This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. 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 supply of 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.

You know, I wonder over the years. You can’t make anybody trust the Lord. They have to be one. They persuade. And so whenever you explain the gospel, the truth of the gospel is what causes people to see if they really see and understand it. The majority of people trust the Lord. And so, when in a person to the Lord’s one thing, now getting somebody to walk with the Lord to, well, a little bit more difficult because you don’t have to serve God to go to heaven.

So some people don’t believe in serving God at all. I just think we ought to serve the Lord because of what He’s done for us. And so in our ranch meetings, we used to win hundreds and hundreds and hundreds to the Lord. Then we would have, that was our soul winning tool. It was like a soul winning machine. Then we took kids to these camps, because then we wanted to get them to dedicate their life to serve in the Lord.

So you took away everything away from them that they didn’t need. There was no radio, no television, no cell phones. They didn’t exist in those days. And so they didn’t have any of those things. And we took away all that friendship they had with the kids in school and just got them into camp. And just gave them some Bible, four or five hours of Bible a day, a lot of activities, wear them out, wear them out as much as we could so they’d go to sleep at night, sometimes it worked.

Not all the time. Some kids, you can’t wear them out. They ship all the counselors and the speakers that’d be worn totally worn out. And then just to get a few people that dedicate their life to the Lord. And then out of those, they get them to go to Bible colleges. And then out of those, they get just a few of them to serve a Lord. And then some of them never make it. Never do with their life what God wanted to.

And that’s so important. So I got a few verses that I wanted to add to what I had done the other week. But verses to help us in walking with the Lord. Now these are some of the things that goes over in my mind. I’ve always felt if it’s good enough for me, it just might be good enougharij for somebody else. Because whatever motivates me, well, if it motivates me, maybe if they knew the same thing that motivated me, it might motivate them.

And I come to realize that everybody’s motivated to do what they wanna do. But trying to get somebody motivated to do what God wants them to do, even kids, teenagers, they’re motivated do whatever they want to do. But parents or themselves out trying to figure out a way to motivate the kid to do something he’s supposed to do, like clean up his room or cut the grass or with a good attitude and they struggle. And the Christians, well, even become adults, we find out we’re still struggling because we have a will of our own and we want to do whatever really ples us.

But anyway, these are some of the verses that stuck in my mind. I want you to look there in the first part, where have Genesis chapter five verse 22, and you’re gonna line these in your Bible later, but says, Enoch walked with God. Made a statement at the Grace Conference, and I made it here also. A lot of people talk about, well, and I noticed a lot of Baptist churches do this, and also there’s a lot of big churches are going to omega churches and they talk an awful lot about everybody needs to have a relationship with God.

Now having a relationship with God can mean one of two things. Are you related? You ask my daughter. Oh, she’s my daughter. How are you related? Well, she was born into my family. Okay. Okay. So that’s the relationship. But you may be talking about not just, she’s my daughter, but how are y’all getting along? So we may want to know how do you get along. So whenever somebody is talking about, you know, you need a relationship with God. Now are you talking about being born into his family and you’ve been his child and being your father?

And that’s the relationship you’re talking about? Or are you talking about how are you walking with God? How is your walk with the Lord? that’s a totally different thing. But then you begin to use in the Word, you’ve got to explain because when you just tell a lost man, you know you need a relationship with the Lord. What do you mean? And if you’ve got to explain that, why don’t you just talk to him by salvation? Because so you can get saved today and never have a walk with God because you could die the very next breath death or like that.

And you can be a child of God and never have a walk with God. So can you be saved and not have a walk? Yes. So whenever you talk about having a relationship, it sounds good, sounds even spiritual. But the only problem is you’ve got to explain what do you mean by it? It just comes another way of, well, it’s not clear. And so I believe in clarity, trying and cares you possibly can. But Enoch, when I was at something I had people say, you know, you need a relationship with God.

What do you mean by that? You talked about having a walk. And there’s people who have a closer walk with God. Some people walk closer than somebody else. Or you’re having a deeper walk with God. Or, you know, as I’ve grown older in the Lord, I believe my walk with the Lord is deeper than it used to be because I feel like I can understand God better. I know He understands me. But as I grow in the Lord, I’m understanding God.

