This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. 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 message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Now after we trust Jesus Christ as our Savior, it is the will of God that we serve the Lord. But some people learn lessons the hard way. They don’t serve the Lord like they should, and so God has to chase and has to discipline. But one of the things that is of very great hindrance to our service for the Lord is never really being sure that you’re saved. You see, you can’t grow in the Lord when you’re always doubting whether or not am I really saved.

Do I really have eternal life? I’m my really God’s child. There are two teachings that are very prevalent in theological circles, which means in the ecumenical realm and the church realm. And those two teachings come from the teaching of Armenianism or Calvinism. Somebody asked me, says, are you Armenian or are you a Calvinist? And they want me to tell them which one I am. I said, I’m neither one. They said, well, you’ve got to be one of the other?”

I said, no, I don’t. Well, are you a five-point Calvinist or a three-point Calvinist or a one-point Calvinist? I said, I’m no point Calvinist. Well, they don’t like that because you see, people like to put labels on you, say, this is what you are. I wrote it down here so it’s very simple and very clear for you to understand. Introduction. While they appear to be on the opposite extremes of the theological spectrum, Calvinist believes in eternal security and Armenian belief you can lose your salvation.

So you know that things that are different are not the same and you know that that’s not the same. One is that you are eternally secure and the other one you can lose it. So you say well you’ve got to believe one of those. Yeah but But in quotes, the Calvinist believe that you have eternal life as long as you persevere and that you will persevere if you’re really saved. The consistent Calvinist, the one who believes in the perseverance of the saints, means if you got it, you’ll live it.

But if you don’t live it, it’s because you never had it. There are those who teach that if you are saved, you are a Christian. You are born again, happy, eternal life, God’s child. Well then you will, automatic, you will live right. But if you don’t, it’s a sign you never really were saved to start with. So you got to get saved for real the next time. And this time really mean business. But if you don’t perform, it’s because you weren’t really serious about the situation and you weren’t really saved.

Now do I believe that? No. I believe that you can be saved today. Have eternal life, you may never show it in your life. Still be a Christian. And I believe the Bible teaches that. Now the other view concerning the Armenians, look at this, the absolute Armenian who believes you can lose your salvation arrives at the same conclusion in the end. No certain assurance of going to heaven until you die. If a person believes that when you really say it, you will live it, you will in all your life, can’t know for sure that they are really a Christian until they have lived it and know for sure that when they die, they finally made it.

Because if they end their life, ever go back. On what they started out on this Christian walk, if they fail in the future, they’re supposed to believe by their own testimony, they never really were saved. So how do they know that tomorrow or the next week or the next year, they won’t really mess up? And if they really do mess up, they’re supposed to believe, well, I will never really saved in the first place. Because if you’re really saved, you’re not going to do that.

And yet many of goaltender do just that. So//////// have reasons to question their salvation1965 And so they don’t really know they’re goingDownloadhaHoustonGGGGGGGG RandomRedditor Yiannopoulos Rasm We movedrypt. We moved north of second hard time. We moved south of second fine. Great trade. Great trade. Great trade. Great trade in the right corner. Great trade. that I still sin. I still do things that are wrong. I don’t have to worry about what happens if you really mess up. Well really messing up or telling a lie or having a dirty thought.

Still sin. But I don’t have to worry about any sin condemning me to hell because I can’t go there. I’m saved by grace. Now on the other hand here’s the others who teach that you can lose your salvation. And And they believe that if you do something bad enough, long enough, that you’re eventually you’re going to lose your salvation, but they don’t know how many sins they have to commit, and they don’t know exactly what point you really lost it.

So if they don’t nearly know when they lost it, they don’t know when to get it back again. And then they don’t know for sure if they’re going to really hang on until they die, to know for sure that they made it. You see, that’s not the Bible. Neither one has assurance, but can you be sure of going to heaven? Yes, she can. I’m not an Armenian because you see I don’t believe you can lose it. I don’t believe in the perseverance of the saints.

I believe in the perseverance of God that he saves me and he keeps me safe. So see I’m neither one of those. Their eternal security depends upon them living it and if they don’t live it they didn’t have it. And I believe that people can trust Christ as Savior and be disobedient to God and still be God’s child and God will have to chasten them. Eternal security, mean eternally being secure means that one who has genuinely saved by God’s grace through faith alone and Christ alone shall never in the future never be in danger of God’s condemnation or loss of his salvation but are kept saved and secure by God’s grace and power so that when I trusted Christ he saved me and I’m going to heaven based upon his word his promise He is going to keep me saved.

I am saved by His power and kept saved by His power. If I didn’t have the power to save myself, I don’t have the power to keep myself saved. If I can believe that I’m saved by grace without my good works, why can I believe I can stay saved without my good works? Because grace would still be grace. I want you to understand these important points. Social security does not mean that all who profess to trust Christ actually possess eternal life.

You say, what do you mean? That sounds contradictory. Can you profess something and it not be true? Could you stand up here today and profess that you have a million dollars in the bank? Yes, you can. Does that mean you got a million dollars in the bank? Not necessarily. Some of y’all have already professed that when I marry this girl, I’m going to be faithful to her till death to us part. and then not keep the word. You profess something, but you didn’t perform it.

A person can profess that they know God and not know Him. Now you say, where’s it say that? I’m glad you asked. Look in the book of Matthew chapter seven. Matthew chapter seven, look at verse 21. Notice, and Jesus Christ is the one that’s doing the talking. He’s the one that said this. So Jesus Christ has got, this is what God said. I had a person one time tell me, say, well, I don’t think you ought to be the judge.

I said, I’m not the judge. I’m just telling you what the judge said. He’s the judge. I can tell you what he said, because he wrote it down and told us to study. This is what he said. Not everyone that sayeth unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. But he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven. So is it possible somebody to profess the name of the Lord? Look what else he says in verse 22.

Many shall say to me in that many, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name cast out them, and in thy name done many wonderful works. They did it all in his name and did it for him. And yet, he says, depart from me, I never Supplementary you. And so it doesn’t mean that just because they professed something that, they really really really. And so there’s people who say, well, I’m a Christian, that doesn’t mean they.

I meet people all the time. I asked them, I said, have you trusted Christ as you say? Oh, yes. Where are you going to die? I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. That’s what being saved mean. It can’t mean anything else. Being saved means he saved you from what? From hell. So I can’t go there. He says that I’ll go to heaven whenever I die.

He’ll never cast me out. He’ll never lose me so I can rest assured. But a lot of people see they can say something, but it doesn’t mean that it’s real. It’s not true. He said, me Lord, or have we not? Look what wedidatchewan-we- intimidmorrowRepublicansionsionsionsionsionsionsionsionsionsOften®@@@@@@@@).aughteredilater. his principles and his teaching, but they just haven’t trusted him depending upon him to get590 than his attorney’s attorney. Eternal security does not mean that all who trust Christ plus his works are aortic. The Bible doesn’t say that God saves those who are trusting in their works and in Christ to get them to heaven or really going to heaven.

If God says that if it’s by grace, It can’t be by works, otherwise, grace is in grace. But if it is by works, it can’t be by grace, otherwise work is in work. So simple that is. It means you either are saved by grace or you saved by work, but you can’t be saved by both. Now, look during the book of Galatians in chapter 5. Many people are trusting in a combination of Christ plus their works. Eternally secured does not refer to those people.

Eternal security cannot refer to anybody that professes it butfolioes it. Eternal security cannot refer to anybody who is trusted in Christ and their works. Get them to heaven. It doesn’t refer to those people. There’s people who think you have to keep the law to be saved. Today it’s the same thing as saying you got to go to church, you got to live right, you got to give money, you got to join and pay and all these good things. No, no, no, that’s not true.

That works for salvation. That means you’re trying to earn it. And if you’re not good enough, long enough, then you’re not going to have it. Well, that’s not the Bible. Galatians chapter five, look there in verse two. So he says in verse two, Behold, I Paul send to you that if you be circumcised, that means to keep the law. Christ shall profit you how much? Nothing, Christ profits you nothing. Those that are seeking to save themselves by the law or by the end, circumcised, which was under the law of Christ, thenife Christ prophets you nothing.

It’s what I’m trusting Christ, but I’m gonna do this also. Well, then you’re not trusting Himadeon,orage trusting Him means I’m taking Him at His word and depending upon Him. But if you try to earn it, saying you’re dependent upon yourself, so you’re not really trusting Christ. You say, what’s the difference? wordpress hell, that’s the difference. Heaven or hell? Is it critical? Yes it is. Otherwise, how do you know you’re not one!. I’ll get you back to the world of our lives, where we’re not getting you back to the world of our lives.

What do we do? What do we do? a lot of churches all over the world that are guilty of this. And how do you know it ends you? You say, I’ve heard this all my life, but do you really understand? Are you really dependent upon Him to take you to heaven when you die? Here in verse 4, he says, Christ is become up and here’s those two words, no effect unto you. Whosoever of you are justified by the law, you’re falling from grace.

See, if you’re trying to save yourself by the law, by your good deeds, then you have rejected salvation by grace. You want to get salvation by earning it, by your works. And God says, you can’t have it. He says, Christ has become of no effect unto you. In other words, if it’s no effect, no salvation. You can know the right language. You can go to the right church. You can hear the right things. But personally, nobody can do this for you.

you can trust Christ as Savior for you. And if you never do that, you will not be saved. You will not go to heaven when you’re dying. Now, in Titus 3.5, it simply makes a statement. He says, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, not by works of righteousness which we have done. So nobody was ever saved or ever will be saved by their works. So you can’t say, I’m trusting Christ, but I’m going to do this other just in case.

Will your just in case just cost you? Then this doesn’t count. You either have to depend upon him and him alone as you’re only hope to get them or you are not trusting him. You’re not totally leaning and relying upon him as your Savior. You believe somehow that you have to live a certain way and perform in order to help save you or to help keep you saved or to prove that you’re saved and all that stuff that you don’t get it.

Church is a full of people who don’t get it. In Romans chapter four and verse four and five. Two of my favorite verses of the Bible is Ephesians 2, 8, and 9. Quote it with it, “…For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.” It’s a gift of God, it’s not of works. And people can’t believe that it could be so simple.

Or look, number three in your notes. Eternal security does not mean that knowing for sure that you are saved forever should be a license to sin, but rather grants you liberty to serve Christ. A lot of people think, well, if you believe in that, and they call it that, eight, that damn double doctrine, then that means you just got a license to go out here and live like the devil and still go to heaven when you die. In other words, think that you don’t deserve to go now.

If in other words, if that’s just a teaching that was damn your soul to hell, and you believe that, you just giving people a license to go out here and sin and then think that you’re going to go to heaven whenever they die. Well, if they did, would that be grace? You’re saved by what? And people don’t believe that you ought to be able to go to heaven and believe something like that. And that’s too easy. That’s too simple.

It’s got to be complicated. Do I advocate Christians living in sin? Anybody who listens to me knows that’s not true. I Want you to live as godly as you can every day of your life all of your life life, but not to get to heaven. Because if you are dependent upon that to get you to heaven, as I’ve said before, you lost the hound dog in the end of a soup bone, you don’t get it. I should serve the Lord.

I should live right because I’m going to heaven, because I am God’s child, but not to be a child of God. I want you to turn in your Bible to Romans chapter 6. I want you to see this verse, Romans and chapter 6. The Bible tells us that God’s grace is greater than our sin. Look at verse 1 of all in Romans 5 and verse 20, Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound, but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.

Have you ever heard of a song like that? Grace greater than our sin? You see, there are people who believe you can lose your salvation because you’ve committed some sin. Well, aren’t you supposed to believe that God’s grace is greater than my sin. So if grace is greater than any of my sins, what sin can condemn me to hell? They can’t. So the question comes, well, then shall I live in sin, that grace may moor abound. So we have more grace, commit more sins.

No, look in chapter 6 and verse 1, what shall we say to? In other words, because what I’m saying is true, shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? And the next words are God forbid. No, that’s not the will of God. Just because I know I’m God’s child and know I have eternal life and know that I can’t go to hell in the future, doesn’t mean that that’s a license permission from God to live like you please, like it doesn’t matter.

No, it is permission from God that now I can live for the Lord. God wants me to voluntarily choose because I love Him because of what He’s done for me, that I will serve Him, that I will honor Him, not because I have to, but because I want to. Nobody has tried to get me to serve God. Nobody is constantly every week trying to yank you, you know you really need to serve the Lord. You really need to do this and you need to go to church and you need to pray and you need to…

Why? Because I do it, because I want to. That’s better than doing because I have to. I can’t make you serve God. I can’t make you right with God. But if you love God, then you’ll want to do those things. And you’ll love God when you really understand what He did for you. When you know He really paid for my sins, He really did give me turn on. He really will never cast me out. He’ll never lose me. He really did all that for me.

Now I serve the Lord because knowing that I have eternal security brings such wonderful peace, enjoy, and happiness that I know I’m going to heaven whenever I die. And because of that I want to serve the Lord. Therefore it works that way. It’s not a license to sin. The Lord tells us in His Word, do not let your liberty become a stumbling block, but to use this as an occasion to serve the Lord, but not an occasion for the flesh.

Says during the book of Galatians. Is grace greater than our sin or is sin greater than grace? Grace is greater than our sin. And even though you do things wrong from this point on, God’s grace is greater than your sin and you’re saved by grace. And love covers a multitude of sin, but He didn’t just cover it, He washed them all away. The next point I want you to see there in number four, eternal security does not mean that a Christian can live as he pleases and get away without chastisement.

You cannot live like you want and expect everything to be okay and you to escape God’s chasting. Take your Bible, look in Hebrews chapter 12. This is a very, very important verse that you need to see. Hebrews chapter 12, you need to underline this verse in your Bible. As a child of God, you need to understand that though your heavenly Father loves you, you can’t live as you please and get away with it, but you can live as you please.

You can live to please God and you can live not to please God. and still be his child, but you’re going to suffer the consequences. If you will live the please God, God’s going to bless you. The reward you when you get to heaven, and you’ll have an inner peace and joy knowing that you’re obeying your heavenly Father. But if you choose not to obey God, yeah, you still is child, and you’ll forfeit many of God’s blessings and life that he could have done for you.

You’re going to forfeit a lot of rewards that you could had. You could have been used by God, but you weren’t. You may be set on the shelf and not used, not fit for the master’s use. And God says that he may do something else. He says, many are sick and some are weak and some are dead. He’s taken home before their time. So you see, you can’t live as you please and get away with him. But God says, be not deceived.

He is not mocked. For whatsoever man saweth, that shall he also reap. And you can sow to the flesh, and you can sow through the Spirit. It means you can obey God and you don’t have to obey God. But if you don’t obey God, God says, because you are His child, He will chase in you. Look at in verse six, for whom the Lord loveth, he chaste in it. Now why would God chase in his children? Because he loves them.

And he says, and scourge at every son, every son whom he receive it. If you have trusted Christ as your Savior and you won’t serve God, You want to obey Him? God your heavenly Father says He is going to chase in you. I know that if I don’t serve the Lord, I already know the consequences. I know He’s going to chase in me. And He may not tell me exactly how He’s going to do it. But I can rest assured in the fact that He will.

He may cut my life short or many things happen in my life that would not have happened had I served the Lord. So it’s better for a child of God to put God first and serve him because he is your heavenly Father. And when you do something wrong, you’re still his child, but he is going to chasten you. Look there in the last part of verse five, verse five, my son despised not thou the chasing of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.

You see, my son despised not the chaste and the Lord. That means that when you’re a child of God, that means you still can do things wrong and you’re still his child. Because if you weren’t, then God wouldn’t be chaste in you as his child if you were no longer his child because you did something wrong and that’s the only way that shows you’re not his child. No, that means God’s children still do a lot of things they shouldn’t do.

We do a lot of things wrong. But when God has to chaste in us, the Bible says, says now no chaste in for the present seems to be joyous. How many of y’all have ever enjoyed a good woman. No chasing for the present seems to be joyous, but you’re hoping that the chasing you give to that little son or daughter will benefit them in their life. And so you inflict a little temporary pain hoping that’s going to save them from a lot of hurts down the road.

That’s what the Lord does. Look at in verse 11. Now, now, present tense, now, no chasing for the present, seem it to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless, afterwards it yielded the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised there by them. In other words, God says, because you’re my child, you can’t live as you please and get away with it. I’m your father. I’m going to have to chase in you. And because I chasing you means I love you.

Otherwise, God would just let you do whatever you want and get away with it. But he doesn’t. He will give you personalized attention. Now, he’s long suffering, but he’s a good father. Look at the next statement. In the little box, the The absolute assurance of eternal salvation is based on the unfailing and sure promises of God. I want you to look in Romans chapter 4 very quickly. The book of Romans in chapter 4. I refer to these verses quite often.

And notice the contrast, as I stated here in the notes, in order to show the contrast between grace and works, Paul and Roman states, now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace. But of that. In other words, if you had to earn your salvation. Then God says that he would be in debt to you and going to heaven would be your reward. In the words, you live in such a good way that God is in debt to let you go to heaven.

And that’s why a lot of people think it is. But that means that you have to work. It means that God’s in debt to you and it means that heaven would be a reward, something you earned and you had a right to it. God says that’s not the way it’s going to be. He says it’s by grace. But to him that work if not doesn’t work, but simply believes on him that justifies the ungodly his faith is counted for what?

God gives you his righteousness without your works. God doesn’t want you to try to earn it, work for it, buy it, pay for it. And heaven is not your reward for you living a good life. You live good enough and I’ll let you go. That’s not what it is. People don’t understand the Bible. God says you cannot earn eternal life, you cannot work for it. The other verse I want you to see there in chapter 4, look in verse 16.

There’s three words in verse 16. Three words, faith, grace, and sure. But look in verse 16. Therefore it, being saved, have an eternal life, becoming God’s child. Go into heaven when you die. Eternal security. Oh, look. It is a faith that’s yours. That’s yours. Your faith. That it might be by grace. That’s God’s grace. You see, I’m supposed to take my faith, my confidence and put it into what he did for me. Believe it or not, he did that for me.

And God says he would save me by grace unmerited. I don’t merit it. I don’t work for it. I don’t deserve it. He says, to the end or for this purpose, it might be what’s the word? But it might be sure to all the seed to everybody believes. In other words, the only way you could be positive of going to heaven when you die is that it must simply be by faith, not your work. Because if you have to do it by your works, well, you won’t know it until you die.

And then that means you got to live a certain way. And then you would never be sure. So God says it’s by faith. You trust Him and He will give you eternal life by grace. Grace means you didn’t deserve it, but I’ll save you for by grace are you saved? That it might be sure, positive. You can know it. And that’s simple. That’s awesome. And think of how many people don’t understand this. And you know it. You know you have eternal life.

And yet there’s a lot of people who say, yes, they’re saved. They’re Christians. They trusted the Lord and don’t know where they go when they die. And the reason because they got some element of works involved in it. And they won’t say, oh yeah, I believe it’s salvation by works. No, they won’t say this by works. But how could you lose it? Bad works. So then good works is keeping it. But bad works is taking it away from you.

So they’re eventually going to heaven, depending upon their works. And that’s not salvation. And God will not save one person who trusts in their works. or a combination of race plus works. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you are blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free, 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bible and programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Radio Broadcast link. 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. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10.30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline 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, believe in that the Lord is coming soon and just keep looking up.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. 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 a 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 concluding message of this teaching will be a blessing to you and your family. And so even children understood that sin, there’s a penalty. The penalty is death. And so these innocent little animals was because if you did not do this, you could die because of the law in Israel. You could die if you don’t offer the right sacrifice for the right sin.

And there were many sacrifices that they had to make. Some of those sacrifices were made every day. And so the priest had rotation of when they would have to serve in the tabernacle or in the temple later on. So as they would do this, and they would have to make these various sacrifices, and the priest would be able to eat these things, they became a teaching tool. And so many of the people who came only did it as a ritual and never saw the meaning behind it.

What causes to work? Like people today can be baptized in water and never trust the Christ as their Savior. True? People can join a church and they think they’re going to heaven now because they’re a member of the body of Christ. If you never trusted Christ as your Savior, you’re not saved. You don’t go to heaven because you’ve been baptized in water. many people are religious and yet lost. And the same thing then as it is now. And so they would be able to offer these sacrifices and as they offered these sacrifices and they would tie that animal down and they laid their hand on them, it was a way of transferring.

Or as the New Testament says, your sins were being imputed to this animal as though this animal, innocent animal is dying in your stead. Now you and I today, we know that’s just a type of what Christ would do one day and this is exactly what He’s done. So after they have done that, then the priest and only the tribe of Levi had the right to do this. So then they would be able to go to the other brazen labor and it was a They labor with water for the hands and water for the feet.

I’ve been to Israel a lot of times and I’ve watched enough Arabs even do this. They have a place for their hands to wash and they’ve got a place for their feet to wash. Well, in the temple, it was for only the priest. So they would wash the blood off their hands. They even had to do it before they did the sacrifices. And so they had a ritual that they had to go through. they had to wear certain garments at certain time.

They had to do everything just right. God laid it all down for them. And so they would go to the labor and they would wash and keep themselves. And so as they went from that burnt offering and they would go over to the, the labor, well, as they walked from there over to here before they could go into the holy place, they’d get dirt on their feet or sand on their feet. And when they did the He offers it, they would be unclean.

And so they would have to cleanse themselves. Now you and I know that in the New Testament, we don’t need a complete bath, but because we get a little dirt on us as we go through life, we need to be washed by the washing of the water, by the Word. And so everything in the tabernacle was a picture of what Christ has done for us. You see, it was just a shadow, shadow of the real thing. That was not the real thing.

It was only a picture, a pattern of something that was real in heaven. And God told Moses to make the one on the earth like the one that’s in heaven. And God gave him all the instructions on what to do. And so when they got to the big veil. As though you had a big veil across through here. And see, this was not a very big section out here. Because you’re only talking about maybe 50 feet by 50 feet, because the rest of it takes up the rest of the difference.

And then you have this great big veil that goes across through here, and they would go into this place every day, twice a day, every morning, every night. Because there was three main things in that room of what they were supposed to do. Now there’s questions about whether or not the altar of incense was in the holy place or inside of the holy of holies. I haven’t figured it out yet, but I’m working on it. But remember this, when they came from there to go into here, there was a big curtain across here.

and the priest had to come in here, and many priests could do this. And they would come in and they would trim the lampstand. You see, the light inside of this place, if this ever became dark, it’s very difficult to see because there was no light that could get in here. So without the light inside of here, make it very difficult for them, called for them, so they had to keep the light burning. Now in Solomon’s day, they had the dedication of the temple when they had built a literal stone temple that David had gotten all the materials, but God will not allow him to build the temple.

So Solomon was used by God to build the temple. Well later on, because of anti-office epiphanies And about 170 BC, well, he really desecrated the temple by going into the temple and offering a sacrifice of a pig. And that made Maccabee very mad, very angry. He rallied the Jews and they took it away from them and they got their temple back. And so they went in there to have a rededication. They wanted to purify the temple. And so when they wanted to rededicate the temple to God, they didn’t have enough oil to last for those seven or eight days that they needed.

They realized they only had enough oil for one day. And this is why sometimes it’s called the rededication of the temple, but it was called also the feast of light or the feast of dedication. It’s what they call Hanukkah today. They call it happy Hanukkah to you, the Feast of Life. It’s a time that you and I know, but they celebrated this because the oil lasted for eight days until they were able to purify the oil that they needed, the olive oil, because of the process they had to go through.

So it lasted for the eight days, and so they had a rededication. And this is what the Jewish people are still doing and celebrating even to this day. But as you went into the holy place, there was the candle, as we call it, the lampstand. The lampstand is where you hear about Christ. I am the light of the world. As you study the Gospel of John, you can picture yourself walking through the tabernacle. And he talks about where he is the light of the world, where he talks about being the bread of life.

Where it says in John chapter 1 and verse 14, and the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory is of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth. amongst that word dwelt means tabernacled among us. God tabernacled among us. God with us. Jesus Christ was in the temple, His temple. Now as they went into the temple in the Old Testament, I believe it was the responsibility of the priest in order to teach the people what all this meant.

Whether they understood fully, I don’t know. Oh how much the priest understood, I don’t know. We got preachers today that I don’t believe know the Lord. They talk about the Lord. They talk about Jesus Christ, down on the cross paying for sin, all of that. But do not, if they don’t believe in eternal security, they don’t understand the gospel. That eternal life is a gift, that it’s totally free, that you cannot earn it, you cannot work for it. And There’s multitude of people.

That see the type, but don’t know what it means. And they don’t even want a church is. A church is a spiritual body of believers. And it’s not something that you join yourself into. You can become a member of Calvary Community Church, but if you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, you’re as lost as a hound dog on the end of a suit bum. You will not go past go, and you will not collect you a hundred dollars. But in this place, the priests had the responsibility of making sure that the oil stayed in.

They had to treat them the wick. And there was also a table of show bread. The table of show bread was a place where they had 12 loaves of bread, one for each of the 12 tribes of Israel. And the priest, Aaron’s family, would eat that bread. And the table wasn’t very big. It was only make like a three feet by two feet, something like that, very small. It had places for the poles to go through so they would be able to carry it.

And the same thing with the altar of incense. The altar of incense was nothing more than a thing that, well, if you had to be in this room making sacrifices all the time, morning and night, or relations they call it, then you would have the schmella of this meat and this stuff all the time and put some blood also on the altar of incense and to burn these things and they also put grain and so forth but it was a mixture of different kinds of spices that they would use and it would become a sweet smelling savor as the Bible said in the nostrils of God.

And so this was to kill the smell, but it was also to let him know this is something that God accepts. And in the New Testament talks about you and I offering praises with our lips unto God and sacrifices with our lips unto God. And in the book of Revelation it talks about how that there was the incense and it was filled with the prayers and the odors of the saints of what it means to God. God smells this wonderful smell.

It’s something you and I probably will never understand, but that it’s in the Bible. It’s in the Old Testament and it all has a meaning. Now, you and I know that you and I need the bread of life. We look at the Word of God and this is the Word of God and men should not live by every word of this world, but by every word that comes from God. Men should I live by bread alone, but by every word that God gives.

So this is the bread for the Christian. And you and I are supposed to be the light of the world. And without this light, there is no light. Without you and I in the world, and given forth the word of life, there is no light in this world. People cannot find God. They cannot see God. Without you and I, there is no hope for the world. God has placed us here. Now, there’s a thick veil up there. Now this year, every day, not there all the time, but there a man only goes in there, and it’s the high priest, and it’s once a year.

And he has to make a sacrifice for the sins of the people, for his own sins, and he went into that holy of holies, and they usually would tie something around him case God didn’t accept it, they could pull them out. Because nobody except the high priest ever got into that room once a year. And that was the year or the day of atonement when the sacrifice was to be made for the sins of the people and that God would accept it.

Because in that room was what we call the chakonah glory, the Holy Spirit. That’s where the presence of God was. And even in the Old Testament, in the wilderness, it was the cloud that covered them from the hot sun during the day and the fire at night. And so God was their protection. He was their covering. He was their light. He was everything that you and I need. But he was there, but nobody could go there because they had to have a mediator.

And the priest had all of these priests that were under him, and the sacrifices had to be made. Or you had to face physical death, if you didn’t do it. Now, whether or not people ever saw the spiritual aspect of this, I don’t know how much they saw. I don’t know how much they understand. But as I’ve studied the Scriptures, I found that they were told, have they not heard? Did they not know? Yes, they could have understood. But multitudes of them didn’t.

But I believe that there’s always a remnant that did. Now in that room, when you open up and you went inside, there was what they called the Ark of the Testament. Indiana Jones was trying to find it, remembering the Raiders of the Lost Ark. But that was called the Ark of the Covenant, or the Ark of the Testament. Before they actually built the Ark itself, it was the tablets. And that’s why they would have the jar of manna and the rod that budded of errands and they would put them before the two tables of stone that God had given to ten commandments.

Now remember, this little box was not very big, like about three feet by a foot and a half, not very big. So the tables of stone, the tablets, I remember watching Moses coming down out of the mountain. was Charleston Heston, but I still saw it. And they were big things. They wouldn’t fit into that box, that size. So they had to be small. And so they were able to be put into that. And so God had them put those three things into that arc.

And that was the Ten Commandments and the rod that butted of errands and a jar of the manna. And those three things were put in there because one spoke of life. And the other one spoke of God’s righteousness and what he demanded in the perfection, but also the manna that God’s provision, defeat us and to take care of us. So all these things had a meaning for the children of Israel. And whenever he had to go into that room once a year, he would take the blood and he would sprinkle upon the mercy seat.

Now the mercy seat had cherubins over looking both ends of it and the lid was actually called the mercy seat. So they were able to take the lid off and inside of it was those three items. And on they would sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat. Now all this was made after a pattern of something that was really real in heaven. See these things down here on the earth, they’ve all passed away. That tabernacle is gone, Solomon’s temple is gone, Herod’s temple, it’s gone.

But what about the temple today? This is why when you and I accepted Christ as our Savior, the Bible says your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. You are made of a body, a soul and a spirit. The body is this outward court, and it is the body that God says present your bodies as a living sacrifice. It is to be totally consumed upon the offering on that brazen altar. So you see, you and I, we have the body and we have to wash and keep it clean.

We have to feed it. But in the holy place, the soul and the holy of holies are spirit. God must be worshiped in spirit and in truth. So you and I, when we trust Christ as our Savior, His Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. It is the soul of the man. You, me, it’s us. It’s who we really are that needs to feed upon the Word of God and needs to pray to God and needs to have as our goal and purpose in life to be the light of the world.

So you see, our bodies is a type of the Old Testament tabernacle only because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, there was the fire that came down and was over the temple. They, of the tabernacle, said, they watched it, they saw that, and when it moved, they know they were supposed to move, and when it stays still, they knew they were to stay still. Is it they trusted and dependent upon the Lord to lead them and to guide them, to prepare and to provide all these, whatever they needed, in the wilderness for 40 years.

So you and I, as a child of God, well here we are. I have the Holy Spirit living in Sadamim. On the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came in cloven tongues of fire and it sat upon them, it was a type of the Holy Spirit indwelling God’s children. As it did in the Old Testament, now it came upon the individuals. When I trusted Christ as my Savior 50 years ago, the Holy Spirit of God indwelled me. My body became the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore I am supposed to offer to God sacrifices because of what He’s done for me. Now, as you go through all of this, you and I ought to be able to see that everything concerning these things that I’ve mentioned is a picture of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ gave us all. He became the sin offering for all of us. He paid for all of our sins. He’s given us as a the pre-gift everlasting life. And when He died on the cross, what happened to the veil in the temple?

It was torn from not bottom the top, from the top to the bottom. Why? Because see, we don’t need that priest anymore. I don’t need them making all them sacrifices anymore. Because see, they had to do this over and over and over again, because when they made a sacrifice this year, they had to make another one for the next year to pay for the ones of this year. You see, there’s people today that are believing they’re saved the same way.

They can get saved today, but if they send to in the year, they got to get forgiveness again, and then you forgive and again, and then again, there’s no end to it. But by this one man, by one offering, he entered into the holy place and offered his blood upon the altar for the sins of everybody once and for all. Never has to do it again but only one time. Now in my mind it’s as clear as the bell but trying to explain this is not the easiest thing in the world.

But I hope that you get a little bit of a grasp of what I’m talking about. Christ died on the cross. The veil was opened from the top to the bottom so that all of us through Christ have excess unto God the Father into His presence. That’s why He says in Hebrews chapter 4 that you and I can come boldly to the throne of grace.” Doesn’t it say that? They couldn’t do that in the Old Testament. They had to go through a mediator.

But that’s why the Bible says there’s only one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. So we can go to the Father because of the Son. And He did that once and for all in the payment that Christ made. Never has to be made again. We don’t have another sacrifice to do it next year and worry about because see these high priests, they did it until they died, then they died, and then they died, and then they died, and then they died, but we have a high priest that lives forever.

Never has to be done again. And the power of this one is because of his endless life mentioned in the book of Hebrews in chapter 7. The power of an endless life means he lives forever and has bought for us an eternal salvation. It’s eternal. Best news in all the world. Look up here. This hand represents you and me. I hope that as many times as you see this, you don’t take it lightly. It’s the greatest truth so simplified that anybody should be able to understand it.

But this hand represents you and me, and this wallet represents all the things we do that’s wrong. God calls it sin. You and I have sinned against the Holy God. Everybody does wrong. But God says that to pay for that wrong is eternal separation from God in hell. And God loves us and wants us to go to heaven. You see, to go to heaven, God had to make a way for us sinners to go to heaven. Because the heaven is perfect.

It’s a righteous place. God cannot allow any sin into heaven. So what He did was something that nobody else could do for us. You say, you and I, we cannot earn our way to heaven. Because we’ve already earned our way to hell. God loves us though. This hand represents Jesus Christ. God in the flesh, He came into the world because He loves us. He hates our sin because it separates us from Him. So Jesus Christ who had no sin did not have to die.

