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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 Bibleignmenistries.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.

Inserted into my notes today is a picture of my chart. But not the whole chart because I’m not teaching on all of it, now it’s just the part of it. I’m always trying to figure out how to motivate people to do the things they’re supposed to do. I have lived long enough to find out that everybody is motivated to do whatever they want to do. But the key is to find out how to motivate people to do what God wants them to do.

So I find out, well, some of the things that helps me is, And so that’s what I teach. And one of the things that helps me to stay motivated is the second coming of Jesus Christ in the air for me known as the Rapture. So I want to cover that once again because there’s some reasons why. So I want to start off with you taking your Bible and turn into the book of of 1 Thessalonians in chapter 1. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1.

Because, you see, when we talk about the things that we ought to do for the Lord after we’ve trusted Christ the Savior, there’s something that’s got to be a motive behind why we do what we do. And if you look their in verse 3 says remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love and patience of hope. Now these three things are very important in a Christian’s life. And the reason is because you see we don’t live here forever, we only have a short period of time and then we’re going to check out of here.

We’re going to fly away. And that’s in the book of the 9th Psalm. And we shall fly away. Regardless of how long we live, we’re going to leave these bodies one day. Now I want you to look there in verse 10. In the meantime, to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come. Now the wrath to come we generally put that into that seven-year tribulation period up on the earth.

Now if you look there at your chart you’ll notice that from the cross the very next thing is what we call the church age. The day of grace that’s where we are. It’s the body age. The church made of Jews and Gentiles from Pentecost unto the rapture. That’s a specific period of time that we live. That’s where we are. So there is a beginning and there is an ending to it.

Well the next thing to happen is what we call the rapture and you’ll notice there’s a big old red arrow going up into the air and it has a blue line it points up to it. That blue line, look at the bottom part of it, talking about the rapture. This is the first phase of the Second Coming. Generally we could always say the Second Coming is when it comes at the end of the tribulation period and that’s the Second Coming and the rapture is when it comes for you and I seven years before that.

However you want to label it. This is what I mean. And you’ll notice right after that is on your chart, seven-year tribulation period. The seven-year tribulation period is the 70th week of Daniel and the 69th week ended when Christ was cut off. The seven years was shoved out there into the future and it’s for one week, not three and a half weeks. Or three and a half years, it’s for seven years. So that period of time cannot be reduced unless God just reduces it by maybe some days, and that’s another sermon.

So the tribulation period is the wrath to come. It talks about the wrath of the devil is going to pour out his wrath of the Antichrist, the last world government. There’s the wrath of God, the wrath of the Lamb. This seven years is not for any of us. We have not been appointed to this day of wrath. We are to be looking for the Son who has delivered us from the wrath to come. So while we’re waiting on the Lord to come back, it says that this is a very important teaching because of what it does for us.

So now I want you to look there in 1 Thessalonians and you’ll notice in chapter two and verse 19. Verse 19 says, for what is our hope? Remember, one of those things that he mentioned was the patience of hope. We patiently are waiting for this joyful anticipation. We call it the blessed hope. Remember, we’re talking about looking for something to happen. And we live every day expecting this miracle to take place. This mystery that was not known in time past, but now it has been revealed through the Apostle Paul to the church that we’re to be looking for something spectacular that’s going to take place.

I do hope that it’ll happen in my lifetime. But if the Lord doesn’t hurry up, my lifetime is not gonna be able to be around for much longer. And I think you know what I mean. But now notice what he said in verse 19, for what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, see those three words at his coming. So we’re believing that the Lord is going to come back.

But the Bible also states that many had already passed away. Many people have already died in the Lord. And he hadn’t come back, but many had died. When he talks about it in 1 Corinthians in chapter 15, when he’s talking about these witnesses and so forth, he says of over 500 and many remain until this day, which also another way of saying, a lot of them have already died. A lot of the witnesses that actually saw Christ, when he was here, have passed away.

So he didn’t come back in their lifetime, but it says we’re to keep looking, believing and with patience of hope that it could happen at any time. So I get excited about that. Now look in chapter three and verse 13. Verse 13 says, to the end he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. see when he comes, everyone who has already passed away, have already died, are going to come back with him, and we will see them and be caught up to meet them in the air.

