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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. 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 first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Heaven is a place and I’m going there. Heaven is not a state of mind. It’s a real place. Now not long ago, I preached about another place called hell. The day I ended on a happy note. A wonderful, loving note. Everybody likes to talk about heaven. Nobody wants to talk about dying to get there though. So I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Genesis. Now we will not be able to look at all the verses, but we will look at some of these verses.

I want you to stay with me and not look ahead, not try to figure everything up because then you can just put your notes down and then you’ll be leaving church early. So you say, I already know where he’s going. Now in the book of Genesis in chapter five, you’ll notice it says there in verse one, this is the book of the generation of Adam in the day that God created man in the lightness of God made ye him.

Male and female created he them and blessed them call their name Adam in the day when they were created. And Adam lived 130 years. He got a son in his own likeness after his image and called his name Seth. And the days of Adam after he had been gotten set for 800 years and he got sons and daughters. And all the days that Adam lived were 930 years and he died. Now as you go through these verses you’ll find out any lived any died, he lived any died, he lived any died.

So you are going to live and then you’re going to die. It’s a point unto every man wants to die and after this, the judgment. The Bible says this, and he died. Now look there in your notes, and all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years and he died, and then I have a little bold question to ask. Where did he go? Where did he go? Isn’t that a good question? Where did he go? Now you don’t usually find too much in the old Testament about where he went, but understanding just because it’s not recorded doesn’t mean they didn’t know.

You say, did they know about heaven? They didn’t know about hell? Did they know how to be saved? I mean, where’s Ephesians 2, 8, 9, the Old Testament? Where’s 1 John 5, 13 in the Old Testament? Well, I can find some verses here that are in there, but just because you don’t find it listed right there doesn’t mean it’s not there. And I’ll show you in just a little bit. Look at number one there in your notes. And Enoch lived 60 and five years.

Begot Methuselah. You ever heard of Methuselah? He’s as old as Methuselah. And Methuselah lived to be 969 years. That was a long time to live. Enoch walked with God and he watched not, and God took him. My question, where did he go? Where did he go? Where did he go? And so these are questions that I have. And so whenever I have to do a funeral and the person’s laying there in the casket and the family’s there, You will hardly ever hear a preacher say, this man went to hell.

Oh, he was a bad one. He was mean. He was ungodly. He was a drunk. He was a woman. No, they don’t do that. He was a wonderful kind loving father. He was the epitome of decency and morality and all that. Like you see one woman, she leaned over and she told her her daughters, says, go up here and see if that’s your daddy in that casket. So the question is, when you do a funeral, you like to tell the people where did he go?

Because they want to know where did he go? And well, if he was good, he went to heaven. And if he was bad, he went to hell. Is that the truth? That’s not true. But that’s what a a lot of people think. So when I don’t know if the person’s trusted Christ is Savior, I say, there he goes, or there he went, and no, I don’t know. I say, well, whoever he is, he wants you to trust Christ as your Savior.

He wants you to go to heaven. And I’ve had people say, well, if my husband’s not up there, I don’t want to be there. Well, if he’s in hell, he don’t want you to be there. He’s, well, I don’t want to be him by himself. Oh, he won’t be by himself. And neither will you make that grand entrance where you’re bust through the barroom doors, you know, you know and you’re going there and you say, you set them up drinks for everybody.

You’re not going to rule in hell. You’re not going to get a job working for the devil throwing coal on everybody else in jambin with the pitch for it. No, that devil with the red union suit and the fork and the horns and the tail, that’s on potted meat cans. That is not in the Bible. The Bible says, we’re going to die and the question that I ask that’s not even mentioned here. Where did he go? Enoch was walking and he had a testimony that he pleased God.

He was and he was not forgot took him Just like that God But where did he go? look at number two in your notes there and God looked upon the earth and behold it was corrupt and All flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth Genesis chapter 6 and verse 12 So you’re right there in Genesis, look there in Genesis in chapter six, and you’ll notice in verse eight. God says the the world has corrupted His way. Now, the world today believe it or not is corrupting God’s way.

See God has a perfect way for man. When it comes to marriage God has his way. man has his way. And this thing about, you know, people getting married and loving each other and having children, there is the way of God to do this and to do it right. But there’s people who don’t want to do it God’s way. They just live together. Is that God’s way? That’s not God’s way. It’s man’s way. The people can do it. But everybody’s doing it so it’s not bad.