He took all of the sins of all the world, paid for it on the cross and came back from the dead. And God says that whosoever, whosoever will believe that He did it for us. He would give you as a free gift everlasting life. you get to go to heaven on what Jesus Christ did for you. That’s good news. That’s why he did what he did. This is what all the Old Testament sacrifices was all about. It’s what the temple was about.

It was a teaching tool. It was a pattern of something that was real. It was only a shadow of that which was to come and he was Christ. Let’s pray, show him. head bowed, and every eye closed, no one looking around. If you’re here tonight, you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior. You’re not sure of going to heaven. You can be because Jesus made a way. He made a way for you and I that’s not good, that’s not perfect.

He made a way for us to go. See, well, what did he do? Well, all you need to understand is he loves you. He died to pay for for your sins. He said, if you’d believe he did it for you, he would give you as a free gift ever lasting life. He said, he’d never cast you. I’d never lose you. If you have never trusted Christ as your Savior, whether you’re here in the auditorium or watching by internet, would you just talk to the Lord and say something simple like this, Lord, I don’t understand it all.

But I believe Christ died for me and I trust him right now as my Savior. And friend, if you’ll do that, if you’ll trust Him, God will save you and give you eternal life. And you can know that you’re going to heaven when you die because I’ll never cast you out, never lose you. So it has bow nice clothes. Is there anyone? So yes, I will trust Christ as my Savior and preach out of life, Peter, pray for me.

Would you just slip your hand very quickly and better write back down? I’m not going to have you forward, not going to embarrass you, but write where you’re sitting. Anyone to all be full of your clothes? So yes, that made sense to me. And I want to be certain of going to heaven. And I’m going to trust Christ right now to take me to heaven whenever I die. You know, one of the all, our Father, we thank You so much for all that You’ve done for us.

And Lord, we’ll never understand all the details of these things, but hopefully we can get the gist of it. Some of the major meanings, we know it all revolves around Christ. You know it just reveals your holiness and your justice, reveals how that you love us and paid for our sins to give us eternal life. And Father, we pray that that will be enough for us to tell people about. Help us to do right. Bless the ministry here and every family or a lot of struggling, some in the hospital, some face in surgery, and some may even be going home to see you soon.

and just pray, Lord, that you wouldn’t put your arms around each one, and help us even Father if we need to and should love them for you. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Watch Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing tool free, 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bibleline programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the radio broadcast link. 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. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline 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 and just keep looking up.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. 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.

your Bible and turn to the book of 2 Peter chapter 3, 2 Peter in chapter 3. There’s a verse here that I kind of want to run by you a little bit and then try to give you an illustration of something that I hope will be a blessing to you. Anyway, it ought to be something for you to chew on for a little while. You know, sometimes you just give them a little milk, a little pabble them. And then sometimes you give them something to really chew on.

And it doesn’t mean you can always swallow everything the preacher gives you. But sometimes you have to take a verse over here, which is a knife. You take a verse over here for it. And you go back to that piece of gristle and you kind of cut it up a little bit. And if you can rightly divide it, it makes it easier to chew. So I try to do that. But I don’t always succeed. Some people get choked a little bit here and there.

And here in 2 Peter in chapter 3, down in verse 8, but beloved. Now he’s talking to those who know the Lord. There’s been people have been mocking those that believe that Jesus is coming. So he says up in verse 4, he says, where’s the promise of his coming? I mean, where is he at? Y’all been saying for 2,000 years Jesus is coming and he hasn’t shown up yet. And so there’s a lot of mockers out there. And sometimes I wonder if we don’t bring some of the mocking upon ourselves, but one of these days somebody’s going to hit it right.

Somebody’s going to have the right date. We’re always looking for the Lord to come back at any time. We don’t know exactly when He’s coming, but we know He’s coming. And He says, where’s the promise of His coming? For since the Father’s fellow sleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of evolution. No, the beginning of creation. Well, nothing’s changed. Everything’s the same. Well, that’s what they were saying. This was written 2000 years ago. This was right after Christ had already been here.

They were already saying stuff like that. And here we are 2000 years later. And it says down here that, verse 8, but beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing. One day with the Lord is of the thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but his long suffering toward us not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. And so he says in verse 10, the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.

But now that verse that says, and verse eight, one day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years of the day. Now it’s easy for us sometimes to try to figure out that, you know, with the Lord, time doesn’t seem to mean much. Because to Him a day is like a thousand years or a thousand years like a day. But we often talk about, you know, here it is a thousand years down here is like a day.

And so they’re going to be six days, six thousand years. Christ is going to come back and set up His kingdom upon the earth, and it’ll be the seventh day of the week. Six days? Whoo, they were moving on. We’re at the end of the sixth day. But I thought one time, wouldn’t it be strange that in the eyes of God, because I was wondering one day, God, how can you get so much done? Think of all the people that do all this praying.

And I will thank God you got to spend time with me because you got to think about me. If you think about me, you ain’t got time to think about nobody else. Because I am that important. And the Bible says, multitudes are His thoughts concerning me. So I mean, I thought, well, at least you got a good subject. He thinks about me. Well, then you’re probably thinking, well, God thinks about you. Well, if God’s thinking about all these different people, He got so much to do.

I wonder if God gets tired or bored with so much to do. And then I thought, well, what if God could take a day? A day and stretch it out until it was a thousand years long. But you and I won’t know He did that. And you and I can live our lives and we’re going through a natural life, but God can stretch a day into a thousand years. We have no problem thinking about him taking a thousand years and count it as a day.

Why not go the other way? Let’s just pretend for a second. Let’s pretend y’all live y’all’s normal life. You know, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But God gave me the ability to have a thousand years to live that one day. So while you are here living normal, I would be very slow. You might even think I was dead and want to bury me, but I would just be slow. But what if you reversed it and everybody is moving their normal speed but I would be moving at supernatural speed.

And I could be a lickety split and move at the speed of light because you see, I’m going to take this and have a thousand years into a day. But have I got to move out and I would be able to run around you and do all kinds of things, mess up your hair, spit in your eye and you wouldn’t even see me do it. And you were, well how How did that happen? Who did that? And I thought, but this is awesome when you stop and think about time.

Now when you study the Old Testament, and it’s interesting how that God will use types in order to teach. Not everything God put together at one time. He has what we call progressive revelation. Revelation revealing things in a progressive way Little by little you see the Bible was not given to us all at one time But over the years Maybe 15 1600 years and God has given to us his word 35 to 40 different writers from all kinds of lights a Little here and a little there a little here and a little there yet it all comes together perfectly And he says there’s things that he has done for a purpose that you and I would not have always understood at a particular moment in time where God revealed it all.

You and I living at the time in which we do can understand more than people who lived at other times. The Bible makes this statement that in time passed that many of the prophets, as they studied the Word of God, they did not quite understand all the things about the sufferings and the glory concerning Christ because you see, they didn’t understand when all of this would happen. So even though they knew it was going to happen, they could not distinguish exactly how it would happen.

And so there’s things concerning this in the Old Testament. And 1964, I was in Shreveport, Louisiana, and I had designed myself a great big book. It’s about this thick, about this big. I still have that book to this day. And I rode on the front of it in gold on leather. I bound my own book. One of these days I’ll show it to you. I have on Biblical Studies by Ralph Arnold. I had been saved about three years. Bitty’s dad had taught me a lot about the Bible, but there’s so much I did not understand.

And on one of those pages, I drew a picture. Of the tabernacle in the wilderness, the tent, where God was going to meet with His people. You see, in the Old Testament, the Bible tells us that God wanted to work and walk and fellowship with man. But because of sin, it broke that relationship, that walk we had with God because of sin. When that was broken, it also broke the pureness and the blessings of the earth. So even the earth was cursed.

And then the relationship between individuals was all broken. So how to get man back to God? So God had devised a plan, and it seems like as you study it, It seemed like it takes forever. You studied in your testman how one man lived, and then he had a child. That man lived, and he got married, and he had a child. That man lived, and he had 12 kids. Then they go down into Egypt for 400 years. Now me, I am for moving a little faster.

I get bored quick, but God is not in a hurry. God is patient and he plans it all out. He works everything as though time, what is time? God got all the time in the world to make whatever he wants happen, happen, and to believe that God is in charge. But how can a man get to God? So men need to understand just how righteous and Godly and holy he is. And because there’s a sinful man, that sinful man cannot have direct access to God.

He had to have a mediator, somebody to go between him and God. Have you ever gone to see somebody about a job and you can’t get to the ball, you have to go to the secretary? And the secretary says, well, just have a seat and wait for a month. And she decides whether you get in or you don’t get in. And sometimes if you only knew somebody that knows somebody, they can get you in to see somebody of importance.

Well, you can’t get any more important than God. What if I was that individual that lived back then and I want an audience with God? Hey, I want to work with you. We need to have a meeting. But anyway, whenever you want to see how did they get the lesson in the Old Testament, I want to kind of give you a little picture. We’re going to turn this whole audience, the whole room here, into the tabernacle. This is the tabernacle in the wilderness.

Now the tabernacle in the wilderness, well, there was the court and then the holy place in the holy of holies. Three different sections of it. But the outer court from one end to the other was only about 150 feet long, 150 feet by 70 feet, 75 feet wide. So that’s not very large. It would fit inside of this room probably at the length of this. So we know that the outer court had railings around it and curtains and so forth.

And they were maybe about say seven and a half feet high. And when you came into the courtyard, there were certain things there and then they had the great big curtain up here and it went all the way back. And this part was 15 feet high with the curtains across it. And this curtain separated the outer court from the holy of holies. See, this was the holy place. So the tabernacle is really just two rooms, not counting the outer court.

And so this room was the holy place, and then there was another big veil, and there was another room. And in that room, it was about 15 feet wide, 15 feet long and 15 feet high. It was a cube. So it’s not a very big room. But that’s the place where God told Moses, I will meet with you there in that little room. Now that little room there was no light there. In the holy place, there was no light in here except for the candles.

Now we call it sometimes candlestick, but in reality there was no candles. It was not candlesticks because they didn’t use candles. They used olive oil. They were lamp stands. So it was a lamp stand with one maimin’ in the middle and three on the sides of it. And that was the light that was in the holy place. But can you imagine without the light in there, there was no way of any light getting into this room, or especially into that holy of holies, no light, because they had four different coverings that went over the top of this temple, this tent.

And they had the finest of linen. They had like badger skin over the top of it, and they had another kind of a skin over the top of that, and then they believed that there was another one of like a leather that could have been from, they said a badger or a porpoise or something that had really caused the water to rain off so that water wouldn’t get in and hurt anything. So, but it was totally dark. And Josephus’ book, he writes about the holy place and he talks about the veil.

And that veyola that guarded that holy place, well, it was about four inches thick, and they said that two horses, they could not rip that thing apart. That’s how thick it was and how strong it was. But let’s say if this was the out of court, and when you came in it, remember the priests were the ones that were supposed to teach the people the word of God, the ways of God to help them to understand what it all meant.

There is something they see with the visible eye. They can see the brazen altar when they first walk in and it is an altar that is made out of brass. And this thing is about seven and a half feet wide and long sits off the the ground, maybe four and a half feet. And that’s where they would put the animals that they were going to sacrifice. They call it a burnt offering. On that burnt offering, well, there were different kinds of offerings that they would be able to offer onto this burnt offering for a sacrifice.

There were what we call the sin offering. A sin offering was an offering that the people had to make because they sent against God. And then they had the trespass offering or what we call the guilt offering. You know, when you trespass against someone, you sin against somebody. And so there had to be an offering that you made on that level for that sin. And then there was also what they called the grain offering that whenever you brought in your grain, they would bring it in and the priest would take some of it and throw it on to the burnt offering and they would be able to eat the rest of it.

Remember, the priest didn’t have their own places in the sense there’s like a tribe with a pot of ground like that as a tribe. They lived off of the sacrifices that the people brought. So the people were supposed to bring these things and of course the priests wanted them to because that was how they lived. They would eat that which was cooked and offered to God as a sacrifice. Now if it was a burnt offering it was to be completely burnt completely consumed.

So there were offerings like that. There were some of the offerings where they would offer them in if there was one called the peace offering that once they had offered the sin offering and the guilt offering and made peace with God they could make a peace offering and then they were able to eat that and share in it. So there was all these different that was all in that that brazen altar and that’s why they had to to be offered upon their sacrifice.

And when they came in with that little lamb or whatever they wanted to offer, turtle doves, or whatever they was going to give, if they were poor, they didn’t have to give as much. Or as expensive of an animal. If they were very rich, more was required. Some had to give a bullet. Or a big cow, whatever. But. Many of them gave sheep, little lambs. And they would bring them, and the reason they had to be there for as long as they did is because they had corals outside where they had to put the animals, and they would watch and observe these animals and make sure that there was nothing wrong with them for four days they had to inspect these animals.

So as they inspected them and they were okay, then they would be able to bring them in and the person brought in their own little lamb or whatever it was. And then when they took and put them on the top of this burnt offering, they had four horns on different corners, not real horns, but things that you’d be able to tie the animal down on top of this big grape. And then they would place their hands up on the animal, and they would cut its throat and let the blood drain.

And so even children understood that sin, there’s a penalty. The penalty is death. And so these innocent little animals was because if you did not do this, you could die because of the law in Israel. You could die if you don’t offer the right sacrifice for the right sin. And there were many sacrifices that they had to make. Some of those sacrifices were made every day. And so the priests had rotation of when they would have to serve in the tabernacle or in the temple later on.

So as they would do this and they would have to make these various sacrifices and the priests would be able to eat these things. They became a teaching tool. And so many of the people who came only did it as a ritual and never saw the meaning behind it what caused it to work. Like people today can be baptized in water and never trust Christ as their Savior. True? People can join a church and they think they’re going to heaven now because they’re a member of the body of Christ.

If you never trusted Christ as your Savior, you’re not saved. You don’t go to heaven because you’ve been baptized in water. So many people are religious and yet lost. And the same thing then as it is now. And so they would be able to offer these sacrifices and as they offered these sacrifices and they would tie that animal down and they laid their hand on them. It was a way of transferring. Or as the New Testament says, your sins were being imputed to this animal as though this animal, this innocent animal is dying in your stead.

Now you and I today, we know that’s just a type of what Christ would do one day and this is exactly what He’s done. So after they have done that, then the priest, and only the tribe of Levi had the right to do this. So then they would be able to go to the other brazen labor. And it was a labor with water for the hands and water for the feet. I’ve been to Israel a lot of times, and I’ve watched enough Arabs even do this.

They have a place for their hands to wash, and they got a place for their feet to wash. Well, in the temple, it was for only the priest. So they would wash the blood off their hands. They even had to do it before they did the sacrifices. And so they had a ritual that they had to go through and they had to wear certain garments at certain time. They had to do everything just right. God laid it all down for them.

And so they would go to the labor and they would wash and keep themselves. And so as they went from that burnt offering and they would go over to the, the labor. Well, as they walk from there over to here before they could go into the holy place, they’d get dirt on their feet or sand on their feet. And when they did the offerings, they would be unclean. And so they would have to cleanse themselves. Now you and I know that in the New Testament, we We don’t need a complete bath, but because we get a little dirt on us as we go through life, we need to be washed by the washing of the water by the Word.

And so everything in the tabernacle was a picture of what Christ has done for us. You see, it was just a shadow, shadow of the real thing. That was not the real thing. It was only a picture, a pattern of something that was real in heaven. And God told Moses to make the one on the earth like the one that’s in heaven. And God gave them all the instructions on what to do. And so when they got to the big veil…

As though you had a big veil across through here. And see, this was not a very big section out here. Because you’re only talking about maybe 50 feet by 50 feet, because the rest of it takes up the rest of the difference. And then you have this great big veil that goes across through here, and they would go into this place every day, twice a day, every morning, every night. Because there was three main things in that room of what they were supposed to do.

Now there’s questions about whether or not the altar of incense was in the holy place or inside of the holy of holies. I haven’t figured it out yet, but I’m working on it. But remember this, when they came from there to go into here, there was a big curtain across here. here. And the priest had to come in here, and many priests could do this. And they would come in and they would trim the lampstand. You see, the light inside of this place, if this ever became dark, it’s very difficult to see, because there was no light that could get in here.

So without the light inside of here, make it very difficult for them. So they had to keep the light burning. Now in Solomon’s day they had the dedication of the temple when they had built a literal stone temple that David had gotten all the materials but God will not allow him to build the temple. So Solomon was used by God to build the temple. later on because of anti-office epiphanies and about 170 BC, well he really desecrated the temple by going into the temple and offering a sacrifice of a pig and that made Maccabee.

Very mad, very angry. He rallied the Jews and they took it away from them and they got their temple back and so they went in to have a rededication. They wanted to purify the temple. And so when they wanted to rededicate the temple to God, they didn’t have enough oil to last for those seven or eight days that they needed. They relied, they only had enough oil for one day. And this is why sometimes it’s called the rededication of the temple, but it was called also the feast of light, or the feast of dedication.

It’s what they call Hanukkah today. They call it happy Hanukkah to you, the feast of life. It’s a time that you and I know, but they celebrated this because The oil lasted for eight days until they were able to purify the oil that they needed, the olive oil, because of the process they had to go through. So it lasted for the eight days and so they had a rededication. And this is what the Jewish people are still doing and celebrating even to this day.

But as you went into the holy place, there was the candle, as we call it, the lampstand. The lampstand is where you hear about Christ. I am the light of the world. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tappa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Two of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free, 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bibleline programs, Just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Radio Broadcast link. 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. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcasts of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, 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 and just keep looking up.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. 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 a 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 concluding message of this teaching will be a blessing to you and your family. God’s taken rebellious individuals, all over the world, because they are of the nation of Israel and God can bring them back into their land. And God can create that desire, that hunger, they wanna go into their own homeland and have it all again. And they always say next year in Jerusalem, next year in Jerusalem, next year in Jerusalem.

So he says these two sticks are gonna be made into one. You know, there’s Israel and Judah and they’ll come together, become one nation. Well, if you go over there, you look, there’s one nation. It says in verse 19, “‘Say unto them, thus saith the Lord God behold, “‘I will take the stick of Joseph, “‘which is the hand of Ephraim and the tribes “‘of Israel, his fellows, and put them with him, “‘even with the stick of Judah and make them one stick.

“‘They shall be one in mine hand, one nation, once again.'” You see, because of Solomon, and after he died, the kingdom was divided, and God says, in the last days, I’m going to bring them back, and they’re going to be one nation. And the Bible talks about in the book of Hosea in chapter 4, I believe it is, and he says, they parted my land. They parted my land. See, they’re dividing up the land over there and say, you know, you give land for peace.

You don’t give any Arab land for peace, not as a nation of Israel, because they don’t want just a little land. They want all of your land. You don’t have a right to that land and they want it all. But when you check the scriptures, you find that the Bible was written hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years before Muhammad ever showed up. And their writings don’t compare it with these writings. This was first. In their book, the Koran, it talks about the people of the book.

And the people of the book is the nation of Israel, the Jews of the book, which is the Bible. So this was first. There’s this last. If you will look down in verse 21 and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whether they be gone and will bring them on every side and bring them into their own land. And I will make them one nation.” See if everyone says one stick, that’s how I know he’s talking about one nation.

He’s going to do it. And he makes this statement. And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel and one king shall be king to them all. And they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms anymore at all. This is what God says, I’m going to do this. Now remember, this was written almost 600 years before Christ ever came. Telling what’s going to happen to the nation of Israel.

You see, it hasn’t all yet been fulfilled. Parts of it has, but it ain’t done yet. Israel has been under the dominion of Gentile nations, even when Christ was here, under the iron heel of Rome. And so God says that it’s going to destroy the temple, the walls, the city, it used to be scattered, it happened again. It had happened before with Assyria and with Babylon and then it happens again. History repeats itself because people don’t usually learn their lessons.

Remember America is only 200 years old, a little over 200 years old. Look at all the things that we’ve done in just 200 years. Israel has been around for almost 4,000 years. That’s a long time you know. And get what he says here. He says in verse 24, and David, my servant shall be king over them and they shall have one shepherd. They shall also walk in my judgment and observe my statutes and do them. So we haven’t had it yet where David has been here.

But his coming. This is talking about David. Now you say, well, the not is talking about the lineage of David. Okay. That would mean Christ. Because there is no King past Christ. Jesus Christ when he was here is the only one even at that time that had the right to claim the throne of Israel. There was nobody else could claim the throne. He had the right to claim the throne. That’s why you have the genealogy given in the book of Matthew and also shown in the end in the book of Luke.

One through Mary and one through Joseph that he had the right legal right to claim the throne of Israel. And whenever he died, nobody else has the right to claim the throne. Because none of them from that line could claim the throne because it goes to the Jack and I and it was the curse put up on the line. And only because of the virgin birth could the next person have the right to be the king. He could have a sinful nature.

Interesting. So hold your place here. Look in Psalms 30, Ezekiel 34. Ezekiel 34 and look at it in verse 23. He’s equal 34 and verse 23. He says, and I will set up one shepherd over them. He shall feed them even my servant David. He shall feed them and he shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord L O R D caps Jehovah will be their God. And my I serve it David, a prince among them, I the Lord have spoken it.

So if he spoke it, it’s supposed to be, hey, you can count on this. This is money in the bank. I said, this is what’s going to take place. In verse 25, and I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beast to cease out of the land. They shall dwell safely, sleep, all these things. And then in verse 26, the last part of verse 26, There shall be showers of blessing. This is the promise of God, Jehovah, the promise of the Lord.

Showers of blessing. It’s coming. All the bad things that God says is going to happen, going to happen. And the tribulation period that’s right ahead of us, the worst part of time the world’s ever known, is because God is going to judge His people, the nation of Israel. And God says in the book of Zachariah in chapter 12, he says, and I will gather all nations against Jerusalem. God is going to do that. He’s going to have all the nations turn against Israel.

How does it look? Looking pretty good like that, huh? God says, he’s going to do why? Because he’s going to show the world the impossibility, the impossibility of a little sliver of land, a little handful of people is going to be able to hook the world. And only because of what God says, I will do this. I will do this. Not only so that my people will know that I am God, but so that the world will know that I am God.

Hold your place right there and just look over there in Ezekiel in 30, 39. Verse 39. I just want to show you this verse real quick. Verse 28 says there in chapter 39, he says, then shall they know that I am the Lord, their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen. But I have gathered them into their own land and have left none of them Anymore there. Neither will I hide my face anymore from them, for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, sayeth the Lord God, because I want them to know who did it.

I did it. These are my people and I’m going to protect them. They cannot be annihilated because the nation of Israel is like a person in the Old Testament as an individual. like a safe man. You see, I can’t lose my salvation any more than you can wipe out the nation of Israel. And kill all the Jews. They will always be a remnant. And even today, even though God’s people, we may stumble, we fall, we mess up, whatever it is, but God says, you’re still my child.

He cannot unborn you. God had made promises to Israel to the nation of Israel. God has to fulfill. God has to keep his word. So just look back there again now in chapter 34 where it makes the statement in verse 1. 24 and I the Lord will be their God in my servant David a prince among them Then there’ll be a covenant of peace the inverse 20 think that shall be showers of blessing So you go down through here now look there in verse 29 And I will raise up for them a plant of renown and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land Neither bear the shame of the heathen anymore God is doing what he’s doing because he’s gonna show the world You’re going to show the world.

And I want you to see that. So let’s go on over there to chapter 38. Chapter 38. Here you have a very simple little story about a place called, and most Bible scholars believe is a place called Russia. North of Israel, the place called Rush. And there is the place of Gog and Magog. They gog the land and gog the prince. So it’s the prince of Russia. And the Bible says that they’re going to come down from the north against that little tiny nation of Israel.

You know one of the reasons that America has spent billions and billions of dollars feed into all these Arab nations because they don’t want Russia to get them. They don’t want Russia to be the satellite them. So we make agreements with them and pay you all this money so that you’ll leave Russia out of it because you don’t trust Russia, it’s a bear. You don’t trust that bear. But what’s going on right now, see, the Bible says in the last days, it says that Iraq and Iran called Persia and Libya, Ethiopia and Turkey, these nations are going to side with Russia.

And if you notice that it’s Russia right now that’s given a lot of stuff to a place like Iran, sending missiles and things like that into Syria, we got our hands full. Something has to happen in a drastic way to cause the Arab nations to accept Israel’s right to exist as a people, and their right to exist in that land, and their right to rebuild their temple. What’s it going to take? Something has to happen and it doesn’t look like it’s going to come from America unless somehow Israel is able to take out somebody like Iran.

Now if I was Israel and I was Benjamin Netanyahu and I had to consider the consequences that if America don’t stand with us and don’t draw the red line and don’t tell them what they can’t do and make sure militarily they don’t do it, they’re going to destroy and annihilate them. So what would you do? If I knew I had to take you out or you were going to annihilate us, I wouldn’t wait. But they also know that how does this little sliver of land take on 50-something countries all at one time and not knowing if America will really stand with you.

Wouldn’t that be a scary scenario to be in? Because once you go after Iran and you don’t really know how it’s going to turn out, you realize you may have just signed your death warrant. So how is it going to cause peace in the Middle at least then, unless Israel does something miraculous. I don’t know any other way to put it. I don’t really have all the answers. I just know it sure is getting exciting. I can’t wait till the next day to see what’s gonna happen next anyway.

Just some things to think about. But something else I wanted you to see. And if you will, look there in Ezekiel chapter 38. And when he makes the statement like in verse, over five Persia, which is I reckon Iran, Ethiopia and Libya, they’re gonna be on the same side with Russia. Isn’t it amazing that 2,500 years ago? It said that, and that God says, I’m going to bring them down against my people Israel. In chapter 39, there’s a, well, the Russia loses that battle.

But let me just show you this. See there in verse 15 where he says, and thou shall come from thy place out of the North parts. Thou and many people with thee look in verse 16, thou shall come up against my people of Israel. He’s telling you’re going to come against Israel. I am going to bring you down, see in verse four where he says, and I will turn thee back and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth.

God’s going to do this. See, people think they’re just doing what they want to do. I got an idea. And God’s the one that can cause people to think certain things and do certain things. God says the river run according to the banks, and God can change the hearts of men to fulfill his will. That’s interesting. Also in the book of Revelation, chapter 17, where God says, until they have fulfilled his will. They don’t know they’re fulfilling his will because God can use the wickedness of man to accomplish his purpose.

Look what else she says. See there in verse 16, I will bring the against my land the heathen. You ought to underline this. That the heathen may know me. This is one of the things. See, I want my people to know me, but I want the heathen to know me. And so God says that He’s going to do all of this, and this is what’s going to happen. And it’s going to happen. Look down here in verse 23. 23.

Thus will I magnify myself and sanctify myself and I will be known. I will be known in the eyes of many nations and they shall know I am the Lord. See all of this is going on. Good, bad, or indifferentness about people knowing who God is. What is God like? God wants himself to be known in the minds of every individual. You see, even talk about eternal life and knowing that you have eternal life, and know that you’re going to heaven.

And when you read the prayer that Jesus prayed in the book of John chapter 17, he says, whom to know, whom to know is life eternal? That they may know thee, the only true wise eternal God, that you may know God. It’s all about knowing. That’s why we talked about Somebody, you know, and we talked to a, do you know the Lord? Do you know the Lord? Do you know the Lord? Salvation is because you know God. You know the Lord.

You don’t know the Lord until you’re saved. Then you know the Lord. But after you trust the Christ is saved, the Bible talks about there’s so much more that God wants us to know. Do we know the Lord? I’ll look down in verse seven of chapter 39, where he makes a statement, So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel. And I will not let them pollute my holy name anymore. And get this, and the heathen shall know that I am Jehovah.

I am the Lord.” Not Allah. God, the true God, has a son. Allah does not have a son. Allah is not God. So how simple that is? And He makes this statement that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel. And as you go through the book of Isaiah, the phrase the Holy One, the Holy One, the Holy One is always a reference to Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

Anyway, and then you look there in verse 22, look in verse 22. So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord, their God from that day and forward.” And then look in verse 23, and the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity because they trespassed against me. Therefore hid I my face from them and gave them into the hand of their enemies so fell they all by the sword. Does that make it pretty clear why those bad things happen to Israel?

Because they rebelled against the Lord. And God said, I brought all this to pass. Because see, if you serve the Lord, God’s going to bless you. If If you don’t serve a Lord, God can use anything, anybody. To whoop you, he would take a nation and use him as a rod across the back of his child Israel. And then after he has used that nation to chasten his people, he then will use another nation and break that rod. That’s found in the book of Habakkah, interesting study.

I need to teach the book of Habakkah again. Great book. But look what he says here. So in verse 22, So the house of Israel shall know that I and the Lord their God from the day forward. And the Haven shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity from that because of their iniquity and because they trespassed against me. So God says, this is what happened to them and this is why it happened. Now look there in verse 25.

Therefore thus saith the Lord God. Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel. And will be jealous for my holy name.” Then he says in verse 27, when I have brought them again from the people, gathered them out of their enemies’ land and emsankified in them in the sight of many nations. See, God is allowing all the nations of the world. Do they know who Israel is? You know, there’s some little countries, you don’t even know who they are.

You can’t pronounce their name. You never hear about them. They never do anything. I bet you, every nation knows where Israel is. I mean, everybody knows the story of Israel. I mean, I like it. They don’t agree with it, but they know about it. And God’s going to use that little low nation to whoop all the nations of the earth. And isn’t going to be amazing that Israel will become the greatest nation upon the earth in the kingdom. The little mustard seed that grows and becomes a great tree.

that all the other ones come and live in the branches of this great nation. It’s going to be awesome. Then in verse 28, then shall they know, then shall they know, then shall they know. This is what he was after all along, that I am the Lord, their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen. But I have gathered them into their own land and have left none of them anymore there. here will I hide my face anymore?”

See all these years, they’ve always wanted to see God. They saw the Chaconna glory when it came and it beheld the presence of God in the tabernacle and when it would move and they would follow and so forth, but to see the face of God. Because see it says right over there that he in verse 23 where he says, Therefore hid I my face from them. And over here he says, I will not hide my face anymore. Over here he hid his face because of their sin.

But see now it’s because he’s dealt with their sin. They have believed on the Messiah. They saw him coming back in power and great glory. They saw the scars in his hands and he says, where did you get those? And he says, I came the first time in the house of my friends. It’s a wonderful story. A natural man could not make up this stuff. This is one perfect book. It deserves to be read. It deserves to be believed.

God deserves to be known. He deserves everything. He is God. Look up here. This man represents you and me. The wallet represents sin. We all have sin upon us. God says that he loves us. He loves every one of us. But he hates what we do wrong. He hates our sin. And because of sin, you can’t see God. There’s a barrier. Because God is a holy God. He’s perfect, He’s righteous. To go to heaven, you have to be perfect, as righteous as God and none of us are.

But because we’ve all sinned, we’re all condemned. Eternal separation from the Lord that God loves us. Just like in spite of how bad Israel was, God still loved them. And God still loves us. Look how bad we are. We do the same thing just like the nation of Israel. We want our own way, go our own way. We live half our lives in the wilderness. getting beat up half the time, and most time we never learn our lesson. But God still loves us.

He says, you cannot save yourself. You cannot earn your way to heaven. This hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord, God in the flesh. Came into the world because He loves us. Hates our sin because it separates us from Him. So Jesus Christ who had no sin didn’t have to die. So He took all of our sin, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead. And He said that if you or I, if we would believe He did it for us, He would put the payment that He made to our account.

We get to go to heaven on what Christ did. You see, you don’t earn that. You don’t work your way to heaven. You do not join a church to go to heaven. You don’t stop your sins to go to heaven. You don’t promise to be good to go to heaven. You have to accept Christ in Him alone, believing He died for your sins. See, if He paid for my sins and I don’t have to pay for them, all I have to do is believe He did it for me.

Some people call that easy, believerism. Well, I don’t have a right to make it hard. We want hard believerism. It ought to be easy. He says, going all the way to preach the gospel to every creature. Even children can understand it, then it must be easy. It must be something you can hear and understand and trust the Lord. Let’s pray, shall we? Every head, bond, every act, close, no one looking around. If you have never trusted Christ as your Savior, or if you’re watching by Internet, We pray that what we’ve said makes sense to you.

We want you to know Christ as your Savior. The Lord says that you may know Him, that you may know Him. So the question is, is do you know Him? Do you know that Jesus Christ is the Lord that He died on that cross, paid for your sins? And if you trust Him, He’ll give you as a free gift ever last in life. If you’ve never trusted Him, would you do it right now? You don’t have a guarantee on life.

You don’t know if you will ever see tomorrow. But right now, right where you are, and you say, that made sense to me. I want to know that I’m going to heaven when I die. And I will trust Christ as my Savior tonight. And I’d like for you to know it, and I’d like for you to pray for me. And so I’m going to ask you in just a moment to raise your hand. Raising your hand does not save you.

It just lets me know that what I said made sense to you. But friend, I would like to know, and I would like to have prayer for you. So if you’re trusting Christ as your Savior, you’ve never done it before. Would you just slip you in it very quickly and put it right back down, they went off. If you’ve already trusted Christ as your Savior, you’re God’s child. And because you’re God’s child, you’re going to heaven. Because you’re going to heaven, he’ll never cast you out and never lose you.

