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

We all want deliverance from our enemies. know we don’t want the devil to get us. And then we’ve got the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes, the pride of life. We’ve got this whole world and we’ve got some enemies in this world and sometimes it’s people. So you always got things you’re battling against. But the title of my sermon for the night is Lord saved me from myself. You’ll find out as you live a little bit longer, you probably are your worst enemy.

And you may not even be aware. So I want to give you a couple of things I think will help you. First of all, turn in your Bible to the book of Romans in chapter 7. Romans, chapter 7. If the apostle Paul had this problem, we probably got a little bit of it. You may want to do right, serve the Lord, but then we want to serve the Lord in our own way. We have thoughts, and after all if my heart is pure, my thoughts are pure, so I really don’t have to depend upon the Lord that much because my motive is good.

I want to do right. I can you go wrong with that? And so I determine what’s right. Me, my little low self, and that could be good and bad. Now here in Romans in chapter 7 verse 15, for that which I do I allow not. But what I would, that do I not. But what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I can send into the law that it is good. Because you know I wouldn’t do anything bad.

Now then it is no more I that do it but send that dwell within me. I didn’t do it. Devil made me do it. For I know that in me that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. For the will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. So the Christian life is growing, learning how to perform, how to do what God wants you to do. Now we know that going to heaven is the gift of God, that’s free.

That doesn’t cost us anything. But buddy after we trust Christ as our Savior, when you want to serve the Lord, you’re going to have some difficulty between what God says and what you think and believe on your own. Remember, God has His will and you and I have ours. And sometimes we have a stubborn will. But we never want to admit it. And we’re always right. Everybody’s always right. When’s the last time you ever said to words, I was wrong?

Well, back in 1935, I was wrong. I think one of the one time there. Oh, that’s right. I wasn’t born yet. Okay. And he says here, for the good that I would, I do not, but the evil which I would not that I do. Now, if I do that, I would not. And there’s no more I that do it, but sin that dwell within me. I find then a law that when I would do good evil is present with me.

For I delight in the law of God after the inward man, but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and bring it into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members, O wretched man that I used to be, O Am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mine, I myself served the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin.

You got choices, choices. And I guess I’m going to be speaking on that Sunday morning. See ya. Liberty that we have to make choices. The free will of man versus the sovereignty of God. But remember God in His sovereignty chose to give man a free will and some Calvinists just can’t figure that out. But now, once you look there in your notes, we daily need the Lord to deliver us from ourselves. We are our worst enemy. You see, we can encourage ourselves and we can discourage ourselves.

We can be happy one moment and sad the next. We can decide so many things, make so many decisions. A scripture that I have here, I’ve got two of them, one in 2 Timothy 2, 26, and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will. Now this is to the believers, not talking into the lost man. So the devil can capture you unless you’re on your guard, unless you are aware, unless you study to show yourself approved unto God.

That’s in 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 15. The next verse, take heat unto thyself and unto the doctrine, continue in them for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee. So the reason you study the Word of God and talk to the Lord and do the things that are right so that you can deliver yourself from all the snares that the devil has. And because of that God can use you to teach others and to help save their lives.

People are struggling. People are always struggling. You see, each one of us in here are kind of like when we mature in the Lord, you light little shepherds and there’s a bunch of little sheep and so we’re trying to care for the sheep and sometimes there’s sheep and no shepherd. So look here at number one, why do I need to save myself? Well, for my thoughts are not your thoughts. Neither are your ways, my ways, say it to the Lord.

That’s an Isaiah 5a. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. The point is you don’t think like God. Your ways are not His ways. Your ways are not as high as His ways. If you want to change the caliber of your life just change the caliber of your thoughts. Think better. And this is mentioned, of course, in the book of Philippians in chapter 4 on learning how to think.

We could think right, we can live right. We could think right, we’d always be encouraged if we think right. But despair and all those things, that comes because you’re not thinking right. And it can happen to you very quickly and we could be so discouraged that we don’t have strength to continue on. But I wanted you to see this because I believe it is very important. Number two there, what does scripture say about a person who seeks his own way?

So John John, look up Proverbs 12, 15 for us, and I want Bob to look up Proverbs 28, 26. Read Proverbs chapter 12 verse 15. What does it say John? The way of a foe is right in his own eyes, but he that harkness unto counsel is wise. Are there any folds in the world? I think there’s a few of them. 14 and verse 14, John John. The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.