And that’s explained there in 1 Thessalonians in chapter four. But now I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Titus and chapter two, the book of Titus chapter two. Now you get your teas all together, you know, your Thessalonians and Timothy’s and then Titus. And Titus and in chapter two, while we are waiting on the Lord to come back, we are to remember that this is a great motivating factor in the Christian’s life. Because see, if I really believe the Lord could come back at any time and you fall in love with the appearing of Jesus Christ, it’s one of the greatest motivators you’ll ever find to keep you pure while you’re waiting.

In other words, to stay on the ball, to keep serving God, not to take your eyes off the Lord. So look in verse 12 of the book of Titus in chapter two. Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, any way you wanna cut it. That tells you how you and I are supposed to live after we’ve trusted Christ as our Savior. It is not the will of God that His children live an ungodly life.

We’re to live a God in this present world. While we’re here, he hasn’t taken his home yet, and we always say if you’ve got a pulse, you’ve got a purpose. And if you’re not dead, you’ve got a reason for living. Look at it one more time. To live sober, that means of a sound mind. A sound mind comes because of sound doctrine, and sound doctrine comes from sound words. And sound words comes from the Word of God, learning the basic Bible doctrines that are found in the Scriptures.

And then notice what he says in verse 13, while we’re waiting doing all this godly living that we’re supposed to live in this present world, then he says there in verse 13, looking for the great tribulation. No, looking for the wrath to come. No, he says, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. So you and I are supposed to live today. expecting Jesus to come. You say, well, what if he don’t come, then I’ll look for him tomorrow.

Well, what if he don’t come then? Well, I’ll look for him the next day. I’ve already been looking for him for 58 years. You see what that means? He doesn’t keep his promise. Not as some men count slackness. He said, but God keeps his word. And he wants us to live our life believing that he would come back at any moment. And there’s a reason why. So turn in your Bible to the book of 1st, John in chapter 3, first John in chapter 3, interesting little verse here, first John chapter 3 and looking verse 1.

This is how God describes you and I after we’ve trusted Christ as our Savior. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God. I am a child of God because of the love of God. Even when I went astray, when I was lost and we have all sinned, God loved us and His love is manifested toward us. And while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Why? Because He loved us.

So He has bestowed his love upon us that we should when we believe that he did it for us. We are loved of God. That’s why he says you are a beloved. You have allowed God to love you. You see, some people reject Christ, reject God, and when you do that, you’re rejecting love. And you’ll never know love like the love of God. There is no love like the love of God. And if you don’t know God, you’ll never know love the way God intends it.

You say, I love my wife and I love my children. You can do all that, but it’s not the same kind of love. There is a divine love. I godly love. And when you can allow God to love you, then you can learn how to really love others. And if you don’t, you won’t. You can’t have it because there is a love that God wants to give to you that flows from you through you to others. And the greatest love you can ever have for anyone else is to tell them about the love of God.

If people don’t tell you about the love of God, is it because they don’t know the love of God? But there is no greater love. So now notice what he says here in verse 1, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore, the world knoweth us not because it knew him not. Beloved, you see that word now? Now? Now? Now are we the sons of God? See, I’m not going to be a child of God someday.

I already am a child of God. See, the reason I’m not trying to work my way to heaven because I’m already going to heaven, the way’s already been paid. I am not trying to be justified because I I already am justified. Now, beloved, now are we the sons of God and did death not yet appear what we shall be? But we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

The day is coming when all of us are going to see the Lord. Isn’t it amazing that we have fallen in love with someone? We’ve never seen. But we’ve met him through the pages of the Word of God, and we know that he loves us. And he’s also told us how to live in this present, ungodly world. And so because of that, he says that one of the things that I want you to keep doing, I want you to keep looking.

Looking for that blessed, you’re waiting patiently for it. The Lord may come back today. He may come tomorrow. So I live every day believing he could come back at any moment, but I still plan my life as though he may not come back for 100 years. I was like I taught a teach at college kids to pray. Pray like it all depends on God. And then work like it all depends on you. And you’d be surprised how many of your prayers will be answered because God will fulfill them through you.