No, it’s still bad. All sin outside of marriage is wrong. You can’t make it right. You said, what about transvesti- there’s no such things. You’re either male or female. I don’t feel what you add on and put off. You’re still what you are. You’re male or female. God made them male and female. There is nobody else. There’s no other way. And it doesn’t matter what man says or what laws are passed. According to the Bible, God says what’s right, God says what’s wrong.

The problem is, is we don’t do things God’s way. We have corrupted the way of God. The way of salvation has been corrupted. Think of how many churches there are in the world of various religions. And there’s only one true in living God. And because there’s only one God, there’s only one Bible. There’s only one Bible because there’s only one way. And so when you study the Bible, you’ll find out God says, eternal life, going to heaven is free.

It’s the gift of God, not of works. All religions are trying to get people to earn their way to heaven. They have corrupted the way of God. God says salvation is the gift of God. The only way you can change a gift is you got to charge for it. Got to be a price to pay. If you have to pay a price for your going to heaven, it’s not the gospel. For by grace are you saved through faith that not of yourself, it is the gift of God, not of works.

Don’t we change that from being gifted to add a work to it? And it’s not of works. It does not depend upon you. My going to heaven has nothing to do with how I live. How I live is not gonna get me to heaven. I’m going to heaven because of the grace of God. I don’t merit it. I don’t deserve it. It is truly the gift of God. So people have corrupted the way of God. So look in verse nine.

And these are the generations of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. And Noah walked with God. Noah begat three sons, Jim, him and J. That, he said the earth also was corrupt before God. And the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth. Behold, it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. Now that upsets God. God said, I’m just gonna start all over again. I’ll just smite him all.

He saved Noah and Mrs. Noah and the three sons and their wives and killed everybody else. If he killed everybody else, where did they go? Where are all those bad people? That died. Where’d they go? It doesn’t even say you. Where do they went? So maybe they didn’t go anywhere. Like I asked that man. Where are you going to go today? He says Tennessee. I said, what? He said Tennessee. He said, I’m just going to be buried. That’s it.

I’m just going to be buried. I said, have you ever died before? Well, no. Then how do you know that’s true? I said, you can think anything you want. Imagine anything you want, but that doesn’t make it true. Either the Bible is true and we believe it. Take it, if you don’t believe it, throw it in the trash, don’t worry about it. But I believe the Bible is true. Now, look at the next statement. At number three, and Sarah was 107 and 20 years old.

These were the years of the life of Sarah. And it says that she died, but where did she go? It didn’t say where she went. Now we finally begin to get a clue at number four, but look at number four. And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived 103 score in 15 years, 103 score, 15 years. Now he was a little man when he was 75. Say why does that bother you. I’m 75.

That’s all to bother anybody. Would you believe that God says you’re going to be the Father of a great nation and you’re going to have a son of your own? Did you know God made him wait another 25 years before he got the child? His wife, Sarah, was 90 years old. How would you like me? 90 years old and you got a baby? And he was a hundred years old. And did you know he lived another 75 years after that?

I don’t know what was in that medicine God gave him, but he got a hundred years out of it. And notice he died. And verse number five I got listed there in your notes, then Abraham gave up the ghost, died in a good old age, 175, yeah that would be good old age. An old man, full of years. notice this part gathered unto his people. Wherever his people were, he was gathered to them. You say, they were all in the grave together.

You can see his wife over there, his uncle over there. No, no, no, no. He was gathered to his people. So his people were still alive. Somewhere they were still alive. And he was gathered to meet his people. Now a lot of people, I think, could just, well, he joined everybody on the earth. Now I didn’t say he gathered to his people. So it is a clue, but I want to show you that. You notice there are number six and the days of Isaac, the days of Isaac, were a hundred and four score years and Isaac gave up the ghost and died was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days and his son and Jacob buried him.

Now understand this, they came, they lived, they died. And before they died they had kids and they lived and they died and so on. And so for the last 6,000 years we’ve been having kids and getting old and dying and they just seem like that’s keeping human race going. And here we are. And as I look around some of y’all have gotten gray headed. Some of us have gotten gray headed since I’ve been here. I was not gray headed when I first came here.

I had a full head of hair. I’m lying. I’m lying. I’m dreaming. I just wished I had. I could say more but I’m not going to. But you know it’s just like heaven. You know, yeah, hair today gone tomorrow. And whenever I look in the mirror I think of heaven. You know, the Bible says there’d be no parting there. And my mother always told me that I’d come out on top. So as we’re moving right along here, look there at number seven.

And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed and yielded up the ghost and was gathered unto his people. And every one of these it keeps talking but they would gather unto their people. Now is there any way of knowing where they might have gone? Does God ever tell us? And did they know in advance what we know today? Aren’t we glad we have the New Testament that answers all these questions for us?