Now the point of this is you reap what you sow. When you decide to go your own way, do your own thing, there is a price to pay. You’re going to sow some seeds, but you’re not going to like what comes up. You’ll make decisions now, but the The consequences of those decisions are going to be felt on down the road. And if you want good things, 10 years from now, so good things today. And if you say, well, it doesn’t matter what I do, blah, blah, blah, and you go ahead and you do it.

Okay, but down the road, you’re going to wish you never made those decisions because you reap what you sow. And it’s so important. Bob, read that next verse. We’ll get up to 28. He that trusteth in his own heart as a fool, but who so walketh wisely he shall be delivered. Remember, he that trust in his own heart is a fool. That means you should not trust yourself. Now in the book of Jeremiah it makes this statement that it is not with in man that walketh to direct his steps.

What he means is you’re not smart enough. You don’t have the wisdom you need to guide yourself. of pride is when you seek to do it without the counseling of God. That’s a proud man. When he thinks he’s so smart he doesn’t need to steady the word of God. God’s word hits on every issue of life. I don’t know what it is. The answer is in the book. I used to see this sign everywhere. Jesus is the answer. Jesus is the answer.

Jesus is the answer. Do you ever see that? I didn’t even know what the question was. But Jesus is the answer. the answer. But I didn’t have a clue. What are you talking about? Jesus is the answer, especially when you go up through Tennessee and so forth. It’s all in all the signs. Rock City, look out city, here come, and Jesus is the answer. It’s just one answer to the other, but there’s always watch out for this rock city or something, rock on a fall on you.

I don’t know what it is, but anyway, they’re in Isaiah 5, 21, right there in your notes, woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes. Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes. This is when you exalt yourself. You trust your judgment more than you trust gods. And so this is why you need to be wise and think about what God’s Word says and not to trust yourself. Now, number three, what should we do with Godly counsel?

In Proverbs 3, 5, it says, trust in the Lord with all thine heart, lean not unto thine own understanding. Labor not to be rich, cease from thine own wisdom. God warns us about the flesh, about the wisdom of man. You see, if the princes of the world had known who Jesus would, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. They didn’t know. And yet he was right there. Think of all the prophecy that was given, but they didn’t know the Word so they didn’t recognize the Son of God when he came in it.

They wished not who it was. And sometimes you wonder, do you know who I am? Do you know who I am. Well, with the Lord, do you know who He is? Now, you may have trusted Him in your Savior, but do you know the Lord as far as your life goes that you can trust Him? And you’ll reveal that by trusting Him. And if you don’t trust Him, then what? Because you don’t know enough about Him. You don’t know how God works.

You can’t take Him at His Word. And so you can worry and fret and you fall apart because because you just don’t know how God deals with man. Now, I want you to look there at number four, signs of living for yourself. John, John, verse Samuel chapter eight, verses five through seven. And then I want you to also have, Bob, you can look at 19 through 21, same chapter. But now listen to this because this is so important. 1 Samuel 8 verses 5 through 7, read this three verses.

And said unto him, Behold thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel, hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee, for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me that I should not reign over them.

The desire to be like everyone else. Isn’t that the peer pressure that we have in this world? Where you take teenagers and the college age, majority want to be like everybody else. They want to do what everybody else is doing. If they’re doing it, they want to do it. I would rather be a loner, a lone ranger, And do I, what I believe God wants me to do, instead of being like everybody else. I made up my mind years ago.

I don’t wanna be like the cattle. I wanna be a leader. I want to make my own decisions and go the way I believe God’s word says. And I’m gonna spend the time that it takes to memorize scripture, learn the word of God and how God works so that I can do what God wants me to do. I’m only gonna live one time. I don’t get a chance to do this over again. If God has all these warnings in His Word.

Why should I want to try to prove God wrong? Why should I want to go through life resisting God? Is though I can go counter to the will of God and win? Why would I want to be a loser? So why would I want to make the dumb, stupid decisions of thinking that I’m smart enough without God and I don’t need Him? I need the word of God. I need the trust and Lord every day. We daily need the Lord to deliver us from ourselves, because you be surprised how your mind will work and how it can deceive you so easily.

Read the next scripture there, Bob. Nevertheless, the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. They said, nay, but we will have a king over us. That we also may be like all the nations, that our King may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles. And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord. Those are some very good warning scriptures. When you want to be like the other, God wanted to direct his people, and he can have judges, and he got a theocracy, but they got to have a king.

