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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 message will be a blessing to you and your family.

I want you to take your Bible. Turn to the book of Deuteronomy! Deuteronomy chapter 31. chapter 31. Here’s a good little question for you. Now this is a difficult question but I always like to ask a nice question to see if you’re thinking you got your brain turned on in the morning. Where was your mother when you were born? Now I know it’s hard complicated question but where was your mother when you were born? Nobody knows the answer. She was with you?

How many would say that your mother was right there with you when you were born. Isn’t that wonderful to know that your mother was there when you were born. So you weren’t born all alone. It’s good to have your mama there. Well, when you got saved, born again, born into God’s family, where was God when you were born? He was right there with you. He had to be, because you were born of God. Duh? Take your Bible, look there in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 31.

There’s a couple of verses here that are really interesting because Moses now has, well, he didn’t got up here in years, and he, uh, 120 years old, see there in verse 1, Moses went and spake these words unto all Israel. and He said unto them, I am a hundred and twenty years old this day. On his birthday, I guess. I can no more go out and come in. Also the Lord hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan.

The Lord thy God, He will go over before thee, and He will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them, even Joshua, he shall go over before thee as the Lord hath said.” So the Lord was with Moses all those years. Now it’s Joshua’s turn. Somebody else is coming on the scene. But here you are, your God’s child, you’re going to heaven when you die, and there’s promises that God has made. Now look there in the previous chapter where he made the statement in verse 15, chapter 30, where he says, see, I have set before the this day life and good, death and evil.

I, the Lord, said I set before you this day. It means that the Lord must prepare every day. There’s the opportunities God sets before us. Every day is loaded with decisions, choices to make. So we study the Word of God so that we can make the right decisions. The right decision isn’t right because you think it’s right. You know a lot of people they do what they think is the best. That doesn’t mean it is the best. There is a way that Seameth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of destruction.

So if you go only by that little brain that God gave you up there and you don’t put the right info in it, you can’t get the right info out. So that’s why you study what God says and it makes a lot of sense. So in verse 16 he says, in that I command thee this day to love the Lord. So did you know that it was a command to love God? And look what else he says, to walk in his ways, not just to love him, but to walk with him and serve him and to keep his commandments and get this, that thou mayest live and multiply and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land.

And whether that goes to possess it. So God made a good bunch of promises to Israel. And He said, I’m setting before you all these opportunities. Sometimes we think, boy, what did it have been great to have lived back then when God made all those wonderful promises that if I do this, He’s going to bless me? Well, I thought that’s what He’s already done the times in which we lived, too. You see, that’s in the Old Testament though. You don’t go in the Old Testament and pick out what you want and throw it in the New Testament and say, okay, now this is what we got to do.

Well, that sounds good. It’s just that it’s not right. For example, look at in verse 6 of chapter 31. He says, Be strong and of a good courage. Fear not Krug, nor be afraid of them for the Lord thy God. He it is that doeth go with thee, the death go with thee. And he in your underlying is he will not fail thee nor forsake thee. That’s a phrase in the Old Testament. Surely you’re not going to find that in the New Testament that we’re supposed to agree with that, right?

Okay. Look there in the book of Hebrews in chapter 13. Hebrews chapter 13. And you’ll notice, lo and behold, that there is a verse that says the same thing. And it’s a quote from those scriptures in the Old Testament. But here we are in the New Testament, and God is telling us some things that would help us in our Christian life. So Hebrews chapter 13, notice what he says there in verse 5, let your conversation be without covetousness, really refers to your manner of life, and be content what such things as you have.

And here’s the reason why we can be content. He had said, I will never lead the nor forsake thee. Now lo and behold where is that found? Back there where we just read it just a minute ago. You know on me 31. So even though it’s a statement in the Old Testament, the truth of it is still good for today. It’s good for you and me. Look what he says, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Alright? So when did he first come to see you?

Well Well, where was your mother when you were born? She was right there. Or so when you got saved, evidently, he was right there. When you say, he was right there with you. And then there’s this verse in the Bible that says, I’ll never leave you and never say, have you ever seen some mama’s leave your kids? You ever heard about that? Parents leave their kids. But you know from the Word of God, God says, I’ll never leave you and never forsake you.