But anyway, look in verse three, 1 John chapter three, verse three, and every man, get this, every man, every man that hath this hope in him purify himself even as he is pure. In other words, this hope of Christ could come back at any time, this joyful anticipation of of the soon coming of Christ in the air is what causes a person to want to live a holy godly life and you want to be pleasing to the Lord. Now I want you to take your Bible before we turn out of this year I want you to look in chapter 2 in verse 28.

First John chapter 2 in verse 28 where he makes a statement and now little children abide in him that when he shall appear we may have confidence and and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. Now, you’ll notice that these words are used as up here, up here, up here, up here. You see, when He comes at the end of the tribulation period, He doesn’t just appear. They see Him coming from afar, from outer space, and they will see Him coming.

When the rapture takes place, the Bible says, we will disappear here and appear at the Judgement City of Christ. So he’s going to appear, we’re going to disappear and then we’re going to appear at the Judgement City of Christ. So there is a difference between everybody in the world seeing him coming and then all of a sudden for him to appear and that’s what we’re looking for. Now look there in your notes and you’ll notice that I put in the yellow highlight the two words that make a difference, the rapture and the revelation.

Whenever you’re reading the scriptures and it talks about being in power, great glory revealed every eye, see it that’s generally referring to the end of the tribulation period when Christ comes to the earth, sets up His kingdom. We’re not to look for that because we’re not going to be in the tribulation period. We’re not going to be here doing this time of wrath. Now look up here just for a second and I just want to diagram the chart up here.

You see from here over, that’s the church age. Right here, that’s the rapture. This is the tribulation period. I am in the middle of the tribulation period and in the mist of the 70th week, the Bible says the Antichrist will be in the mist and he will claim to be God himself. And this year period of time, the first three and a half years called the time of sorrows, even mentioned in the book of Jeremiah, and then the great wrath upon the earth because the Antichrist is going to come.

But this is for this seven years. And then there’s another period of time called the millennium, which is a thousand years long. So there is a day, the church, there is a night, and there is a day. Now what separates these two days is a night. You know that’s why we have it now, you know. There was yesterday and it was today and and then last night. You say, well that taught in the Bible, I’m glad you ask. Now I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of 1 Corinthians.

1 Corinthians and chapter 15. 1 Corinthians and chapter 15, you’ll know there’s a truth that has not been revealed in the Old Testament. There are types, but the truth about the body of Christ was not revealed in the Old Testament. where the Jew and the Gentile, both believers form one body. That truth was a mystery, a truth that has been hidden in time-patched but now revealed for the first time. And God used Paul to reveal that truth. But here is another mystery.

You see there in chapter 15 and look in verse 51, Behold, I show you a mystery. In other words, this is the first revelation of this great truth. We shall not all sleep. That means all of us in the church age, we’re not all going to physically, we’re not all going to die. We are going to have a group of people that will be living when Christ appears. And when He appears, those people that are alive at that time that have trusted Christ’s Savior will be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye and caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

And so shall we ever be with the Lord. But we’re going to leave here and caught up to meet the Lord in the air. This is why this is not when Christ comes through the earth at the end of the tribulation period because that would make us have to go into the day of wrath and we’re not going there. He has not appointed us to this wrath. He’s going to deliver us. So we are patiently looking and waiting for this blessed hope that one day it will happen.

And I like to have it happen in my lifetime, wouldn’t you? Now I want you to look there in verse 2 where he says, and we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. That’s a sign that we put over our nursery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be. Anyway, we’re looking verse 52. I don’t want to explain that any further than that. By the way, for y’all that don’t know, we are becoming a very good church.

Every Sunday morning now we’ve got about 10, 15, 20 ducks that line up right outside of the front door. And whenever they start playing the music in here, here comes the ducks. And that’s not a joke. When they start the music, the ducks all gather and they gather at the front door and they listen to the music. And so that’s fine, that’s fine. But when they start anointing the sidewalk, me and Carl this morning had to get a hose and wash all their sins away.

