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

Alright, if you have a Bible, I want to share just a few thoughts with you. These are the source of a spiritual discernment, the source of spiritual discernment. I want you to turn in your Bible to the book of Hebrews. In the book of Hebrews, and chapter 5, the Bible is always telling us to be encouraged and always looking up and it’s always positive. But as we go through life, there’s so many things that can discourage. It’s so easy.

And so at the same time, there’s a thing called spiritual discernment. In other words, do we see what’s going on from spiritual eyes? And it’ll help us as we go through life if we see correctly. And I have to admit, and there’s a lot of times I don’t see too good. And I let my problems get bigger than I am. And so I just got to take all my problems and let them see how big God is. it kind of changes the perspective just to tell you.

But notice here in the book of Hebrews in chapter five, I want you to look there in verse 13. Verse 13 and 14, for everyone that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. Now it’s evident, according to the verse before, that God wants his children not to remain babes, but to grow in the Lord and to become mature so that we are skillful in the Word of God. And so you can’t become skillful in the Word of God unless you learn the Word of God.

So you’ve got to start there. But look in verse 14, but strong meat belong to them that are of full age. Even those who by reason of use, in other words it’s one thing to memorize a scripture. It’s a different thing to apply that scripture. To let that verse change your life. And I’ve told the college kids you don’t really know the Bible until the Bible controls your life because there’s so much you will never experience until how you learn to trust the Word.

And so one of the things that I wrote down a long time ago was you must believe and trust the Lord by believing and trusting His Word. You and I, we don’t see God. I can’t see God, but I have His Word. And so a way of knowing that I’m trusting the Lord and I’m trusting the Lord to lead God and direct. We always hear that. Well, how does he lead God and direct? With the Word. So you learn how to put your confidence and trust in the Lord by putting your confidence and trust in the Word of God.

So the Word of God is so very important. And then you’ll gain a perspective on life. Remember those I divine perspective and a human perspective. One is how we see things and one is how God sees things. So we always want to look at life and problem everything it goes on through the eyes of the Scriptures, to the eyes of God and it’ll help us. I looked at the last part of verse 14 when he says even those who by reason of use, you’ve ever heard if you don’t use it, you lose it.

You can go to Bible college, you can go to go come the church and here and here and here and never apply anything. Just like there’s some people who are forever sharpening the axe and never cut down a tree. They never apply the scriptures to their life. They’re always listening but they never apply it and this is why they miss out. But look what he says, have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. But who’s the one that says what’s good and who’s the one that says what’s evil?

The Lord does. You cannot go through life trusting your own judgment. Otherwise, we would not need the Bible. Now, don’t you take your Bible and turn to 2 Timothy? 2 Timothy. These are scriptures that, you know, most of us have heard for a long time. We even quote them just about every Sunday about how precious the Word of God is and what it can do for us and all. But look there in 2 Timothy in chapter 3. 2 Timothy and chapter 3.

Look what the Word of God is able to do for you. So just think what you’re missing out on if you do not know the Word. So you have to know what is the advantage. Why should I do this? So in verse 16, all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable. All scripture is profitable. So you just know that, you understand that. There is great profit in learning the word of God. Now remember when he says in James chapter 2, what did that profit my brethren, if a man say and blah blah blah goes on down to the whole chapter.

What does it profit? You see, it’s not just a matter of what we read and what we hear and what we say. It’s what you do. What are you doing with our life? So he says, and it’s proper for doctrine. That means you will have spiritual discernment in knowing what’s right. For reproof, that means you’re able to discern what’s wrong. And for correction, that means you learn how to make it right. You see, growing in the Lord and maturing is learning how to correct things in your own life without somebody else having to tell you.

Don’t you wish that everybody would just grow spiritually and it’s automatic, but there’s come the time when we have to be disciplined. And sometimes we have college kids, we even have our own kids that we were trying to raise. You know, you’re always having to correct and discipline. And so you know that, you understand that. And it’s the same thing with the Lord. Then He says, therefore, instruction in righteousness. In other words, you know how to teach it right.

It gives you instruction. See, everything that we go through is God giving us like an instruction manual and some experiences that we’ve had that makes us more valuable in our word more credible because you’ve been through it. You’ve been faithful for a long time and they can trust you. So you earn that right. Now look what he says in verse 17. So we studied the word of God as given by inspiration of God and it’s good for all these things.