And I want to walk with the Lord. I want to have a deeper, a greater meaning in my walk with the Lord because I realize, you know, it’s just a short period of time that we get to live after we trust the Lord. And we never know when the walk is going to be through. So as I go back and I look at some of these guys, Enoch walked with God”:[{” but also I want to know, what do you mean by I walk with God?

Look at the next verse. Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him. Also, when he talks about Enoch, God took him, but he took him because, you see, he had this testimony that he So, walking with God, means you’re living in such a way that’s pleasing to God. We walk in such a way that pleases the Lord. Because it’s just not, you know, I’m, have you ever been with somebody and you can walk in the same direction, never.

Can I own a woman, be in the car and drive 500 miles and never say a word? Well, we’re having a relationship. Well, the young reason you may be getting along because you’re not communicating at all. But now notice this. The very next verse, Genesis chapter six and verse nine, these are the generations of Noah. Noah was a just man and perfect in his generation and Noah walked with God. Now, God blessed these that walk with him. And I I see it in the New Testament, God says many, many times for us to walk with God, walk as He is in the light and walk in love.

So this walking with God, my fellowship with God, remember the Bible uses the word fellowship many times. But fellowship is like two fellows in a ship, but they go in the same direction. And so our fellowship with the Lord is a reference about our walk with God. So if I’m going to walk with God, then I should walk in truth. If I’m going to walk with God, I should walk in light. If I’m walking with God, I should walk in a way that’s pleasing to God so that my walk means something.

It’s just not a word. And God says that he wants your joy to be full. In other words, be close to the Lord. As close as you want to get. You know, no one can make you get saved and no one can make you walk with God because it’s a choice that you make and nobody can make you do that. God make you wish you had of, but it’s still a choice between you and the Lord to walk with him.

Look at the next scripture we have here. To walk with God means to please God. And so you want to find out what pleases God. So one of the reason that we study the word of God is so we’ll find out what makes God happy. You see, we’re always concerned about what makes me happy. What pleases me? What do I want to do with my life? Now, I want you to know that God never asked These Old Testament Saints or the New Testament Saints.

What would you like to do with your life? What would you like to be? Where would you like to go? When I studied the Scriptures, I don’t see him asking them that question. Would you like to be a doctor or a lawyer? You want to be a fireman? You want to be a cowboy? What do you want to do with your life? God just simply put His will in His Word, and the same Word reveals the will for all of God’s children.

You see, I don’t have one Bible that this is for Yankee, and God gave another Bible, well, this one is for Jesse. So Jesse has to read this Bible to find God’s will for his life, and I have to read this one. We only got one Bible for all the people and all of God’s family. And through the Word of God we find out the will of God. Wherever I am, and as he says in Matthew chapter 10, what’s whoever city you go to?

This is what you do. And who’s ever how else you enter? This is what you do. If you get married, this is how you’re supposed to treat your wife. This is how you’re supposed to be about your husband. This is how you’re supposed to be about your kids. So the Bible hits on every subject, whatever job and whatever you do, whatsoever thy hands findeth the do, do with all thy might, whatsoever thy hands findeth, whatever you do. You see, God’s given us so much freedom, so much room to move and to serve and to choose.

But there’s a reason for our lives that we get from the Word of God that I didn’t find in Oh, there it is, Yankee. When you’re 70 years old, go to Tampa, Florida. Oh, well that really helps. Wouldn’t that really help? If you just find it in here. Oh, here’s one for Jesse. Jesse, you’re supposed to marry Kyla on the beach. You don’t find the will of God like that. Now, I want you to know that I believe that it’s important.

Look at the very next verse, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power. For Thou hath created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created. Now, who created us? He did, for what? To place it? for thy pleasure, thou art, and were created.” So I was created to please God. So then I need to find out what please is God. Now we’re in the world, am I gonna find how to please God?

Well, you go to the Safeway store and you buy some of these books off the shelves and you’ll find it in there somehow. No? He gave us his word. So as we read and study the word of God, you’ll find this please is God you’ll find out there’s other things that that doesn’t please God. So I find God’s will for my life. I find in those things that please God. And I find out what doesn’t please God. Because there’s always a do’s and don’ts.

Some things that are acceptable to the Lord and some things are not acceptable. So that’s why he says do those things that are pleasing in his sight. So notice this next verse, By faith in it was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him for before his translation he had this testimony. Well what did it say up there in Genesis 522? He walked with God. Does walking with God please God? every chalom God can please God by walking with God and walk in love and walk in truth.

