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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.

Take your Bible, turn to the book of Ephesians, the book of Ephesians chapter 6 success is when preparation meets opportunity and opportunities don’t seem to find too many people home because when opportunity knocks at your door it usually comes disguised as work and most people just don’t like to work in order to succeed. So you work your plan after you done made a plan, and then you work your plan as long as you’re planning to work when you plan to work and change your plan.

But you should always strive for success. In other words, seeking to be found faithful to the Lord. Even as we would put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God which trapped our heart. So it is the will of God that we are successful. Being successful, you need to find out what God calls success. And God’s eyes, it’s been faithful, faithful to do what He wants us to do. So you need to, in order to be found faithful, be able to withstand the attacks of the devil.

So the devil is real, and the devil is always trying to destroy us. And He works on your mind. So we have in the book of Ephesians and chapter 6 beginning in verse 10, some things that God says that if you want to succeed, you need laun the right armor. And He tells us they’re in verse 10 of chapter 6, finally my brethren. I like it when they say finally and then He writes almost a whole chapter. That’s like some women says, I’m ready to go now.

Bye. And then they’ll Tanner and talked for another half an hour. You know women to do that? No, I don’t know anybody like that either. But there are some that do that, you know. But Ephesians says, finally, my brother, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. That doesn’t happen automatically. You’re not strong just because you want to be strong. You’re not powerful just because you want to be powerful. It’s because you prepare yourself to be successful.

So when he talks about being strong and in the power of his might, the word of God itself is powerful. So you are not going to be any more powerful than what the word of God is. The word of God is sharper and more powerful than a two-edged sword. So if you study the word of God, whatever the word of God is, it can make you. If it’s sharp, it can make you sharp, powerful. It can make you powerful.

So the key thing is to study what the word of God says, so that you might be able to succeed because the devil is going to fight. Then he says in verse 11, put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles, the tricks, the snares of the devil. See in verse 10 it tells you, be strong. Then he tells you what to do because it’s not going to happen automatically. Wouldn’t it be neat if it was just automatic?

Everybody was naturally strong in the Lord. We just naturally did everything God wants us to do. doesn’t work out of way. Then he says in verse 12, explain to you why. In a little bit about there’s powers that are stronger than us. But you can be stronger than the devil if you trust in the Lord. Because you see, the Holy Spirit can handle anything the devil can throw at you, but you can’t. But he can. So if you learn how to go through life leaning on the Lord, you have someone that can walk you through every battle, every trial, every temptation, and he’ll lead you through.

So he says there in verse 13, wherefore taken to you the whole armor of God. Now the reason the whole armor of God because if there’s any part of the armor that you don’t put on, is going to be a place you’re going to be attacked and you’re not going to succeed. So then he says there in verse 13, wherefore taken to you the whole armor of God that he may be able to withstand. If you don’t, you’re not going to be able to withstand.

And this is why so many Christians, they’ve. fail in their Christian life because they don’t do what God tells them to do. Then he says there in verse 14, stand therefore. Heaven your Lord and God about with truth and heaven on the breastplate of righteousness, stand. Verse 15, your feet shot with the preparation of the gospel of peace. In other words, prepared to take the gospel. Most Christians never prepare themselves to be a so-winner. Why aren’t people all so-winners?

Because they don’t prepare themselves to be a so-in-it. You see, if you want to be something, you have to prepare. If you want to be a soul winner, you can. You want to win souls, you can, but you’ve got to prepare. Most people do not prepare because they really don’t want to win souls that bad. It’s a lot easier to be, well, I’m just going to be a prayer warrior. Is there anything wrong in praying?

Not if it’s a substitute for activity. Prayer is very important. God tells us down here in verse 18, praying always, but praying doesn’t eliminate the preparation for the gospel because we have been put in trust with the gospel even so we speak. We have a responsibility. Verse 16, above all, taken the shield of faith, where would ye shall be able to quince all the fiery darts of the wicked one because he’s going to attack your mind. So you study the word of God so that you can protect your thoughts because that’s where you get encouraged, that’s where you get discouraged.