All the other kings, they got kings, and we want a king. It made Samuel mad and God was angry, but is it possible that you can want something so bad God will let you have it after a while? And then you’ll find out you shouldn’t have done it. And he says, the king, well, well, they’ll take your men, they’ll take some of your women and they’re going to take some of your land, they’re going to take some of your cattle and they’re going to take from you.

They live high on the hog and they take it from everybody else. ask for it. And God would have blessed. But now, the one that we have here in Judges is so important. See, let her be, under no authority. A sign of living under, you don’t want authority. You don’t want somebody telling you what you can and cannot do. This is why some women are a poor risk for marriage. Why? Because they will not submit themselves to a husband’s authority.

Some people are poor risk for a job. If they cannot submit themselves to the the authority is. I don’t give you where you are. Everybody has to submit to somebody. I have to submit to a board of elders. And we’ve got everybody got responsibilities. The college teachers have got to submit. College students have got to submit. Everybody has to submit to somebody. You’re not just free to do anything that you want to do. And that’s what causes a maverick.

In other words, a little while stair, he’s a maverick. And that’s the way some people want. But it’s not the way God designed it. John, John, Judges chapter 2 and verse 19, Judges chapter 2 verse 19 is a word that I want you to, I’ll bring it out, but the word corrupted. Say it loud. Go ahead and read it. And it came to pass when the judge was dead, that they returned and corrupted themselves more than their fathers in following other gods to serve them and to bow down unto them.

They cease not from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.” Now did you see there’s several things there. They corrupted themselves. Chances are if you stop serving the Lord and you go the wrong, you did it to yourself. You will corrupt your mind. When you compare your wisdom with gods and and think you’re just a little bit brighter, a little bit smarter. You don’t have to do like, well, everybody else wants to know, I’m gonna serve the Lord my own way.

You’ll serve God God’s way or you won’t serve the Lord. It’s not the way it’s gonna work. God has his will and you’re gonna have to submit to it. And that means sometimes you have to swallow your pride. I didn’t like doing that. I wasn’t used to somebody telling me, I wasn’t raised with a dad telling me I couldn’t couldn’t do. I did whatever I wanted and I stayed out as late as I wanted and I ran around all night long if I wanted and I did and when I got ready to I hitch-tiked all the way across the mirror because I wanted to.

I didn’t answer to anybody. When I got married, five states in a year and a half because I would not yield to authority. That’s why I did not know if I would ever make it in Baba College because I had to stay in one spot and submit myself and have some teachers tell me what I couldn’t couldn’t do, what I had to know and all that and that was very difficult for me but I came to the conclusion I wanted it more than anything else in the world so I had to learn to yield to authority.

Whenever you have kids that won’t yield to authority they’re a poor risk for Mary boy Oh girl, they don’t matter. And if they don’t love their mom and dad and treat their parents right, they’re not going to treat you right. Just watch to see how they’re doing. Learn things. It’ll help you tremendously. But in chapter 17 and verse 6, go ahead and read that Bob. In those days, there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Go ahead and read the one in 21, 25. In those days, there was no king in Israel. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes. I think he did have it memorized by now. Every man did that which was right and what? In his own eyes. These are warnings in the scripture. Isn’t it true that most people do what they want to do instead of what God says? In other words, they think that the Lord’s will is like going through a cafeteria line and you can pick and choose what you like.

Well, I don’t like that. So I’m not gonna obey that one. Well, I like this verse. I don’t like that verse. You know, I like the the lettuce here and I like this, but I don’t like that and I don’t want that. And you think that’s where the Christian life is. No, God’s going to put things in your life that you’re not going to like. He’s going to allow things to come, to happen, experiences, trials, and tribulations. And you may have to get a little bit of all of those things, but God knows how He’s working in your life and all these things are very important.

But some people just do not want authority. Stop fighting God. Just yield to Him. Just do whatever God wants you to do. Learn His word and obey it. get to the place where you have to always, you know, God has to talk you into everything. Don’t be like Moses battling against it. He wasn’t doing it, but he was a bitter man. Moses was a bitter individual. He had anger problems. Now, you notice the scripture here says in Isaiah 65, do I have spread out my hands all the day on to get to a rebellious people.

They did it to themselves. Which walk in a way that was not good. After and you’re done the line that their own thoughts, their own thoughts. And you got thoughts. But remember this, Satan cannot read your mind. I don’t believe, I believe he can put thoughts into your mind. And you have to learn how to discern the thoughts. And what is a verse in the Bible that can help you to discern your thoughts in the intents of the heart.