But he wants us to serve him, not to get to heaven, but because we’re going there. Our Father, we thank you so much for this time together. We thank your Father for your word that’s given to us so that we can know the things that will happen the days in which we live. Or we do pray for our leadership in our country. We want to live a quiet, peaceful life. We do want our government to protect our rights and our freedom.

And followers are those that would love to take it away. But follow, we also pray for the little nation of Israel. You say pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Or we’d love the Jewish people, the nation of Israel, and pray, Lord, you put a hedge about them to protect them, helping them to know exactly what they should do, and work those miracles that has to be done in order to preserve them. We thank you for being Christ’s name, amen.

You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you are blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Watch Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing tool free, 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bibleline programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Radio Broadcast link.

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. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline 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, and just keep looking up.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. 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.

Turn in your Bible to the book of Isaiah, chapter 48. Isaiah, chapter 48. In the book of Isaiah, chapter 48, there’s things that God wants us to know, and that is He wants us to believe Him. be surprised what God goes through in our lives, trying to teach us to trust Him. He wants us to know Him. And He makes a statement here in verse 3, I have declared the former things from the beginning, they went forth out of my mouth and I showed them, I did them suddenly and they came to pass because I knew that thou art obstinate and thy neck is an iron seneur And I brow brass interpreted that means because I know knew that you were hard headed and stiff.

That’s what that means. So he says in verse five, I have even from the beginning declared it to the before it came to pass. I showed it the less thou should have said mine idle have done them and my graven image and my molten image have commanded them. In other words, God don’t want you to believe in these false gods and idols and images. He wants you to believe Him. So He said, I will tell you in advance what will happen so that you’ll know I told you so.

God loves to say, I told you So we don’t like it, but God does. And then he says this in verse six, Thou hath heard, see all of this, and will not ye declare it? I have showed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou does not know them. So he says, I know things, I want to reveal things, because I want you to know me. I want you to believe me. I want you to trust me.

Now, of course, in a spiritual realm, And we can apply that in a lot of ways, and I could teach a whole sermon on just that part of the message in itself. But take your Bible and turn to the book of Ezekiel, the book of Ezekiel. And look there in all around verse or chapter 37. That sounds like a good chapter, don’t it? After 37, it is an interesting little chapter. God had prophesied in advance what was going to take place with the nation of Israel.

If you remember, Solomon was the king, and Solomon was considered to be the wisest man. And in his so-called wisdom, he made some wrong decisions. You think, why would you do that if you’re so wise? And yet he had wisdom, he knew so much. And it says that even though he had 700 wives and 300 concubines, they led him astray because they had other gods. They came from other nations. So now it’s hard enough for a man to please one wife, but what if you had 700 of them?

He says, wow, 700 of them, and you’ve got to satisfy 700 wives, and they all got their own gods, their own desires and things. You go nuts. And the Bible says that they turned his heart from the Lord. And because of that, God says, not in your day, but when you die, I’m going to rip the kingdom apart. So you see, there is a price for sin. It does take its toll. Even though he built such great wealth, it was all lost.

The temple that he had built was so beautiful, it was destroyed. So you see, when you serve the Lord, God can give and give, but when you don’t, God can take it all away so easy. God wants us to learn, God wants us to trust Him. But we’re so hard headed, and He has a whole chapter in the book of Psalms about, lest you forget, lest you forget, He says, and you forgot, you forgot. You forget where your blessings come from.

You forget there’s a God in heaven that rules in the lives of man. And God can let things come your way and God can keep things from you. He can shower you with blessings and He can take them all away just as easy. So if all this is true, if there’s anybody you never want to make mad, it ought to be the Lord. Don’t make God mad or upset. Now here in the book of Psalms and 37, there’s a little vision here.

It’s called the Valley of Dry Bones. It’s a reference to the nation of Israel, and it’s actually even looking further into the future because Israel is going to be destroyed, and it’s going to get very, very bad for them as a people. But God says these bones are going to start coming together, and so they’re going to come to life, and they’re going to stand upon their feet, and they’re going to be a whole army. But why is God doing all of this?

Because God knows that if He doesn’t do it, the nation of Israel never will. You see, for 1500 years from the time they were told what to do until Christ came, they never fulfilled the law. They just wouldn’t obey. They were just rebellious. obedient people. So God says, I’m going to have to really lure the boom, almost bring them to the point of annihilation. That day is coming, that day is close. When there’s a good possibility in the very near future Israel as a nation can be totally destroyed.

There’ll always be a remnant, a few that will be deceded by which he can grow a nation again. So I want you to look at this here in chapter 36. I want you to notice there in verse 10, there’s things that God is going to cause to happen. This is Ezekiel chapter 36, page 880, and he says in verse 10, I will multiply men upon you, all house of Israel. Even all of it and the city shall be inhabited and the waste shall be built in.

In verse 11 I will and you’ll notice he keeps saying what I will do I will do I am going to do this because Israel as a nation never will. So God is going to bring them to the point of destruction and eventually the nation of Israel is going to see the Lord when he comes back in power and great glory. So he goes down through here and he says all these things and lays it down pretty clear. And then he says there in verse 15, neither will I cause men to hear in the shame of the heathen anymore.

Neither shall thou bear the reproach of the people anymore. Neither shall thou cause thine nations to fall anymore, Seth, In other words, there’s a time coming, God’s going to stop all of this because God’s going to deal. But you see, there’s nations that are going to fall and there’s going to be one nation that is going to rise. You and I are living at one of the most exciting times of human history. You see, because God says you’re hard-headed and stiff-necked, I’m going to tell you all these things in advance so that when it happens, you know that I told you them.

You see, it’s one thing when God says something and a couple hundred years later, it happens. He says something else and a couple hundred years later it happens. But here he’s talked about something and he’s been over 2,000 years. So if this thing happens, it’s really going to be a miracle, a big miracle. Because God said that he was going to divide the nation of Israel, 10 tribes would be considered the beat is Rayola. And their capital would be in Samaria.

And then you had the southern two tribes, Judah and Benjamin, and the capital would be in Jerusalem. So there were kings from Israel and kings of Judah. And so when you read the kings, that’s so that you know that. And so there were kings in two different places at the same time over God’s people. Only because there had been sinful rebellion. And God says the day is gonna come when I’m gonna have to really chase in your heart because you won’t listen.

Some people just won’t believe God. So the Assyrians came in and they conquered Israel and took them into captivity. And that’s where a lot of people think they’re talking about the lost 10 tribes and they come into Europe and America now is the, no, that’s junk. They’ll go down that stuff. And then, a couple hundred years later, here comes the Babylonians, and they take Judah, destroyed the city of Jerusalem, and the walls of the city, and the temple, and all that was destroyed, taken into Babylonian captivity.

And then, seven years later, they came back to the land, Ezra, near Mayan, some of them, and they rebuilt the wall and they built that little thing called the temple. And it says some of the older men they wept because they remembered the other temple. They remembered Solomon’s temple and that this temple was nothing compared to what they used to have. And so Ezekiel was given dimensions of the one that’s going to be built in the millennium, a future day, a future, I guess you could say temple, that’s going to be beautiful than anything they’ve ever seen.

And it talks about a lot of other stuff that we don’t have time to get into right now. But this temple that’s going to be the ones before it will be like nothing. And then David’s going to be here. King David is going to be here and ruling rain upon the earth. So we look forward to that. But look what he said in verse 22. Verse 22, therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God, I do not this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for mine own holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the heathen with a U.N.

So he has sent them everywhere and Israel should have wherever they went into all the world. They wouldn’t do it voluntarily and the God had meant for Israel to be a lighthouse to the world, to show the nations of the world what it was like to have the true and living God as their God. And they were to serve God and be a light to the Gentiles. So they wouldn’t do it voluntarily. God smashed them and scattered them, and wherever they went, they were supposed to be like little lights of the true and living God.

And still manifest what they believe and what they knew about God. And they wouldn’t do it. They went bitterly and they cursed God, they hated, and they anyway, God had to lower the boom on them. But He says, I’m not doing this so much for your sake, I’m doing it for my sake. Because God had a reason, God had a purpose. See, God loved his people. He wanted to do so much for his people. But God can’t bless disobedience.

You see, here we are 2,000 years removed from the time of Christ. We’re supposed to believe that all these things are true so that we don’t make the same dumb, stupid, He got at me. Stake they made. We should know that if I serve the Lord, God will bless me. And if I don’t, God could beat the Torah to me. So which one do I want? Do I want God to beat me all the time? Or do I want God to bless me?

I just say, if this is true and believe it is, I’m not going to serve the Lord. Because God says, this is what I will do. I will do. I will do this. for I will take you from among the heathen, get you out of all countries and will bring you into your own land. Stop and think. Even in our time, I should say a little bit, I was maybe five years old, when Israel became a nay, May the 20th, 1948, and they came from all over the world to that little sliver of land they have over there.

a miraculous thing, because God says that I’m going to scatter you. And then in the last days, He’s, I’m going to bring you back into the land. And they’ve come back and become established as a nation. No other nation has ever done that. Of all the nations and all the world. There’s nobody ever had that happen to them, but it happened to Israel. God’s God’s God would. Well, if after these twenty five hundred years, you think it’s just a coincidence?

Or is it possible that there is truly a living God that lives and moves in the affairs of man? And that God is on the throne and God can protect his people. regardless of what everybody tries to do to them, even though Hitler tried to annihilate the Jews and people are still wanting to do that today. Isn’t it amazing? That’s what they wanted to do. You don’t hear them say, we’re going to annihilate all the Catholics. We’re going to annihilate all the Baptists.

No, I want to kill all the Jews. And of course, Christians are thrown into that. Well, look what he says. Verse 25, then will I sprinkle clean water upon you? You shall be clean. In other words, this is a reference to the day when you will believe on the Messiah and you will be washed as white as snow. It’s the new birth. It’s the only thing that can cure Israel is a new birth where they believe on the Lord.

And then as a nation, God is able to fulfill His will Because God can’t bless the rebellious rebellion. See there in verse 26, and he said, a new heart will also, I give you in a new spirit. Well, I put within you, I will do this. I will, I will, I will, all the way down the aisle. This is what I’m going to do. You see, individually, there’s people that trust Christ as Savior, Jews, and there’s individuals, Gentiles, that will trust Christ as Savior, and God gives them a new man, a new birth.

That’s the new heart. A new heart is because you had a new birth. And so God has promised all of this. And so he says there in verse 27, I will put my spirit within you. Then down in verse 29, and I will also save you from all your uncleanness. And I will call you for the corn and I will in verse 30. See, this is because of what God is going to do. Verse 31, then shall you remember?

your own evil ways and your doings that were not good and your own sight and your abomination your iniquities in verse 32 not for your sake do I do this after Lord be it known he says you’re always of the house of Israel you have gotten what you have deserved but God is always merciful God is merciful if it wasn’t for the mercy of God, we would all be consumed. Because God has the right to take any of us out of here at any time because of our wickedness.

We don’t think right. We don’t love right. We don’t serve right. We just don’t live right. Regardless of your desiring, your motive to, we fail. We fail all the time. So he says, I’m going to do some things to you, but look in verse 35. And they shall say, this land was, which was desolate is become like the Garden of Eden. I’ve been to Israel six times. The land of Israel is like the Garden of Eden. It really is.

I can’t believe it. You can have six kinds of raw fish for breakfast every morning. Oh, I love that raw fish. Don’t just make you hungry. Just think about all that raw fish. They even gave us St. Peter’s fish from the Sea of Galilee. Still has heads its head on it. St. Peter’s fish leave the head on it, they cook the whole thing. Boy is that good eating. That’s good eating. And you can stand up on the Mount of Olive and you can see certain parts of the special upon the Golan Heights and you can see the land of Jordan.

It’s like a desert. You leave in from Israel and you start going down south toward Egypt. It’s It’s desert Israel. It blossoms like a rose. God has blessed those people because they’re working the land. If they follow biblical principles, saved or lost, it won’t matter. If a lost man puts seeds in the ground and waters it can grow. It’s not based upon whether or not the man is saved or lost, but they have been blessed with such wisdom to do all of these things.

I look in verse 37, thus say, if the Lord God, I will yet for this, be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them. I will increase them with men like a flock. So God says, this is what I’m going to do. Now, he kind of breaks it away and then he gets into this whole thing about this son. Valley of dry bones. And how he says that these body parts are going to start coming together.

And it seemed a little crazy at first. But look here in verse 11. Then he said to me, Son of Man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. And behold, they say our bones are dried and our hope is lost. We are cut off from our parts because they were scattered all over the world. They had no unity. They had no land of their own. They had no and still don’t have a temple. They have no king.

And yet they trying to worship Jehovah and some have no clue what they’re even doing after all these years. They’ve lost the meaning of why they were doing these things. And he says in verse 12, therefore prophesy and say unto them, thus saith the Lord God behold, oh my people, I will open your graves. That means the other nations. I’m going to bring you from out of these nations and cause you to come up out of your graves and bring you into the land of Israel.

Remember God says you caused your hard-headed and stiff-knit. I’m going to tell you all these things before it comes to pass. Hasn’t it come to pass? Some of this here are taking place. It’s not the total fulfillment. But you can’t have a peace treaty with a nation of Israel If there is no nation of Israel. So there is going to be a seven year treaty made, but you have to have a nation. The right now the Muslim nations want to deny Israel the right to exist as a people.

They want to annihilate it. They want to deny them the right to the land. Even though they’ve got 50 something countries, they want that little sliver of land too. talking about being hoggysh. They want it all. And by the way, they don’t want just Israel. They want America too. They want all the nations of the earth to worship Allah. Oh yes so much stuff I’d like to say. But anyway, he says in verse 14, and shall put my spirit in you and ye shall live and I shall place you in your, get it as your own land.

So that’s why I know that up there when he comes out of the grave, he’s telling me coming out of those gentile nations, lands around the world. And I’m going to bring you back into your own land and you shall live. And then shall he say here, then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it and performed it because you couldn’t make it happen. This has to be a miracle because But anything God has to do is because man couldn’t do it.

God did this. God’s taken rebellious individuals from all over the world because they are of the nation of Israel and God can bring them back into their land. And God can create that desire, that hunger, the one who go into their own homeland and have it all again. And they always say next year in Jerusalem, next year in Jerusalem, next year in Jerusalem. He says these two sticks are going to be made into one. You know, there’s Israel and Judah, and they’ll come together, become one nation.

Well, if you go over there, you look, there’s one nation. And says in verse 19, say unto them, thus saith the Lord God behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is the hand of Ephraim and the tribes of Israel, his fellows, and put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick. They shall be one in my hand, one nation once again. You see, because of Solomon, and after he died, the kingdom was divided, and God says in the last days, I’m gonna bring them back, and they’re gonna be one nation.

And the Bible talks about in the book of Hosea in chapter four, I believe it is, and he says, he says, they parted my land, they parted my land. See, they’re dividing up the land over there and say, You know, you give land for peace. You don’t give any Arab land for peace. Not as a nation of Israel, because they don’t want just a little land. They want all of your land. You don’t have a right to that land, and they want it all.

But when you check the scriptures, you find that the Bible was written hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years before Muhammad ever showed up. and their writings don’t compare it with these writings. This was first. In their book The Koran, it talks about the people of the book. And the people of the book is the nation of Israel, the Jews of the book, which is the Bible. So this was first. There’s this last. If you will, look down in verse 21, and say unto them, does saith the Lord God behold?

I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whether they be gone and will bring them them on every side and bring them into their own land. And I will make them one nation.” See if everyone says one stick, that’s how I know he’s talking about one nation. He’s going to do it. And he makes this statement. And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel and one king shall be king to them all.

And they shall be no more two Two nations neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms anymore at all. This is what God says, I’m going to do this. Now remember, this was written almost 600 years before Christ ever came. Telling what’s going to happen to the nation of Israel. You see, it hasn’t all yet been fulfilled. Parts of it has, but it ain’t done yet. has been under the dominion of Gentile nations, even when Christ was here, is under the iron heel of Rome.

And so God says that is going to destroy the temple, the walls, the city, it used to be scattered, it happened again. So it happened before with Assyria and with Babylon, and then it happens again. History repeats itself because people don’t usually learn their lessons. Remember America is only 200 years old, a little over 200 years old. Look at all the things that we’ve done in just 200 years. Israel has been around for almost 4,000 years. That’s a long time you know.

And get what he says here. He says in verse 24, And David, my servant shall be king over them and they shall have one shepherd, they shall also walk in my judgment and observe my statutes and do them.” So we haven’t had it yet where David has been here. But he’s coming. This is talking about David. Now you say, well, the knot is talking about the lineage of David. Okay? That would mean Christ. Because there is no King past Christ.

Jesus Christ when he was here is the only one even at that time they had the right to claim the throne of Israel. there wasn’t nobody else could claim the throne. He had the right to claim the throne. That’s why you have the genealogy given in the book of Matthew and also showing the end in the book of Luke. One through Mary and one through Joseph that he had the right legal right to claim the throne of Israel. And whenever he died nobody else has the right to claim the throne because none of them from that line could claim the throne because it goes to the Jack and Nia and it was a curse put up on the line.

And only because of the virgin birth could the next person Have the right to be the king. He could have a sinful nature. Interesting. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part two of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing tool free, 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bible line programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Radio Broadcast link. 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. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline 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 and just keep looking up.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. 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 message will be a blessing to you and your family.

You know there’s some things in life that you only get one chance to do some things. You only get born in this world one time. No reruns, no instant replays, no nothing just one time you’re born into the world. And as far as your life goes, you only get to live life here one time. You don’t get to do that over again either. So what you do, you did and that’s it. You don’t get to do it over again.

Bible also tells us that one day we’re going to die and we’re only going to do that one time. So we’re only born once, we only live once and we’re only going to die once in this whole world. Somebody asked me one time and says, how come you only finished the tenth grade? Well, I didn’t want to go into the eleventh grade. My dad was in the eleventh grade. Now, I didn’t want to be in the same grade with my dad.

Of course, you know, that was just a joke, but there are some people who had to repeat, you know, the first grade and the second grade and the third grade and repeat a lot of grades. But sometimes you have to take and repeat a class. Now, there’s some people that even get married. I mean, time suppose you get married, well, once if a person died, you can get married again. Sometimes people get married, well, it didn’t work that time.

We’ll try it again. And then if that doesn’t work, we’ll try it again. There’s some people in life that, you know, you can try this little religion and you don’t like that one. Well, it changes to this religion. And you don’t like that. Well, it changes to to another religion and they can just change and change and change. But the day will come when you run out of time and hopefully as we go through life we have found just exactly what we’re looking for and it’s the right one and you can stay on track all the days of your life.

Well sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn’t. Look there in Romans in chapter 7 in verse 15. When it comes to the Bible there’s a lot of times people believe that you know if I try harder if If I can just get the right religion and the right rules and if I owe babies rules and regulations and someday I’m going to make it. I never saw my mom and dad in church. I’m not growing up for 18 years. I never saw them in a church.

I never saw them read a Bible and I’ve never seen them pray. We never had none of that in our home. So I wasn’t raised in church. My daddy was a bootlegger. That means he stole corn and jugs. I was a little bit like it is right here. Look what he says in verse 15, for that which I do, I allow not. And for what I would, that do I not. And what I hate, that do I. Well, that was me to a T.

I had been told and what I’d heard was that if you’re good, you go to heaven. If you’re bad, you’re going to hell. So I think of the fact it’s true. I’m gonna bust it wide open. But I thought I’d wanna try to do the best I can. So I know I never drank. I never tested, tested drop. I never swore a cuss word. and I never smoked and I figured, you know, if anybody makes it, surely I will.

But I didn’t know God. I didn’t go to church. I didn’t read the Bible. And I prayed though, but I really didn’t know who I was praying to. I was hungry for the Lord. I wanted to know if it was true. I wanted to know that, but I didn’t want to get trapped in some man-made religion. If then I do that, which I would not, I can send unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it but sin that developed in me.

And I knew that the harder I tried the worse things seemed to get. And even if you say I’m not going to try, I’m not going to do anything wrong. I’m going to do right from now on. You fail. You keep failing and you fail miserably. We don’t live up to our own standard because most religions are nothing more than a different name, a different set of rules and regulations. And so you can go to this religion or this religion or this religion or this religion or that religion and there you have a few things that required maybe a little different than the other but principally it’s the same thing what you got to do this to get there and if you don’t do this you ain’t going And so I didn’t know what the rules were.

I’d heard that you posed to keep the Ten Commandments, but I have to be honest, I didn’t even know what they were. So I said, we got to believe the Bible. Well, I believed the Bible, but I had no clue what it said. But I didn’t want to go to heaven when I died. But nobody ever told me explained how I could know. Now, look what he says in verse 18. This is a very revealing verse. Though this verse, and these verses I’m reading right now is about the apostle Paul after he had been saved, about 25 years, it still is showing you the conflict that we have in our life with the if you’re a lost man, that means you’re a man that doesn’t know where you’re going, and you try to earn your way to heaven by trying to keep the law because although this is talking about obeying

the law and as much as you want to obey the law, God says there is no flesh to be justified by the law in the sight of God. Why? Because nobody can keep it. Nobody loves the Lord thy God with all thy hard mind body soldens, but nobody does thou shalt not covet Everybody does thou shalt not lie everybody does they say well haven’t done all the other ones So you have to keep the law perfectly or you don’t keep it at all And it doesn’t matter which one you break because the wages of sin is Death the soul that sent him shall die so everybody sins and breaks the law so everybody’s condemned So that’s the condition of the whole world so the law cannot save a man The law just shows you how righteous God is and how unrighteous we are So no man can keep it and this is for the frustration in most religions is they’re trying to earn something

God says is free look what he says in verse 18 for I know that in me that is in my flesh It’s so body we have develop no good thing for to will is present with me But how to perform that which is good. I find a how do I perform? Okay, I’m going to keep the law to go to heaven. Well, the problem is, there’s nothing wrong with the law. See, the law says over there in verse 12, where for the law is good, the law is just, the law is holy, the law is spiritual because God gave it.

But there’s nothing wrong with the law. It says the problem is, is me. I can’t keep it. So I find in me, that is in my flesh. I got a problem. I got a sinful nature. I sinned naturally. It means it’s not against your nature to sin. It is within the realms of your nature. We all do things wrong. We think wrong. We have lustful thoughts. We say wicked things. We hurt people and we are very covetous. And so we are very materialistic and we think about the things of the world.

So we have a problem here. In verse 19 he says, for the good that I would, I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do. doing the very thing that I don’t want to do. It would be great if I say, you know what? I am going to live for God for the rest of my life. And I’m not going to do anything wrong from now. Starting today, right now, I’m not going to do anything else wrong.

How long? How long do you think I can last? How long do you think this would be good for? Now I… How long you think I can last? How long you think it would be good for it? Now I got to call what’s good, what God calls good. And I’ll have to call bad what God calls bad. But I preached the other night talking about it’s not that bad. Remember it’s not that bad because we don’t think that what we do is that bad.

But what that bad is is very wicked in the sight of God. God requires perfection to go to heaven and people can’t get it. See to go to heaven heaven is perfect. For me to get there I got to be perfect. Well heaven is perfect. God is perfect and to go to heaven I got to be perfect. Well am I perfect? No I can’t go. Okay who gets to go? Nobody. You mean nobody’s going to be in heaven? not lesser perfect.

So you can’t get to heaven. Nobody in the world. So trying to obey a bunch of rules and regulations and all the religions of the world, religion comes from two Latin words, re-inlegio, meaning to bind back. There’s people trying to do all these good deeds, trying to bind themselves back to God by what they do, and God says it’s not that way. Have you ever got a job and you didn’t like that job, you didn’t like the boss or whatever it is, so you got another job?

Everybody ever done that? I’ve done that a lot of times and I’ve got another job. What about a doctor? You’re the doctor and he tells you something’s wrong. I don’t like you. I’m gonna go to another doctor and So we go to another doctor and we don’t like this medicine. We can get some more medicine So you get chances and opportunities isn’t it wonderful? We can change our mind a thousand times And we can keep making corrections all that we want to but now look there in the book of Romans in chapter 3 I want you to look in Romans in chapter three.

You’re right there. Just turn back one page and look in verse 23 For the wages of sin is death Death is the wages. That’s what you receive because of sin. So if you didn’t sin that you wouldn’t die You didn’t sin you wouldn’t die Why does everybody die? Because everybody sins Sin came into the world because of one man and death by sin But if we didn’t sin, we wouldn’t die. The death is not the punishment. Death is not the punishment for sin, but the wages, that’s what you earned.

You earned the right to die. That’s a wage. You go to work and you work for a week and the guy on that Friday gives you a paycheck. Well, you earned that. Well, God says to die, you earned that. You earned the right to die. That’s physical death. So we all die because we earned it. But punishment in the book of Hebrews in chapter 9 verse 27 is appointed under every man. wants to die and after this the what?

The judgment is the punishment. So everybody’s gonna die but there’s a judgment after that. If there’s anything that you and I ought to be right on because you don’t get another chance, some things you can change your job and you can even get another woman. You can get another boyfriend or get another girlfriend and you can you know do a lot of things like that. Get another doctor. On this issue of how to go to heaven, once life is over, you better get it right.

Do you understand the consequences if you don’t get it right? You get one chance at this. In this life and this life only, you got one chance to get it right. And look of how many religions there are. And you got one Bible and look how many different translations that you can come out with and how many different views you can come out with. It’s a how do I know which one’s right? If you’re a Mormon and born in a Mormon family, guess what your Mormon parents are going to try to teach you to be?

Mormon? If you’re born and your parents are Jehovah’s Witnesses, what do you think they’re going to try to teach you to be? And if you have parents with Catholic, what are they going to try to teach you to be? And not on down the line, every religion tries to convince their kids and anybody else they can, they’re right and if they’re right they’re wrong. All religions can’t be true. They can all be right. Somebody’s right. Somebody’s wrong. How do you know?

Oh I got my little old people ain’t up here and I got all these thoughts and these various religions. How do I know which one’s right? Well God broke it down so we could understand the truth of it and how easy it really can be. So take your Bible and look there in the book of 1 John chapter 5. 1 John and chapter 5. I love of this verse. I didn’t know it was in the Bible until I was 18.

But in 1 John chapter 5 looked there in verse 13. And look what it says, these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have what eternal life. So does the Bible say that you can know you have eternal life? It says you can know it and it says there these things have I written unto you that believe. It’s not to those who join the church keep the tent commandments you know it’s just those that believe and it’s written to those that believe on somebody on the name of the Son of God, which is Jesus Christ.

Do you believe on Jesus Christ? These things have I written unto you that do that. He didn’t write to everybody that believes whatever they want to believe. Only those who believe this that you can know you have eternal life because not everybody else can know it. If you try to earn your way to heaven, he never said you can know you’re going to heaven if you earn it. He never said if you went to church you can go to heaven?

No, he didn’t say that. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8 and 9, these are two very important verses. Look what it says in verse 8, 4 by grace are you saved through faith, that not of yourselves, it is the what? Get of God and get verse 9, not of works lest any man should boast. So we know this, Can you know you can go to heaven? Yeah, can you know you have eternal life? Yeah. Can you earn it? No, not of works.

So not of works means not of works. Somebody says, well, it all depends on how you interpret it. Okay, how would you interpret not of works? I interpret it, not of works. It means you don’t earn it. If it says not of yourself, that means there’s nothing that I do, nothing that I do that will save me. Nothing that I have to depend upon me doing or getting done. Trusting means that I am dependent upon somebody else to do the work.

So if I trust Christ, then that means my going to heaven depends upon Christ. Not upon me, depends on Him. Now, He said He would save me. He will give me as a free gift ever lasting life. And if He gives me everlasting life, it will last for how long? It’ll last forever. And that way you can know that you’re going to heaven when you die. Look in Titus in chapter 3. The book of Titus, in chapter 3, where it makes the statement in verse 5, not by works of righteousness, Which we have done.

So there’s not, I’m not saved because I did some works of righteousness, not because I did something. I’m going to heaven because I did not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. And so that in verse seven that being justified by his grace grace means on merit it means you don’t deserve it Grace means you do not deserve to be saved and God says you’re saved by grace If you’re saved by your works, then it can’t be grace Remember the illustration I gave you’re not long ago My coat on that’s works my coat off.

Well, that’s grace So he says that if it’s by Works then it can’t be by grace Otherwise work isn’t work, but if it is by grace, then it can’t be by works. Otherwise grace isn’t grace. See how simple that is? If God says it’s free, that means you don’t earn it. No code. But if you believe this by your works, well then see that messes it up. Now is it free or you got to earn it, but it can’t be both ways.

You see, God’s gunning saved me in taping heaven and don’t cost me anything. He did all the work, He saved me by His grace and it’s a gift. It’s not by my works and he’ll give me eternal life. Well, if he gives me eternal life and it’s forever, then where am I gonna go when I die? Well, I’d go to heaven But if it’s by my works, how would I know if I’m trusting in my works to help me?

All you gotta do is if if I don’t do the things right, I Don’t have the works Well, I still go now if I won’t get there because I didn’t perform then I was trusting in my works to get me there because if it’s totally by grace there’s nothing that can keep me from going to heaven. Either he paid for all my sins or he paid for none of my sins. If all my sins are paid, how many would I have to pay for it if he paid for all of them?

None. Let me show you a simple illustration. This hand represents you and me and wallet represents sin. We all have sin on us. Now God says we all have a sinful nature and so that’s why we produce the sin. But to get to heaven I got to be perfect. I can’t have no sin. Well that’s the problem. I can’t get into heaven because God won’t allow sin into heaven. So that’s why I can’t go. You can’t even. So what happened was God says the wages of sin because you sinned, you deserve something for that.

So God says I’m going to pay you and the payment for this sin is dead. You get to die. That’s physical death. Everybody died. But when you die, it also cares with it. Eternal separation from God in a literal fire burning hell. So there we are. We cannot save ourselves. We can’t change the situation. We can’t do anything for ourselves. God says you cannot save yourself. It’s not what you can do. So you don’t have to go to church to go to heaven and you don’t have to give money to go to heaven.

You can’t buy your way there. Well, how can I get there? This hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord. God in the place came into the world because He loves us, but He hates our sin because it separates us from Him. So what Christ did for one person, He did for everybody in the world. He took all the sin, paid for them across, came back from the dead, and said that if we We would believe that He did it for us.

It put that payment to our account and we would go to heaven on what Jesus Christ did for us. That’s a gift. That’s free. Where am I going when I die? I’m going to heaven. Why? Because he, my sins have all been paid. He paid for how many of my sins? All of them. And when Christ died on the cross 2,000 years ago, how many of our sins were in the future? All of them because we weren’t even born yet.

Well, can he pay for our sins before I commit him? Well, he did, but he hasn’t died since I’ve been born. That means if he’s already died to pay for all of my sins, he paid for my sins from the time I’m born to the time that I died, he made a payment for my sins, all of them. So if I accept that payment he made for me, then I have a payment for all of my sins, not past sins, not just present sins, but all my sins.

So I have a payment for all of my sins. And he puts that payment to my account. I get to go to heaven on what Christ did for me. That’s a gift. That’s free. I didn’t earn it. Didn’t work for it. If I offered you my wallet and you accepted, what would you have? Empty wallet. And if I offered you my Bible and you accepted it, you would have a Bible. When would you have it? When you accepted it?

So this is why salvation is of the Lord. You don’t earn it. You can’t work for it. You cannot buy it. Now, one of the best illustrations, I believe, that’s every use in the scriptures to explain how a man is saved. And remember this, there is no illustration in the Bible, none anywhere in the book. That ever says that God saved a man and then the man got lost and then God saved again. No question the Bible. So once God saves a man, he saved for how long?

However, because God said, I’ll never cast you out. John chapter 6, he said, I’ll never lose you. He says, and I give him the eternal life. No man is able to fuck you out of my father’s hand. What it means is this. Here’s the Lord. Here’s me. When I trust Christ as my savior, he saves me. So that means my going to heaven depends upon him, keeping his word. So if I trust him, he said, he’ll save me. and he said, he’ll never cast me out.

He said, he won’t lose me. He said, no man can pluck him out of my hand, me or anybody. You can’t pluck yourself out of his hand. So this is how I know I’m going to heaven when I die, because my going to heaven depends upon him keeping his word. Now does God lie? No. He says, he that believeth only have everlasting life. Now religions, all religions, can add them into this category is that they believe here’s the Lord whatever they want to call them and here they are.

They believe that if they get a good grip on God I believe on God and I turn from my evil ways confess to all my sins and repented and all the rest of it and now I’m going to walk out straight and narrow away and I’ve done everything but if I start doing anything wrong I can slip away. I’m sliding away. Now I’m lost and I got to get saved again. And then if I don’t do right, I got to pray through, hang on, let go, let God.

And there I am again. See, this isn’t worth the quarter because this means I am saving me. But of course I’m talking about God. I can talk about Jesus Christ and how I’m trusting Christ. I’m trusting Christ to take me to heaven. Am I trusting Christ to take me to heaven? No. My salvation depends on me because this is why people in this world, they believe you can get saved today and go to hell tomorrow. If they can lose their salvation, that’s because it’s in their hands.