See it’s not based upon talent, but it is based upon character. So this is why it’s so important. Nowmediate says that he please God, but the other verse says because he walk with God, that please God. Noah walk with God, that please God. When I started to understand something, all I wanted to do was just to do with just to do with just God. I had to get to where I don’t want to tell God what I want to do and say, well, this is what I want to do, bless me okay?

I just let it happen. I’ve never tried to figured all out. Because it’s a lot easier just Do what right you know to do. See a path of righteousness is just put down all the things you know to do that’s right and it’ll become a path of righteousness. Just do all the right you know to do. And when you read and study the Word of God and it says, that’s not good. Oh, that’s one thing I don’t need to do.

It’s just like in the book of John 15 when he cuts off things out of your life that hinder your growth or your fruit that you may have. So you cut off out of your life those things that just eaten up your time, sapping your strength, and put it into more fruitful areas of your life. You may plant a lot of things and some things grow and some things don’t grow. Well whatever grows, keep water net. I have had a few deaths of a vision.

You know where I’ve had dreams that never materialized. And I’ve lived long enough to realize I am so glad that everything that I’ve wanted and desired hasn’t happened. But isn’t there a verse in the Bible that says, delight thyself in the Lord and He shall give thee what? The desires of thine heart. I found out that some of the things I don’t need, but overall God has blessed and fulfilled my richest desires. And I’m glad I’ve lived long enough to be able to do that because see I can tell somebody else Now look, you serve the Lord and God will bless your life because I know it’s true.

Look at the next verse, but without faith, it is impossible to please them. So we’re supposed to please God, but without faith, you can’t please God. Okay, well, where do you get that at? Do you go buy that at the store? Where do you get it? You go to church and get a little faith. Faith coming by what? Faith coming by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Without faith, it is impossible to please him, and get this, for he that cometh the God must believe that he is and that he is a re-water of them that diligently seek to please him, to please him, I added in, but that’s in the context.

That’s what he’s talking about. And so, it’s impossible to please God without doing what he tells you to do, because it really pleases God when you read the Word of God you believe it and you live by faith. Living by faith is taking God at His Word. Believing that what He says is true and you do that and God will bless you. So the next verse, so then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. You will not find the will of God watching some no TV program.

You can enjoy it and be amused and it can be entertained, but you don’t generally find the Word of God on TV unless, well, it was there eight years when I was doing TV. Or if you listen to the radio, you can hear the Word of God. But one of the best ways is just to sit down with the Bible and begin to read it and study it and meditate in it. And so he says, faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

Look at the The next little statement I have here that’s in the bowl, don’t trade the love of the Lord in order to get the love of the world. God lays us down pretty strong because our whole Christian life after we’ve trusted the Lord is a test of our love. Do we love the Lord more than the things of the world? And that’s evident by the decisions that you make. So having choices, God will let you choose. Everything that’s against him, he’ll let you walk contrary to him.

That doesn’t mean he loves you less, but you won’t learn as much about him because he may have to chase and discipline. But he says, if you will obey me and serve me, he says, my Father will make himself known to you. You’ll learn things about the Lord through obedience in any other way. Now get this. The first statement there is love not the world. Who said that? Well, the word of God says that love not the world. Well, what is the love of the world?

And you mean I’m not supposed to love being here? God put me here. Well, there’s nothing wrong in being here. And he says that in this world, he has freely given to us all things to enjoy. So we can enjoy a lot of things, but we’re not to love these things because everything in the world is going to pass away. So don’t spend your life on all those things that will pass away so he makes the comparison. Love not the world, neither the, see that word, things.

That are in the world, if any man loved the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Not doesn’t say you’re not saved, because we’re not saved because we love God. We don’t have to love God to be saved. We’re saved because He loved us. And then He says, we love Him because He first loved us. And He says that the love of Christ is manifested. And he’s manifested his love toward us, and while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

So he’s already manifested his love toward us. Now the goal is, can we manifest our love back to him by what he’s done for us? Now look at this. The very next verse tells you a little bit about what he means by love, not the world. So he says, for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, this is what he’s talking about, the lust of the flesh, that’s the bitterness, the hatred, the envene, jealousy, backbiting, it’s the desires of the flesh that are wicked, that are wrong and contrary to the will of God.