There’s a verse in the Bible that says something like that. Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 12. And the word of God will help you to discern the thoughts whether they are of God or they’re not. All God’s thoughts will lead towards godliness, holiness, and they’re good, but verses or thoughts that will not, they’re not from the Lord. That’s the Holy Spirit not on the Holy Spirit. Look at letter C. Let her see, always being right. Proverbs 16-2, read that John, all the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes, but the Lord weigheth the Spirit’s.

In his own eyes, everything is clean. He believes he’s right. Now, have you ever met somebody who’s always right? They’re never wrong. They’re always right. I mean, is there anybody else like that beside me? But there’s some people that they’re never wrong. They’re never wrong. They say one of the problems that old Trump has is he never apologized for anything. Well, I guess it’s because he thinks he’s always right. Is he? I don’t know. But you are an individual.

And if you’re wrong, you’re wrong. always weigh your thoughts, your deeds, your words, your actions, your motives, all those according to the will of God and see how you’re doing. An unexamined life is not worth living so you want to weigh these things. That’s what a wise man does. A wise man will examine himself but if you’re not wise you will destroy yourself. You will corrupt your manners, you’ll corrupt your ways, your language, everything about you gets corrupted. In other words, it’s not pure like God wants it to be.

Look at the next verse there. 21 and verse 2. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes. In his own eyes. But the Lord pondereth the this is always continually talks about in a man’s eyes. The book of Proverbs loaded with wise statements and because if you’re looking for wisdom then the book of Proverbs is a good book for doing so. If you’re looking for a warmth and understanding from the Lord then the Psalms will be good in going over problems that you may be having because it deals with how you think and feel and This is why it’s so important to study those two books especially.

Look at letter D. The majority of one’s time, talent, and treasure spent on self. Instead of first kings there, I want us to take our Bibles and turn to the book of Luke. Turn to the book of Luke in chapter 11. Luke, chapter 11. Once you see a couple of these verses here. Because otherwise, you know, your life is about yourself. And the Lord warns us about laying up treasures upon earth. for yourself. There’s nothing wrong in having things.

If you’ll understand, get things right, spend things right, save things right, give things right, there’s nothing wrong in wealth. It’s the love of money that is the root of all evil, not money. But you look there in Luke in chapter 12, did I say chapter 12? I meant 12. Well, that’s the first mistake I’ve ever made. Look in verse 11,Hundreds, I just apologized didn’t I? But anyway, in verse 15 he says, and he said unto them, take heed and beware of covetousness for a man’s life consisted not in the abundance of the things which he possesses.

There’s a lot of people in this world that believe just that. They believe that their value of their life is revealed by how much they possess. And I’m a millionaire, I’m a trillionaire, billionaire, or whatever. So what? When you die, you’re gonna leave everything and it don’t matter how much. You can’t live, I don’t get how much money up. You can’t live, I don’t believe a more happier life than I can live if I don’t have it. I still am an individual.

Some people are content with very little little and they’re peaceful and they have joy and they’re happy. Not all rich folks are happy in case you didn’t know that. All poor folks are not miserable. Some of the poorest folks are happy folks because sometimes all they got is each other and they can get along better sometime. But it’s amazing how many people they get married and lo and behold they kill them one another just to get their money. Always say, be nice to your kids.

They might determine which nursing home you go to. Then you’ll notice down here, he makes a statement in verse 20, but God said unto him, Thou full, this night thy soul shall be required of thee, then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? So is he that lath up treasure for and see that word himself, for himself, and is not rich toward God. Did you know the Bible talks about it in Corinthians about being poor yet making many rich because you’ve got something that people need?

I believe the knowledge, the truth that we have from the Word of God, we’re able to make many people rich. You ought to see some of the emails and comments that I got. I mean I get so many of them that’s just wonderful to read. I get a few of the other kinds too, but I just don’t pay them no attention. I mean, I can’t help it if everybody doesn’t love me, but I do appreciate the few that do.

This is your invitation to join us for our third Sunday dinner held in the Florida Bible College of Tampa building on the Calvary Community Church Campus. The dinner is a family-style, covered dish dinner, and a great way to showcase your favorite dish and pick up new recipes. Each month, you have the opportunity to invite your family and friends to join us for our Sunday morning service at 1030, and then stay for our third Sunday dinner immediately following noon. Third Sundays at Calvary Community Church, where you’ll be fed spiritually and physically.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church He 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. Taught 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.