He said, I’ll never have him. That’s a promise. But in your life, you’d be surprised how many times you’ll wonder. I wonder where God is. You mean because you can’t see him, you can’t believe him? He tells you something and he wants us to live by faith. God is with you. And he’ll never leave you and never forsake you. Looking verse 6 of the same chapter, he says, so that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

Now why do you think when he says over there in verse 5, let your manner of life be without covetousness? Desire the things in the world, been content with whatever you have, having him present with me all the time is more important and more precious than anything your owner possess in this world as I have the Lord. You may not have money, but I got the Lord. I was telling somebody the other day, I said, you know, between me and God we can do anything.

I don’t care what it is. Me and God can do it. Oh, of course, you know that I have to depend on him for most of it. And if there’s anything that needs to be known, well, he knows it. If I don’t know, he knows it. So between you and God, you can do anything you ought to do because he’ll never leave you and never forsake you. isn’t that a good promise? You ought to be thrilled just knowing that.

So take your Bible and look there with me in the book of Matthew. The book of Matthew chapter 28. Matthew 28, and you’ll notice right before the Lord was to go back into heaven. He looked at his disciples and he said something to them. See there in verse 18, and Jesus came and spake unto them. This is in Matthew 28, 18. Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptize in them the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and you are to underline this last statement. And lo, I might be with you most of the time. I will be with you always. I will be with you always. So you have a promise in the Old Testament, you’ve got it here at the end of the Gospels, and you have it later on in the book of Hebrews, where God makes a promise. God must keep his word. So therefore, believe him and don’t worry about it.

Another statement is, you know, in John chapter 1 in verse 12 where he says, but as many as receive him to them gave he the power to become the sons of God that were born of God. It would be hard to be born of your mother and your mother not be there. But it’s another thing to say, I’m born of God and God wasn’t there. He is my father. He fathered me. I am his child. And my father says he’ll never leave me and never forsake me.

He must say that for a reason because we live sometimes because you know we can’t see God. We go about what we do see and I don’t see God. But I have His Word. I got His promise. And He wants us to believe Him and to really trust Him. Now, has there been times in their life when you had a lot of sorrow, sorrow, and you’ve suffered, you go through things, and it hurts? And you wonder whether or not, Lord, do you know what I’m going through?

Now, thank for a moment. Because almost everything that happens in life, we always wonder, well, why that happened? Why that happened? Sometimes we brought a matter of what did I do wrong? I didn’t deserve this. Have you ever thought you deserved to be hooked and didn’t get it? And you’re thankful for the mercy of the Lord? Well, sometimes God will bless you and you didn’t deserve that. He just blesses you. He gives you more than you could think of.

What he says, he talks about, he will give us abundantly above all that we ask or even think. That’s why life is so wonderful because it’s so surprising. You can never figure out exactly what’s going to take place the next moment. You can’t always accurately predict everything. So in the process of life, God allows us to have a lot of heartache and a lot of sorrow. But in the midst of the heartache and sorrow is the Lord always there.

And He says, I’ll never leave you and never forsake you and I will always be there because I used to always ask this question when I was going through difficult times. Lord, where are you? it seemed like God has forsaken me. And then I came through the conclusion, true faithfulness to the Lord is when you remain faithful when it appears He’s let you down. Let me repeat that again. True faithfulness is when you remain faithful when it appears He’s let you down.

So there’ll be times in your life when you expect and it didn’t happen and God failed you. But he says, not only I will never leave you nor forsake you, I will not fail you. Those words are also in there in the book of Deuteronomy. I’ll not fail you. It means God doesn’t fail. He cannot fail. Now sometimes we expect things, but see there’s a plan that God has and God is working out his will in your life. You and I are supposed to believe that.

Another when it comes to praying, can you imagine that God’s children pray? He says, whatsoever you ask, you shall receive according to His will. Oh, we forgot that part. Whatever you ask, according to His will. What does God want? Lord, I want you to give me a million dollars this afternoon. Well, I didn’t get it. So there. God doesn’t answer prayer. He says, because you ask a miss or that you may consume it upon your own lust. See, it’s one thing to ask God for whatever you need to do whatever God wants you to do.

Whatever God wants you to have. Well, see, there’s some things you have not because he says you ask not. So whatever it is you want, ask. You say, well, God knows what I need. I don’t have to ask him. That’s not what he said. He says he has knowledge and he knows what you have need of before you ask. But it doesn’t mean you’re going to get it just because he knows you want it. Did you ask him? And you have not because you didn’t ask him.