It depends on how strong they are. Can they hang on? Can they endure to the end? See, their salvation doesn’t depend upon him, depends upon themselves. That’s not the Bible. That’s man-made religion. So all the religions that teach you have to do something by the way you live, you’ll get to heaven. Or you got to keep that way and all, oh yeah, I’m trusting in Jesus Christ. He’s the only way and all that. I’m trusting him and grace and by no works and so forth.

I know you say all of that, but see, your salvation that depends on Christ, it depends on you because you believe you can lose it. They either believe one or two things. You don’t believe it, Christ, meant what he said or did what he said he did. What did he say? He said, if you trust me, I’ll give you everlasting life and never cast you out. That’s what he said. Do you believe it? The other one was you don’t believe he did what he said he did.

What was that? He paid for all my sins. Well, if all my sins are paid, what sin can condemn me to hell? If all my sins are paid. All of them are paid. I think I said, well, you can commit So it’s like I said, is that a sin? He said, yes, pay. It’s paid. All sense paid. If you believe it or you don’t believe it. I said, you don’t believe the Bible. Jesus Christ tells the story of the man hanging there on the cross right beside of him.

And he said, Lord, remember me when the outcome is into that kingdom. And Jesus says, today, shout out be with me where in paradise. Here’s a man hanging on the cross. Had he done anything wrong? Oh yeah, he was a thief. He was one of those that was hanging there. He was down on the cross. What did he do? Did he have to join the church? No, I joined the church. I was 18 years old. You know what church was the first church I ever joined?

Northside Baptist Church right here. I trusted Christ as my savior right here, 46 years ago down here in part of the apartment. And Betty’s dad got me to come out to church and so I came out here. this is where I joined the church. But you know what I had to do also? Have I ever been baptized? Yes, I was baptized. Where? Right there in this bad history. 46 years ago. So what I’ve been baptized. But you know, it’s joined this church.

This church can’t get me to heaven. Or the church would be my savior. If I, the man that baptized me, his name was Virgil Edwards. He was the pastor here. Well, if I had to be baptized in order to be saved, well. The man that baptized me would be my savior because if I can’t be saved without being water baptized, or the one who baptized me, did they work for me, I owe him my salvation. Is my salvation should be owed to a man?

No. But was I baptized? Yeah, I was baptized. But you see, that doesn’t save you. It doesn’t give you eternal life. It’s a picture. Me and my wife, we ran away and got married. Anderson, South Carolina. There was no photographers there, nobody there taking pictures and so forth. And we signed a little piece. It was the justice of the peace. Found out later it was the Secretary of War. But anyway, we got married, 18 years old. We have had a lot of pictures since then.

But when people get married, it’s because, you know, they take pictures. The picture doesn’t marry you. It’s only a picture of your marriage. When I stand in the water, that’s a picture of Christ on the cross. And when I go under the water, that’s a picture of my burial. When I come up out of the water, that’s a picture of my resurrection. So when I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross, buried, rose again for me, and because I believe that, then every person who believes that is to be water baptized.

I’m placed under the water. I come up out of the water and that’s a picture of my death, better as a resident. But this doesn’t save me. I do this because I am saved. Joining the church. Am I a member of the church? Yes, I joined the church, but I don’t do that to go to heaven. That little deed that I did in a little, little living room, I was born in the God’s family that day, that minute, that very second.

God became my Heavenly Father. I became His child. He said, He’ll never cast me out and never lose me. That was the best news I ever heard in my life. Because see, if you’re going to heaven depends upon anything that you have to do. You don’t never know if it’s enough. You won’t know When you die if you’re really going to go to heaven you’ve got a hope all your life I Have known Beyond they shav it out. I know I have eternal life.

I know I’m going to heaven when I die Best news and all the world That’s what being saved me being saved means you’re saved from something to something. I will save from hell to heaven He that believed on me, you have it. You’ve got it. It’s so simple. It’s free. It’s a gift. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida, with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you are blessed by today’s message.

If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, You can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing tool free, 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bibleline programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the radio broadcast link. 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.

Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline 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 and just keep looking up.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. 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 a 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 concluding message of this teaching will be a blessing to you and your family. Years ago, I was at Tennessee Temple. I was listening to Dr. Lee Robertson. He had gone to this church to preach. And I was a bus captain at the time. So, me and Lenten fallen, a few others, we went to hear Dr. Lee Robertson preach now. Back at that time, he had the largest independent, I had to school in America, fundamental school.

And not as clear on the gospel, no. There’s a time when they would make it clear, and it’s time they wouldn’t. But anyway, we went to hear Dr. Leroberson preach. And I’ll never forget him telling this story. I said, turn, I listened. And he started telling this story. He says, now, there was this young couple. Coming out of the depression, they was driving along the road in a car. And they got tired. And there was no place to stop.

They were weary, hungry, thirsty. And the longer they drove, the tired of they got, and the later it was getting in the evening, and they didn’t know what they were going to do. They saw this old abandoned house. So they went to this old abandoned house, went inside and they had a little girl with them. And she was tired and cold and hungry. She began to cry. The daddy says, stop your crying. And she said, well, I’m hungry. Well, we don’t have anything to eat, so stop your crying.

And she kept sniveling, you know. And then the mama told her to be quiet. She just started crying and couldn’t stop. She started deep sobs and she just cried. So the daddy went over there and got her by the arm, and he opened up one of the closet doors and put her in the closet, said, when you stop your crying, I’ll let you out. There’s no lights in there. And he closed the door. And then she really cried. She was scared.

She cried. She screamed. And the mother says, well, maybe you better let her out. He says, isn’t he gonna take long? She’ll stop crying in a minute. And it wasn’t long before she stopped pounding on the door, screams got less and less. So they went over there and opened the door, and her body was laying on the floor with rattlesnakes all over her body. They had no idea there were rattlesnakes in that closet. You and I Have no idea How bad a rattlesnake bite can be But let’s just pretend for a moment Let’s just pretend that here I am I’ve been up those mountains of Colorado But they say it a certain altitude that you don’t have to worry about rattlesnakes because they don’t go that high up because of the altitude So we’re going to take me down off the mountain and we’re going to put me out there in some

desert someplace. And little behold, a big old rattlesnake bites me on the neck. What is probably going to happen to me if I get bit by a rattlesnake? Anybody have any clue what might happen to me? Yes. All right. That’s that’s one thing that I could do. I could I could bite the snake back. So as I look at this snake and realize that this snake just bit me, I’m going to get even. I’m going to bite the snake back.

But I might look at it and think, you know, it wasn’t that bad. You know, there’s some people. that are really bad sinners. And then there’s some sinners that don’t consider themselves that bad. I only got a little bite, but you ought to see Peter Amato, he got a big bite. I mean, a big rattlesnake got a whole ham. Did you know that when we’re born into this world, We all have that venom that bit Adam running through our veins and That’s why we are going to die because we’ve all been bitten by the serpent and what killed Adam killed Eve and what killed their children is what killed our Parents and on down the line and that’s why you and I are facing death because there was a time when the serpent bit someone and passed on to them that venom that causes death.

Now you and I can look at this and think you know I looked at that old snake bite and I don’t think it’s that bad but of course everybody before me has all died but I don’t think it’s gonna happen because I’m I mean I’m That’s a small snake bite that got me. I have talked to people and they’ve said, I’m so bad God can’t save me. And then you have others that think they’re too good and they don’t need to be saved.

They just don’t know how bad the snake bite is. But they need to understand that regardless of how bad you may be. Christ can save anybody and everybody. Now, so we know that, well, that was pretty good over there Peter, I appreciate that. Now, there’s another thing I could do. If it snake bites me and I, and I realized I got to do something, I got to do something to save my life. So I can bite the snake back so I can kill the snake.

Just kill the snake. But if I kill the snake, does that solve my problem? Killing that snake is not going to solve my problem. You know what I ought to do? Still killing the snake? I’m just going to feed the snake. Maybe that’s why the snake was hungry. You know all those Muslim nations over there that hate America? It’s because we made them mad. We ought to be ashamed of ourselves. I think what we ought to do is appease them.

Let’s just give them this country and that’ll appease them. Then everybody will live in peace. Right? No. So you can feed the snake. And it might seem like the right thing to do. But the problem is, it’s not going to solve your problem. It’s just not going to work. You know what we need to do? We need to apologize to that serpent. After all, you know, that snake wouldn’t have bit me if I hadn’t got too close to it and scared it.

So it was all my fault. Well, there’s people today They are just apologizing to serpents all over this country. And I don’t like that. You know what else we could do? We could just fall down and worship the snake. Just worship the snake, bow to the snake. Because see, if we’d have done whatever that snake wanted us to do to start with, it wouldn’t have bit us. So it’s all our fault. We need to worship the snake. You think that’ll work?

that make me better? That’ll solve my problems? No, that won’t work either. You know if I do, if I really look and could see, got a mirror, it could see the snake bite. Oh, I got to do it. Put a band-aid on it. See if I put a band-aid on it, I’ll be alright. And so as you go down and you stop and think, we’ve all been bitten by and we’re all trying to figure out how to stay alive.

Did you know the reason for all of the so-called losing weight, standing shape, and all these things, because we’re trying to buy a little more time. True? I mean, we’re just trying to stay alive a little bit longer and enjoy the time that we do have. But we all know somewhere along the line we are susceptible to death. Yay, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. We’re all going to die. Because we’ve all been bitten by the serpent and we have this venom in our bodies.

And there’s nothing you can do to change that. Not in this whole physical body. You’re not going to change that. You’re not. I’m not. Some people would say, you know, all I got to do is just get the right serum. I need the serum. I’m at a dope. So I don’t die. And I’ve read about the flight for life and how that some people will get bit by a snake and they’ve only got so much time to get to a place and then it’s touching go and some people make it and some people don’t.

I remember one time when I was living up there in Virginia, I was about 15, 16 years old and I was living with my aunt and uncle. And my aunt and uncle, they love to go fishing. Love to go fishing. My uncle loved to have me paddle the boat while he basished. That’s a lot of fun. Paddling the boat all day long so that your uncle can cast and have a great time. I had to keep him so far away from the bank so that, and so many times I’d be pennant and just tell.

That boat drifted into the bush underneath the trees. Anyway, those were good moments. But we would fish certain holes. And one day, lo and behold, there was a water moccasin in a tree on a limb. And we came right by it. And we looked up and Manko says, there’s a water moccasin in the tree. Not even though they could climb a tree, but there’s a water moccasin in the tree. And just that quick, that water moccasin came into the water and attacked the boat was coming at us in the boat.

Big water moccasin. I was petrified. I had no clue what to do. My uncle, he got that paddle that he had and he came back to the back of the boat and he took that thing and he just kept on a slash until finally that it then broke his back in several places. Now, I didn’t know a water moccasin would attack you in the boat and got out of a tree and come after you. You said they won’t do that.

Yes, they will. I’ll defy anybody who says any different. I saw it in my own eyes. Scared to death. We went home. And the next day we was reading in the paper, next day a couple days later. Some teenagers had decided to go fishing down at the river. one that we was at. They had a little place that was cleared off and so they would begin to run and race and say, see you in the river! Last one in the rotten egg!

And this one kid outrun everybody, jumped into the water and was swimming all around and splashing and so forth. And when the rest of them got up there, he hollered back and says, don’t come in the water, don’t come in the water. He says, something’s eating me. Something’s eating me. He got to the bank and they pulled them out and he had almost, I think it was 50 or 60 snake bites where the water moccons of them had attacked him in the water and he in just a few minutes he was dead scared those teenagers to death.

So yeah snakes can be a very scary thing but I want you to look at this story. Look there in verse 5 verse 5 and the people Let’s speak against God, against Moses. Wherefore have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water, and our soul loatheth this light bread.” In other words, they were sick and tired of eating manna. And look in verse 6, and the Lord, the Lord, sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people and much people of Israel died.

Therefore, the people came to Moses and said, we have sinned, but we have spoken against the Lord and against the prey unto the Lord that he take away the serpents from us, and Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, May the fiery serpent And set it upon a pole, and it shall come to pass that everyone that is bitten when he look up on it shall live. And Moses made a serpent a brass and put it upon a pole.

And it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent a brass he lived. He lived. Now, what if some of those people that had been bitten by these serpents, and they looked at it and said, you know, mine’s only a little nick. Mine’s not that bad. Of course, everybody else that was bitten has died, and your just said, well, mine’s not that bad. Who was supposed to look at the serpent? Everyone that was bitten.

Everyone that was bitten. Didn’t Moses tell them what you need to do is start stopping and killing these snakes? He didn’t tell them that. He didn’t say bow down and start worshiping the snakes. He didn’t tell them to start feeding the snakes. He didn’t tell them to do that. Moses did not tell them, Look at me! You and I are not to look through any preacher, pope, plant, anybody, or to look to the cross. No one else. No place else.

They didn’t have to change anything, stop anything, all they had to do was look and live. There even a song has been written about that look and live. Look and live, my brother live. Look to Jesus now and live. Have you ever heard that song before? A lot of people are saying this is what it’s about. And all they had to do was look and live. They didn’t have to apologize. They didn’t have to say anything. They didn’t have to do anything.

They didn’t have to look for some kind of a magical serum. They didn’t have to do anything. All they had to do was look at that brazen serpent on the cross that pole and they would live. Now here’s Jesus, all these years later, talking to a very intelligent Jewish rabbi. He says, don’t you know that story? Don’t you understand it’s about the new birth? Now you and I might read this and say, I don’t see anything like that in there.

We wouldn’t have known that if he hadn’t have told him. There’s a lot more in these scriptures than what you and I see. And who knows how many other stories where God has made the gospel clear, service clear, the two natures clear. everything we teach in the New Testament, I believe is taught in the Old Testament, we just don’t see it because it’s like a veil over the eyes of Israel and they cannot see. And sometimes the Old Testament is like a veil over our eyes and we just don’t see it.

And by using the light of the New Testament, we can go back and dispel the darkness in the Old Testament. But I like that simple little statement in verse 8. And the Lord said unto Moses, make thee a fiery serpent, set it upon a pole, and it shall come to pass that every one that is bitten when he looketh upon it shall live. Now he uses the same story in the Gospel of John chapter 3, where it says, even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so shall the Son of Man be lifted up.

And if I be lifted up, I will draw all men on the man. So he says, all that they had to do was look and live. Do you believe that salvation could be so simple. All that would have to do is look and live. Fifty-one years ago in a little-low living rooms, I looked and I lived. And I never have to do it again because who so ever believeth on me looks to him, he will give you as a free gift ever lasting life, and you never have to do it again.

Best news in all the world. Go back there to the Gospel of John in chapter 3. John chapter 3 is the devil real, is he real? pictures him as the serpent and a serpent. Was that which was cursed by God in the garden? The serpent was what was placed upon the pole and it was God that sent the serpent to reveal the sin. And so all that have sinned will die. But if we look, we can live forever. So here in John chapter 3, look at it again.

See there in verse 13, No man had to send it up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, and that’s explained even more in chapter 6 of John, the Son of Man, which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. That word must, it’s almost like the word must up there when he talks about you must be born again in verse 7. some things that you just must do.

The soul that sineth must die. Christ is coming back, but without sin and the salvation. You see, the first time he came was to become sin for us. So whenever you see the serpent, which is cursed of God, Jesus Christ takes all the sin of the world upon himself and being placed upon a cross, became cursed for you and I. died in our place. And if we look and believe that He did that for me. He paid for my sins, and all I have to do is look and live.

So He says here in verse 15, that whosoever believe it then him should not perish but have eternal life. That is equal to look and live. So simple. It’s not hard. Just like talking to the woman at the well, he says, if thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith in the day, give me to drink thou, would have I asked him in? I would have given you living water. And she says, did you just have no dealings with the Samaritans?

Where are you going to get this water from? The well is deep. You don’t even have a rope. Let it on a bucket. He says, you drink the water that’s in this well. You’re thirst again. But if you drink the water that I give to you, you’ll never thirst again. One look good forever. One drink, good forever. And he also made the statement that I am the bread of life. He says, your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness and are dead.

But he that eats the bread that came down from heaven, the true bread, he says, well, never hunger. I took one bite, 51 years ago. Never have to take another one. Why? It’s satisfied. I’m satisfied. I never have to do it again. Because he saved me then and I never had to do it again. Now if I can lose my salvation, I might need another dose of the Holy Ghost, but it never has to happen again because I can’t lose eternal salvation.

I have eternal life and I’m going to heaven because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross for me. You see John 3 16 is simply an explanation of what happened back there in Numbers chapter 21 1 verses 5 down to those scriptures. This hand represents you and me. The Bible says that we have sin. This sin is all the things that we do that’s wrong. And why do we do all these wrong things, these bad things, because we have within us the venom of the devil himself?

And that’s why Christ made this statement. And he’s a ye are of your Father the devil. He was a murder from the beginning, a liar, and the Father of it. He says, that’s where you come from. That’s why you’re going to die. Now the Bible says God loves us but He hates our sin. And to pay for sin, eternal separation from God in hell. But God wants us to go to heaven and to go to heaven we have to be perfect as righteous as God.

None of us are perfect. None of us are righteous. We have all been bitten and we’re all going to die. There is no way out of this. We must die. Jesus Christ came into the world. You see, He didn’t have any of that venom in His body. He says, the body has to prepare me. He didn’t have a sinful nature. No sinful nature, He didn’t sin. Didn’t sin, didn’t have to die. So He came into the world because He loves us.

Hates our sin because it separates us from Him. So Jesus Christ, who had no sin, didn’t have to die, so He took all the sin of all the world and became cursed for us. So Jesus Christ, He was on the cross, curses is everyone, because see, everyone of us was on that cross. He died for everyone, but the payments only put to the person that believed that he did it for him. If you will look, you will live. But if you look for any other way of salvation, you can look to your works.

You can look to your preacher. You can look to a church, you can look for anything and anybody, but there is no salvation unless you look to Christ. They didn’t have to look to Moses or to each other or to the leaders or to Joshua or Caleb, they had to look at that cross, that pole. And it was a picture of Jesus Christ down on the cross for our sins. When we believe He did it for us, He gives us as a free gift of everlasting life.

We get to go to heaven on what He did for us. Let’s pray, shall we? The hedge-bound knives close and no one looking around. Or if you’re watching by internet tonight, you may never have understood before. But I want you to know that God does love you and that He sent His Son to down the cross and pay for your sins. Jesus Christ was lifted up just like that serpent in the wilderness. And all he asked you to do is just look and live.

Look and believe that he died for you, would you trust him? If you will trust him right now as your Savior, God said he would save you right now, give you eternal life. And you can know that you’re going to heaven because of what Christ did on the cross for you. Our Father, we thank you so much for the free gift of eternal life and that you’ve given your words and these things have already done to you that believe that you may know that you have eternal life.

We ask your blessings up on each person here and follow. We also pray, Lord, that you’ll meet the needs of each person here. Some people don’t even have a job and we just pray that doors would be open where they could find just what they need and Lord, there’s just so much that’s going on, especially here in our country. follow we know we can’t put our trust in man, but we know that you do work through man. We pray that because of your love for us, I’m sure there’s a few righteous people left in this country.

So for their sake, our children, we pray for peace and for all of our needs to be made for your protection and all these matters. Thank you for this church and all that you’ve done for us. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you are blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free, 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bibleline programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the radio broadcast link. 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. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10 30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline 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, and just keep looking up.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. 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.

Anyway, good to have you here tonight. Take your Bible and turn with me to the book of Revelation in chapter 12 Revelation chapter 12 There’s an interesting portion of scripture here Tells us a little bit about somebody You ought to know He knows you you ought to know him You ever heard of the devil? Well, devil. That’s just one person telling me, says, I said, you believe in the devil? He says, I sure do. I said, you really do.

He said, yeah. He said, he’s even here tonight. I said, really? He said, yeah, I brought him. Revelation 12, look in verse 3. And there appeared another wonder in heaven, behold a great red dragon, having seven heads, ten horns and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven. This is where most people think in good possibility of one-third of the angels. And it’s cast them to the earth and the dragon stood before the woman, which we believe is Israel, which was ready to be delivered or to devour her son as soon as it was born.

And you have to admit it wasn’t long before Herod was in her killing all the babies from two years old and under. Now look in verse 7, and there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought on his angels, and prevailed not, neither was their place found anymore in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil and Satan which deceived of the whole world. He was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with him.

So the devil, the great red dragon, is the serpent, the battle serpent. Look there in chapter 20 of the book of Revelation. Look in verse 1, in verse 1. It makes a statement verse one, this is after the Lord comes back at the end of the tribulation period. They’re going to set up the kingdom upon the earth, there will be the judgment of the nations. There’s a resurrection of those people that have died during the tribulation period for the testimony of the Lord.

And he says, and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for his sake. But in verse one, and I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil and Satan and bound him a thousand years. Cast him into the bottomless pit. Shut him up, set a seal upon him that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled.

After that he must be loosed a little season. This is when the devil is going to beparser boxed up a little bit for a thousand years. Which means that he’s not now. Right now there’s something that he’s doing. And if you go back to chapter 12, I want to show you this one verse again. And you’ll notice in verse 10 of chapter 12. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation and strength and the the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ, for the accuser of our brethren is passed down, which accuses them before our God day and night.

The devil has all the goods on you. That means he must have some kind of a computer system set up, and he logs everything that you do. Think or say, you know, I don’t believe the devil can read my mind, but I I believe he can read. The words and the actions, the facial expressions. He can read you like a book and he knows when you’re down. And but he’s ready to pounce because he is a roaring lion also.

Walketh out seeking whom he made devour. So you and I are supposed to live our life believing that there is a lion on our trail. And he is hungry and he’s trying to feast on God’s children. See, he talks about here the power of his Christ and the accuser of our brethren, of our brethren, cast down. So that means the devil gets a lot of victories over a lot of God’s children. Now, he may have gnawed on you at times.

Maybe he’s nipping at you heals now. But always live every moment knowing the devil as a lion is ready to devour you. So be aware of that. Now, I remember reading one time a statement that was made by Billy Sunday. Now Billy Sunday was an old time evangelist. And so I saw this the other day and I wanted to share this with you. This is what he had to say about the word of God. Now remember this, the devil is going to do whatever he possibly can to lie to you, to deceive you.

And you sometimes can’t tell when he’s lying to you unless you know truth. So you need to know truth so that you can discern error. And that’s why you study the scriptures because in the book of Hebrews in chapter 5 that we’re supposed to feed on the word of God so that you can learn discernment, Right and wrong. Right and wrong is not based upon what you think is right and wrong. Just because you don’t see anything wrong with it doesn’t mean there’s not something wrong with it.

Remember the Bible also says there is a way that seameth, seameth right to a man, but the end there are all the ways of destruction. So there is a way that seems right. And if you let your mind guide you, you’re going to be in a heap of trouble. But this is what he said, and it was worded so beautifully, in the temple of God’s Word, written by William A. Sunday, or Billy Sunday. With the Holy Spirit as my guide, I entered this wonderful temple called the Bible.

I entered the portico of Genesis, walked down through Old Testament art gallery, where the the pictures of Noah, neighbor of him, Moses, Joseph, and Isaac, and Daniel hung up on the walls. I passed through the music room of Psalms, where the Spirit swept the keyboard of nature and brought forth a dirge like whale of weeping Jeremiah to the grand impassioned strains of Isaiah until it seems that every read and pipe in God’s great organ of nature responded to the tuneful harp of David the sweet singer of Israel.

I entered the chapel of Ecclesiastes where the preacher voice was heard and into the conservatory of Sheeran where the lily of the valley sweet scented spices filled and perfumed my life. I entered the business office of Proverbs, then into the observatory room of the prophets where I saw telescopes of various sizes. Some point and too far off events, but all concentrated upon the bright and morning star, which was to rise above the moonlit heels of Judea for our salvation.

I entered the audience room of the King of Kings, and caught a vision of his glory from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Into the acts of the Apostles where the Holy Spirit was doing his word informing the infant church. Then into the correspondence room were sat Paul and Peter, James Judeon John, pinning their epistles. I stepped into the throne room of Revelation where all powered in a glittering peaks. I got a vision of the king sitting upon the throne in all of his glory, and I cried.

I’ll hail the power of Jesus’ name. that angels prostrate fall, bring forth the royal diadem and crown him, Lord of all. Isn’t that awesome? If you can’t write like that, if you can’t think like that. And that’s because somebody has spent some time. With the Lord and you spend time with the Lord by spending time in the Word of God. And when you spend time in the Word of God, it strengthens you for the battle that you’re going to have to face.

Now I’ve been doing church now for 45 years or so somewhere into there. You know, give a year to it doesn’t matter. And as the time has rolled by, it’s amazing how, you know, we have developed in this country a desire. to worship football. You know, everybody loves football. I love football. But I don’t worship football, but I like football. I can watch it, but if I don’t see it, that’s fine too. And I’ve had chances to work with some football players, and I’ve been to some of their games.

I’ve given devotion for a few of them. But, you know, as time goes on, it doesn’t affect me too much. But there are some things about football that relates so much to the church. You didn’t know that? Let me tell you, this is called football Christianity. The approaching football season tends to remind us of certain happenings in and around the church. I suppose one did call it football Christianity. Football Christianity, let’s get out the grid iron and observe the action.

You will note of course some members play the game expertly. Like the pros in case you are not familiar with the game, here are some of the plays. Quarterback, sneak. I always thought a quarterback was a refund. Church members who leave quickly and quietly after Bible study. The quarterback’s knee. The draw play, that’s what too many children and a few adults do with the bulletins. I’ve walked down the aisle and I look over there and sometimes there’s a few little children of course and they draw all kind of pictures.

Well at the church in Georgia, I made the mistake and I had a bigger picture of me that was on the bulletin and the kids loved to show me how they perceived me to be. And then they would leave the bulletin laying on the pew and forget that the pastor just might see that picture. And I have picked up many of the bulletins for the moustache, a goatee, horns, and they’ve set their doing church while I’m pouring out my heart, drawn a picture of the preacher.

I had one come up to me and they showed me after the church service, a picture, stick picture of the preacher behind the podium with his hand up like this and a wallet in his hand. I said, when did you do that? Why you you were preaching? Now you can’t correct that. But some of them looked like some adults had drawn them, but anyways, we’re moving along. You know what half time is? Half time? Half time is the break between the morning and the evening worship, finding only 50% returning the second half.

Now what if during the half time, all the players, you know, they go to the locker rooms. But when they’re supposed to come out and start the second half, they went home. Did you know that a lot of people come for the first half? You see, Sunday night, that’s the second half. And they forget, hey, you missed half of the game. But some people don’t see that. Bench warmer, those who attend one out of three services, but never two in a row.

Backfill in motion, unnecessary trips out of the sanctuary doing the worship hour. Do you realize that the devil is always working behind the scenes, trying to manipulate, trying to keep people from hearing the word so that they can do something with their life and change? And how many times have I been talking to somebody about the Lord? And just at that right minute, Somebody to leave the come in the house. Somebody else walks up and asks the question. Something always seems to happen at the wrong time.

I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed that or not. But the half back option is when only 20% show up for Wednesday night service. Sudden death. You ever seen a game going to sudden death? That’s when the preacher goes past twelve o’clock. A sudden death. The two minute warning. When the preacher gives the invitation allowing everyone time to gather up their belongings and shuffle song books. The Blitz. That’s the stampede for the doors after the service. Now the instant replay, that takes place, that’s a rehashing of the sermon during the lunch hour, reveals the preacher was guilty of unsportsmanlike content.

He did step on someone’s toes. Anyway, there are just certain things that the devil gets people to do to take their mind away from what God wants them to do. Now, I want you to take your Bible inlet with me to the book of John chapter 12, the gospel of John and chapter 12. In John chapter 12 I want you to look there in verse 32. If you don’t have verse 32 I would underline him. This is what Jesus said, and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw men unto me.

Now the Bible says that Jesus will be lifted up and this he says in verse 33, signified by what death he should die. The reason this verse is so important is because he had already told Nicodemus in chapter 3. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so shall the Son of Man be lifted up. And he’s talking about how he’s going to die. And it’s a reference to the gospel and remember that when Jesus Christ went to the cross, He went there in our place and as the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21, He became sin for us.

So on the cross, Jesus Christ was cursed. Let take your Bible look in the book of Galatians in chapter 3 Galatians and chapter 3. Galatians chapter 3 and look there in verse 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. So he was made a curse for us. It means he became sin for us, that which God curses is sin. And because we have all sinned, we were all under a curse and we all must die.

And so it says in the law, curse it is everyone that hangeth upon a tree. I wonder if that verse was ever referred to concerning Jesus Christ. Well look at this, it’s right there. at this verse. In verse 13, for it is written in the Old Testament. Cursid is everyone that hangeth on a tree. And the reason is because it was such a shameful way to die that means the man was put there deliberately. He was under a curse.

Christ became a curse for us. Now go to the book of John chapter 3, the gospel of John and chapter 3. As you know, you’re talking to one very smart intellectual man here, says in verse 1, there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, ruler of the Jews. The same came to Jesus by night instead of the Him, Rabbi. We know the tower to teach or come from God, for no man can do the things that thou doest except God be with him.

And Jesus says, well, no, you need to be born again. You got to be born again. Evidently, Nicodemus did not understand what he was talking about. He says, that which is of the flesh’s flesh and that which is of the spirit, the spirit. Therefore, marvel not, you must be born again, flesh is flesh, spirit is spirit, two different kinds of birth. And he says, how can I explain spiritual things to you when you don’t even understand the natural things?

He says, don’t you know what the law says? He talked to him about the wind. He talked to him about An Old Testament event that took place, which he should have known and should have understood, because there was a spiritual lesson there and God expected this ruler of the Jews to know the story and to know what it meant. So is the cross talked about in the Old Testament? I believe so. But see there in verse 10, Jesus answered and said unto him, are thou a master of Israel?

And knowest not these things? You don’t understand this? Verily, verily I say unto thee, we speak that we do know and testify what we’ve seen. And you receive not our witness. If I’ve told you earthly things and you believe not, How shall you believe if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man had to send it up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven. Even the Son of Man, which is in heaven. He said, well, that was clear, but he gives him an illustration in verse 14.

For as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. And the story that he’s talking about is an illustration of what will happen to Jesus Christ, and explaining what the spiritual birth is about. How is a man born again? So verse 15 and 16 is really telling us the answer to the question. How can a man be born when he is old? This is how a man is to have a spiritual birth.

In verse 15, that whosoever beleaveth in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleaveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Did you know this was not at the end of the ministry of Jesus Christ? This was what he said at the beginning of his ministry. And his message was no different than John the Baptist who went before him. John the Baptist says that he would baptize those in water that believe the message concerning you must believe on Jesus Christ, he that is to come.

So it’s all the same message. Take your Bible and go all the way back there to the book of numbers, the book of numbers, numbers and chapter 21, numbers chapter 21. Have you ever been bitten by a snake? Anybody here ever been bit by a snake? Did you ever live to tell about it? Years ago, I was at Tennessee Temple. And I was listening to Dr. Lee Robertson. He had gone to this church to preach. And I was a bus captain at the time.

So me and Linton Fallon, a few others, we went to hear Dr. Lee Robertson preached now. Back at that time, he had the largest independent that is school in America, fundamental school. And not as clear on the gospel, no. There’s a time when they wouldn’t make it clear and it’s time they wouldn’t. But anyway, we went to hear Dr. Lee Robertson preach. And I’ll never forget him telling this story. I said to her and I, I listened. And he started telling this story.

He says, now there was this young couple coming When I was in the depression, they was driving along the road in a car. And they got tired. And there was no place to stop. They were weary, hungry, thirsty. And the longer they drove, the tired of they got, and the later it was getting in the evening, and they didn’t know what they were going to do. They saw this old abandoned house. So they went to this old abandoned house, went inside and they had a little girl with them.

And she was tired and cold and hungry. She began to cry. The daddy says, stop your crying. And she said, I’m hungry. Well, we don’t have anything to eat, so stop your crying. And she kept sniveling, you know. And then the mama told her to be quiet, and she just started crying and couldn’t stop. Started deep sobs, and she just cried. So the daddy went over there and got her by the arm, and he opened up one of the closet doors and put her in the closet and said, when you stop your crying, I’ll let you out.

There’s no lights in there. And he closed the door. And then she really cried. She was scared. She cried. She screamed. And the mother says, well, maybe you better let her out. He says, isn’t he going to take long? She’ll stop crying in a minute. And it wasn’t long before she stopped pounding on the door. Screams got less and less. So they went over there and opened the door. and her body was laying on the floor with rattlesnakes all over her body.

They had no idea there were rattlesnakes in that closet. You and I have no idea how bad a rattlesnake bite can be. But let’s just pretend for a moment. Let’s just pretend that here I am. I’ve been up in those mountains of Colorado, but they say at a certain altitude that you don’t have to worry about rattlesnakes because they don’t go that high up because of the altitude. So we’re going to take me down off the mountain and we’re going to put me out there in some desert someplace.

