walk in a now or sign in a card. The only way you get to go to heaven is, did you or did you not trust Christ as your Savior?

Believe in He paid for all of your sin. And He said He had never cast you out and never lose you. Friend, I pray that you would. Father, we thank you again for your blessings. Thank you for all you do for us. Thank you for these people and Father, you’ve given us a good church, a good flock and I just asked your blessings upon them. And that there may be some with a heavy heart, things that have been pressed in upon them.

And I pray Lord that these words from your scriptures will help them and bring them closer to you and know that you do care for them, that they can cast your cares upon you and not to worry about it. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen. 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 floridabiblecollege.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. Hot up can meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believe in that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep looking up.