I just think I’m going to ask for God for everything. If I don’t get him, it won’t be because I didn’t ask. Don’t you just feel like if this any part of this is even close to true, the difference that I’ll be making in life. What have you been asking God for lately? Talk to the Lord about everything. God says to do it and He’ll bless you. Now, there is this thing called persecution. Everybody loves it, right? Okay, nobody likes it.

But take your Bible and look in the book of John 16, the Gospel of John in chapter 16. John chapter 16. Jesus says that in this world, going to have persecution. So look there in verse 33. Verse 33, he talked to his disciples about some things. He told them about the Holy Spirit’s going to come and how it’s going to, you know, reprove the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. And he talks about the joy that he has and the joy that he wants to give.

And so he says, you’re going to be a little sorrowful because I’m going to go away and you’re not going to see me for a while. So they weren’t happy about that. So before we get that, let me just show you that look here in verse 20 of John chapter 16, verily, verily I send to you that ye shall weep and lament. Well, wait a minute, why don’t you just Lord keep that from happening? So we’re not sad and discouraged or despair.

Couldn’t God You know, prohibit us from having a bad day. But you know, God doesn’t stop you from having a bad day. A bad day is the attitude by which you face that day. You’re the one that determines whether it’s a good day or a bad day, not God. God simply gives us opportunities every day to choices, to make decisions. We’re the one that decides whether or not is this gonna be a good day is going to be a bad day.

I believe this is the day that the Lord hath made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.” So look what he says. In verse 20, he says, very, very, very, I say unto you that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice, and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. You ought to underline that in your Bible. you know that you’re going to win in the end. You’ve already cheated. You read their last book in the Bible and it says, we win even if they were to kill you, they’ve only shortened your life and heard you to heaven.

Isn’t that where we’re waiting to go? So if we was going to take a load right now would you be ready? Or would you want to wait a while? How many is ready to go right now? Most of you, That’s pretty good. Well, I don’t want to seem to be too spiritual, but y’all are going to need somebody to perform the funeral services. So I’ll stick around here and do the funeral services for everybody. And then after everybody’s dead, I’ll go.

OK. All right, now. John chapter 16, verse 33 says, these things, I have spoken unto you that, and you’re on the line these two little words. Because that’s very important. In me, you might have peace. Because you’re not gonna have it from the world. Even though it’s gonna be persecution, a lot of things go wrong. A lot of heartaches and suffering and sorrow. In me, you might have peace. In the world, you shall have tribulation. You see those prepositional phrases?

In the world, and in me. Two different places. And while you’re in one place having persecution and the heartache and the sorrow and the trials and tribulations and the sorrow yet in him I can have peace. In him I can have joy. And that’s why he says, my joy I give and my peace that I give. See there in verse 22, and ye now therefore have sorrow, but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice and your joy.

No man take it from you because see God’s gonna give you his joy, his peace. All you and I have to do is to abide in the Lord. And you’d be surprised what God will do for us. And so therefore back in verse 33, these things I have spoken unto you that in me, you might have peace in the world. You shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. He’ll never leave you and never forsake you, and he has all power and he can change anything.

He can alter anything. He’s God. So therefore, what’s the problem? You got a problem that’s too big for God to handle? How big is your God? And don’t think that your problems are too small to concern God with. Well, I don’t want to embarrass him. You know, he might not be able to do that. He would, you know, he’d only be bothered with my little things. And the big things in my life, well, there to be for him to do anything about anyway.

So you might as well just worry, worry, worry, worry, worry. Take your Bible now and look in the book of Proverbs chapter 3, the book of Proverbs in chapter 3. Because we’re talking about where was God? Where is God? He was there when I was born. He said, he never leave me, never forsake me. And I’ve been to a lot of rough places. And he said, he’d never leave me. He must have always been there. And now he says this in the book of Proverbs, chapter 3.

Look there in verse 5. Two verses that many people memorize, they love, and so forth. But it says, trust in the Lord with all thine heart. Lean not unto thy own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy path. Just a couple questions. It says trust, trust SetTextColor. Okay. What does it say about trust? Trust in who? In the Lord. Well, where is he?

Wheremorrow? Well, he’s on the other side of the world. He’s on the other side of those galaxies out there. I mean, he’sisSpecial he ain’t got time to be messing around with your little old life. I mean, who the world do you think you are? You’re just a little bitty nothin’ down here on this little planet. Have you been in the airplane? You look down and you see all those people that look so small, cars. I used to just be amazed at that thing.