Faith is usually born in despair, and so success and failure begins right there in your mind. And as a man thinketh, so is he. And the Bible warns about how not to think. Don’t think of yourself as though I don’t need to do this. I’m strong enough. I can handle it. And God will let you find out you can’t handle it. And this is what causes people to have nervous breakdowns. You see, your nerves don’t really break down. Is that you are not trusting the Lord.

You haven’t learned how to commit things to Him. And you worry yourself to death. But see, worry and despair are signs of an undisciplined mind. In other words, you brought it on to yourself. In many cases, this is where people are. Now, I want you to take your Bible and turn all the way back there with me in the Old Testament to the book of Proverbs and chapter 27. Proverbs, chapter 27, just want to look at a few verses either in the other so that we can kind of get an idea because there’s something that I want to end up with that’s similar to the book of Matthew chapter 6 about land of treasures in heaven so that you don’t lose it.

Because the scripture talks about down here we can put things into bags that have holes in them and you work hard and you lose it all. Anything that you work for in this life, remember one of these days, you came into this world without nothing, without anything. means you were naked when you came into the world. In case you don’t remember that. And when you leave, you’re going to leave the same way. You’re going to leave everything here. And so you’re going to, you’ll came into the world and you’re going to leave the world.

Now what are you going to accomplish while you’re here? And so therefore, if you live only for this life, you wasted your life. But so God talks about laying up treasures in heaven. And we’ll look at that in just a minute in the book of Luke. But not yet. Here in Proverbs, chapter 27, look in verse 1. “…most not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” There’s a verse in the New Testament, similar to this.

Anybody know where it is? “…most not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” Isn’t there something similar to that in the book of James? Maybe around chapter 4. But there is a verse there that says your life. What is your life? It is but a vapor that appears for a little while and vanishes away. It says, don’t say what you’re going to do to the bar. You don’t have any control over whether there’s going to be a tomorrow for you or I.

Do you know for sure guarantee you’re going to be here tomorrow? Not a one of us do. So we don’t know how long we’re going to live. we need to be wise with the time that God has given to us. So, as you read these things and study about them, it helps them. Now look there in the book of 1 Samuel, the book of 1 Samuel. Now, we look at this sometime back, but I want to mention to you one more time.

Come toPORT maybe take a little detour from where we went the last time. But in the book of 1 Samuel, in chapter 17, you know it’s the story about David and what’s that other guy’s name? God LYeth. Isn’t it amazing how his name is always associated with David? But it is. You remember that way. Just like Daniel in the lion’s den, see? They just go together. Andommod simultane Fle vot distingu was with. We just need to do this. But you know what.

We just need to do that. We just need to do that. We just need to do that. therap We just need to do that. Good. . Good. But he had to prepare himself. How was he prepared to take on this giant? Well, remember when he was just taking care of the sheep? A bear came by. What did he do with the bear? Huh? He killed the bear. With his bare hands. Then a lion came by. What did he do with the lion?

He killed the lion. See, those are, if you want to have success down the road, somewhere along the line, you You have got to have some steps of success. You got to achieve something. That’s what builds your confidence in the Lord. And the more you do for the Lord, the more confidence you get that I can do this, not can do this. But in order to challenge your faith, things have to have a bigger, grander, you know, attempt. It’s got to be something big.

The statement I learned years ago is attempt great things for God, expect great things from God. And the longest journey begins with a single step. So whatever it is, wherever you wanna go, you gotta take the first step. You gotta start on that road. You gotta have some successful past experiences. So you gotta start with somewhere, you gotta have some success. Have you ever found anything in your life where you can consider, I am faithful. faithful to do what?