Now we know that to die Absent from the body, present with the Lord. Did they know that? Absent from the body, present with the Lord. Immediately. Well, the Lord does give us some insight, not only in the way it was, but what they knew. So take your Bible and turn to the book of Luke chapter 16. The book of Luke and chapter 16. Now you may have never got interested in stuff like this, but I’m not. I’m interested, I’m curious, I always want to know.

I have an enquiring mind. And I want to know that when I die, where am I going to be? Look 16, look in verse 19, verse 19. There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple, fine linen, and feroceroscedely every day. Now, Jesus is telling the story. This is not a parable, this is the truth. This is a picture of two individuals that are now dead. And he says, and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid in his gate full of sores.

The ziring to be fed with the crumbs, which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, the dogs came in licked his sores, and he came to pass at the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. So, Lazarus got to meet Abraham. So it’s evident that Abraham is still alive. Abraham is still alive, but he is somewhere. Remember when Jesus was talking to the thief on the cross. And the thief on the cross looked at Jesus and says, remember me when thou cometh into thy kingdom.

And Jesus said unto him, today shalt thou be with me in paradise. Jesus was in paradise that very day that He died on the cross. His body was in the tomb, but Jesus was in another place, a place called paradise. That’s where these Old Testament saints were. They were in paradise, a place of comfort. And Jesus says in the heart of the earth. So this is where they met. So Abraham is still alive. Abraham lived after somebody else was alive.

And at this time they’re now dead. So I’ll notice. He says, Abraham’s bosom, the rich man also died and was buried. And in hell he lift up his eyes, bend in tournaments, and seeeth Abraham off or off. And Lazarus in his bosom cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me. And sin Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am torn men in his flame. But Abraham said, son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receiveth thy good things, likewise, Lazarus evil things, but now he is comforted and thou art torn mened.

See, if this didn’t really happen, God is saying a bunch of lies about Abraham. If this isn’t true, Jesus is lying about Abraham. And I don’t believe he’s doing that. I believe Abraham is alive. And evidently he’s doing pretty well. He’s in a place of comfort. He said, well did they know that in the Old Testament? Well, there’s a possibility that they knew where they were going to spend eternity and it would be with the Lord. There’s things that just because it’s not all written down doesn’t mean it cannot be known.

You’ll even read in the book of Jude where it says about Enoch that one we read about, the seventh from Adam preached about Jesus Christ coming in power and great glory with thousands of his saints, but you go back to the Old Testament, you don’t see that written anywhere, but Enoch did and he was a preacher. And also the Bible says that Noah was a preacher of righteousness. So preacher, he was right to be the evil and peace and man’s right to you have to be preached in Christ’s righteousness.

When you studied the book of Hebrews in chapter 11, it talks about Moses, Moses, and the Bible says, choosing to suffer affliction with the children of Israel, denied himself and says, I would rather suffer the afflictions with the children of Israel, then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for season. And he esteemed the reproach of Christ’s greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. He talks about Christ, Moses knew Christ in the Old Testament. And of course Abraham had said concerning the seed on down the road referring to Christ.

And then when Christ was here in the book of John, he says. Before Abraham was, I am. I said, how can you have known Abraham? He knew Abraham. Abraham knew him. Now, everything is not spelled out. But if you read and you listen and you study it, you can find out an awful lot that God has revealed in His Word. Now He says, secret things belong to the Lord. God hasn’t revealed everything. But He’s given to us enough that we can’t understand and enjoy.

Now I want you to look there in your notes on page 1 on down at the bottom where was Abraham? Abraham was alive. That’s established. Abraham was still alive. But he was dead as far as the earth is concerned. Abraham was in paradise. Abraham knew the purpose of life because when he talked to them the most important thing that any one of these had ever done in their whole life, Lazarus the Night Rich Man, the most important thing they ever decided was to believe on the Lord.

How much wealth they had was not the issue. How poor he was, was not the issue. Lazarus believed something. And he said, well send him back so he can talk to my brothers so that lest they come to this place of torment. See, hell is not a state of mind either. Hell is a place of torment. Heaven is also a place, and I’m going there. It’s a literal place. The next point, Abraham was in comfort. Abraham comments about hell and about torments.

Abraham knew that a man once in hell cannot get out. He says, you can’t get out. We can’t go there. Isn’t it nice to know that once you trust the Christ you save it, you can never go to hell. Never. Impossible. It says, it’s a great God. You can’t go there. I, Yankee Arnold, cannot ever in the future ever go to hell. Can’t go. Those that are in hell can’t never go to heaven. So when should you make this decision before you die or after you die?