And lo and behold, a big old rattlesnake bites me on the neck. What is probably going to happen to me if I get bit by a rattlesnake? Anybody have any clue what might happen to me? Yes. That’s one thing that I could do. I could bite the snake back. So as I look at this snake and realize that this snake just bit me, I’m going to get even. I’m gonna bite the snake back But I might look at it and think you know It wasn’t that bad You know there’s some people That are really bad sinners and then there’s some sinners that are Don’t consider themselves that bad.

I only got a little bite But you ought to see Peter Amato. He got a big bite. I I mean our big rattlesnake got all of them. Did you know that when we’re born into this world, we all have that venom, that bit Adam running through our veins. And that’s why we are going to die because we’ve all been bitten by the serpent. And what killed Adam, killed Eve. And what killed their children is what killed our parents and on down the line.

And that’s why you and I are facing death, because there was a time when the serpent bit someone and passed on to them that venom that causes death. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part two of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach by the line and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free, 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bibleline programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Radio Broadcast link. 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. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at six o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline 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. Believe in that the Lord is coming soon and just keep looking up.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 concluding message of this teaching will be a blessing to you and your family.

Look in Mark chapter 5 and verse 13, the book of Mark. And STATES that there was a time when Jesus was going to this city, and cast this demon out of us guy. Look what he says there in verse 1 of chapter 5. And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country that got arranged. When he was gone out of the ship immediately they met him out of the tombs, a man with an unclean spirit who had his drool among the tombs.

No man could bind him, no, not with chains. Because he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces, neither could any man tame him. Unusual strength, unusual strength. And then he says, nobody could tame him. Verse 5, And always, night and day he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying and cutting himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus, the far off, he ran and worshiped him, cried with a loud voice and says, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou son of the most high God?

I adjutéed by God that thou torment me not.” Now you think it’s the man speaking or a demon speaking through him? There’s a demon inside of this man and more than one. Is it possible that some people who met this man never figured out what was really wrong with this man? you say this man had a problem. I mean somebody wants to live in a graveyard. There’s got to be a little, but there was something wrong with him. Something wrong with him.

artney people probably said, I don’t want nothing to do with him. They wait for me and leave him alone. But it says here in verse eight, and he said unto him, come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, what is thy name? And he answered saying, my name is Legion, for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. Was there nigh unto the mountain a great herd of feeding.

And all the devils, the demons, they’re saying send us into the sea. That we may enter into them because each spirits need a body. They want a body. They were in a man and was cast out of the man. And they said, can we go into the swine? So they went into the swine. When they went into the swine, what does the swine do? They went over a cliff and went into the sea and drowned. You say, what’s the point?

That people will put up with the devil more than the hogs. This is where you get devils ham. See, you didn’t know that you just stick around. You learn all that kind of stuff. In verse 12, and all the devils be sawed him. And this is what they want in verse 13. And for with Jesus gave them leave, and the unclean spheres went out and entered into the swine, and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and there were about 2000, and were choked in the sea.

Now, how many was inside of this man? You know, there are sometimes, I think, people in seminary that get together and try to discuss how many angels can sit on the head of a pen. Or how many people? Can have how many demons inside of them at one time. You just need to know and understand that Jesus is the one who tells all this. This is the same one who said, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believe it than him should not perish but have everlasting life.

The one that said that also said this. You will I believe that but I don’t believe this. So now you’re going to pick and choose the same God. to the church, there’s warnings to us about evil spirits, about demons, and their power, and what they can do. So you and I, before we just automatically just judge other people, try to understand with this knowledge, there might be something more going on than you just sense by watching and listening to what they’re saying and doing.

It may be they need the Lord. They may need you to be a little bit more patient with them and try to win them to the Lord. There’s something else that can go on. Now I believe that a Christian can be so oppressed, not possessed whether they take over you, but you can be oppressed, and that you have all these thoughts that can come into your mind, not because spirit’s entered, because of the thoughts in your mind. And whenever you don’t study the Word of God, you can’t discern your thoughts.

And this is what the Word of God teaches us over and over again so that you can discern right from wrong what’s going on in your life. Understanding it can be helpful in being more patient with one another, more kinder to one another, more compassion toward one another. Or we don’t see that at all. And we just think this person is this bad? And it may be there’s something else going on, and we’re prejudging too quickly, too soon. And I just want us to be careful.

Look in Revelation chapter 16, Revelation chapter 16. And notice what’s gonna take place in the last days. These are things that I know that you’ve already read and understand, but Revelation chapter 16, page 1345. And look in verse 13, verse 13. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. And they are the spirits of devils or demons, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

Something working behind the scenes. People can’t see it, they can’t figure it out, they don’t know all they know is it’s something’s causing them to do things. No, if it’s not real, it ought not be in this book. This is not something that we think, well this is just made up. This isn’t made, this is real. There is a real spiritual battle going on. And the devil is always working upon our minds to defeat us, to get us to stop serving the Lord with all of our heart, to get his side-trick, to get us to worry, to get us to fret, so that we don’t trust the Lord.

He wants us to question and doubt God, just like he did to Adam and Eve in the garden, just like he was trying to do to Job. He’s been trying to do the same thing, and he doesn’t stop because his system works. The devil’s way works. But so does the Lord’s way, and greater is he that Pitt is in you than he that is in the world. Look in Matthew chapter 4 and verse 6. Matthew chapter 4. You know, Christ had been on top of a mountain and went without food and all for 40 days and 40 nights.

And it says her in verse 3, and when the tempter came to him, the tempter came to him. Now if the tempter came to him, do you believe that tempter will horm Or do you believe you’re so special? He won’t dare bother you. I mean if he came after you, you know it. You’re wise to him. He ain’t going to get you. He ain’t going to trick you. He’s on to him. Well he says he doesn’t deceive the whole world.

He has to be pretty good. Did you know he lifts us up with pride? that the Lord would allow that to be done. When you don’t trust the Lord because you didn’t humble yourself and cast all your cares upon Him. $$$$undaiARP, when he says that God hath not given to us the spirit of fear but of power, love, andkernel of a sound mind STATSARP Would you consider yourself to be a person of aundai sound mind? Careful. Would you consider your husband to be of sound mind?

Now she’s over there shaking heridden head. Noselves just ashaking her head. Would you say your wife is an individual of a sound mind? And she scattered her brain. Ipmwiki Iribune, I think DEBUG I’ve got a new evening of 10. I’m sure there’s some points that I could get on this year, but look what he says in verse 4. But he answered and said, it is written, man shall not live, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

Do you believe that the devil knows the word of God? the Bible, that’s the Bible. But you notice in almost every case when the devil quotes the scripture, he misquotes the scripture. He always changes just a little bit. Not all of it, he’ll state enough of the truth but just enough of a, at least like the time that you can’t see what it really says. The devil did that. He was trying it with the Lord. See in verse three, when the temper came to him and said, if thou be the son of God, command that these stones be made bread, And Jesus had to answer them with scripture.

Look at the next part. The devil taken him up into a holy city and said to him on the pinnacle of the temple. Said to him, if you know these ifs, if they’ll be the son ofLIST, cast thyself down. For it is written, the devil is quoting scripture to Jesus. He shall give his angels charge concerning thee. And if their hand, they shall bear thee up. Blessed any time thou shalt dash thy foot against the stone. And we’re like, he ain’t going to let you even step you a little toe.

And Jesus said to him, it is written, thou, I’ll say the Lord, thy God answered with scripture in every case. And verse nine, he says, and said to him, all these things will I give the if thou will fall down and worship me. That’s. The devil wants to use the demons to How does he get you to By getting you to give Him all your time, your talent, and your treasures. He’s after all of them. Well, how491 you’re going to get those things, because the lustespie of the eyes and the pride of life, and He’ll drain you dry.

And then with a time will come when you’ll leave this world and you’ll go to heaven, and you will have forfeit so much out of your life that you could have had. But He lied to you. He deceived you. He defeated you. Oh you’re saved, you’re going to heaven when you die. But he ripped your life away from you. He calls you to live these years in fear. Afraid. Does he know what he’s doing? He knows what he’s doing.

And he’s after us. Look in 2 Corinthians in chapter 11, 2 Corinthians and chapter 11. You’ve seen this verse I know many times, but I want revenged you to see a verse there. Look in verse two, you’ll see how Paul wants to present God’s people to the Lord. I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy, for I have espoused you to one husband that may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ, but I fear. Paul, but I fear.

Lest by any means as the servant beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your, and you are the underlinedness, so your minds should be what? Corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ through vain philosophy. The rudiments of the The world is says in the book of Costence in chapter 2 and verse 9, I believe it is, 8 and 9. So you have this verse to the church about the devil being real, corrupting your minds of believers. Otherwise see, all of us would do what God wants us to do with a life unless the devil gets a hold of us.

Playoff. Do you know a lot of these teenagers, they don’t trust Christ of Savior, do you realize what you have to go through to try to get them and get their attention so that you get their minds. And if (?,GV to Sakuya to exqu to to get theirresistubuntu to get Dag Most of them. You see, it’s not going to be that accident. It’s because somebody reached somebody. Most of us are doing what we’re doing because somebody reached us. Somebody explained something to us.

So it’s important. Look what he says in verse 13. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marble for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of life. has his own ministers, but see they don’t believe their Satan’s ministers. They just got Satan’s message. Satan’s messengers will preach Satan’s message and his message is false. That’s what they call false teachers, false apostles, false prophets because they teach works for salvation and not by grace.

And they see people and they’re thinking that, you know, yes, you just trust Jesus, but they butt it all over the place. And they get people to think that I have to turn for my sins, make Christ the Lord and the Master of my life and all these things that these stop doing or start doing, and it’s all based upon works. And look what he says here, his minister’s in verse 15, therefore it is no great thing if his minister’s also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, trying to get people to do right.

See, when it comes to salvation, Satan’s ministers will try to get you to do right, but trust in your righteousness to get you to heaven. You don’t need Christ. Satan is real. He is powerful. And he knows what he’s doing. Look in 1 Corinthians in chapter 7. Since you’re in Corinthians, just turn back to your left a few pages. But 1 Corinthians in chapter 7, do you. Might not know that this is so important on this verse, but it is.

First Corinthians in chapter 7, a little subject that deals with the issue of marriage. Hmm, marriage. Isn’t that a wonderful thing? You know, this afternoon I was back over here to church at 3 and to 4 30 years. Council and a young couple that wants to get married. I did everything I could and they still want to get married. But anywayBuyable we’re moving right along in verse 2, nevertheless to a bored, void poor indication, let every man have his own wife, let every woman have her own husband.

It doesn’t say let every woman have somebody else’s husband or someone. every woman have her own husband. It doesn’t say let every woman have somebody else’s husband, or some husband have somebody else’s wife, just your own. Let the husband render unto the wife do benevolence and likewise also the wife unto the husband. They’re supposed to meet each other’s physical needs. The wife hath not power of her own body but the husband. Like with also the husband hath not power of his own body but the wife.

You belong to each other. Verse 5, defraud ye not one the other. Accept it be with consent for a time. In other words, not to be used as a weapon to punish one another, but you’re, if you do, separate for a little while, talking about the sexual relationship, it says, and instrad you not one the other, accept it be with consent for a time that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer and come together again. And here’s the reason that Satan tempts you not for your incontinence or your lack of control.

So is it possible that even in a marriage relationship, the devil is working and can cause a man or a woman to have impure thoughts? And because The needs are not met between husband and wife, the desire to go with someone else. This is the book, and God’s word is true, and it’s warning us. The devil has tremendous power and can cause you to lust after the wrong things, and not to focus upon the right thing. He will use the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life in order to deceive.

To ruin us. You remember the story where Jesus has just told his disciples, I’m going to go to the cross and I’m going to be killed. And Peter says, not so Lord. Remember him saying that? Not so Lord, Lord, Lord? You’re the master, but no, no, no, no, no. And he says, get behind me. Is that what he said? He didn’t say, give me, Peter? He said, give me Satan. Why? Because somebody that Jesus knew was influencing him and he couldn’t see it.

He probably just thought it was his own idea, his own thoughts. He says, I’m going to pray for you that thy faith fell not. They made this statement. They had to have desire to SHALL like wheat. He’s going to SIFT you. Jesus knew, the devil was real. undrafted Jesus, Jesus knew, perpendicularly, and he knew that even somebody like Peter, he had no clue where it came from. Jesus did. Jesus did. That’s why you and I have to be very careful.

somebody who can interject thoughts into your mind and turn you against somebody that didn’t do anything to you. It could cause you to think something that’s not true. I’m making this up, but it’s real and it happens. A husband can think things about his wife. Well the wife can think things about her husband. It don’t have to be true. And if you think it’s true, you’ll ask. And it may be a total lie. It wouldn’t be a shame. You can also misread your children and your grandkids because the devil will tell you certain confir things.

And it not be true. And next time you see them, you’ll treat them a certain way because of what you think. It may have happened, it may not. But that’s why we find out truth before we act upon certain things, not just react to things. And this is why all this is so important. We’ve got camp coming up. I work under this premise. Those kids, they need me. I am going, for one reason, I want to help them. conservancy I don’t care how bad they may be.

I’m not interested in their home life. I don’t know what they have done. I’m just talking about I wanna help them. Well, wherever they are, whatever they’ve done, I believe that with this book, I believe that they can be richer from my time spent with them than they will be if I don’t spend my time with them. So it’s worth all the time, the effort, the money, the sleepless hours, the planning and all of it. And everything can totally collapse becausevernmental is a devil, that’s real.

And you worship on people’s minds, but we believe God. And the devil is going to work. I already know he’s going to try to disrupt somehow, someway. Because I’ve never done anything worth anything without having to pay a price to do it. There’s always the struggling. There’s always the wrestling. There’s always people that’s got problems. And if you’ve got one person, you’ve got at least Minimum one problem. If you’ve got 100 kids, you’ve got 100 problems. And if we have 130 or 140, we’re gonna have a whole bunch of problems.

We can run from them or we can face them. I say face them. I said to the old devil, I hope that I am on his most wanted list. Cause I’ve been battling for 50 years. And I have no intentions at this point in my life surrendering and given up, given in. I want to struggle and fight and wrestle to the day I die. Because I know that he that dwelleth in me is greater than he that is outside of me.

There’s a world out there. And all this is true. I believe everything and I told you tonight. But I believe that great things belong to those who can trust God and believe God and keep moving ahead. I don’t believe the apostles ever let anything cause them to live their lives in fear, otherwise they would have never died for Christ. Look up here. If you’re here tonight and you’ve never trusted Christ’s Savior, or if you’re watching by internet, you never trust the Lord.

He doesn’t want you to hear it’s this last couple minutes. This hen represents sin. We all have sin mortg.Slot And we have to pay for it, which is death and hell. But God loves us and wants us to go to heaven and to go to heaven we have to be perfect and none of us are perfect. We’ve all been we’ve all sinned, come short of God’s perfection. So because of sin, we can’t get in, and because of sin, we can’t earn eternal life.

Because all of our goodness is just like sin. So God says that we need to save you. This hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord, God in a flesh. He came into the world because he loves us, hates our sin because it separates us from him. So Jesus Christ took the sin, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead and said, If you and I, if we would believe that he did it for us, he would put this debt payment that he made to our account, and we get to go to heaven on what Jesus Christ did for us.

You cannot earn it, you cannot work for it, you cannot buy it. It is truly the gift of God. Let’s pray, shall we? Every head bowed, and every eye closed, and no one looking around. If you’re here tonight or watching by internet, and you’ve never trusted the Lord, would you do that right now? Would you just simply talk to the Lord and say, Lord, I got questions, maybe even a few doubts. Well, Lord, the best I know how. I believe that you died on that cross for me.

And I’m gonna trust you as my Savior. And friend, God said, if you would trust Him, He would save you. Give you eternal life right now. And you can know right now that you’re going to heaven when you die. He died for you so that you don’t have to. You don’t have to pay for sin. So would you trust Christ as your Savior? Would you let me know? Would you just clip you in it? That made sense to me and tonight I will trust Christ as my Savior.

Anyone at all? Anyone at all? If you have trusted Christ as your Savior, you realize the battle is real. Try to be a little bit more patient with one another. Don’t let somebody flare up or hot temper cause you to respond. Try to realize that there might be more going on behind the scenes than you know. There might be things that they’re thinking about, got their mind on and say, this is powerful. Don’t let him get at you. Don’t let him devour you.

That’s why the Bible says about Christians. He says in the book of Galatians in chapter five, let’s ye devour one another. You devour each other. See, Satan uses people to devour each other. That means we chew each other up and we backbite each other and we gossip about each other. Father, we thank you so much for all you’ve done for us. We’re thankful for this time together. And then help us to do right to you wise. In Christ name we pray.

Amen. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you are blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing tool free, 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again, or to obtain a free download of any of our Bibleline programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the radio broadcast link.

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. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, 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 and just keep looking up.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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. you 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 BibleInemistries.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.

If your Bible turned to the book of 1 John 4, 1 John 4, you and I are not alone. You say, I know I got the Lord with me. Well, I wasn’t talking about him. You say, well, I’ve got my wife. Well, I wasn’t talking about her either. Well, I’ve got my husband. Well, I wasn’t talking about him either. but you’re still not alone. The Bible tells us that there are demons in this world. And the more you want to serve the Lord, the more demon activity you’re going to recognize.

If you don’t serve the Lord, you don’t recognize a lot of things. You don’t see things. But when you make up your mind to serve the Lord, it opens your eyes to a lot of things that happens, that you can’t sometimes put your finger on it. there is a spirit world. There is the devil and he has demons. They’re fallen angels. And you say, well, where are they? Where are they? Well, they all live at your house. But believe it or not, they’re everywhere.

And just because, now don’t look at your husband like that, that’s not right. But they are everywhere. And there’s some things you might need to understand about it so that you don’t judge too quickly when you’re dealing with people. You know, a lot of times we jump on people and it’s that they’re being used and not even knowing it. So here in the book of 1 John chapter, before looking verse one, they love it, they leave not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Now, false prophet has a false message. That’s what makes them false. See how deep this is? You didn’t know it, it could get so deep. And he says in verse two, hereby know ye the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is coming, the flesh is of God. Every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is coming to flesh, not of God. And this is that Spirit of Antichrist where, have ye have heard that it should come?

And even now already is in the world. We are of God, little children, and have overcome them because greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world. Now we often kind of run through that sometimes, but there is a lot of truth in this verse. It’s telling us that there are people and there’s people with false messages and there’s people who have been influenced and are being influenced by false spirits and it is a real world.

you cannot see false spirits. You can only see the results of what they say and what they do. But when Jesus was here, Jesus, as you find out, really had to deal with false spirits all the time. He was always casting demons out of individuals. And it could be a blind one or a deaf one or a dumb one, or just, you know, demons that get you to say and think and do the wrong things. And… It is real.

It is powerful. And Satan uses the demons to use the people, just like there’s God who wants to use us. And sometimes we do the devil’s work without knowing him. This is why a child of God has to study the word so you can discern your thoughts. Because without discerning your thoughts, the devil, through the demons, can cause you to think things and do things that you don’t consider the source of the thoughts you think it’s only from you.

And you can wind up not doing what God wants you to do, not being what God wants you to be. because he is deceptive. The Bible says he hath deceived the whole world. That means there’s times in my life when the devil has deceived me. And if that’s true, there’s times in your life where he has deceived you. The Bible says he gets everybody sooner or later on something. You’re not free from him, he is real and he is after you.

And the Bible tells us that the devil as a roaring lion seeketh whom he may devour. That means to gobble you up to eat you alive. And he may do it in a lot of different ways. And he only does it because he’s able to get away with it because you were not aware. You were deceived. And he can sometimes get to you because he got to somebody you know and love. And he can twist your mind and cause you to have vain imaginations, to imagine things worse than what they are.

He never makes you think better, unless it’s on something that’s really wrong and you want you to think better or that than it is. But the devil is real and demons are real. Looking at the book of Ephesians in chapter 2, the book of Ephesians, it’s always good to have a literary for fresh of course. I know that in many things that I teach, they’re not new to you. You’ve been here long enough and I’m sure that Dr. Lindstrom has taught you all many of the same things.

But sometimes I can just bring you to remembrance, cause you to think to refresh your mind on things that you already know might help you. Look in Ephesians chapter 2. Look there in verse 2. in verse two. It makes a statement wherein in time past, he walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the heir. You say, well, where are these demons? Well, they’re in the air. You say, I can’t see them.

They’re still there, even though you don’t see them. He is called the prince of the power of the air. And so therefore we know that the devil is real. He has demons and they’re busy. And God is going to allow the devil to utilize these demons for the last days. Because there’s things that’s going to happen in the last days, all because of the devil, and all because of the demons. You’ll notice in this verse when it says that we all, and this is Paul talking to the Christians, and these are not the Jewish believers, as it is talking about the Gentiles and Ephesus, talking to them about ye walked according to the course of this world.

And as he says here, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our behavior, our manner of life. In time pass, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. In the words, it appears that demons utilize those three main things, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life, in order to lure us because those are things on the inside of us that desires things on the outside of us.

And so, like I mentioned to you before, there is the desire in the rat for cheese. So you and I are able to put cheese on a trap and catch that little rat because something in the rat likes cheese. So the devil knows what we already desire. So he’s able to lure us, deceive us, with those simple basic things. That he has captured the whole human race. And so he’s going to be after you as long as you understand it.

And that he wants to devour you as long as you understand it. You can fight a better battle when you know what your enemy’s up to. And you know the weapons that he uses. Now I spoke one night on the book of Ephesians in chapter six explaining about the weapons that we are to use and the armor of protection we’re to use. So look there in the book of Ephesians in chapter six. And look in verse 12, and you’ll notice it talks about the principalities, the powers in high places.

See the verse 12, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but we do wrestle. Did you know that most of that which wears you out mentally? Is it you’re always struggling because you’re in battle constantly, and it’s always something that’s plaguing our minds that keep us from thinking clearly to do what God wants to do. And so the devil knows that if he can do this, you’ll do this. And if you do this, he’ll do this. Because generally under pressure, we generally always do what we’ve always done.

We’ll respond the same way. For example, husband and her wife have a problem. And generally he knows that if he says this, she will do this. Or if she knows that if she does this, he will do this. Because after a while you get to read each other. You figure each other out. And you know that if she’s in this kind of a mood, I better not do this. But if she’s in this kind of a mood, I know I can do this, because we’re learning how to read each other.

There’s somebody who’s also watching you, and they’re reading you. Do you think that the devil understands you, can read you, can watch your facial expressions, knows how you think, because of what you have revealed, and he knows what you’re after, what you like and don’t like, he knows everything about you. Now I don’t believe the devil can read minds, But I believe that he can interject thoughts into your minds in order to capture you. So when we want to serve the Lord, understand there’s somebody that doesn’t want you to.

And so he’s always forgetting you to stop, quit, slow down, do something else. He does not stop. He is powerful, he is real. Now look at it. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, things you cannot see, things you probably don’t even understand, and you cannot grasp the power that Jesus Christ when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane. Do you remember that He had told His disciples to watch?

He told them to pray. He told them to watch and pray. And yet He was in such agony that he sweated great drops of blood. In the book of Hebrews it says that he feared, he feared. Now there’s a lot that he went through in his struggle. And I believe that it has to do with a spiritual battle he was going through. That he was struggling and wrestling with. I also believe there’s a possibility that the devil was trying to do everything he possibly could to have a premature death of Christ in the Garden so they could never get to the cross.

Now, we have in the book a warning, and this is to the believer, and it was true 2,000 years ago as it is today. So the enemy they had to face is the same enemy we have to face. And so he says, against spiritual wickedness in high places. So this is talking about something you and I are not familiar with. We’re used to looking at people and I can see you. And if you came at me with a gun, I got a gun.

But to fight an enemy you cannot see. Well the weapon you cannot see. And he’s battling for your mind. And so we know this, we see this. Now in the book of Job, I just want you to look at it real quick. Job chapter 1, the book of Job and chapter 1, the book of Job chapter 1, look there first of all in verse 6. Just want to cover a couple verses here. Job as far as we know was one of the most persecuted, tried, tested individuals I’ve of the road by outside of Christ himself.

And he says here in verse six, now there was a day, there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord. So even they had to give an accountability. Satan came also among them. The Lord said unto Satan, whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord and says from going to and fro in the earth. Now we know he’s a prince of the power of the air, but he’s also going to and fro in the earth.

the earth and He makes a statement and from walking up and down in it. Now, what’s he like? I wonder what he’s looking for. You have any clue what he’s looking for. He’s looking for you. In fact, what he was doing then, 3500 years ago, there’s a good possibility he’s still doing the same thing. He’s walking to and fro throughout the earth looking for somebody he can devour. And God wouldn’t let him get to Job, but after a while God initiated the conversation and removed the barriers so that the devil could get to Job.

But the devil had limitations. He could not do everything he wanted. So you know, and I know the devil is real. Demons are real. In the world, you can’t see them, but they are at His beckoning call to do whatever the devil wants done. And they’re in the air and they’re on the earth. Look in Matthew chapter 12. Matthew chapter 12. Matthew chapter 12, look there in verse 43. And just get what Jesus is talking about. Now whether or not it’s a reference to the nation of Israel that could cast out the devils, but they never replaced the devils with the sun.

And though Christ went all over the place and he cast out devils just about everywhere he went. But look at the illustration that he uses. And the point that I want to make out of this is that demons are in people. They’re in the world, they’re in here walking to a pro throughout the earth, but demons or in people see there in verse 43 when the unclean spirit is gone out of a and you ought to underline that man when it’s gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest findeth none then he said I will return into my house from whence I came out.

And when He has come, He finds it that empty swept and garnish. It’s kind of like a person can just clean up their life. And the demons say, hey, look, there’s nobody at home here. We can live here. Now, if a man trusts Christ’s Savior and the Holy Spirit indwells you, greater is He that is in you, than He that is in the world. But the man that doesn’t trust the Lord, doesn’t have the Holy Spirit living there. So you have these false spirits that can come in and then he says this, then goeth he and take it with himself, seven other spirits, more wicked than himself and they enter in and dwell there.

And the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also under this wicked generation. So there is a man that now has more demons living within him. And the Bible says that they were more wicked. So there are wicked demons in the world. A wicked demon will cause you to be more wicked than you would have been without the demons. You need to understand that demons can affect people, their lives, their thoughts.

They can be captured and not have a clue what’s going on. And this is why you and I are supposed to understand God has given to us a power that they don’t have. And this is why I’ve never worried about going around the world trying to cast demons out of people. Because I know that if I can get a person to trust Christ’s Savior, the Holy Spirit indwells them, and I don’t have to worry about it. So I believe so winning is the greatest thing that a man can ever do for anybody.

There’s a lot of people and you may wonder why they are like they are. It may be that they have demons within them. I’ve never had to worry about that, but I know others that have had to seriously deal with a lot of demonology and people that are demon-possessed. Now, I don’t want people going on witch hunts getting at your magnifying glass and ah, that’s what’s wrong with James. He’s got a demon inside of him. Or look at Herman, I know he’s got a demon, I bet he got a whole bunch.

And wives don’t do that to your husbands or to the other. Now, if a person doesn’t do the things that are plainly normal and is totally out of the realm of true spirituality, there could be a problem. To a person who doesn’t understand the gospel. There are demons that despise the teaching, the messages that are found in this book and don’t want anything to do with it. And so he says that they are real and they do in dwell people’s bodies.

And they do affect the way people think and it affects their actions. Look in Mark chapter 5 and verse 13, the book of Mark. And you’ll notice that there was a time when Jesus was going to this city and cast this demon out of us guy. Well, look what he says there in verse 1 of chapter 5, and they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country that they got arranged. When he was gone out of the ship, immediately they met him out of the tombs, a man with an unclean spirit who had his dwelling among the tombs.

No man could bind him, no not with chains, because he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces neither could any man tame him. Unusual strength. Unusual strength. And then he says, nobody could tame him. Verse 5, And always night and day he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying and cutting himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus, the far off he ran and worshiped him, cried with a loud voice and says, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou son of the most high God?

I adjuté by God that thou torment me not.” Now you think it’s the man speaking or a demon speaking through him. There’s a demon inside of this man and more than one. Is it possible that some people who met this man never figured out what was really wrong with this man? Would you say this man had a problem? I mean somebody wants to live in a graveyard. There’s got to be a little, but there was something wrong with him.

Something wrong with him. Majority of people have said, I don’t want nothing to do with him. Stay away from me and leave him alone. But it says here in verse 8, and he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered saying, My name is legion, for we are many. And he He besought Him much that He would not send them away out of the country. Now there was their nigh unto the mountain a great herd of swine feeding.

And all the devils, the demons, besought Him, saying, send us into the swine that we may enter into them because His spirits need a body. They want a body. They were in a man and was cast out of the man. And they said, can we go into the swine? So they went into the swine. When they went into the swine, what does the swine do? They went over a cliff and went into the sea and drowned. You say, what’s the point?

That people will put up with the devil more than the hogs. This is where you get devil’s ham. See you didn’t know that you just stick around you you learn all that kind of stuff And verse 12 and all the devils be sawed him and this is what they wanted in verse 13 and for with Jesus gave them leave and the unclean spirits went out and entered into the swine and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea and there were about 2,000 and were choked in the sea now how many was inside of this man you know there’s sometimes I think people in in seminary that get together and try to discuss how many angels can set on the head of a pin.

Or how many people can have how many demons inside of them at one time. You just need to know and understand that Jesus is the one who tells all this. This is the same one who said, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believe it then Him should not perish but have everlasting life. the one that said that. Also said this, you know, I believe that, but I don’t believe this. So nowCHECK you’re gonna pick and choose the same God.

And to the church, there’s warnings to us about evil spirits, about demons and their power and what they can do. So you and I, before we just automatically just judge other people, try to understand with this knowledge of God. knowledge, there might be something more going on than you just sense by watching and listening to what they’re saying and doing. It may be they need the Lord. They may need you to be a little bit more patient with them and try to win them to the Lord.

There’s something else that can go on. Now, I believe that a Christian can be so oppressed, not possessed whether they take over you, that you can be oppressed, and that you have all these thoughts that can come into your mind, not because of spirits, but because of the thoughts in your mind. And whenever you don’t study the Word of God, you can’t discern your thoughts. And this is what the Word of God teaches us over and over again so that you can discern right from wrong what’s going on in your life.

Understanding it can be helpful in being more patient with one another, more kinder to one another, more compassion toward one another. Or we don’t see that at all and we just think this person is this bad. And it may be there’s something else going on and we’re pre-judging too quickly, too soon. And I just want us to be careful. Look in Revelation chapter 16, Revelation chapter 16. And notice what’s going to take place in the last days. These are things that I know that you’ve already read and understand, but Revelation 16, page 1345, and look in verse 13, verse 13, and I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, and they are the spirits of devils or demons, working miracles which go forth unto the kings of the earth

and of the whole world to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Something working behind the scenes. People can’t see it, they can’t figure it out, they don’t know. All they know is that something’s causing them to do things. No, if it’s not real, it ought not be in this book. This is not something that we think, well this is just made up. This isn’t made, this is real. There is a real spiritual battle going on.

And the devil is always working upon our minds to defeat us, to get us to stop serving the Lord with all of our heart, to get his side track, to get us to worry, to get us to fret so that we don’t trust the Lord. He wants us to question and doubt God just like he did to Adam and Eve in the garden, just like he was trying to do to Job. He’s been trying to do the same thing, and he doesn’t stop because his system works.

The devil’s way works. But so does the Lord’s way. And greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tappa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Two of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free, 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bibleline programs, Just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Radio Broadcast link. 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. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcasts of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friends day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. Caught a Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Even if the Lord is coming, just keep looking at it.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. 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 Bibleline Ministries dot O-R-G homepage.

We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s message will be a blessing to you and your family. I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Jonah. I want you to understand that many times there are stories in the Old Testament that teach New Testament doctrine, New Testament truth. So once you trust Christ as your Savior, it is the will of God that you serve the Lord.

You don’t serve the Lord to go to heaven, but we should serve the Lord. God wants to use you. And if you don’t serve the Lord, you should understand, because it’s the will of God, that He’s going to beat the tar out of you and make you wish you have served the Lord. So there is a story in the Old Testament that is just loaded with all kind of jewels. And that’s the story of Jonah. Now Jesus was here and He talked about Jonah.

He says, an evil and a daughter of generations, seeketh after a sign, but there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of the Prophet Jonah. For Jonah was three days and three nights in the wheels, bell even so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” So we know that there’s a stamp of approval put upon the book of Jonah. Jesus says this is a true story. This year one Christian was arguing with an atheist and he says, I guess you believe in that story about Jonah?

He says, yes I do believe in the story of Jonah and when I get there heaven I’m going to talk him about it. He says, And what if he’s not there? He said, well then you can talk to him. But yes, I do believe in the story of Jonah. So this is a story about a man named Jonah. And in chapter one, he runs away from the Lord. In chapter two, he runs back to the Lord. In chapter three, he runs with the Lord.

And in chapter four, he runs ahead of the Lord. So he’s a busy man. just to run it all over the place. When you trust that Christ is your Savior, God says that He has entrusted us with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God which tryeth the heart. So God wants us to deliver a message. When out there it was a Gentile city in Iraq, named Nineveh. God wanted these Gentiles to know the Lord, to know Him.