Some people read the Bible, but they’re not faithful. Some people pray, but they’re not faithful. Some people witness, but they’re not faithful. Some people go to church, but they’re not faithful. So you see, what does faithfulness means? You can be dependent upon. You can be consistent. It’s part of your character, it’s the way you are. So God is looking for faithful people, but where does it say that somewhere in the Bible, moreover, it is required in the steward a man be found rich, popular, famous, faithful,drm something so simple.

Because God says every man shall give a kind of himself to the Lord. So one day we’re going to have to face this. But lo and behold, David, on this one day, he goes up and lo and behold, he hears this big old giant and he’s making these statements about the children of Israel and he defies the children of Israel. What David saw that is, you’re defying my God. And what hurt was there was nobody that would take up the challenge.

Nobody would do anything. Everybody was trembling in their boots because here was a problem. Well, he already saw other problems. You know, he’d already handled the bear. He’d already handled the lion. Well, this is just a bigger problem. And the same God that gave him success here in Game of Success there, well, he just trusts, well, God can give it to me gh e n. So here’s a young lad who is willing and prepared to take advantage of an opportunity.

What an opportunity! But some people look at us a problem. And some people just run from things because they’re “/> They […]olkienvimanylrehensive)),Yang They’re just scared. They’ve just like you’ve been baptizing lemon juice. A sour bush. You hear about the drunk? He was walking on a country road and he was drunk. He came up to this horse and looked at the horse and says, why the long face? Thank you. I appreciate that, Bob. You’re the only one in here that got that.

That’s it. See, he got that. See, that was such wisdom in that. Why such a long face? And so you got to figure out now why are you so down and so discouraged? You just don’t know all the problems I have. Well, I know a God who can solve problems. He’s in the business of doing that. So whatever our problems are is our God bigger than our problems. What causes our problems if we think our problems are too big for God to do anything about it.

So you don’t want to embarrass God by thinking that we’re going to be able to do that. that I’ve got a problem too big and he can’t solve it, so I don’t even wanna ask him because I know this is over his head. Or to think that your problems are so small, well I don’t wanna bother them with that either. So what do you do? You go through life, trying to handle everything all on your own. And so God got to teach us some lessons that you cannot handle it on your own.

That’s why he says, cast all your cares upon the Lord for he, careth for you. And the older we live, Isn’t it wonderful to finally get older that the world, we don’t have any problems anymore? Because we had them when we was in our 20s, we had problems in our 30s, we had them in our 40s, we had them in our 50s, but when you get 60 and over, you don’t have them anymore. Because you’re so wise now and so smart, you know how to solve everything.

Is that true? No, it isn’t true. Ha, ha, ha. Well, I finally got some response from out there. It isn’t true. You have problems as long as you’re in this physical body. So you’re going to have those. So anyway, what did he do? Look there in verse 40. He took up the challenge. He was gonna meet the giant. And he says in verse 40, and he took his staff in his hand and chose him five smooth stones. Out of the brook, put them in a shepherd’s bag, which he had even in a script.

And his sling was in his hand. and he drew near to the Philistine. Now, why do you think he picked up five smooth stones? Five smooth stones? Why did he picked up five? Because he had four others that were brothers and he was gonna take care of them too if he had to. I think that’s why. But that’s mentioned, you know, in another portion of scripture, Second Samuel, I think it is. But now, notice, I want you to see this.

He chose five smooth stones cause what? He’s going to battle. So he needs these stones, but notice something else here. And he put them in a shepherd’s bag. Now, wouldn’t it be a shame for him to put these valuable stones that he needs? He really only needed one, but he put them in a shepherd’s bag and it had holes in it. No. He had one, look what he says. and a shepherd back which he had. See, he was prepared.

He had stones. He had the bag. And then he says, and his sling was in his, he had a sling too. He was prepared. How simple. And if people don’t understand, God can use what you already have. Well, if I knew this and I had that, I could be successful too. Sometimes God wants just to take you with what you have, and God wants to work on miracles. If I was a smart and blah blah blah, or if I could do like he does, or like she does, no, no, no, no, no, no.