One time I got on the plane and I looked at that and I said, Look at that. Look at that. Look at that. Those people, they look like a ranch. She says they are. We ain’t took off yet. But you know from your perspective, everything looks just, you know, so how to join this. Just can’t fathom things. There’s a divine perspective and a human perspective. So how do you look? Well, where is God? Where is He? Is He here right now?

Is He in this room right now? Where does He live? He lives where? inside of you. Do you really know that? Do you really believe that? I know God is here because I brought him. Now some of you probably brought Amalek this morning. I mean, I mean you have Amalek. I mean you know who Amalek is. Some of I’d miss a sermon a lot a week ago. Amalek’s a bad man. That’s an old sinful nature and he lives inside of you.

But you also So he says, greater is he that is in you than he that’s in the world. I got the Lord living inside of me. My body is the temple of the Lord. So therefore my body is where the Lord lives. And he lives in me. So I know that wherever I go, the Lord is with me. And so I know that I need to watch how I think. It’s not like I can have my own thoughts. No, nobody can read my thoughts.

Or do they? God know what I’m thinking? Isn’t that scary? Isn’t that humbling? Don’t you wish you had a delete button? Wouldn’t it be neat if in your Christian life, okay I’ve had something on delete. No trash, I can’t bring it back. And you could forget, it’s gone, it’s gone. No recollection. Have you ever did something that said, no I don’t remember. That he said, I told you that I don’t remember. I don’t remember. You know, we can try that with each other, but there’s the Lord that says, I told you, I don’t remember.

I didn’t hear you. The Lord, you know, I’m hardly hearing. I got hearing aids in both ears. It’s not my fault. I wish we could sometimes figure out a way to get out of heaven to be chasing the Lord sometimes. plea ignorance. Well, look what else he says here in this verse 5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart. Now wait a minute, if I’m going to trust in the Lord with all my heart, okay, what am I going to trust in for?

What am I trusting in for? Now these two verses really believe it or not is talking about your course of life. It’s talking about your understanding. So, who are you going to trust? Well, it says trust the Lord. Okay, when? When do you trust Him? All the time. And all by ways. And all by ways. How much? With all your heart. Man, that’s pretty inclusive here. Well, if I do that, then he must be there. He must be with me.

He has to know and hear everything and that I’m trusting him. Isn’t it something that God knows who’s trusting Him, depending upon Him? If you never say a word, but by faith alone is though faith is some invisible thing that you know locks on to God. Faith locksIng on God. Whenever you buy faith, take God at His Word. It’s like locking in on the God and God knows those who lock in on Him. It’s just like the woman that said, if I can just touch the hymn of his garment, I shall be healed.

She knew that. A lot of people touching him, but she was touching him with faith. She was believing something about who he is and what he can do. See a lot of God’s children is all of our Savior and God’s our Father, but there’s a lot of people that don’t understand and they don’t learn to walk with the Lord and to trust the Lord. So even in this, trust and law with all thy heart, lean not unto thy own understanding.

One other verse before we close, look there in the book of 2 Corinthians in chapter six. 2 Corinthians chapter six, I want you to notice this verse. Notice what he says in verse 18, he’s talked in here about us as a child of God, not walking in darkness, but walking in the light. How to believe God because of who you are. So he says in verse 18, and will be a father unto you and you shall be my son and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

The Lord Almighty. See you trusted him as your Savior but God’s talking about I want you to live as though I am your father and the father says I’m going to treat you as you’re my child. And that’s why in chapter 7 in verse 1 when he makes the statement having therefore received these promises. See there? Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

You see it makes a difference when you know that you’re living in the presence of the Lord. He is with you. Where’s God? He’s right here with me. Everywhere I go, I’m his child. He was there the day I was born. And said he’d never leave me, never appreciate me. That’s news from all the world. Are you a new listener to Bibleline? Do you enjoy the teachings of Dr. Arnold? Well, if you’ve never contacted us before, we want to give you Dr.

Arnold’s book, The Gospel Driven Man. Every day we receive many emails from folks who have questions about repentance and salvation, about faith in works, and about how to share the gospel with friends and loved ones. This book, The Gospel Driven Man, covers all those topics, and we want all new listeners of Bibleline to receive a free copy. There’s no obligation, no donation necessary, simply call us at 1-800-576-3771 or write to us and request your free copy of the Gospel-Driven Man.

The mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Again, don’t forget to include your mailing address, and God bless you and thank you for listening to Bibleline. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound and we will be changed.

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.