But what if you didn’t know the word of God? You could not discern right from wrong. You sure, I just got I got my good judgment. I’m so smart. Yeah, the Bible talks about that too. And how prideful we can be. See, when you don’t study the word of God, a person lifts himself up by pride saying that, I’m smart enough, I’m cool. I got it, I understand. And you’ll make decisions based upon that judgment. And God says in the book of Jeremiah, it is not within man that walk of two direct steps.

In other words, you don’t have the ability inside of you to discern spiritual things. You can see things in this life and you can learn how to make good money and travel and have a house and cars and money in the bank, but that doesn’t take spiritual discernment. Now you can have it, but there’s a lot of lost people who get all those things true, but they’re not letting up treasures in heaven. And that’s what you want. Now in verse 17, that the man of God, see in verse 15, he was a child.

That from a child I have known the Holy Scripture. Now we’re talking about the difference between a child of God and a man of God is the word of God that lies in between. And a child of God can never become a man of God without the word of God. That’s why we read and study it. Truly furnished unto all good work. Whatever this good work is that God wants us to do, it’s because of the word of God.

And that’s how we gain spiritual discernment to be able to decide these things. you’re there to your Bible to the book of Matthew, Matthew and chapter four. Matthew chapter four. As you know, Jesus was led up into the mountain to pray. And he went up there pray, he was going to be tempted by the devil and but he was. And so Jesus after 40 days and 40 nights says, well, he was hungry. Wouldn’t you be hungry after 40 days?

I’m hungry after 40 minutes. But he says here in verse three, and when the tempter came to him and he said, if thou be the son of God, command that these stones be made bread. Here’s a man who hasn’t eaten 40 days, he’s hungry. And if he’s who he came to be, Why don’t you just take these stones and turn them into bread? Could he do that? He had the power to do it. He could have done that, but he didn’t.

He says in verse 4, and he answered and says, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God. In other words, when Christ says, you know, that you may have life and have it more abundantly. You can trust Christ is saving you God eternal life, but the abundant life comes from the living Word in order to help you live an abundant life, a fruitful life. You can get more out of life than just been saved and never do anything.

But I love that he says, as it is written, in each case, three times it is written. There’s a good possibility that Jesus knew the Word. Think so? He knew the Word. And not only that, he was the Word and he gave the Word. And so that’s mentioned in quite a few places. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of Proverbs chapter 3. Just in case you think, well, I can just lean on my own understanding. Yup, yup sure can.

And this is why the world is in such a mess. Every man does that which is right in his own eyes. So you see there in chapter 3 of Proverbs. Look what he says in verse 5. These are two familiar verses. You ought to have them underlining your Bible. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart. Lean not unto thine own understanding. Now what does the Bible say? Do not trust yourself. Don’t lean on your own understanding. The heart of man is deceitful.

That old sinful nature that we have dwelling within us can’t be trusted. And that’s why it might seem to be right, but weigh everything according to the word of God. trust the Word of God. See, believing in God is great and, but trust His Word. This is what God said and this is what He wants us to go by. You can think of all the books that there’s ever been in the whole world. There’s only one divine inspired Word of God.

This is it. And God wants us to know it. This is God’s love letter to his children. And so he says here in this verse, trust in the Lord with all vine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths. How’s he going to direct your paths? According to the word, don’t wait for him to appear on your bed post some night and whisper some little sweet things in your ear, study the word of God.

If you want, go to bed with the scripture, and wake up in the morning, think about the scriptures. When you say they acknowledge God, it means thank God, thank God. And everything that you do, thank God. What would God do? What would God want? Does this please God? And so you learn how to have spiritual discernment. Even all the problems that you have, and everybody’s got a few, But don’t focus upon your problems as they’re so big you can’t do anything about and they’re so big God can’t do anything about Or your problems are so small that you don’t want to bother God with them God says cast all your cares upon him for he cares for you So whether they’re big or whether they’re small don’t embarrass God That God isn’t able to do something about it.

You always live with that divine hope that joyful anticipation my God is bigger than any problem that I’ll ever have and I don’t have to have the ability to solve everything my daddy knows how to do it and you get to where you learn how to walk the Lord and you’ll trust him to walk you through it look at this verse when he makes that statement be not wise in verse 7 be not wise in thine own eyes fear the Lord to fear the Lord is to depart from evil.

So the word of God is necessary to discern right from wrong according to what God says is right and what God says is wrong. So that’s why you have to do that. Now turning your Bible to 1st John, the book of 1st John, I would venture to say that everyone in here believes in prayer. We ought to pray. And in the book of John chapter 14 it talks about in whatsoever you shall ask He will do. And he says, if you love me, keep my word.