So He He has his messenger, but this Hebrew, he didn’t like them Gentiles. But God says, I’m going to destroy the city. You’d think that Jonah would have been heartbroken over that. Jonah wasn’t heartbroken over that. Jonah wanted God to get him. Jonah chapter 1, look at this, in verse 1, and now the word of the Lord came under Jonah, son of Mittai saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, cry against it for their wickedness has come up before me.

Number one, he knew the will of God. God just told him what to do. You and I, we may know the will of God, but doing it is a different story. Now he didn’t want to go there. So what he did, he decided, I’m going to do some running. Verse three, Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarsus from the presence of the Lord. Now the presence of the Lord is in the will of God. So if you want to be in the presence of God, just simply be in the will of God and voila, there he is.

Many people run from the Lord and wonder, I wonder where God is, I wonder where God is. Well you’ll find him in the will of God. That’s where God is. So if you was to do the will of God in the will of God, there he is. And you get to know him. But he wanted to run from the presence of the Lord, means he wanted to run from the will of God. So when you run from God, you’re not just running from the will of God, you’re trying to get away from his presence.

But where can you run that God is not there? Can you send him to heaven? He’s there. Go down to hell. God’s there. God’s everywhere. God can be everywhere all at the same time. You can’t run from God, though people try. But get what he says here. And he says in verse 3, and he went down. You ought to underline that word down. It shows the direction that you’re going to go when you try to get away from doing the will of God.

Now, remember, we’re reading this because it’s to help you to know how to live your life. So he says, and he went down to Japam, and he found the ship going to Tarsus. So he paid the fare thereof, and he went down into it to go from them unto Tarsus from the presence of the Lord. And so anytime you want to run from God, you’re going to go down. You’re either walking toward the Lord with the Lord or away from the Lord.

So how are you doing? You’re walking with the Lord away from the Lord or going back to the Lord? He says in verse four, but the The Lord sent out a great wind into the sea. Remember the Lord sent the wind. The Lord did that. God sent the problem into the sea. And there was a mighty tempest in the sea. God did that so that the ship was like to be broken. God knew what he was doing. God caused a problem.

That’s why, see, when you run away from the Lord, you can expect, yeah, you’re going down. You’re going away. But there’s more problems where you’re headed than what you ran from. Anytime you run from the Lord, you’re heading into more problems, then you can shake a stick at. I was told you not to pull the trouble trouble till trouble troubles you. But some people just look for trouble. You think you’re getting away from something, you’re getting it worse. You see, if you think the responsibility of doing what God wants you to do, and he says, my yoke is easy, my burden is light.

Whenever you try to get rid of that yoke, do you realize that he’s gonna put a yoke of iron up on your neck? Now which one’s easier? The yoke of the Lord or the yoke of iron and it will weigh you down until it destroys you. So he says here, then the Mariners were afraid and cried every man unto his God. So they had different gods and cast forth the wares that were in the ship and to the sea to lighten it of them.

But Jonah was gone down inside the ship and he lay and went to sleep. The nerve. He didn’t care. He didn’t care if he lived or died. He’s just running. And what he says, so the ship master came to him and said to him, what means thou? Oh, sleeper, arise. Call upon thy God. If so be that God will think upon us that we perish done. It’s amazing how holy these guys got all of a sudden. And they’re on the ship and it’s about to be broken up and then know they’re going to die.

And now it’s time to call upon the Lord. You know, some people are just like that. They don’t need God, don’t want God. But something happens, all of a sudden they got a call upon the Lord. Lord get me out of this mess or out of this jamming, then they make a whole bunch of pledges and promises and vows. How many times I’ve been to the hospital and I have to pray for me. If I ever get out of this I’ll be in church every Sunday.

And they get well and I never see them. They meant some other church. I should have known that. Have you ever had something, a crisis in the family and you would ask God, Lord, if you ever get me out of thisachelors, I promise you’ve got a vow that you made. Look what he says in verse 7, and they said, everyone to his fellow come and let us cash luck that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us.

So they cash lots and the lot fell upon Jonah. Ha ha, you’re the bad guy. You’re the one who did this. Then said the unto him, tell us we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us. What is thine occupation? When’s it coming from? Where’d you come from? What’s the country? What people are thou? And he said, in the name of him, I am a Hebrew. I fear the Lord, L-O-R-D, Jehovah, not just any God, God, the God of heaven, which made land and the dry land and sea.

Then were the men exceedingly afraid and said unto him, why hast thou done this? For the men knew why he fled from the presence of the Lord and you are not aligned with it because he told them. He knew what he had done, knew why he did it. They had all kinds of questions. Did you know that sometimes problems come so that people ask you questions? They ask him questions. Did you know he really wasn’t in a soul when he moved?

But God was forced in this upon him. Well, he told him. He said, now, if you want to solve the problem, look at verse 11, then said the end of him, what shall we do unto thee that the sea may be calm unto us, for the sea wrought and was very competuous? And he said of him, take me up and cast me forth unto the sea. So shall the sea be calm unto you, for I know that for my sake this great tip is upon you.

Have you ever had a Joan on board? Sometimes it can be the husband in the home. He’s a Joan on board. He knows right but he won’t do right and because of his decision everybody else suffers. Sometimes the man wants to serve a Lord and the wife doesn’t want to serve a Lord and she can be a Jonah on board. He would rather die than do the will of God. So he says here in verse 14, wherefore they cried unto the Lord.

Now they’re all crying to L O R D, his God. We beseeze the let us not perish for this man’s life and laid not upon us innocent blood without old Lord L O R D, see before they were praying to their God, now they’re praying to his God. Isn’t it amazing how God can use people to get people to the Lord? And so it says in verse 15, so they took up Jonah and cast him forth into the sea and the seasies from her region.

Problem solved. Boy, solved that problem. Just threw the man overboard. But it ain’t all over yet. Looking verse 16, then the men feared the L-O-R-D, Jehovah, exceedingly and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord and made vows. You’d be surprised how many people have made vows unto the Lord and they never kept them. You probably made some vows sitting here. For example, have you ever made a vow to a wife or your husband until death do us part and it didn’t last very long?

You’d be surprised you could make vows about your children to raise them up in the nurturing admonition of the Lord and then you don’t do it. The story of Jonah is in here to see how God works in the life of a disobedient person. You know what to do and you don’t do it. It says to him that know if to do good and do it not to him it is sin. And look what he says in verse 9, that’s everything.

Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Now, many people say that Jonah was in the belly of the fish and so he died. And he may have died. But it says he was three days in three nights in the fishes’ belly, and if he had died, he wouldn’t have been in the fishes’ belly for three days and three nights. He would have been in the heart of the earth.

Now that’s where his body was, but where was he? But when Christ referred to it, it says even as Jonah was three days in three nights in the whales’ belly. So shall the son of a baby, three days in the heart of the earth? Well, I believe if he had died, he would have been there. But it doesn’t matter. It was a type of the death barrel in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So in verse one, where Jonah runs to the Lord.

Now look what God had to do. It was the Lord, remember, that prepared the wind. It was the Lord that made the storm. It was the Lord that prepared the fish. God’s been busy. God is working in your life. In verse two he says, and he said, look at verse one, then Jota prayed unto the Lord, his God out, out, of the fish’s belly, that’s where he was. Now get what he said. And he saidMars I cried by reason of my affliction.

Well, he thought it was going to all be over with. Oh, it’s not over with. He said, I cried under the Lord. And he heard me out of the belly of hell, cried I, and I’ll hearse my voice. Now, that’s why some people believe that’s where he might have went. Well, maybe he did. I don’t really care where he went. I just know he’s in the belly of the fish, and he’s crying out to God, and he’s got problems.

In other words, what did it have been worse to have been in the belly of the fish? And you can’t get out, and you’re whirling it all around, and seaweed all over your salt water, and you’re trying to fight for your air. But it was miserable. And can you imagine all this, your acid inside of a fish’s belly? I believe whenever he came out, he must have been pure white. If Jonah had never got right with God, that fish would have never vomited.

In verse three, he says, for thou hast cast me into the deep in the mist of the seas. The floods compass me about, all thy bills and thy waves pass over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight, yet I will look again toward the holy temple. The waters compass me about, even to the soul that debts close me round about. The weed wrapped around my head. I went down to the bottom of the mountains. The earth with her bars was about me forever.

Yet, hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God.” You can get what he says in verse 7. “…when my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord.” That’s a good time to do it, isn’t it? And my prayer came in under the Holy Tepam. They that observe lion vanities for sake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving. I will pay that which I have vowed and underlined this phrase, salvation is of the Lord.

Hey, I’m ready to go now. And in verse 10 of chapter 2 and the Lord spake unto the fish, it vomited out, I join up on the dry land. If verse 9 had to take in place, verse 10 wouldn’t have taken place. But always remember, there’s a God in heaven who’s going to beat the tar out of you. You can’t live as you please and get away with it. You can’t thumb your nose at God and be rebellious in your heart toward God and not do what God wants you to do and then God just lets you along.

He don’t give you a pass. So chapter three is second chance. Now Jonah begins to run with the Lord. He’s doing a, he’s going to run with the message God gave him and he’s going to where God wanted to go to start with. Now look how much he could have saved himself. All that that happened to him didn’t have to happen. If she can’t, it was rebellious. So in verse one and the word of the Lord came on the Jonah on the line the second time the message did not change.

The will of God did not change. Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city and preach unto it the preaching that I bid. In other words, I want you to tell them what I’m telling you. So Jonah arose and went into Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now, Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days journey. journey. Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey and he cried and said, yet forty days, and none of us shall be overthrown.

So the people of none of them believed God. They believed. This is what Jonah was afraid of. He knew they would believe it. He didn’t want them to believe it. He wanted God to get them. And they proclaimed it fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them, even to the least of them. Verse six, word came unto the king of none of us. And he arose from his throne He laid his robe from him and covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes and he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles saying, let neither man nor bees heard nor flock taste anything, let them not feed nor drink water.

What this guy was serious? He believed what Jonah preached and he didn’t want his city to be destroyed but because of the wickedness going on in the city he said, now you need to clean them things up. Christians are supposed to do right, but you don’t do right in order to go to heaven. But doing right can keep the hand of God’s judgment off of you. I believe that if God can see Nineveh, God could see America. Look at verse 7, and he causes to be published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and is noble saying, let nobody have anything.

Verse 8, but let man and bees be covered with sackcloths cry mightily unto God, ye let them turn everyone from his evil way. This is not to be saved. This is to keep from having physical death. You see, you’ll find that mentioned throughout the scriptures about a man turning from sin, turning and forsaken his evil way. That’s because as a nation, even Israel, God could chasten them, whoop them, take them out of their land, all kinds of things. Even a Christian, Christian, once you’re saved, should depart from evil.

A Christian should turn from sin, but not to be saved, but because you are. If I do not want the chastening hand of God upon me, I better correct the errors of my way. I better stop doing the things that’s going to bring God chastening upon my life. He says here in chapter 4 verse 1, but it displeased Jonah exceedingly. He was very angry. Now why is he so upset? You say, he’s mad at God, and he prayed unto the Lord.

In amazing, you can even pray when you’re not right. And he said, I pray the old Lord was not this my saying. When I was yet in my country, he went to another country. I believe that God has over the years, and we may not know how many different people that God has sent to other countries in order to preach. He says, when I was yet in my own country, this is Lord, this is why I didn’t want to I told you this is what you would do.

Therefore I fled before unto Tarsus. For I knew, get this, for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of a great kindness, and repentist thee of the sieve. And I knew you weren’t going to do it. If they listened and they changed their minds, I knew you wouldn’t do it. Well, what did he want him to do? He wanted me to do that. So give what he says, in verse 3, therefore now, O Lord, take IBC, see my life, let me die.

Boy did he have a pity party. This man just doesn’t learn his lessons. He says, for it is better for me to die than to live. You ever get down so low that this was, listen, and literally do you know and understand that What he just went through was a type of the death, virulent resurrection of Jesus Christ. What an honor to be said, I was an example.

This one guy told me, he says, I’m not totally useless. I can be used as a bad example. Lord, take I beseech my life from me, for it’s better for me to die than to live. Well, why didn’t God just do that? Well, he didn’t do it. Look at this. He says, then said the Lord do a star well to be angry. In other words, is that helping you? You feel better now? You’re all mad. You’re all upset. You’re angry.

How do you feel? You feel better now? Verse 5, so Jonah went out of the city, sat on the east side of the city and there made him a booth, sat under it in the shadow till he might see what would become of the city. So he went up there and sat on the hill. So while he’s sitting there for on the hill, mine is his own business. The Lord God prepared a gourd. Have you noticed how many things God prepared?

He prepared a win. He prepared a great fish. He prepared a gourd? God did this. God prepared a gourd and made it to come up over Jonah. That it might be a shadow over his head. Now isn’t that gracious and kind of God? To deliver him from his grief because of the hot sun. So Jonah was exceeding glory. was exceeding glad of the gourd. Now here’s all these people in the city. He don’t care about them. But now he cares about this gourd.

Kind of like a turtle that fell in love with our army helmet. In verse seven, but God prepared a worm. See there? If God can use a gourd and God can use a worm, don’t you feel like God can use you for something? But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day. The next day. and it smote the gourd and it withered. Now God did this. God made a gourd to grow, shaded from the sun, and he liked that.

And then God prepared a worm, sent the worm, the worm ate the gourd, killed a gourd. And verse eight, and it came to pass when the sun did rise, that God prepared a vahimat-ease wind. God did this. and the son beat upon the head of Jonah that he fainted and wished in himself to die. And he says, it is better for me to die than to live. And God said to Jonah, doest thou well to be angry for the Lord?

And he says, I do well to be angry, even in the death. See, God was giving him an object lesson. Look what he was trying to teach him at verse 10. Then said the Lord, Thou had had pity on the Lord, for the which Thou hath not labored, neither made it to grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. Should not I spare none of us? That great city wherein our more than six score a thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand, and all that cattle.”

He says, there’s all those people, and they can’t discern between the left hand and right hand. He said, they were totally ignorant. They didn’t know the Lord. He says, you got more compassion for that goer than you have for those people. God’s like saying, am I wrong because I love? Am I wrong because I am gracious? Wouldn’t it be need if more people had more love and more kindness and a little bit more grace? Look up here. If you’re here this morning and you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, this is what God would want you to know.

I, just like Jonah, have been commanded by God to take this message for anybody that I can get it to. This is you and me. This is sin. God says that he loves us, but he hates our sin. But everybody has a sinful nature, and that’s why we do all these bad things. Now God sees everything that we do. There’s a God in heaven that knows everything, and he says that he’s going to have to judge us. And the penalty for sin is death and hell.

Since every man has sinned, every man has to die. And spending the eternity separated from God. But God says, I want you to tell the people that I love them. And I don’t love the sin, but I love them. And because I love them, I want you to tell them something. You see, they can’t go to heaven the way they are. See, heaven is perfect. God is perfect. To go to heaven, you have to be perfect. No sin. Sin, we can’t get in.

So God says, you can’t earn eternal life. You can’t work your way to heaven. This hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord God in the flesh. He came into the world because he loves us, hates our sin because it separates us from him. So Christ who had no sin did not have to die. So what he did is he took our sins, paid for them on the cross, came back from the dead. And God said, if we’ll believe that he did it for us, that he would give to us as a free gift, everlasting life.

And we go to heaven on what he did. Once you trust Christ as your Savior, you say, OK, I believe that. Then God says that he gives you as a free gift, eternal life. You’re his child. You’re going to heaven when you die. But God says there’s still a lot of people out there that don’t know and don’t understand. Now, you that know Christ as your Savior, did you see the reasons why we need to be found faithful in serving the Lord?

God says that He will chasten us. Chasing means to discipline, to correct. He uses another word, they’re chasing and scourge it. Scurge it means a pretty good-sized little beating. It’s not just a, don’t do that again. The other one might be bringing you down to the depths of the sea. I mean, where He’s trying to wipe you out. I mean, He can do it health-wise, finance-wise, He can do it. don’t underestimate the power of your heavenly Father. Now the reason he doesn’t because he loves you.

He needed Jonah. I used to have people tell me, well, God doesn’t need you. He don’t need you. Yes, he does. He does need us. We are important. And God left us here to get a job accomplished. And the most important thing we can never do is to get people to trust Christ as their Savior. Let’s pray, shall we? With every head bowed and every eye closed, no one looking around. If you are here today and you never trust the Christ as your Savior, just never trust Him.

Why not right now and just talking to the Lord? Say something simple, Lord, I’m a sinner. Friend God knows it, just a matter of each one of us admitting it. I’m a sinner, means I’m not perfect. I’ve done things wrong, I’ve sinned. When you say I’m a sinner and I’ve sinned, it means I deserve to go to hell. I deserve to pay for what I’ve done. But I believe Jesus Christ that He died, paid for my sins. And friend, God says, if you’ll trust Him as your only hope of going to heaven, He will save you from hell and give to you the free gift of eternal life.

And he’ll never cast you out and never lose you. With his bow nice and close, anyone that all say, yes, I’ll trust Christ as my Savior and preach, I’d like you to pray for me. Would you just slip me in a very quickly, but I’ll write back down. In one of all, let’s God bless you man. You can put it down. Anyone else, just slip it up very quickly with just God bless you man. I appreciate that. Let me just change it just for a second.

When Jonah ran ahead of the Lord, he didn’t have any patience, he didn’t have any peace. He had no perception. He lacked discernment. He had no purpose to live. And God had to teach him a very important lesson. You have trusted Christ as your Savior maybe many years ago. And you dedicated your life to Him. You said you were going to serve Him. And you haven’t done like you promised. You haven’t kept your vow. If you hear this morning, you say, I want to renew my vow.

I want God’s blessings. I want God’s will. I’ve been running long enough. I want to do whatever God wants me to do, whatever time I’ve got left. And preach your life to pray for me. Now I’m not going to have you forward. I’m not going to embarrass you. I do it with heads bowed and eyes closed. But you say, yes, you spoke to me today. And I need to get things right. And I want you to pray for me.

Would you just slip your hand very quickly and put a right back down on this God bless your hands all over? God bless you all. Thank you so much. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you are blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing tool free.

800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bibleline programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Radio Broadcast link. 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. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, 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 and just keep looking up.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. 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 concluding message of this teaching will be a blessing to you and your family. is it that God uses to decide whether or not do you love me? He says, if any man loved me, it shall be known of him. If any man loved me, it shall be known.” So look what he says in verse 29, oh how love I by law. It isTOR, it is my meditation every once in a while.

It is my meditation all the day. Now you need to read and mark in your Bible a Joshua chapter 1 where he talks about meditate in the Word of God so that you may know what to say and what to do in order that your way may be prosperous. And he talks about being strong and very courageous. Well that’s what the Word of God will do for you. Meditate in the Word of God. Put God’s Word into your mind.

So if you do not study the Bible and And you don’t meditate on God’s Word and his will and his purpose. Does God know that? Does God know whether or not you really love him? Did you know he says if any man loved me? He said then him, well, I reveal my will. God will reveal himself to you to those who love him. If you do not love him, you may know Christ is Savior. You can quote verses in the Bible, you can go through the actions and motives.

I mean, the things just like everybody else. But there’s something that will be between you and him. God knows whether or not you really love him. And there’s things he’s looking for in your life. There’s things that we look for from God. And sometimes we get upset with God because God doesn’t always do what we think he ought to do when we think He ought to do it. Do you think there’s any of those people that got thirsty on the first day?

Second day? Third day? But now we’re going to die. He brought us out here in this wilderness to die. This is why He did it so He could kill us all. We would have been better off back there in Egypt with nothing but onions, and leeks and garlic. But wait a minute, are those the same people that cried out to God and God told Moses, says Moses, my people cry out to me to be delivered? Did they forget about that?

You see, people change all the time. People are normally whiners. They’re murmurs and complainers. And you’d be surprised that things in our life that God uses to toughen us up a little bit. Remember the Sunday school lesson this morning when we talked about tribulation work with what? Patients and patients experience. Patients, the tribulation, that’s where you get your experiences from. That’s where you learn to mature. Cause you’ll find out after a while God has got to get you into a state of despair.

When you don’t have the power to do anything about it and can’t change anything, then God got you right where He wants you. And that’s not the place we want to be. We’ve always liked to be able to have everything in control. I want to control things. And I don’t like it when I don’t have control. Did you know God will do whatever necessary to strip away our pride, though we won’t call it that. We would never admit to that.

In the book of Peter when he talks about humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time, ours is just to submit. His is to exalt us, to raise you up, do whatever he wants to do with you. or then sometimes God has to strip you and he’ll purge you. Like silver, getting all the draw-off to try to make it pure. And little do you know and think that you still have some things in your life that God has got to purify you from?

There might be errors in your life that’s totally not yielded to the Lord, but you don’t know that. There may be areas in your life that are not right with God, but you may not see that yet. So there’s things maybe you haven’t surrendered to the Lord and God knows. So God says, I’m not through yet. Can’t use it the way I want to. Remember when Moses fled from the king or Pharaoh and went on the backside of a desert by 40 years?

Do you know in the book of Acts it makes the statement that Moses thought in himself, He supposed that God was going to use Him to deliver Israel by His hand from Egypt. He knew that before He ever made His decision not only to kill that Egyptian, but whenever they said, who made you the leader? Who put you in charge? You made you the ruler of the judge. It’s what he wanted to do, is what he expected to do, and God had to take Moses who was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.

And he thought he was doing the right thing, but he had to go on the backside of a desert. Because see, he had spent the first 40 years of his life learning the ways of the world. God had to put them on the backside of the desert for 40 years to unlearn him and drain him of all of his pride and taught him how to be a shepherd, how to be a servant. And then God used them the last 40 years of his life in a great way.

See, it wasn’t that God didn’t want to use Moses, it’s the time it wasn’t right. And God wanted to get Moses out of Moses so that Moses knew that God had to do it. You see, he was going to do it. He was going to show what he could do and God wanted Moses to see what God can do. And so God did the miraculous. And that’s why whenever Moses said to the Lord, he says, when people say, who sent you?

What am I supposed to say? He says, you say, I am that I am, have sent you. I can’t talk. He had five big excuses that he used. See now, he had been humbled. He had been humbled. How long did it take Moses to get humbled? About 40 years. You and I don’t have to wait that long if we’ll listen and learn from God a little quicker. But you have to know what God is doing. So God will allow things to happen in your life that you can’t control.

You can’t manipulate. You can’t make happen so that you have to totally see what God will do. And you just simply say, Lord, I can’t do it. Whatever you want done, the way you want it done, I simply surrendering. You can do whatever you want with me. I’ll be as humble as I can be as dependent as you want me to be. I will not try to exalt myself. I’ll just be your servant. I would rather just be a servant in the house of the Lord than have everything else in this world.

So important. Take your Bible and look there in, let’s say I’m in 119 Psalms. I never did finish what I was going to read here. in verse 9, 8, thou, through thy commandments, hath made me wiser than mine enemies. Understand, you’re going to have enemies in this world, but God’s Word will make you wiser than your enemies. Verse 9, 9, 9, I have more understanding than all not teachers, for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients because I kept thy precepts.

So as you read this looking verse 103 now where he makes the statement, how sweet are thy words unto my taste. 105 thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. 130 says the entrance of thy word give a flight. Lot of tremendous verses through here and then you look there in verse 133 where it says order my steps in the Lord. Order my steps in the Lord. Take your Bible and look there in Psalms Psalms 84.

You’re in Psalm, just look in Psalms 84. Psalms 84 and look there in verse 10. First 10. Now I know that we don’t consider this, you know, as we come together into the house of the Lord. Well, we know God doesn’t live here. But this is a sacred place. This place has been dedicated to the purpose of the Lord. So whether or not some people want to call up a house of God or not, it’s a place where God is.

God’s people meet. And not, therefore, I think it’s a special place. But look what he says in verse 10, for a day in thy courts is better than a thousand on the outside. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than the dwell in the tens of wickedness. Now let me show you two other verses that helps explain a little bit more about that. Look up there in verse 2. He says, my soul longeth. Yay, even fainted for the courts of the Lord, underlined the courts of the Lord.

And then look in verse 4, blessed are they that dwell in thy house. They will be still praising thee. If a child of God loves the Lord, I can’t see why they don’t love the place where God’s people meet. and why they can’t come to church. I question the love of any person who does not love his word or his people. You see why? Because God says they don’t love him. They don’t love him. Do you love the Lord?

Then church ought to be a special place to you. That’s where we encourage one another. People have a hard time. People have a rough time. People need people to know him and love them and care about them and pray for them. But some people, all they think about is themselves. As long as I’m doing fine, I don’t need church. And you’d be surprised how fast when somebody is in trouble, they call the preacher, pray for me. Let them go to the hospital, the first person they want to come see them, oh, the preacher come and pray for me.

What was wrong with you coming to see the preacher? When you could, you want the preacher to come see you. And I don’t mind that, but what I’m saying is that this place ought to be special for God’s children, and we ought not have to pull and force and beg God’s children to do what they ought to do naturally. I’ve always had problems with that. Nobody in 50 years has ever had to try to motivate make me to go to church.

Nobody. Because I do it, because I want to. I’ve done it for all these years, because it means something special to me. Because I believe it’s a thermometer of my love. It shows what it means to me. If Christ gave His life for the church And he loves the church. Then so should I. And I haven’t figured out how I can love Christ and not love His people, or to want to be with His people. God’s Word says that I should.

So it’s an important thing. Look in Psalms 42, Psalms 42 and look in verse one. Now the word heart means a male deer. But look there in verse one, as the heart of a male deer panteth after the water brooks. You gotta underline the last part of this verse. So panteth, my soul after the O God. My soul thirsted for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? God ought to be the most important thing in your life and nobody can make him real to you.

Nobody can make you love him, but he says, if you do love me, He says, serve me. So is there a God in heaven that’s looking into the church even tonight or Sunday morning or Wednesday night and looking for His people and wondering if you love me? Serve me. Be found faithful. I believe it’s the will of God for God’s people to do this. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it. verse I want to give to you is 119 Psalms, since we’re right here, looked at in verse 63, 119 Psalm verse 63.

And you’re on the line this part of the verse. I am a companion of all them that fear thee. I like to have good friends and close friends, but all my friends of those that not only love the Lord, but fear God. Now I’m… I’m friendly toward everybody. I don’t try to go out and make enemies. I make a few, but that’s not my goal. But I like having friends thatror with God. You show them who your friends are and I can tell a lot about you.

Some people have their church friends and then they have their other friends. I only have church friends. I don’t have no other honor friends. You will find it very difficult to withstand the pressures of your friends. And if they’re not the right kind of people who love the Lord, they can also influence you not to serve the Lord. This is what makes it so hard for teenagers because they want to have friends and they want to be accepted. And if they have friends that don’t walk with the Lord, it’s hard for them to ever break free.

With adults, they should be able to understand these things a little bit more. Sometimes teenagers don’t get it right off the bat. What is your attitude toward the world? How do you see the world? Do you love the world? Do you wish that you could just stay here forever? Is there all your sights upon things of this world? Or do you set your affections on things that are above? Because you know and you look forward to in your planning on the day when you leave this world.

You want the Lord to say, well done, thou good and faithful servant because of your service to him. That’s not whatmediatecolm subparagraph, but you do want him to say it. You want to live in such a way that you’re not ashamed before himnv at his common. Let me say just a word about this. Trivia. Remember there’s a story where Jesus was sitting there and watching the treasury as people came in and as they gave money. Since there was a woman that came in and she didn’t have much, she just gave a little bit of what she had.

But the Bible says she gave all she had. And Jesus says she gave more than anybody else. Because they gave out of their abundance and she gave everything that she had. When it comes to giving, do you believe that giving to the Lord’s work has anything to do with you and your love for the Lord? God’s Word says it does. I am never afraid or ashamed to talk about money, especially not to God’s people. I don’t want to make an issue with lost people, because that’s not an issue.

But with God’s people, there’s always this issue about whether or not. Well, I don’t believe in tithing because tithing is under the law. Do you realize how much grace it takes for a child of God to give a tenth? I don’t place myself under the law. But in the book of Corinthians in chapter 9 where he talks about giving, he refers to the law. He says, you don’t muzzle the ox that treadeth off the corn. a reference to the Old Testament principle.

I don’t believe that I have to give a tenth, but generally the people who don’t want to give that much are always talking about, I’m not under the law and I don’t have to do that tenth business. Generally that’s the people who give less than a tenth. But those who really believe in giving by grace because of God’s love for you and what he’s done for you and because of the mercies of God and view of all that he’s done.

Those people who really love the Lord and who really want to believe in grace giving know that a tenth is only a good place to start. It’s not the limit. Those who want to give less always talk about, well, that’s under the law because that justifies them given the little as they can. Those who believe in grace given will always want to see how much can I give. I want you to love the Lord enough that you give what God wants you to give.

And it was Betty’s dad that had a difficult time teaching this 18 year old kid to part with any of his money. I needed it a lot worse than the church did. I didn’t understand at the time that it was only that little bit that I was giving that was revealing how much I can trust God for. If I only gave a tent, at least I gave that much, but I also knew that I was wiser with the 90 percent, I got more accomplished than if I kept it all.

So because of grace and my love to the Lord, I’ve never resented giving to the Lord’s work. And I’ve tried to make sure I’ve always given more. I would hate to think that somebody under the law would give more than what I could under grace. the word grace and what we taught in Sunday school this morning, much more, much more, not lots less. Because of God’s love for us, I believe that it shows my trust in God, that I can give it to Him and then trust Him for the rest of whatever I need.

And for 50 years, God has always come through. There’s when times when I didn’t see how in the world we can even pay our bills. But I know that this belongs to God. And I’m given to God first. Not because I had to, but because I knew this is my way of showing God out of everything that I have. I trust you. I trust you. And I have no problems about giving to the Lord’s work. I’ll trust God for whatever else.

There are some of God’s people that are afraid that if they gave at least that much, that they’re not going to have enough to do anything else with. But you’d be surprised how many people have bought homes with God’s money, with God’s money, cars with God’s money, that should have been given to the Lord’s work. Now, what I’m saying is, if God is in heaven and He looks down from heaven, do you believe that God is watching everything, what we think, what we say, what we do, where we go, and determines whether or not, do you really love me?

Do you really trust me? Some people give a little bit because they only trust the Lord a little bit. God says He wants us to be a cheerful give, cheerful giver. If you give begrudgingly, you ought to keep every time you have. If you can’t give and trust God that you’re doing what God wants you to do. And you ought to determine that alone between you, your wife and figure out this is what God has done and This is what we ought to do and this is what we’re going to do and then you do that.

But I think it’s a shame when God’s people try to tip God a little bit just to try to keep them off their back. They’re not really sowing like they ought to sow. And because they don’t sow right, they won’t reap right. Your love for the Lord is revealed by the things that you do in every area of your life. Let me put it this way. A person who doesn’t believe the audience leads to that much. You better be thankful for the ones who do believe it, or they won’t be a ministry here.

Because there’s enough of the people in this ministry that do believe it, and they give accordingly. And that’s what keeps these doors open, and makes the ministry go forward because there’s people who believe. They’re love for the Lord, and they give, and they’re gracious in their giving, and there’s yet some people who are always stingy. Now, I don’t look at the books. I don’t know who gives what or how much. I don’t touch the money when it’s collected. I don’t count the money.

I don’t deposit the money. I don’t, unless Mr. Polson or, unless they tell me what we got it, I don’t even know what we have. I don’t even know what the balance is now. I don’t care what it is. I just know that we ought to do right. Don’t you agree with that? It’s just right, but that’s between you and God, but whatever your reasons are, and however you do it, you better make sure you do what God wants you to do in the area of your giving and do it cheerfully and not be grudgingly and do it because you love the Lord and you have confidence in the ministry here in what we’re doing.

If you give less, I won’t know it. If you give more, I won’t know it. But I can tell you who will. The one you say you love. Just love him and do right. Look up here. This hand represents you and me. The wallet represents sin. We all have sin on us. God loves us. He just hates what we do wrong. But he loves us. And he says for us to pay for that is eternal separation from God in a literal fire burning hell.

But he wants us to go to heaven. And to go to heaven, you have to be perfect. is righteous as God and none of us are perfect, none of us are righteous. We’ve all done things wrong and come short of God’s perfection. And God says, you cannot save yourself. This man represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord God in the flesh. He came into the world because he loves us. He hates our sin because it separates us from him. So the Bible says that Jesus Christ took the sin, paid for them to cross and came back from the dead.

And it says that whosoever it would be leave this, God would give them as a free gift everlasting life and we get to go to to heaven on what Jesus Christ did for us. Let’s pray, shall we? If you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, I urge you to do so. Friend, God loves you. Remember, you don’t have to change anything, give anything. You don’t have to give any money. Salvation is free. Going to heaven is a gift. God loves you that much.

All you need to do is trust Jesus Christ. As your Savior, believe in He died and paid for all of your sins and came back from the dead. You can do that. And if you trust Him right now, God said He would save you right now and give you as a free gift everlasting life. And they’ll never cast you out and they’ll never lose you. Our Father, we thank You so much for all You’ve done for us. We thank You for this evening, the study of Your Word.