God knows who you are. And you had your own set of circumstances. You got your own problems in life. God is a personal God. And though you may see what God has done in the lives of a lot of people, don’t you want to see what God can do with you? I’ve always wondered, what can God do with me? I’m still wondering if he can do anything with me. me. But I want to know what can God do with me.

I don’t care if God uses other great people, Curtis Hudson or Dr. Lee Robertson or great people like Bob Gilbert or Peter Amato. What about Yankee Arnold? I want God to use me. I want to do something. But you see, you’ve got to have an opportunity. And opportunities are on wheels. And when they roll your way, If you’re not prepared, you can’t take advantage of it. One day watching sheep, the next day killing a giant. Today everything may be so wonderful, so peaceful, so wonderful, loving, and then tomorrow your whole world can fall apart because of a problem.

Now are you solid in the Lord? Can you trust the Lord to walk you through it? And if you will, now we ought to find out something. Did David win this battle? He says, you come to me with a sword, but I come to you in the name of Jehovah, the God of Israel. He saw Himself standing and representing the Lord. He had great victory. And God, this guy’s going to be the king of Israel. God intervened. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of Haggai.

book a haggy eye. And chapter 1, Haggai chapter 1, and it’s on page 962. It’s the book right before Haggariah. So turn to Haggai in chapter 1. Now, there was a problem in things being done as a priority in Israel. And so he’s got a message that he has to deliver to the people. You see, they were all for taking care of themselves, but God said, I want you to build my temple. I want you to get my place ready.

Well, they wanted to get their place ready and do their things first. Then if they have anything left over, any time left over, then we’ll do something. It’s just like I’ve seen people with promises, Yankee. When I get my life straightened out, you can count on me coming to church and doing right. Okay? How long is that going to take? It’ll take the rest of their life, because they can’t straighten out their life. I told a person the other day when he called me up on the phone from out of state.

I said, so what you’re doing is you’re trying to push a rope. He said, what? I said, you’re trying to push a rope. I said, your life is getting all balled up because you’re trying to push a rope. I said, you can’t push a rope and have any success. I said, now if you’ve got one end of the rope and start walking, it’ll straighten itself out. If you’ll start walking with the Lord, I says, your life will straighten itself out.

I says, but without the Lord, you’ve went in the wrong direction. And you’re trying to push a rope and your life gets all confusing. And it’s all messed up. So you need to find out what does God want me to do? And walk with the Lord and he’ll straighten everything else out. Because if you put him first, then God says, he’ll take care of these other things. Put the Lord first in everything that you do. Look there in verse three.

Haggai chapter 1 and verse 3. He says, then came the word of the Lord by Haggai, the prophet saying, is it time for you, O ye to dwell in your sealed houses and this house of his, lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the Lord of host, consider your ways. Now this is something that most people don’t do. And so he tells them several times you’re consider your ways. You look down here very quickly in verse seven where he says, does say to the Lord of hope, consider your ways.

In other words, most people don’t believe that the way they respond in life, whether to the Lord or against the Lord, makes any difference. And God says it does. So he makes a statement here in verse six. Look in verse six, this is very, very important. He says, ye have so much and bring in little. Ye eat, but ye have not enough. Ye drink, but ye not feel would drink. Ye clothe you, but there’s none warm. Now, you ought to underline this part of the verse if you haven’t done so.

And he that urneth wages, urneth wages to put it into a bag with what? With holes. And this is what a lot of Christians are doing. They worked themselves to death, saving up for this world. And a lot of times you’d be surprised how that everything just eats it up and you never can get in it. I just can’t seem to get ahead. I just can’t get ahead. Well, there might be several reasons you might need to check it out.