You know that little phrase just like throwing in there. So whatever you pray for, it should be because you love him. He says, if you love me, keep my word. So you got to know the word in order to keep it. Here in the book of 1 John in chapter 3 I want you to see this verse. Look there in, let’s just start in verse 19, read down a couple verses here. And hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before Him.

For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things. In other words, do you condemn yourself in the things you give yourself permission to do? guilt sometimes come because we allowed ourselves to do something we know was wrong. Well, if our own hearts will condemn us, what do you think God knows? And he knows everything. That’s why you want to have a sensitive heart where you’re sensitive to the things that you do and the Holy Spirit that lives within you gives you great comfort and great peace when you obey and he afflicts your comfort when you disobey.

So he is the great afflictor, comforter based upon what you’re doing with what he told you to do. Now look what he says here. In this verse 20, for if our heart can dim us, now this is a personal application for you as an individual were great at being able to point out all the ills of everybody else or their sins and so forth. But it’s a self-examination because when you’re spiritually discerning, you learn how to judge yourself. And remember there’s a verse in the Old Testament, David, well he doesn’t have a bad day.

Oh he did he have a bad day. And people, they were, they were ready to stone him and he says, He encouraged himself in the Lord. Sometimes there’s nobody else around. Sometimes there’s nobody to give you that great word of encouragement, but there’s the Lord. And there you, and because of what you know, refresh your mind and encourage yourself in the Lord. Begin to look at it spiritually from a divine perspective. So look what he says in verse 21.

Beloved, if our heart can dim us not, then have we confidence toward God. So your conscience is a great guide if your conscience has been prepared by the word of God. So that what you do, you have peace that you’re doing the right thing. And whatsoever is not a faith is sin. If you don’t have the confidence that what you’re doing or allowing yourself to do or to say, then you’re gonna have this eo feeling even towards yourself. And have you ever felt kind of rotten inside sometime when you say something you shouldn’t say or do something you shouldn’t do?

And you wish you hadn’t done that. I’m sure all of us go through a little bit of that. But look what he says. We’re talking about having confidence toward God, that your life is clean and that it’s pure before God. And then notice what he says in verse 22. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him because, see that word because, you think because there’s going to be a good reason because we keep his commandments. And that commandments is found in, you know, 1 John chapter 2 and not loving one another and so forth.

Don’t talk about the 10 commandments. And do those things that are pleasing in his sight. Do those things that are pleasing in his sight. Well, how do you know what pleases God? Remember Hebrews in chapter 11 that without faith it is impossible to please him. So it is the will of God that we must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek to please him. Those that come to him and believe this and you do it because you have confidence in your heart that I’m doing the right thing and it can give you a peace of mind.

But if you’re not sure that what you’re doing is right then you start condemning yourself because you feel guilty and there goes your peace of mind and and it kind of robs you of your joy. Don’t we know and understand that regardless of the errors that we may have in our judgment, God forgives, then accept God’s forgiveness and move on. But if you fall in the mud, what should you do? Well, lay there. This is gonna get comfortable after a while.

No, get up out of the mud. But if you see somebody landing the mud, what should you do? Well, walk up behind him real nice And Lord, help me to help this brother. And you put your foot on the back of his head and push him down some more. And that’s holding me. Sometimes we’d love to see other God’s people who have disobeyed, boy, I’m glad God’s getting them now. Get them, God, get them. Because I’ve been doing right, and they’ve been doing wrong.

And they thought they’re gonna get away. Man, I’m, get them. Now, you can pray a hedge around somebody because you want them to get pricked early and get back and get right with the Lord. But your motive is very important. Why do you do what you do? Why do you pray the way you do? Why do you judge others the way you do? Always be examining yourself. Yeah, a spiritual person can examine themselves. Otherwise, if you don’t, then somebody else is going to.

What he says, he says, and do those things that are pleasing in his side. Do you think this has anything to do with prayer? What do we say? What server we ask, we receive of him because we keep his commandments and you’ll find those mentioned in chapter 2 here. And also you go back to the book of John where he talks on a lot about loving one another and so on and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

But if you’re not doing the things that are pleasing in God’s sight, then God probably not gonna answer your prayer the way that you want to. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of 1 Peter. 1 Peter chapter three, just a few pages to your left. left. There’s a great chapter here on husbands and wives and about the obedience and so on.

But it goes all the way down through here and talks about, no, you want to receive a blessing. You should want God to bless you, bless your wife, bless your kids. We want to receive these blessings. But look at this, look in verse 9 where he says, not rendering evil for evil or railing for railing, but contour your eyes blessing. Knowing that we as therefore, or therefore called that you should inherit a blessing. Not only do you want to be blessed, but you want to be a blessing.