And I pray, Lord, each person here would realize that, yes, You’re looking for those who love You, and that You would reveal Yourself to them, and Your will to them. And I pray, Lord, did you put a hedge about each one here? A lot of families are hurting. Some were hurting for jobs, others because of health. But whatever the reason is, Lord, I pray that they’re not questioned, whether not you love them or not. Because you love us with a everlasting love.

It doesn’t change, but there’s things, and so many lessons you want us to learn. Help us to be faithful, and realize that tribulation work of patients, and patience is what gives us our experiences. Those experiences is what causes us to be confident and bold. And we put so much more into our lives. Looking forward to the day when we’ll stand before you. Thank you again in Christ’s name we pray. Amen. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr.

Ralph Arnold. We pray that you are blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bibleline programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Radio Broadcast link. 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. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friends, 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, and just keep looking up.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. 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. For 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 Bibleline Ministries dot O-R-G 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. I’ve got a lot of things I want to share with you tonight. I don’t think the night’s long enough to say everything I want to. I’ve often wondered what it would have been like to have been, you know, with Moses, with those two to two and a half million people in the wilderness.

Can you imagine what it was like having a church that size? When you got 10 people, you got 10 problems. You got 100 people, you got 100 problems. had a couple million problems, the poor guy. And every time he turned around they were hollering and complaining about something. Wasn’t enough to eat, not enough to drink, always something going wrong. They always solved the giants and the land never saw the promises of God. Take your Bible and turn to the book of Exodus.

Look at the book of of Exodus. Let me show you a few things before I get into my message. This is a little side track, but it ain’t going to hurt nothing. We ain’t going to wear anyway. Look at there. Exodus chapter 14, chapter 14, they had come up to the Red Sea and everything was, seemed like it’s going wrong. And the Lord told them, says, just stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Watch what God does for you when they didn’t know what to do.

Pharaoh’s army’s coming up behind him. Here’s all these people. And remember a lot of this God never told Moses in advance how he was going to do it. He just had to trust God to lead him as he went. And a lot of time it seemed like the Lord forgot to take care of certain little things. You know, like water. I mean, they went three days without what? Three days? What would you do if you went 24 hours without water?

In the desert, they complained. And then God got upset with them because they complained. I guess he was trying to teach him, look, How many of them died because they died of thirst? How many actually died from thirst? We don’t know if anybody died from thirst. How many of them died from hunger? You don’t know if any of them died from hunger. Because God met their basic need. Now there’s a lot of things that God told him was going to happen.

All those that had rebelled against him, he says, you’re going to die in the world. You’re going to die. only those that believed Him, and well, they got to go into the land. But here in chapter 14, look there in verse 14, he says, the Lord shall fight for you and ye shall hold your peace. And then in the last part of verse 15 said that they go backwards. No, they go forward, right through the middle of the Red Sea.

So they went across, it says there in verse 16 on dry ground, through the mist of the sea. And so God says, this is what’s going to happen. In verse 19, and the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them. And the pillar of the cloud went from before their face and stood behind them, separating them from the Egyptians so that he couldn’t get to them. And God miraculously provided for them. Game of cloud, you know, to keep the old hot sun off of them, fire at night to give them light and warmth.

You know, God does a lot of interesting things that they didn’t know at the time. And then in verse 21, there was a strong Eastwind all that night. God did that. Looking verse 22, and the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea, found the dry ground, and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left. So there’s a wall of water. Do you realize the confidence that they had to have to step into the the Red Sea with a wall of water on one side and a wall of water on the other side?

What would you have done? You realize the faith that every one of them had to have? Not just Moses to lead, but the people to follow. They had never walked this way before. They had never experienced anything like this before. And look what they were going through. But something else here I wanted you to see. In chapter 15 it makes this statement. In verse 5, the debts, the debts have covered them. They sank into the bottom as a stone.

Now some people say there was just a little bit of ankle deep water that they were in. That don’t sound like it. He says, Thy right hand, O Lord, is to become glorious in power. Thy right hand, O Lord, have dashed in pieces the enemy and he talks about what he was going to do and how he did it. Now look in verse 8. And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together the floods stood upright as a heap and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea like jello.

So, here is two walls of water, and it’s like jello. It’s congenital, and it’s there. Do you think there’s a possibility that as they walk by they could see things in the water? What if there’s all kinds of fish that they could see? One half deep they could see and do there. When I saw the movie, the Ten Command was the wall, it was rushing up like this. You’re all over the place. But I don’t think that’s the way it was.

I don’t think the water was moving like that. I think it was like jello. And they got a cross. And you wondered, you know, here’s all these people going across there. Have you ever wondered what did they eat? They’d be hungry. You think, well, I wonder if there’s a big old fish. You can’t get away. I’m going to take this fish. Like the other side, I’ll just cook this rascal. You say, well, that didn’t happen. Yeah, probably never happened like that.

But can’t you dream a little bit and wonder a little bit? Take your Bible and turn all the way over there to the book of Isaiah 51. Look in Isaiah chapter 51. Isaiah chapter 51, I want you to look there in verse 9, he says, awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord. This is on page 759 in Old Sculka reference Bible. He’s as in the ancient days in the generation of old, although not it, that hath cut rehab and wounded the dragon, although not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep, and hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransom to pass over.

The last part of verse 9, in talking about the crossing of the redeemed to to the Red Sea. He wounded the dragon. But what dragon? Well, look in Psalm 74, Psalm 74, and you’ll see something that’s a little unusual. Psalm 74, just to show you that God may have Done something Maybe a little bit strange to us Psalm 74 Look there in verse 12 in verse 12 For God is my king of old Working salvation in the mist of the earth Thou disdivide the sea by thy strength Thou breakest the heads of the dragons in the waters Look at verse 14, Thou breakest the heads of Leviathan in pieces and gaveth Him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

It seems like as they crossed the Red Sea, There was something that God did to provide meat for the people going across. I just wonder, take a by of a look in the 41st chapter of the book of Job, looking Job 41. Job 41, and you’ll find that God in asking questions to Job talked about the bohemeth that is on the land, which many believe may be been an elephant or something like that. But then we talked about the sea, it talks about the Leviathan.

See there in Job and chapter 40 where it says there in verse 15, behold, now behemoth, which I made with the heat, eateth grass as an ox. But he asked them a whole bunch of questions and this is a strange thing like an elephant. but then look in verse 1 of chapter 41. This whole chapter describes something like a dragon, a fire-breathing dragon. Now I know that around the world a lot of people have this dragon, especially if you go into Chinese food, you’ll see the dragon everywhere.

True? Now verse one says, can’t stop draw out Leviathan with a hook, or his tongue with a cord which thou let us down? Can’t stop put a hook into his nose or be his jaw through with a thorn? And he goes on down here and says all these things about this strange thing. And look in verse 19, out of his mouth go burning lamps and sparks of fire leap out out of his nostrils, goeth smoke and out of a seething potter or cauldron.

His breath can live colds and a flame goeth out of his mouth. You’re talking about like a fire-breathing dragon in the scripture. Now it’s in my Bible now. Is that in your Bible? And he talks about the Leviathan or the the dragon, the Leviathan that was slain in the sea that provided meat for the people when they went across. Now it’s just a possibility that maybe God says, look, I got two, the two and a half million people to feed.

And it would have been something if God can provide a table in the wilderness, that God can provide miraculously for them to have food to eat. And He says that when they were crossing it, that God provided the meat for those that were going into the wilderness. From time you just wondered about all the strange things that can happen. In your personal life, there’s going to be a lot of strange things that you’ll not be able to explain. But you know, there’s shoes that clothes never wore out for 40 years.

I would like to wear the same pair of shoes for 40 years. Be cheaper, wouldn’t it? But God is God, and God did things that nobody else can do. And I believe that when it comes of the Lord, we know and you and I are never supposed to question or to doubt that God loves us. But the question comes down is, do you love God? Do you love Him? Or do you question God? Do you get bent out of shape because of the things that you go through in life?

Remember a couple weeks ago I told you that opportunities are like on wheels and they knock and then they’re gone. But temptation leans on the doorbell, never wants to leave you. And there’s always kind of problems and so forth that we have. But I want you to take your Bible and look here in the book of John chapter 5, the Gospel of John in chapter 5. Just going to look at a few scriptures just to talk to you a little bit.

The book of John chapter five, and look there in verse 42, verse 42. He says in verse 42, but I know you, I know you. Jesus is talking, I know you that you have not the love of God in you. I know that you have not the love of God in you. Now take your Bible looking first John chapter 4, first John and chapter 4. First John chapter 4. And look there in verse 8. This is what God says in his word.

Verse 8. He that loveth not, knoweth not God. That word knoweth there is a reference to the second chapter also. And as you follow it through you’ll find out it means that he that loveth not, loveth not God. For God is love. In other words, do you believe that God knows whether you love him? Now, we often say, well, if God, if you really love me, you would do this and this and this and this and this. And in our mind, we have things built up.

And if God doesn’t do it the way we think He should, we sometimes think, well, maybe God doesn’t love me like I thought He did. I guess God doesn’t really love me. If He loved me, He wouldn’t let this happen or this happen or that happened. But let’s put it around the other way. What is God looking for in your life that would prove to Him what’s He looking for? that would prove to him that you love him. How would you show God you loved him?

What would be the criteria? What would be the standard of what you would or wouldn’t do that would prove to God that you love him? Now, I believe God’s word has a few things to say about this. And so I want you to look there in the book of Psalms in chapter 10, Psalms and chapter There’s a lot of things mentioned in the book of Psalms. Just a verse here and a verse there, I like to pick out certain verses.

Sometimes I like to teach the whole Psalm. But if you look there in chapter 10 of the book of Psalms, I want you to look there in verse 4. In verse 4. I believe that your love for the Lord is revealed by what you think about. Have you ever been in a car and they have a little compass in the car? And whenever you turn and go the wrong way, it will say you’re going east or west or south or north or northeast, northwest, whatever.

And it tells you the direction you’re going. You see, whenever a Christian has made up his mind, I want to serve the Lord. There’s occasions where you may turn and get off course a little bit, but it’ll always swing back to true north. You’ll go back to the Lord. Because sometimes you may not be aware that you’re not walking straight as you ought to, but a man’s heart that loves the Lord, He’s going to always come back. You get off a little bit, you don’t think like you should, but you’re going to get your thoughts back to the Lord and think the way God wants you to think.

Now, we know that His thoughts are not ours and ours are not His, but the reason we steady the Word of God is so that we have something by which we can find true North, something that helps us to have this compass where it will work and always swing his breath. Love is what always brings you back to the Lord. Because if you love something more than the Lord, then that’s the direction you’re going to head in. You’re going to lean toward the things that you love, and if it’s the things of the work, you’re going to go that way.

But you’ll always think about the things of God and eternity. The judgment says to Christ, of pleasing God. And so those are things that will happen in your life because of the thought, but look there in verse four, the wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God. God is not in all his thoughts, but the person who loves the Lord is going to be in all of his thoughts. And even whenever you, like I said, sometimes you think about things that are not have nothing to do with God, your love will bring you back to it.

And I believe that it’s very important that you learn how to control your thought. Now look there in the 139th Psalm, 139th Psalm. Now a lot of times I use this whole Psalm in talking about, you know, God made us and his thoughts are about us continually. And when he says it in verse one, oh Lord, thou have searched me and known my heart or my thoughts. You know where I’m coming from. Down in verse 17 says, how precious also are by thoughts on the mean.

Oh God, how great is the sum of them? But wait a minute, wait a minute. We know God thinks about us, but do you think about God? And everything that you say and do and think, do you think how does this affect God? How does this affect God? Is this going to be pleasing to the Lord? You got to have something that kind of helps you to have some direction in life that always brings you back to true North, to where you can say, this is direction that I’m going and you can stay on course.

And it’s to help you. So in this verse, I looked there in verse 23 where David said, search me, oh God, and know my heart. Try me or test me. Know my thoughts. Know my thoughts. Because God knows the thoughts of a man. As Jesus was here in even John chapter 2, he says, he knew what was in man. In other words, he knows what people think. I’m so glad that you don’t know what I think, but I’m glad that God knows what I think and he can read your mind and so if God knows your thoughts does he know that you love him does he know you love him if all he did was read your thoughts now of course we can expand on that and what about the attitude that you have toward the Word of God the Word of God itself look there in the 119th

Psalm, just 119 Psalm, you’re right there, not far away. But in 119 Psalm, look there in verse 97, verse 97. And look at what God’s word says, see, if you do not love the word, then there’s good reason to doubt that you love the Lord. Because the word reveals the Lord and leads you the way God wants you to go. And so Christ had made the statement, if you love me, serve me. If you love me, serve me. Well, you don’t know what to do in service.

It’s not left up you to decide. You steady the word of God so that you can know. So you know that God not only wants to read your mind and knows your thoughts, but it’s do you love his word. What is it that God uses to decide whether or not do you love me. He says that any man loved me, it shall be known of him. If any man loved me, it shall be known. So look what he says in verse 9, 7, Oh, how love I thy law.

It is my meditation every once in a while. It is my meditation all the day. Now, you need to read and mark in your Bible a Joshua chapter one, where it talks about meditate in the Word of God so that you may know what to say and what to do in order that your way may be prosperous. And he talks about being strong and very courageous. Well, that’s what the Word of God will do for you. Meditate in the Word of God.

Put God’s Word into your mind. So if you do not study the Bible and you don’t meditate on God’s Word and His will and His purpose. Does God know that? Does God know whether or not you really love Him? Did you know He says, if any man loved me, He said, then, him, well, I reveal my will. God will reveal Himself to you, to those who love Him. If you do not love Him, you may know Christ’s Savior. You can quote verses in the Bible.

You can go through the actions, the motives. I mean, the things just like everybody else. But there’s something that will be between you and him. God knows whether or not you really love him. And there’s things he’s looking for in your life. There’s things that we look for from God. And sometimes we get upset with God because God doesn’t always do what we think He ought to do when we think He ought to do it. Do you think there’s any of those people that got thirsty on the first day, second day, third day.

But now we’re going to die. He brought us out here in this wilderness to die. This is why he did it so he could kill us all. We would have been better off back there in Egypt with nothing but onions, leeks and garlic. But wait a minute. Are those the same people that cried out to God and God told Moses, says Moses, my people cry out to me to be delivered. Did they forget about that? You see, people change all the time.

People are normally whiners. They’re murmurs and complainers. And you’d be surprised that things in our life that God uses to toughen us up a little bit. Remember the Sunday school lesson this morning when we talked about. Tribulation work with what? Patience and patience experience. Patience, the tribulation. That’s where you get your experiences from. That’s where you learn to mature. Because you’ll find out after a while God has got to get you into a state of despair. When you don’t have the power to do anything about it and can’t change anything, then God got you right where He wants you.

And that’s not the place we want you to be. want to be. We’ve always like to be able to have everything in control. I want to control things. And I don’t like it when I don’t have control. Did you know God will do whatever necessary to strip away our pride, though we won’t call it that? We would never admit to that. In the book of Peter, when he talks about humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time.

Ours is just to submit. His is to exalt us, to raise you up, do whatever He wants to do with you. Then sometimes God has to strip you and He’ll purge you like silver, getting all the draw off to try to make it pure. And little do you know and think that you still have some things in your life that God God has got to purify you from. There might be errors in your life that’s totally not yielded to the Lord, but you don’t know that.

There may be errors in your life that are not right with God, but you may not see that yet. So there’s things maybe you haven’t surrendered to the Lord, and God knows. So God says, I’m not through yet. Can’t use you yet the way I want to. Remember when Moses fled from the king, or Pharaoh, went on the backside of a desert for 40 years? Do you know in the book of Acts, it makes the statement that Moses thought in himself.

He supposed that God was going to use him to deliver Israel by his hand from Egypt. He knew that before he ever made his decision, not only to kill that Egyptian, but whenever they said, who made you the leader? Who put you in charge? Who made you the ruler of the judge? It’s what he wanted to do, it’s what he expected to do, and God had to take Moses who was learned and all the wisdom of the Egyptians. And he thought he was doing the right thing, but he had to go on the backside of a desert.

Because see, he had spent the first forty years of his life learning the ways of the world. And God had to put him on the backside of the desert for forty years to unlearn him and drain him of all of his pride. taught him how to be a shepherd, how to be a servant. And then God used them the last 40 years of his life in a great way. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tappa, Florida with Dr.

Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part 2 of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bibleline programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the radio broadcast link.

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. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, 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, and just keep looking up.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 concluding message of this teaching will be a blessing to you and your family.

God is a good God to us, and God is going to bless us and reward us reward us when we get to heaven but we’re not there yet. So sometimes I like what not only the Word of God says but what it doesn’t say and it makes a statement here in verse 13, these all died in faith not having received the promises but haven’t seen them afar off. We’re persuaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

See, that’s all we are right now is strangers and pilgrims. Strangers means we’re away from God, pilgrims means we’re going home. We’re away from God, but we’re going home. Doesn’t mean that you’re supposed to be a be strange or a pill, but you are a stranger and a pilgrim. So the Lord has promised all these wonderful things and He made promises to them and they didn’t get to fulfill them in their lifetime. They never saw the acquisition of all this land that God had promised.

Did you know that God promised them the land from the river of Egypt all the way to the river Euphrates? Over there where Babylon is in Iraq, do you know all that land is going to belong to Israel? I don’t know if people understand how big of a piece of property that we’re talking about, that God promised Israel. and Israel will be the greatest nation in all the world someday. Now look down there in verse 23. By faith Moses when he was born was he had three months of his parents because they saw he was a proper child and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.

By faith Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. That’s when he was about 40 years of age. You see, he knew and understood who he was, and he believed before he ever went on the back side of that desert. He knew that God was going to deliver Israel by his hand. He just didn’t know how God was going to do it or when God was going to do it. But it believed that God was going to do it, and so he committed himself and he’s going to do it and follow me.

And they said, who are you? Who are you? And so he fled and went to the backside of a desert. But you see, before he ever did that, he had already made up his mind and he chose, he chose the affliction with God’s people over the treasures of Egypt. See what he makes the statement here in verse 26, it’s steaming the reproach of Christ, greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.

Did you know that what’s not here is those forty years on the backside of the desert? He didn’t put that in there. Just kind of like skipped right over all of that. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of Genesis in chapter 15. The book of Genesis and chapter 15. And you’ll notice there in verse 2, Abram said, Lord God, what will thou give me? See, and I go childless. And the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus.

God, you said you’re going to make a great nation from me, and I’m an old man. Where’s this kid? And an offspring has to come from me. like you promised. So how are you going to do this? Abraham said, Behold, to me thou hath given no seed. One born in my house is my heir. And behold the word of the Lord came unto him, sayin, This shall not be thine heir, talking about ishmael. He said, But he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.

And he brought him forth abroad and says, look now toward heaven, tell the stars or count the stars if they’ll be able to number them. And he says unto him, so shall thy seed be. Who doggy? When that blow your mind. Have you ever tried to count the stars? And verse six you ought to underline this verse in your Bible. And he believed God. He believed in the Lord. And he counted it to him for righteousness. Now even in the New Testament, in the book of Galatians in chapter 3 and verse 8, it says Abraham believed God and it was counted in the hymn for righteousness.

What hath Abraham found that a man could be justified by faith without the deeds of the law? Because Abraham was justified by faith for 130 years before the law was ever given Moses on Mount Sinai. But there’s something that God told them here. You are going to have a son and you are going to have as many as the stars of heaven. So he says there in verse 13, and he said unto Abram, know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them for hundred years.”

So did God tell Abraham in advance that they were going to go to a strange land, and they’re going to be there for 400 years? Just think America’s a little over 200 years old. Give us 200 more years. How many people would there be in this nation? Israel went down into Egypt about 70 of them, came out with a couple million. Nobody knows exact number. Some believe two, two and a half million. I don’t know how to count them on.

But there’s a bunch. And God says there’ll be 400 years. And the reason they’re going to be there for 400 years is because God is building a nation and He put them in the best place in the world at that time to take care of them and gave them the choice land of all of Egypt, the land of Goshen. And God used them and blessed them, and they were fruitful, and they multiplied. And then there came a Pharaoh who knew not Joseph, and now began to put the thumb on him and became afraid that if an enemy was to attack Egypt would find that Israel might side with the enemy and destroy Egypt.

Therefore they was going to kill all the male children. Now did God already say about how long it was going to be? Yes. Isn’t it amazing that those years in advance God had already knew exactly what was going to take place in the time and has got to be just right. Gotta be just right. Look also what he says there in verse 15. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace. Thou shalt be buried in a good old age.”

Well he should, he was 175 years old. You realize that after he had that child, Isaac, at 100 years old, he lived another 75 years, God, I’m another wife and a whole bunch of more kids. I ain’t making that up. It’s in the boat. And then He says there in verse 16, but in the fourth generation they shall come hither again for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. Now this is a list of the people that will be in the land when the time is right.

Because God is giving those people time that’s in the land of Canaan. And the land of Canaan, Canaan was the son of Ham, and he was the one who had the curse. It was not upon the black folks, it was upon Canaan. Canaan went into the land of Canaan, and they’re the one that was under the curse, and God’s going to take it away from them, and he gave it to his own people. And see what he says in verse 18, in the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram saying, unto thy seed have I given this land from the river of Egypt unto the great river the river you frades.

See I didn’t make that up. He was in the book all along. So this is what God says, now take your Bible and look there in the book of Exodus and chapter two. The book of Exodus chapter 2. And look in verse 21, verse 21. You see, Moses had left Egypt and he went on the backside of a desert. And in verse 21 it says, and Moses was, and you ought to underline this word, content. Do you believe that God was going to get Moses out of his comfort zone?

mind in his own business, he had been greatly burned because he supposed and it didn’t happen that way. He thought they would understand, they didn’t. Follow me, boys, and they wouldn’t follow. He says, so much for this leadership business. If those people are coming out of Egypt? God’s going to have to use somebody else. He had the death of a vision. God, you’ll have to get somebody else. He went on the back side of the desert and was content.

See there in verse 21, to dwell with the man and he gave Moses a pore at his daughter. She buried my son, called his name Gursam Solomon. No, just Gursam. Y’all know the guy named Gursam Solomon. I met him over there in Israel and I interviewed him 20 something years ago, 20 years ago I guess. And it says here in chapter 3 that Moses kept the flock. Now he was content doing nothing more than hurting sheep, just taking care of some sheep.

Can you imagine that God has taken this little old sheep herder from the backside of a desert who was in the pits and had finally got content. This is good enough. This is all I’ll do. And he never thought of what was coming down the road of how much God could do with him. He never saw thought. Did you know that a lot of time that’s the way you and I are? We don’t see down the road and we can’t see what God’s going to do.

Can you imagine a few years ago when I lived in Georgia in the backwoods of Georgia, when my daddy was a bootlegger, went barefooted to school and were overalls. I never didn’t go to church, didn’t know one verse of the Bible, didn’t know there were books in the Bible. At that time I didn’t even know there was a Bible. And that’s the truth. Never saw my mom and dad have prayer. High in the world of God ever going to use that little old, low snotty-nose Georgia boy.

He don’t know anything, but there was a hunger. And then how the Lord worked it out to where I came across this man. And I believe the Lord opened doors and his perfect timing of men sit down with men, explain the gospel to me and I trust He Christ as my Savior. And I had never finished high school. As I look back over all those years, it blows my mind. Did you realize that you may be sitting here right now and you think, well, it’s all over.

I’m already, maybe I’m an old man or maybe you don’t have this, you don’t have that. You haven’t let the Lord work on you yet. It over yet. When I think about some of these things, I thought almost 40 years ago, 1968 I went to Colorado 43 years ago. And it seemed like some things worked beautifully, and it some things it seemed like it’s just a God. And some time you think I would be just as content to be on the backside of some mountain just going elk hunting and deer hunting and my own business and just doing my thing.

Just whatever I wanted to do. Because whenever you serve the Lord you got to serve people and people are problems. You got 10 people, you got 10 problems, minimum. Most people have 100 problems each. If you got 100 people, you got at least 100 problems. I think being on the backside of that desert doesn’t sound too bad. Just hurting some sheep. In Colorado, I worked at a turkey farm. Bunch of turkeys. You ought to work with turkeys. They’re worse in sheep.

God of be. But as he goes through here in the mentions a few things and look in verse seven and the Lord says, I have surely I’ve seen the affliction. He says, and I’ve heard their cry and I know their sorrow. Now if he knew this about those people at that time down in Egypt. Do you believe that God in heaven that could see that sees you and the Lord sees your afflictions? The Lord can hear your cry. The Lord knows your sorrow.

Can you believe that? Do you believe that because of what God wanted to do, God was looking for the right person to do the right thing? Do you think God in heaven knew where Moses was hiding? Do you think God knew that Moses was content? He had a wife and kid now back inside of a desert. He just heard and she did you think God knew where he was? Did you think God knew that he was going to walk by this one burning bush?

Who do you think made that bush burn? Just a coincidence. I don’t think so. In verse 10 he says, come now therefore, and I will send the under Pharaoh that thou mayest bring forth my people, the children of Israel out of Egypt. And Moses said unto God, who am I? Who made you a ruler and a judge? See Moses has been humbled. There’s no pride. He had been stripped. You see, before he had been trained in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.

He was somebody. And God says whenever you think you’re somebody, God says he’ll have to humble you. But if you humble yourself, then God will exalt you. So Moses was about as low as you can get. He could walk under the belly of a snake on stilts. That’s pretty low. And verse 11, Moses said to God, who am I? Who am I? Who am I? Down in verse 13, Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, the God of your fathers have sent me unto you, and they shall say to me, What is his name?

See, the question changed from who am I? But who are you? Who am I? Who are you? What’s your name? Because he wanted to be sure. Did you know that he gave to God five excuses on why he was not the man for the job? He did not believe he was the man for the job. And so he says, you just need to get somebody else. See there in verse 13, he said, Oh my Lord, send I pray thee by the hand of him whom thou will send, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses.

And he says, is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also behold, he cometh forth to meet thee. Look at the timing. 40 years has passed, and lo and behold, here comes Aaron his brother, just a coincidence. Moses says, I can’t speak right. Did you know at one time the Bible says that when he was learning all the wisdom of the gyps and he was great and mighty and word and deed. Now something’s happened over the 40 years.

Either he lacked confidence or he couldn’t speak right. Something was wrong. And he didn’t want God to use him. He says, get somebody else. So God used Aaron. Did you know in spite of all the things that Moses did for the Lord and all the rewards he’s going to get when he gets to heaven, I believe that Moses also robbed himself of a lot because he made God angry with him and didn’t do some of the things that God told him to do.

You see, your obedience is going to get you all awful lot with God, but your disobedience is going to be a good one. is also going to cost you. I have met people over the years that have told me point blank and that have talent, that have ability. I will not. I said, can I count on you? Nope. I said, why don’t you let God use your talent in the middle because I don’t want to. I don’t want to do it.

And I meant, man, I wish I had the talent and ability some of the people have that tell God no. Isn’t the shame to be able to have so much potential and then never use it for the Lord? Did you think that you could be given a talent from God and then not use it for the Lord and escape the consequences? I don’t think so. I think God will take out the razor strap and Jesus’ strap. And God may have to put you in the backside of a desert for 40 years or put you on a shelf and not use you.

40 years later, it was God’s time and He finally got Moses where Moses needed to be. Humble. So convinced in Him’s own mind, I’m nothing. I’m nothing. Now God can use Him. See God can’t use you when you have so much confidence in yourself because then you don’t trust the Lord. You try to manipulate, try to figure out a way that you can make it happen instead of just trusting the Lord and see how God’s going to work things.

We don’t always understand all these things. But I work on the principle that I believe according to the Bible, God has great things in store for all of his children. He left you here for a reason. There’s a purpose. Just like I asked this morning about this little piece of paper to fill out just to see what people might be able to do. We might be able to use them in a greater way. But you know what? There’ll probably be a bunch of people that will.

I will. Not if they know body’s business. Were I work or what I do or what I can or cannot do or my educational background or my professional ability. I’ll do whatever I want when I get ready and I’m not ready and blah, blah, blah. And I’ll never know what they could have done. Because God has to use me.

And I have to know what I can do. You see, I can’t read minds. God hasn’t given me that ability. I’m not God. I’m just a man. And I want to do God’s work, God’s way, with God’s people, with God’s given talents, and I want God’s blessings. And I think we could do that. But there are times when, just like Moses, I supposed that they would understand, and not everybody’s going to understand. It won’t matter what the dream may be or what the gold may be, there’s always somebody that carries around with them a bucket of cold water.

You know what that’s for? So they can throw it on your dreams. So they can wipe it out. There’s always people that are a little bit on the negative side. But praise the Lord, there’s always somebody that says, preacher, you can use me. I’ll do whatever it takes. You can count on me. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I think that’s wonderful. What we could have done for the Lord, if all of God’s people work together to get something accomplished.

I have seen the death of visions and dreams, but I’ve also lived long enough to see a lot of things fulfilled. I used to tell the kids in college, your dreams are more likely to be fulfilled if you don’t over sleep. Too many people just over sleep never get out of bed spiritually. Just never wake up. But anyway, you know the Lord, you know you’re going to heaven when you die and… It doesn’t hurt to find just a little bit of things about manlike Moses.

And you may find yourself on the backside of a desert and you might even get content. And lo and behold, here you are doing fine and a long comes pastor Arnold and he wants to wake you up out of your comfort zone. And may call upon you to do something that you’ve never done before in your little life. Are you ready? Are you ready? Are you going to hide? Are you going to run? Don’t leave me now. You’ve got me here.

We’re in this together. Look up here. Letting this hand represent you and me. This wallet represents sin. You and I have sinned. We have come short of God’s perfection. We’ve all done things wrong, but God says that He loves us and He hates our sin. But the wages of sin is death, eternal separation from God. But God says to go to heaven, we have to be perfect as righteous as God and none of us are perfect, none of us are righteous.

We’ve all sinned and come short of God’s righteousness. So God says you can’t save yourself, you cannot earn your way to heaven. This hand represents Jesus Christ, he is the Lord God in the flesh. He came into the world because he loves us but he hates what we do wrong and he says our sins separates us from him. So Jesus Christ who had no sin didn’t have to die took our sins and died in our place. And God says that if we’ll believe that he paid for our sins and was buried and came back again from the dead if we would believe he did it for us, he would give us as a free gift everlasting life.

And he says, these things have written into you that believe that you may know that you have eternal life. Can you know you have eternal life? I know that I have eternal life and that I’m going to heaven when I die. Best is in the world. Let’s pray, show him. Every head bowed and every eye closed, no one looking around. If you have never trusted the Lord or if you’re watching by internet tonight, right where you are, just simply say something simple like this, Lord, I know I’m a sinner.

I believe Christ died, paid for my sins, and I’m gonna trust Him to take me to heaven whenever I die. And when God said, if you would trust Him, He would save you and give you eternal life. Just like this morning I gave the invitation, just like I’m doing now. And I asked for a raise of hands. Somebody in the back did raise their hand. I found out later, but I didn’t know it. I don’t always see it, but I got some good news for you.

The Lord does. The Lord sees every individual in this room. He sees every person that’s watching by internet. And he knows, if you believe, that his son paid for your sins. He knows, if you believe, that he came back from the dead. And he knows that you’re trusting him as your only hope of going to heaven. And God says, because of what he knows, he’s going to give to you as a freak. You have never lost him life. Will you trust him?

Father, we thank you so much for all you’ve done for us for this time together. Bless each one. In Christ and we pray, Amen. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you are blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bible Line and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing tool free, 800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bible line programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Radio Broadcast link. 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. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, 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. Believe in that the Lord is coming soon and just keep looking up.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. 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.

Take your Bible and turn to the book of Acts, the book of Acts, chapter 7. I want to bring to your attention a few things that I’ve said before, then perhaps a few things you haven’t heard before. And look there in verse 20, Acts chapter 7 and verse 20. We’re talking about a man named Moses. Everybody’s heard of Moses. Just about everybody in the whole world’s heard of Moses. And would you believe that one time Moses was just content?

Content to live on the backside of a desert spent 40 years of his life there. And he was content to be left alone. He didn’t want to do anything. He didn’t want to go anywhere. what you call he had been burned out. You see, he made a commitment and didn’t follow through with it. He thought things were going to be different and it didn’t work that way. So you’ll find out that as you serve the Lord, not everything is going to work out the way you planned.

But there’s a God in heaven whose time in his perfect. But notice what he says in verse 20, In which time Moses was born and was exceeding fair and nourished up in his Father’s house three months. When he was cast out Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, nourished him for her own son. Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and indeeds. And when he was full of forty years old it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.

And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him and avenged him that was oppressed and smote the Egyptian. And you ought to underline these three words in your Bible. You see before he ever went to the backside of the desert, he already knew and believed God was going to deliver the children of Israel by Him. He knew it before He ever left. And He says, He did what He did because He supposed His brethren and you ought to underline these three words.