How are you doing spiritually? Do you love the Lord thy God with all thy hard mind, body, soul, and strength? strength. Are you seeking the Lord first and whatever He wants you to do and His righteousness and you’re trusting the door to take care of all these other things? Are you wearing yourself sick and you find out God says put me first consider your ways. Now it may not always be that you’re doing something wrong. Sometimes it’s God knows that you’ll save more faithful and more humble if He keeps you poor.

God already knows you might not be able to handle too much success. Maybe you can’t handle too much money. You might get a big head and think you don’t need the Lord. Did you know that successful in life, success in life can be a bigger problem than being poor in this world? Because when you don’t have much, you struggle. You struggle to stay alive. And you’re always, Lord help me. Lord help me. Help me, Lord. You watch. You get to where you don’t have that struggle anymore.

Well, I can get a bigger this and a bigger that and this and that and the other. And you don’t need the Lord as much as you did before. And so people go astray. And so you have to be careful. But he that earnest wages, earnest wages to put it into a bag with holes. He considered this, he said. Then verse 8. Go up to the mountain, bring wood, build the house, and I will get this. I will take pleasure frivolion it, and I will be glorified, sayeth the Lord.

Put me first. Put me first. Then he says in verse 9, you look for much. And lo it came to little. And when you brought it home, I did blow up on it. Why? Sayeth the Lord of Host? Because of mine house that is waste. And you run every man into his own house. In other words, you’re trying to take care of that. Don’t you realize that the God of heaven can open up the windows of heaven and bless you in a way that you couldn’t believe.

and meet your needs in the most strangest of ways. But you try to handle it on your own and do it your own way. And you’d be surprised how God can just dry everything up. And you can’t stop it. It’s like a snowball going down here. You can’t stop it. It’s just like Job when God didn’t punish him, God was wanting Job to see not how far he’s come, but how far he needed to go. He needed to be a lot stronger than what he was.

And yet God was going to use all this, you know, taking away from him. Remember as he says there, the Lord giveth and the Lord take it away, blessed be the name of the Lord. The Lord giveth, the Lord take it away, blessed be the name of the Lord. A lot of times that’s what you might have to say. Does the Lord mean more to you than anything else in the world? When I was at FBC we used to learn this song.

Christ is all I need. I heard that. Christ is all I need. Christ is all I need. Really? Is he all you want? Sometimes we have to find out, he’s not really all you want though. You want so many other things that you consider to be needs, and those needs are greater than needing him. He’s all I need. Because if you got him, The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. Want for what if he’s your shepherd? If you’re following the Lord, learn to put your confidence in your trust in the Lord because you gotta go against God and God’s that I can blow up on it and make it all go away.

I can take all of that money you saved up and next thing you know, you’ve got a problem and with your health and all of a sudden all of your health money can be taken away and eaten up just like that. Your car’s doing fine. And all of a sudden it blows up a motor and now you’ve got a couple thousand dollars in debt. Taking away all that God collects. God collects. Just understand. But if you’re serving the Lord and it takes it, you just know God is going to bless me.

I don’t know how and I don’t know why, but I’m going to see that this is going to draw me closer to the Lord. Problems in life are not bad. It just depends on whether or not you let it push you closer to the Lord and you become stronger. Or it becomes a wedge and pushes you away from the Lord. So how you’re walking with the Lord, or not walking with the Lord, is going to reveal whether or not this makes you stronger or weaker.

Some people live and learn, and some people live and never learn. Don’t miss out on all the fun. Join Pastor Jesse and Kyla Martinez on Thursday nights from 7 to 9 p.m. for Tampa Youth Ranch at Calvary Community Church. Tampa Youth Ranch is a great mix of live music, games, Bible study, food and fun where teens 13-18 get to know God and the Bible with their friends. Check it out online at TampaYouthRanch.org and see the cool pictures from past activities and all the fun you’ve been missing.

No right? No problem. Call 813-334-4655 today for information on getting a ride to Tampa Youth Ranch. Thanks for joining us on Bible Eye. 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.