I want to be a blessing to my wife. I want to be a blessing to my kids. I want to be a blessing to the church. But I also want you to be a blessing to me. It goes both ways, see. The wife should be a blessing to her husband, and the husband should be a blessing to her. And the kids wouldn’t be great if everybody, we want everybody to be blessed. You know, sometimes the word blessed can be called happy.

Doesn’t most people, or isn’t it true, most people want to be happy in life? Well, if you want to be happy, you want to be blessed. I want to live a blessed life. where God can bless my life. But I know that if I’m rebellious to the Lord, I know that my Heavenly Father is not going to bless my rebellion. He’s going to chase in me. So I got a choice. Do I want to be obedient or disobedient? Well, they both got consequences to them.

So if I want God’s blessings, then I want to walk with the Lord and do those things that are pleasing to Him. And so because I want to please the Lord, then I can ask the Lord for things because of my walk and obedience to the Lord. But now look what he says down here in verse 10, For he that will love life or enjoy life, see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile, let him issue evil or shun it and do good, let him seek peace and pursue that.

Now look in verse 12, For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open under their prayers, but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil, but can God’s children do evil? If you read this you’ll find that yes he can. God’s people can do wrong. Look in verse 14, but and if we suffer for righteousness sake, happy are ye, because you know you did right and you may suffer for it, but there’s no guilt to it.

And you could have the joy of the Lord regardless to what people say and do to you, you still can have this joy that you’re supposed to have. Then look what he says. We go down here to verse 17 and notice in verse 17 he says, for it is better if the will of God be so that you suffer for well doing than for what? So you can suffer in this life. You can suffer because you’re doing right and you can suffer because you’re doing wrong.

Now which would be best? You’re going to suffer. Now which ones you’d like to choose. God considers this time in this world a time of suffering because you realize what we’ve got waiting on us a home in heaven, a glorified body, everybody loves each other, no pain. No problems, no heartaches, no sin, no death. But he says that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that we’re going to have one of these days.

The sufferings of this present world can’t be compared to what God’s going to give to us. So if we discern the word of God and be leaving what God’s word says, yes, you’re going to suffer. Things are gonna go wrong, but cannot we keep walking with the Lord and trusting the Lord. I think so Look in the book of Hosea the book of Hosea. Oh back there in the Old Testament You see we’re in the world that found well, you’ve heard of Daniel.

You know where Daniel is right after Ezekiel So you know where Daniel is it’s the very next book Jose Jose, can you see? But look in Hosea chapter 4, it’s on page 923 in one of the church Bibles, but look at this. And look in verse 6, there’s a time when God stops sending his prophets. And almost 400 years of silence between the Old Testament and the New Testament. But he told them, says, one of the problems that my people have is they won’t listen to the word.

So you see in verse 6, and you ought to unline this verse, very good. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge because, see that word because? Thou hath rejected knowledge. Now here we have been blessed with an inspired book called the Bible, the Word of God, and many of God’s people have neglected the study of the Word of God, and And everything you haven’t learned from the Word of God is going to cost you in your life. You just don’t know it.

Because you cannot spiritually discern, but you can use your judgment and make the best decision you can. But when you’re limited in spiritual knowledge, you’re limited in spiritual judgment. So you want to learn the Word of God so that you don’t go through the Lord. Why do you think He says over and over again? I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren. Why? Because there’s so many ignorant brethren. So he says, because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee.

That thou shalt be no priest to me, saith thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. And they were increased, so they sinned against me. Therefore will I change their glory in the shame, that one statement you ought to underline that. Does you realize what God is able to do to God’s children because they’ll make decisions, and there’s consequences to making wrong decisions? and he can take that glory that he want to do, bring glory to the Lord, are you gonna bring shame to God’s children?

Why do you think he says that, you know, abide in him that when he shall appear, we may be confident and not ashamed before him at what? At his coming. Is it possible that some of God’s children can be ashamed when the Lord comes? Or when we stand at the Jeb and Sidah Christ and realize what we could have done and we did not do that. And then he goes on down here and says a little bit more, but understand another word because in verse 10, for they shall eat and not have enough.

They shall commit hortom and shall not increase because they have left off to take heed to the Lord. When you reject the word of God, you’re rejecting God. When you do not have time for the word, you don’t have time for God. You’re too busy, you don’t have time for God. And yet our whole lives are based upon are we obedient or disobedient to the word of God? And this is why we should be very, very careful. 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.

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.