After you die, it’s too late. So you get to choose where you will spend eternity. Years ago I made up my mind, I don’t want to go to hell. I want to go to heaven. I want to know I have eternal life. So one decision that I made fifty-seven years ago when I was eighteen years old, I trusted Christ as my Savior. And by trusting Christ as my Savior, God gives to me eternal life. And if it’s eternal life, how long would it last?

If it lasts forever, and all my sins are paid, where am I going when I die? I’m going to heaven. See, the reason I can’t go to hell today, and the reason I can’t go to hell in the future, I don’t have any sins to pay for. You say, well, you don’t deserve that. Oh, of course, nobody deserves it. Who deserves to go to heaven? Nobody has ever lived good enough to go to heaven. Never have, never will. Because, see, God says, all have sinned and comes short of the glory of God, sure of God’s perfection.

How good you are, you’re not perfect. You have to be perfect to go to heaven. Nobody’s perfect. Well, how are you gonna get there? What if he gave me his perfection? What if he gave me his righteousness? That would make me his righteousness. He gave it to us a gift. I’m going to heaven on what he did, not what I do. People are trying to earn their way, have rejected what Christ did. That’s why they can’t go. It’s the gift of God, not of works.

Look at the next statement. Abraham knew about the life of the rich man and Lazarus. He knew about it because he refers to him. Abraham knew about Moses and the prophets, even though they lived many years after him. So here’s Abraham. Abraham died. 400 years later, here comes Moses. And he’s telling them about, listen to what Moses and the prophets said, well, how does he know about them? Because you see, he’s already on this side of them And he says, they have the law, they can listen to what the word of God says, because you won’t listen.

You see, your eternal destination depends upon, did you or did you not believe what God says about having eternal life. It’s a point that every man wants to die. And God has not created the world, created man, took a vacation, and he doesn’t know what’s going on. Now God knew what was going on before the flood. He says, and men’s hearts is wicked exceedingly. And all they want to do is do things contrary to the way God wanted us to do.

So can you get away with it? No, you don’t get away with it. Nobody has ever gotten away with anything. There’s a price to pay. The next statement, Abraham looked beyond the grave. Abraham looked beyond the grave. Now, there’s some wonderful verses in here, but I want you to see this. Turning your Bible to Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews chapter 11. This is on page 1301 in a church Bible right there in the pew is a Bible if you want to use it.

But in Hebrews, how do you know that Abraham looked beyond this life? Well, the Bible says he did. Look at verse 8. By faith, Abraham, when he was cold and go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obey. And he went out not knowing where he went. By faith he He sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise, for he looked for a city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God.

That’s beyond this life. See Abraham never saw no building built of God in the land of Cain when he was there. This is beyond his days upon the earth. We went on, she says, through faith also Sarah, herself received strength to conceive seed was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful who had promised. She believed in the Lord. So whenever she died, okay, where did she go? Well, she went to the same place that Abraham went.

She got there first. In verse 12, therefore spring there even of one and him as good as dead. So many of the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable, get this, these all died, and see those two words in faith, means they believed in the Lord. Not having received the promises, but having seen them a for all, they died, and yet they never got to see everything in their lifetime, because they were looking beyond their lifetime.

And he says, by heaven seen them a far off and were persuaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Strangers means you’re away from home, pilgrims means you’re going home. And they’re going home was not just to the land of Canaan. They’re talking about on the other side of the grave. So how do you know that? I knew you was going to ask me that. Look in verse 15. And truly if they had been mindful of that country from which they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

But now they desire a better country that is a heavenly country. Something beyond this life. Even Abraham knew that and he says so. And also his wife knew that and it says so. So they desire something that was better. Better than anything that you’ll ever have in this world. Yes, I believe one of the days I’m going to get a chance to see Abraham. And the Bible says that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are going to sit in the kingdom in the book of Matthew in chapter eight, right hand page, right hand column.

You’ll see it right there. It’s saying if you’re using no skill field, if you don’t, I don’t know where it is. But now noted, he made a promise to them. And it was a promise that would be fulfilled even after they died. Yes, one of these days God’s going to have the kingdom upon the earth and they’re going to be back and they They’ll be here. They will be here. Don’t miss out on all the fun. Join Pastor Jesse and Kyla Martinez on Thursday nights from 7-9 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 tampayouth ranch.org and see the cool pictures from past activities and all the fun you’ve been missing. No rye, no problem. Call 813-334-4655 today for information on getting a rye 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 4011 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. The Lord is coming soon.