And you’ll find that whole list mentioned in the book of Galatians in chapter 5. So every one of us have sinful desires. And what he’s saying is don’t love those sinful desires. Don’t make ,the goal of your life fulfilling sinful desires. And you have to even watch your thought life. And then look at the next one. And the lust of the eyes. That means the things219 that you can see. Don’t fall in love with the things of this world, the things that you desire of the flesh and the things that you can see.

You can see a car and fall in love with that car. There’s nothing wrong with having a car. There’s nothing wrong with having a house. Nothing wrong with having any of these things. A lot of God’s men were very prosperous and they had a lot of things, but don’t love them. that you wrap your whole life around the things of this world that are going to pass away. And they eat up your time. Remember when he says that the devil runs to and fro, and he’s like a lion seeking whom he may devour.

The way he devours the Christian is he eats up your time. He gets us a spending time because he life is made up of time. When you waste time, you waste life. You waste opportunities. You waste purpose. You waste a lawful law. And it’s gonna cost you dearly. So don’t let the devil cause you to love something that will eat up nothing but your time and you’re not being profitable. You should try to be profitable in everything, every day that honors the Lord.

Now get what else he says. And the pride of life. That means the honor, the fame, the glory. And God says, you don’t have to be the biggest, you don’t have to be the best. You don’t have to fill your life with the pride of sinking. Because see, whenever you want that, and you want it more than anything else in the world, and when you want things that money can buy, remember it’s not the money, it’s not the problem, it’s the love of money because, well, if I had the money, I can get this and get that and get it.

And so people begin to fall in love with money and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. So he says, don’t love those things because they’re going to bring a lot of heartache. Things of the world are hard to get and hard to keep and grace sorrow when you lose them. And so many people have pierced themselves through and become so entangled with the affairs of this life that they cannot please him who have called him to be a soldier.

So you have to watch that. Now get this. He says, for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of love is not of the Father but is of the world. And God knows that if his children want to walk with him and have fellowship with him, then you cannot fall in love with the world. There’s a division, there’s a separation and you need to learn to love the Lord with all your heart.

Because if you don’t, that’s why he says, unless you hate mother and father and brother and sister, he says you cannot serve me. Why? Because your love for them will mean more to you than the love you have for God. And you will take and do what it takes to win them and not win Christ. Please them and not please Christ. You have to love the Lord enough that you willing to take the shame from every source. In order to please God.

Just something to think about. Now look at the next statement. The impact of doing God’s will will bring lifelong blessings. The longer I live, I believe the more of the blessings of God I see. There was a time when I thought the blessings were all the good things that happened to me, and all the things that happened to me that I didn’t like were the bad things. I’m not totally convinced that that’s the perspective that I should have. Because there’s always the divine perspective from God’s angle, and there is a human perspective from our angle.

And we don’t always agree on what really is a blessing. Somebody came up with me long ago and says, boy, I got some bad news. I says, no, you got some news. It’s not bad unless you have perceived it to be bad, but some things might come across as that’s bad, but it might be good. And some things we consider that might be good might be bad. So there’s people who have news, but it depends on your perspective. I find out that a lot of times my perspective isn’t right, I will react with a attitude towards something that’s happening in a very negative way.

And so over the years I’ve tried to learn, don’t get over excited when I get news or below the level of average when I get what I think is bad news. Because I’ve lived long enough to find out that some of those things that hurt Have taught me very valuable lessons that down the road I’ve been able to use a lot more than some of the good things that I thought was the best and you will have Your mind sharper it will become more even sensitive and you can discern better and so the blessings of life toward the end of life seems to become more rapid.

And you look back over your life and you see where you were and how God has opened up doors and blessed and closed doors and things like that to bring us to where you are now. And it ain’t that bad. It’s amazing how the devil can rob us out of so much peace and so much joy that we could have had and we forfeited it because of our attitude. Because everything that happened to Job was because God was mad at Job, God was punishing Job.

He said, God just showed him how much further he needed to go. There was so many more lessons that Job needed to learn. And the latter end of Job was that God blessed him more than he ever had before. It ain’t over yet. 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.

book The Gospel Driven Man covers all those topics and we want all new listeners of Bible line 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 4011 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And now, a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. One day it will happen. The trumpet will sound, and we will be changed. Hot up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believe in that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep looking up.