But you’ll often hear, you got to get your ducks in a row. ducks were not in a row, they would gather together and those were holy ducks. But anyway, this is something that is going to take place in a moment in the twinkling of an eye. Get this. At the last trump of the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality.

You see, those who have already died, their bodies have corrupted their integrate. But to be absent from the body present with the Lord. So the Lord says that when He comes back, He’s going to bring them with Him. And those bodies that are in the graves are going to come out of the graves. But there’ll be a glorified body. Now Jesus was able to have a body that He could be seen and not seen. I don’t give everybody to see my body or not.

I just, like this one guy, he died in one’s way to heaven. I ain’t got no body.” Well, anyway. I want to have a body. I just don’t want to run around naked. If Bible says, if you know without a body, say, during the chapter 5, but who wants to run around naked? I don’t. I want to have me a body. Now, he makes a statement. We’re going to be changed. And so those that are alive are going to be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye.

I mean, in a lickety split, he will appear, will be changed and caught up to meet the Lord in the ear. And God says, then now that can happen at any moment. So we believe that. Now. I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of First Thessalonians, First Thessalonians in chapter 4. First Thessalonians chapter 4. Now, many of the notes that I have here, you can read those. And some of these were done by Dr.

Hank Lindstrom, but I wanted to outline it a little bit better. And put on there the chart so you could relate to it and put it in a little bit better format. But look there in 1 Thessalonians in chapter 4, look in verse 13, verse 13. But I would not have you to be ignorant brother. And then the reason he says that is because there are just so many ignorant brethren, people that do not know. So he’s talking to people in Thessalonians that he had been there about three, and then taught them all the major doctrines.

It’s amazing what he taught in just a short period of time. He said, I would not have you to be ignorant brother, concerning them which are asleep. That’s those Christians who have already died. That you sorrow not even as others which have no hope. You see, our hope is that we know, and that’s not a, well I hope I’m going to heaven, I hope I hope I hope I hope no, it’s a joyful anticipation that this is true because it depends upon what God said.

So he says that you sorrow not as others which have no hope. In other words, when we lose a loved one, we sorrow, but we don’t have to sorrow as those who have no hope at all. We know we’ll see our loved ones again. And verse 14, for if we believe, and keep the 10 commandments and go to Calvary Community Church and pay 50%, is that in your Bible? No. That should be. No, that’s not in your Bible. If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also would sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him?

So he can’t bring them with him if they’re not with him. Absent from the body, present with the Lord. So whenever I die, I’m not in my body. Death means I’ve left my body. And this body can go through the grave and the worms can eat it and then they’ll die. But don’t worry about the body. Don’t worry about how is God gonna get that body back. I mean, what if I was over there in Africa and next thing you know, I fell into the lake and 15 alligators devoured me?

Now where’s my body? So when the Lord comes back, 15 alligators are gonna lose some part. Now see, was planted another one can come back. Don’t worry about how God can do it. If God can create the heavens of the earth, out of nothing, he don’t have a problem. And I don’t need it because I don’t have to do the job. Now if it was my responsibility, I’d have a problem. And verse 15, for this we say unto you by the word of Yankee, word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent or go before them which are asleep, for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with a voice of the arcane, the trump of God and the dead in tri-sharized first, then we which are alive and remain unto

the coming of the Lord shall be caught up to meet them in the clouds.” Where are we going to meet them? In the clouds? See not coming to the earth. When he comes to the earth, that’s a different time. That’s a different coming to the earth. That’s when he comes in power and great glory because of the wrath of God in the battle of Armageddon and all the nations of the earth be gathered together. Now see, here’s the rapture.

That’s when you and I are taken out of this world. Then the tribulation period. And then Christ comes back to the earth. Empowering great glory and He’s going to bring us with Him. That’s because He came for His saints. Then He’s going to come with His saints to the earth. And He’s going to set up this new kingdom upon the earth for a thousand years. Then after that, yes, all kind of things happen in the new heavens and a new earth.

But God has laid these things out for us. 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 and Calvary Community Church. Tampa Youth Ranch is a great mix of live music, games, Bible study, food and fun, where teens 13 to 18 get to know God and the Bible with their friends. Check out our website at TampaUthRanch.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 Uth Ranch. 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.