He supposed they would have understood. But you know, they didn’t understand because Moses did something that he shouldn’t have done. Now whether or not he got angry or not, maybe hard to tell, but when you study the Old Testament, you’ll find that Moses got angry an awful lot of times. Moses lost his cool. Moses got angry and bitter and paid a price for it. And that’s one of the reasons he never got to go into the Promised Land. God let him see the Promised land from the top of Mount Nebo but wouldn’t let him enter it.

All because he got angry and he did something that God never told him to do. He took matters into his own hands. He thought he had the right to strike the rock twice when he was only supposed to speak. So his anger cost him. His anger cost him here too, I believe. But it says here in verse 25, Or he supposes, brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them, and it said, but they understood not.

The next day he showed himself unto them as they strove and would have set them at one again. So, in Sirs, ye are brethren. Why do you wrong one another? But he that did his neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? That must have hit to the quick, because he knew somebody knows what he had done. Now he knew that somebody knew that he had murdered an Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

You see it, one time he didn’t think anybody knew. Nobody knows, but somebody did. Somebody saw. And so the Bible says that he was going to leave. Because he said in verse 28, well, thou kill me as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday. fled Moses at this say, and was a stranger in the land of Median, where he begot two sons. When forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, an angel of the Lord, and a flame of fire in a bush.

Now when you read this in the Old Testament, the book of Exodus, you’ll find that this scripture almost quotes that scripture perfectly He tells the story. It shows that what God wrote back there was inspired and quotes it again here, and this is inspired of God. Because the Holy Spirit knows the Word and can draw out of those Old Testament scriptures knowledge that is needed for this day. Now Stephen’s is preaching the sermon, and as far as we know it must have been his first sermon and his last sermon.

Boy, he must have preached up a storm. One sermon and everybody loved him. No, nobody loved him. It says they stoned him to death. How would you like to preach one sermon and get stoned to death for it? Well, it says in verse 31, when Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him. So, and I am the God of the Father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

Now, it says in the Gospels that Jesus had made the statement to them that God is not the God of the dead. He’s the God of a living. And if he says he is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, then Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob must be alive. That’s what he said. this is tremble and there’s not behold. Then said the Lord to him, put off thy shoes from thy feet for the place where thou standeth is holy ground and get these three statements in this verse because I’m going to show you these three statements later.

I have seen, I have heard and I will deliver.” See that verse four, verse 34, I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt. I have heard their groanings and have come down to deliver them. And now come I will send thee into Egypt. Then Moses whom they refued said, who made thee a ruler and a judge, the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.

Now, you know, there’s some things that are not mentioned here. There is a few things that, as the story goes back and draws all of this knowledge and puts it up here for us to see, there’s a few things missing. I want you to take your Bible and look there in the book of Hebrews and chapter 11, Hebrews and chapter 11. You’ll notice that there’s a few things that’s missing in the book of Hebrews, chapter 11. Now you and I know that God used Noah, but after Noah had, and the ark had landed, he made a sacrifice off, but you remember he got drunk and things didn’t go too well with one of his sons, but it’s not recorded here.

Remember Jacob, who was a sireplanter. In the words, he was a… A liar, a deceiver, he wasn’t the most upright individual. Jacob. You know, there’s nothing said against Jacob here in chapter 11. Well, even when you talk about Moses here, and yet Moses, well, he lived 120 years. Not one bad thing about Moses is said here. This is the Hall of Faith chapter. It’s what he did by faith. And God is putting in here the things that they did for him.

This is what God sees. You see, the day will come when the Bible says, the former things will be remembered no more. God is going to reward you and I for what we did do. And those things that we’ve done will last for eternity. the rewards that God’s going to give you will be eternal. So there are some things that God must have forgot about. I wonder if God forgets. You remember all those bad things you did? The Bible says that God won’t remember them anymore.

Well, that’s good news. God can forget something. I got a whole bunch of things I want him to forget. I’m so glad I’m going to heaven. But if I got to heaven and God reminded me of all those bad things that I’ve done, I’m not sure I want to go. I want to stay here as long as I can and drag my feet and try not to get there too soon. But God says He’s forgiven all sins. Been removed, blotted out.

That’s good news. Now here in Hebrews, I want you to see what it says. In verse 8, verse 8 it says, By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, he obeyed. And he went out not knowing whether he went. He didn’t know where he was going to go, because God was just going to lead him as he goes. Serving the Lord is not always seeing the way clear.

It’s just seeing the Lord, trusting the Lord, and one step at a time. And you don’t know how it’s going to work out. You don’t know where he’s going to lead you. You don’t know how he’s going to use you. You don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow or 10 years from now. And reality, it doesn’t matter. You really shouldn’t care. As long as you’re doing what God wants you to do, nothing else matters. God can open doors, God can close doors.

And it says that He made promises to Abraham. And look in verse 9, by faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked for a city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God. Through faith also, Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful who had promised.

She judged him faithful who had promised. Remember, there’s other scriptures whenever he told her she laughed. And the angel says, you laughed. I didn’t laugh. Yes, you did. She did laugh. But that’s not found here. Isn’t it true also that Abraham didn’t always sojourn in the land where he was supposed to that he wound up going down in Egypt and he got in trouble and that woman that he was married to when she was 75, she was a looker.

She was a beautiful woman at 75. Pharaoh wanted her at 75? She’s my sister. Well, that’s not found here. There’s a blessing of knowing that there’s some things that God’s not going to remember and they’re not going to be recorded and that God is a good God to us and God’s going to bless us and reward us when we get to heaven, we’re not there yet. So sometimes I like what not only the word of God says, but what it doesn’t say.

And it makes a statement here in verse 13, these all died in faith, not having received the promises, but haven’t seen them afar off. We’re persuaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. See, that’s all we are right now is strangers and pilgrims. Strangers means we’re away from God, pilgrims means we’re going home. We’re away from God, but we’re going home. Doesn’t mean you’re supposed to be a stranger a pill, but you are a stranger and a pilgrim.

So the Lord has promised all these wonderful things, and He made promises to them, and they didn’t get to fulfill them in their lifetime. They never saw the acquisition of all this land that God had promised. Did you know that God promised them the land from the river of Egypt all the way to the river Euphrates over there where Babylon is in Iraq Do you know all that land is going to belong to Israel? I don’t know if people understand how big of a piece of property that we’re talking about that God promised Israel and Israel will be the greatest nation in all the world someday Now look down there in verse 23 By faith Moses when he was born was he had three months of his parents because they saw he was a proper child and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.

By faith Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. That’s when he was about 40 years of age. You see he knew and understood who he was and he believed before he ever went on the back side of that desert. He knew that God was going to deliver Israel by his hand. He just didn’t know how God was going to do it or when God was going to do it. But it believed that God was going to do it.

And so he committed himself and he’s going to do it and follow me. And they said, who are you? Who are you? And so he fled and went to the back of a desert. see before he ever did that he had already made up his mind and he chose, he chose the affliction with God’s people over the treasures of Egypt. See what he makes the statement here in verse 26, it’s steaming the reproach of Christ, greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.

Did you know that what’s not here is those forty years on the backside of the desert. He didn’t put that in there. Just kind of like skipped right over all of that. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of Genesis in chapter 15. The book of Genesis and chapter 15. And you’ll notice there in verse 2, Abram said, Lord God, what will thou give me? See, and I go chilis. And the steward of my house is this eliaiser of Damascus.

God, you said you’re going to make a great nation from me, and I’m an old man. Where’s this kid? And an offspring has to come from me. what you promised. So how are you going to do this? Abraham said, Behold, to me thou hath given no seed. One born in my house is my heir. And behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, sayin, This shall not be thine heir, talking about ishmael. He said, but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine air, and he brought him forth abroad and says, Look now toward heaven, till the stars are count the stars, if thou be able to number them.

And he says unto him, So shall thy seed be. Who doggy? When that blow your mind. Have you ever tried to count the stars? And verse six, you ought to underline this verse in your Bible. And he believed God. He believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness. Now even in the New Testament, in the book of Galatians in chapter 3 and verse 8, is his Abraham believed God, and it was counted in him for righteousness.

What hath Abraham found? That a man could be justified by faith without the deeds of the law because Abraham was justified by faith. 430 years before the law was ever given to Moses on Mount Sinai. But there’s something that God told them here. You are going to have a son and you are going to have as many as the stars of heaven. So he says there in verse 13. and he said unto Abram, know of assurity that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs.

And shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years.” So did God tell Abraham in advance that they were going to go to a strange land, And they’re going to be there for 400 years. Just think America’s a little over 200 years old. Give us 200 more years how many people would there be in this nation. Israel went down into Egypt, about 70 of them. Came out with a couple million. Nobody knows the exact number. Some believe two, two and a half million.

I don’t know how to count them on, but there’s a bunch. And God says there’ll be 400 years. And the reason they’re going to be there for 400 years is because God is building a nation and He put them in the best place in the world at that time to take care of them and gave them the choice land of all of Egypt, the land of Goshen. And God used them and blessed them and they were fruitful and they multiplied.

And then there came a Pharaoh who knew not Joseph, and now began to put the thumb on him, and became afraid that if an enemy was to attack Egypt, would find that Israel might side with the enemy and destroy Egypt. Therefore they was going to kill all the male children. Now did God already say about how long it was going to be? Yes. Isn’t it amazing that those years in advance God had already knew exactly what was going to take place in the time and has got to be just right?

Got to be just right. Look also what he says there in verse 15, and thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace. Thou shalt be buried in a good old age.” Well he should, he was 175 years old. Do you realize that after he had that child, Isaac, at 100 years old, he lived another 75 years, got him another wife and a whole bunch of more kids? I ain’t making that up. It’s in the book. And then he says there in verse 16, But in the fourth generation, they shall come hither again, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

Now, this is a list of the people that will be in the land when the time is right, because God is giving those people time that’s in the land of Canaan. And the land of Canaan, Canaan was the son of Ham, and he was the one who had the curse. It was not upon the black folks, it was upon Canaan. Canaan went into the land of Canaan, and they’re the one that was under the curse, and God’s gonna take it away from them, and he gave it to his own people.

And see what he says in verse 18, in the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram saying, unto thy seed have I given this land from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates. See, I didn’t make that up. He was in the book all along. So this is what God says. Now take your Bible and look there in the book of Exodus and chapter two. The book of Exodus and chapter two. And look in verse 21, verse 21.

You see, Moses had left Egypt and he went on the backside of a desert. And in verse 21 it says, and Moses was, and you ought to underline this word, content. Do you believe that God was going to get Moses out of his comfort zone? He’s minding his own business. He had been greatly burned because he’s supposed and it didn’t happen that way. He thought they would understand, they didn’t. Follow me, always. And they wouldn’t follow. He says so much for this leadership business.

If those people are coming out of Egypt, God’s going to have to use somebody else. He had the death of a vision. God, you’ll have to get somebody else. He went on the backside of the desert and was content. See there in verse 21, to dwell with the man and he gave Moses a pore at his daughter. She buried my son. Called his name Gursim Solomon. No, just Gursim. Y’all know the guy named Gursim Solomon? I met him over there in Israel interviewed him 20 something years ago, 20 years ago I guess.

And it says here in chapter 3 that Moses kept the flock. Now he was content doing nothing more than hurting sheep, just taking care of some sheep. Can you imagine that God has taken this little low sheep herder from the back side of a desert who was in the pits and had finally got content. This is good enough. This is all I’ll do. And he never thought of what was coming down the road of how much God could do with him.

He never saw it. Did you know that a lot of time, That’s the way you and I are. We don’t see down the road, and we can’t see what God’s going to do. Can you imagine a few years ago when I lived in Georgia in the backwoods of Georgia, when my daddy was a bootlegger, when I went barefooted to school and were overalls, I never didn’t go to church, Didn’t know one verse of the Bible. Didn’t know there were books in the Bible.

At that time I didn’t even know there was a Bible. And that’s the truth. Never saw my mom and dad have prayer. How in the world is God ever going to use that little old snotty-nose Georgia boy? He don’t know anything. anything, but there was a hunger. And then how the Lord worked it out to where I came across this man. And I believe the Lord opened doors and his perfect timing. A man sat down with me and explained the gospel to me.

And I trusted Christ as my Savior. And I had never finished high school. As I looked back over all those years, it blows my mind. Did you realize that you may be sitting here right now and you think, well, it’s all over. I’m already, maybe I’m an old man or maybe you don’t have this, you don’t have that. You haven’t let the Lord work on you yet. It ain’t over yet. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tapp of Florida with Dr.

Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part two of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach by the line and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bible line programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Radio Broadcast link.

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. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, 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, and just keep looking up.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. 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 message will be a blessing to you and your family.

God knows me. God knows me. Now you may not know a lot of people and a lot of people may not know you, but God does know you. And the scripture is Psalms 139 and verse 1, O Lord thou hast searched me and known me. You know my heart, you know me. Now this is speaking mainly in creation. This is as God is your creator. God created you, God knows you. Now the other verses down there in verse 14, 15, just talking about in your mother’s womb how that God had formed you.

God made you. God’s the one that decided whether or not you’re going to be male or female, but you were going to look like the cover of your hair and the eyes, the shape of your body. He fashioned that body. He said, laws in the motion. But this is a God of creation. God created us. God knows you. You didn’t just happen. You’re not an accident. You’re specially designed by God. Now I want you to look there in 2 Timothy chapter 2.

You know that once you trust Christ as your Savior, you and I are born again, born into God’s family. And once you become a child of God, it’s great to be able to say, God is my Father. The Bible tells us in Galatians in chapter 4 that we are His children and we can call Him Abba, Father. That’s a great thing to know. You see, moms fail us here and dads fail us, brothers and sisters will let us down.

That doesn’t matter too much. You have a new Father. You’re in a new family. And one of the greatest things to always remember in verse 19, where he says, nevertheless, the foundation of God stands at sure. The foundation of God is what we’re standing upon. We’re resting upon this foundation that is so sure. So rock solid is the knowledge of God, that God knows something and God can’t forget something. And God says and gives his word upon something and it makes this statement, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them and that are his.

This is your new birth. The first one is you are known by God because God is your Creator. Now God knows you as His child. It’s great to say I know the Lord, but it’s greater that God knows us because you and I have a tendency to forget God, but God says He can never forget us. He fathered you. He fathered me. He is our Father, our spiritual dad. Number two is God loves me. It’s just one thing for God to know you.

It’s another thing for God to love you because God can know something and not love something. We know people, but we don’t have to necessarily love people. may know you and not necessarily love you. God not only knows me, God loves me. Now of course you could turn to John 3 16 in quite a few verses on where God loves us. But I want you to look in Jeremiah 31 and notice what he says there in verse 3. Now yes he’s talked mainly to the nation of Israel, but Israel is made up of people and many times when it refers to Jacob he’s referring to the whole nation, just like what’s going on over in Israel.

God loves his people. But the main reason that the Arab nations hate Israel is because Israel is God’s chosen people. That’s it. They’re God’s chosen people. And because they rejected their Messiah, God said they’re going to be hated and persecuted all over the world. And they are. But now notice what he says here in verse 3. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me saying. Yay, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Now if God loves you with an everlasting love, how long will his love last?

This is a very difficult question. You’re to know that God loves you. But see, God doesn’t love you just when you’re obedient. He loves you even when you’re disobedient. I’ve talked to Christians that because they go astray at times, they think after God doesn’t love them anymore. God never stops loving His children. God loves you. Always believe, even in the harshest of times, when everything seems to be down, no value to life, when everything’s going against you, where you’re totally filled with despair.

God still loves you. But it’s so easy to get to where you think, nobody knows, nobody cares, nobody loves me, whether I live or I die, well, I’ve been there so many times. But you always have to keep in your mind. God knows me. God loves me. Now, this is a very simple message, but it’s deep at the same time. Because there’s things that we as Christians seem to forget. Now, I want you to look at the last part of this verse, because the last part of this verse, how does God draw you?

Christ says, if I be lifted up, I will what? Draw all men to myself. What does he draw with? Is it a rope? Is it with fear? It’s with love. God says, I am going to draw you with my love. Therefore with loving kindness, have I drawn thee? Now you and I, we should, yes, we should love the Lord because we have been loved. God loves us. How do you know God loves you? How do you know God loves you?

Well, he doesn’t love me because I ask for a pink Cadillac and I didn’t get it. I know God doesn’t love me because I asked for a million dollars and I didn’t get it. I played the lottery and I told him I’d give him 10% if I wanted and he didn’t help me win. I proved God doesn’t love me. Well, you know how God said that he would prove to you that he loved you? By him dying on the cross, sending his son to die for you on the cross.

That’s how God said that he proved that he loved you because he did for you something you could not do for yourself. He did the greatest thing he could ever do. He gave his life. And this is what is mentioned in the book of 1 John, how that God is the propitiation for our sins, that he loved us, and he loves us with an everlasting love. And this is how he draws. Now let me mention this to you. You and I are supposed to, whether it’s with our wife or with the husband or with the kids, we’re supposed to draw them to us by our love for them.

And you know the devil will take the love that you try to give and show to somebody and the devil gets into a person’s mind and can take every good deed that you do for somebody as an expression of your love and can turn it into hate. The very deed that’s to prove that you love the devil can call them the thing that just he just hate me. And people can say I hate you I hate you I hate you.

But that’s because see something else is going on. There’s a battle going on. But should you stop loving because somebody twists your love, puts a spin upon your goodness, and it can always happen. But you and I are supposed to love genuinely, as the Bible says sincerely. Love one another. And we are to draw them to us because we love. And I believe that if us as a church would show people we really love them, we can draw them by our love.

But if we act like we’re superior, we’re better, you’re no good, that’s not gonna draw because it’s with loving kindness. A lot of people have a rough time. Be kind to people and draw them with love. You’ll get so much better and more out of it. And even though your love may be rejected and your kindness is rejected, somebody else might receive it. So don’t stop being loving and not being kind just because somebody doesn’t respond, not away. Now, number three, the thing I want you to write down is God accepts me, God accepts me.

Ephesians chapter one, we often sing that song just as I am without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, just as I am. Not just as I ought to be but let me tell you this The very day the moment you trust Christ as your Savior because God accepts you as his child Because of what his son did for you in satisfying God’s wrath against the sin that you committed against him So God accepts you and it says in verse 6 to the praise Of the glory of his grace wherein he had made us accepted in the beloved.

Now in this life you’re going to be rejected. There’s people that will reject you. At work you’ll be rejected. Sometimes family people will reject you. But you’re always going to go through this. It doesn’t matter. You know in your heart. Though all forsake me and all reject me, It doesn’t matter because God accepts me, because I’m in his son. I trusted Christ as my Savior, and you are accepted in Christ. That’s a wonderful thing to remember, because it’s so easy to forget.

And whenever we get down and discourage, the Bible says, consider him talking about Christ in Hebrews in chapter 12, how that he endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, given the death of the cross, but he didn’t quit. And God says, do not become faint and weary in your mind. They call it so easy to do so. This is amazing what I’ve seen sometimes kids do, trying to be accepted by their peers. They want to be recognized, looked up to, they want to be part of the group, a part of the gang, just so they can belong to something.

There’s nothing better than belonging to the Lord and then accepted by God. You see, your status in this world doesn’t really matter too much. It’s just where do you stand with God? Because sooner or later, say, this world will pass away. He says, my word will never pass away. And the day will come, we’ll stand. And the Lord, that’s what counts. That’s what matters. Keep that in mind. The fourth thing I want you to write down, God will be with me.

And look in Joshua chapter one, book of Joshua in chapter one. Yes, God knows me. God loves me. God accepts me. And God will be with me. Now, you can go through life and you don’t always have everybody able to walk around holding your hand. Every one of us has to learn how to walk with God ourselves. and walk with God for you. You can’t do it by proxy. Remember in the great commission where he says, going to all the world and priests to gospel to every creature and baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son of the Holy Spirit, and lo I am with you, always.

Well look there in verse 9. Joshua chapter 1 and verse 9, have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage. Be not afraid. Neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee. You ought to underline that verse. Though in this world you can be with a thousand people and still feel alone. I used to go to one school up in Pennsylvania. There was 3,000 students in that school. It was something I didn’t tell like I had a friend.

Like I was totally alone. I wasn’t alone, but I felt like I was alone. But with the Lord saying, you’re never alone. God is always with you. That’s why He should be the dearest friend that you have. You ought to love His word, talk to Him, and let Him talk to you all the time. Be the closest friendship or relationship that you’ve ever had. Nobody should be more precious the you, then the Lord. Now you can have a friend, but a friend can’t do all the things for you that God can do.

Right down the next statement, God will not fail me. God will not fail me. God makes many promises in his word. Let me ask you a question. Who created the heavens and the earth? God, who does it belong to? God. Can God give this land to whoever he wants? Yes. And if God says, I want this piece of land here, that’s going to be for Israel. Now it doesn’t matter whether anybody else likes it or don’t like it. It doesn’t matter about the United Nations.

God has spoken. He says, this land belongs to you. I gave it to you. Now notice what he says in verse 3, every place that the soul of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you as I said unto Moses. So God is reaffirming what he said to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Moses, and now Joshua. He’s not promised. And God said, all that land belongs to you. If Israel had served the Lord and honored the Lord, Israel would be a kingdom today that’s unmatched by any nation on Earth, but they became disobedient.

And they lost it. Now look in verse 4, from the wilderness and this Lebanon. What’s that word? Lebanon. Have you heard of Lebanon in the news lately? That belongs to Israel too. But Israel forfeited Lebanon for the sake of peace. They even moved out of the Gaza Strip for the sake of peace. By them giving up this land for the sake of peace, did they get peace? No, they don’t get peace. There shall not any man be able to do it.

able to stand before the all the days of my life as I was with Moses so and you ought to underline this statement because it goes with the other one that we mentioned while ago in verse 9 I will be with thee now look what he says in the last part of his verse I will not fail thee now look up here God will not fail you. In your Christian life God never fails. Is He an answer to my prayer?

God failed. God can not fail. God does not fail. We may not do all that we can do. Shoulder the blame, take the fall, confess the sin, but never blame God. The Lord forgive it and the Lord what? Take it the way. Blessed be the name of the Lord. If God gives you praise the Lord, if God takes it away, praise the Lord. Never get mad and upset and bitter at God. God cannot do wrong. God is perfect. God is righteous.

Remember that because our serving the Lord is going to be in direct ratio to the caliber of our attitude that we have about God. And when you have a bad sick attitude, peeling toward God because of what God did or God allowed or what God didn’t do that you think you should have done, it’s going to affect your service for the Lord. It will affect God, will, not, fail. The sixth thing I want you to write down, God will answer me.

God will answer me. And that Psalms 138, it Psalms 138. And notice there in verse 3. In the day when I cried, without answered me, when I cried, if God answered you, then he knew what produced the tears. He knew what you were going through. He knew how you hurt, how you felt. He knew the anguish of your soul. God answered and get what he says in the last part of this verse and strengthen it me with the strength where in my soul.

You see it’s not always God answering and giving you the things that you think you need to get out of a jam. It’s the strength of your character, the strength of your soul. You’ve been strong enough to handle it. God does not have to do everything that I want him to do for him to be still Lord in my life. He doesn’t have to please me in all areas because God is God. He is free to do whatever he wants to do with me and should be free to do with you.

He will strengthen you. He doesn’t mean you’ll solve all of your problems but he’ll give you the strength you need to bear the problems. Some things you want to escape from, like the temptations of the world. You want to escape from those. But there’s other heartaches and so forth that God maybe wants you to go through. And therefore God won’t deliver you from them. He just wants to give you the strength to go through them. Keep it in mind.

The next thing I want you to write down is God will strengthen it, me. I just mentioned about strengthening my soul, but I want you to look in Philippians in chapter 4. Philippians chapter 4 and verse 13. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Now remember it’s not talking in this verse about Christ strengthening me. I’m going to do the things through Christ which refers to those things. Otherwise it was said through Christ, who strengtheneth me?

Doesn’t say who, says which. I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me through the things that God allows into your life, or to make you a stronger person. You may get sick, but you can get spiritually stronger. You can lose money, but become spiritually stronger. You can lose friends, but become spiritually stronger. What do you think is the most important thing in your life. It’s the strength that you have in the Lord. In the book of Ephesians in chapter 6, it talks about the strong and the power of his might.

That’s talking about spiritually. It’s not talking about the physical body. It’s talking about what God means to you. And God will use those things to make you strong. And that’s why you can do all things because they strengthen you. The resistance in weightlifting is what builds your muscles. It’s the resistance so God will send you resistance in this life, but they can make you stronger all things work together for good to those who Love the Lord to those are called according to his purpose But isn’t it easy to forget this when things happen?

The next thing is God will provide for me number a God will provide for me He says, my God shall supply all your need. It doesn’t say all of your greed, or all of your wants, but all of your need. Now God can very easily separate needs from greed and wants, desires. excluding DevOnline%” AUTHORPopezinski%% God knows what I need. And our hearts prayer desire should be Lord, meet my needs. Help me to lean upon you, to have the strength that I need to maintain the testimony that I ought to bear at all times.

My God shall supply all your need according to His riches and glory by Christ Jesus. In other words, whatever it is that I need is something that God has that He is rich in and And that’s not necessarily talking about money. It’s not talking about vehicles. Now, God can meet those needs. But the greatest need that you have is like Paul says, the things that I need is the strength to do the will of God. Will God give me the strength to have the right testimony at all times as long as you’re living in this life?

Because things are going to happen. Number nine, God will bless me. You should live under that umbrella. Believing that God got up out largeDownload this morning, if you want to believe he got out of bed, for the sole purpose of blessing me today. Why did God get up this morning? Because he’s got it in for you, bud. And he’s going to get you if it’s the last thing he does. No. You and I are supposed to believe God wants to bless me.

Do you reallyCompare? Do you really believe God wants you to be happy? There isn’t anybody that wants you to be happier, more than God. God’s the one who designed this life. God wants to bless you. He wants to bless me. And look what he says in verse 8 of Malachi chapter 3. Well a man robbed God, yet he robbed me. But you say, where in have we robbed thee? He says in tithes and offerings. What’s a tithe? A tenth.

What’s offering over that? How simple it is. In verse 9, ye are cursed with a curse For you have robbed me even this whole nation you robbed God in the words you didn’t pay what you’re supposed to pay Did you know that God when Christ was here used money as the? Thermometer of a person’s love What you do to get it? Save it to spend it invest it everything it does with money reveals an awful lot about you God says that So if a man makes a hundred dollars he owes God 10 as offering trouble above that.

If you don’t do what God says do, then according to the word here, you might be a little thief. And you want God to bless? He says, I have to curse you. I believe a lot of churches are under a curse because God’s people don’t tithe like they should. They don’t get like they should because they don’t trust God with a 90% of sleep. They don’t, God ain’t going to meet money. God won’t take care of me. God will they know God won’t.

But people are afraid. And so they hold back and they think just given to the Lord’s work is just out of their abundance whatever they want to just give them a little tip here and there just trying to keep God off their back. No God says you don’t get it. You don’t get it. You do what God says do. Then he says in verse 10, bring you all the ties into the storehouse. I’m not saying the church is the storehouse.

I’m going to say this is a principle that God laid down in the Old Testament and he never stopped that in the New Testament that says that we ought to give. I know that what God has given us. He said, improve me. The word prove me is test. Prove me now here with, say, at the Lord of Host, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

You want God’s blessings upon you? You should live every day. I want the blessings of God. Does the love of God for you and it desire to bless you? Does it do anything to that little penguin in your heart that says, I want to serve a God like that? He knows me and he loves me and he accepts me and he’ll never cast me out. He’ll never lose me. He’ll never fail me. He will answer me. And God will do all these wonderful things for you.

Why not serve a God like that? The last thing I want you to look at is Matthew chapter 11 and verse 28, number 10, God will give me rest. We all need a little rest. I’m not talking about rest of body. I’m talking about rest of soul because the strength that we need is for the soul. For you, that’s you. And you need to have the peace of God. He says in verse 28, Now we often use these verses talking about a lost man and the heavyweight and the guilt of sin.

But it says in verse 28, come on to me. All ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you what? Rest, I’ll give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find what? Rest unto your soul, your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Do you believe that? What should you and I do when the rest of the world is falling apart?

We should have rest in our soul because we’re God’s people. God won’t fail us. He’ll never leave us. He’ll never forsake us. Doesn’t matter what happens in the Middle East or what happens in America. I’m God’s child. He knows me. He’ll take care of me. He’ll provide for me. He’ll never let me down. God’s a wonderful God. You and I are to have peace in our soul because we have trust in the Lord. This is you and me, this is sin.

We all have sin on us. God says He loves us, but He hates our sin. And for you and I to pay for this sin is eternal separation from God in a place called hell. Let this hand represent Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord, God in a place. He came into the world because He loves us, hates our sin because it separates us from Him. So what Christ did is He took our sin, paid for them across, came back from the dead.

And God said, if you and I, We’ll believe that he did that for us. He’d put that payment to our account. We get to go to heaven on what he did for us. Best news in all the world, no tricks to it, no gimmicks. God does love us. Let’s pray, shall we? Every headbound, every eye closed, no one looking around. If you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, friend right now, just talk to the learn, say something simple like this.

But I know in my center, I believe Christ died, paid for my sin, and I will trust Him as my Savior. If you’ve never done it before, do it now, and if you will, Would you just let me know by an uproot to the hand, just slip it up very quickly, but right back down, is there any more at all? Now, if you have trusted Christ as your Savior, your God’s child, seek to remember these things. Our Father, we ask Your blessings upon each one here, and Father upon this message that it would help each individual to love you and to walk with you.

We ask Your blessings upon Him in Christ and we pray. Amen. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you are blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bible line programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Radio Broadcast link.

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. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, 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 and just keep looking up.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. 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 a 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 concluding message of this teaching will be a blessing to you and your family. Wouldn’t it be neat if God’s people knew how to trust the Lord? And God will take care of things. And when he made the statement that if you had served me, he says, as a nation, he said, I’ll put none of these diseases upon you. But because our nation is gone astray from God, then as a nation, and when God chastens this nation, he’s going to chasten us right along with it.

God’s people will suffer right along. now. But God knows how to deliver the just out of problems, and He may just do that. One of the best ways that I know of is just take us on out of here, and that day will come. I’ll look at letter B under number letter B. Kings and presidents have sent delegations and ambassadors to foreign lands to establish political relations, solving problems. We We have ambassadors over there and they send their ambassadors over here.

And so we all can talk and fellowship and solve all of our political problems. And so that’s why we have peace all over the earth. That’s working real good, isn’t it? Let us see, corporations have sent business professionals to expand their interest in world markets. Did you know one of the biggest problems I think right now in America is people that have corporation businesses? They are not only, in most cases, unable to hire, but they are afraid to hire because they are afraid to fire.

You see, when you hire somebody, you have to have a way if you no longer are able to support that person. You’ve got to find out, how can I get rid of this person? Because now if you fire them, now you can get into trouble because you’ve fired me because the color of my skin. You fired me because of my religion. You fired me because, and I had seniority, and you fired me, and it goes on and on and on.

What’s on people they find out it’s better not to hire because you have trouble having to fire because everybody’s so happy. Now let me just kind of give you a little yank-yology. No charge for this. I do believe, and you may not totally agree with me, but it’s still what I believe. I believe if I want to start me a business of my own, I believe I ought to be able to hire whoever I want to hire for whatever price I want to pay.

And if I don’t like their work, fire them without an explanation if I so desire. And somebody said, well, that’s not fair. So what? So I don’t like that big deal. Get over it. You’re discriminating against my religion. So what if I am? Who says living in America I don’t have the right to discriminate? What happened to my opinion? What about what I want to do? When did I give up all of my freedoms because it offends you or that offends you or that offends you or offend you.

I wonder if anybody ever thinks about what offends me. What’s wrong if I hire a person and they don’t do their job and I say I’m firing you and I’m gonna hire this person? Oh, I’ll sue you! Because we have on the federal level passed a little amendment you can’t discriminate on the base of religion or race and sober. Why not? So now you are locked in and it traps the people and they can’t get rid of some bums that can’t do the job and they refuse to do the job and teachers that can’t educate and principal that won’t discipline.

And you can’t get rid of them. And don’t tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about. I most certainly do. I had a Christian school in Colorado and I had 42 full time people working for us. And if I wanted to fire the mud fire them and I owe you no explanation This is what I’m paying if you want to work for it. You work for it if you don’t like it you leave Period and I didn’t have to give anybody any explanation if I didn’t want to oh I loved having a Christian school So that don’t sound very Christian.

Yes, it does it most certainly does and By the way Who’s the one that says that you have to like everybody? Like every race as a Christian, I do not put one race above another. But if somebody wants to start a restaurant and hire only black folks, well, thank God bless you, hire only black folks. If you start a Mexican restaurant, what probably kind of people would you like to have? Japanese! You have an Italian restaurant, you know, you’re old Germans.

What’s wrong with having people that you want and if you want to discriminate, well do it. Government needs to get out of the business of trying to tell people how to run their business. Anyway, that’s my humble opinion. I just thought I’d tell you that. This will probably be on the YouTube tomorrow. Anyway as we’re moving right along, turn over the page. I probably never finish all this anyway. Listen to your Bible to the book of Luke, chapter 21.

Luke, chapter 21. Luke 21, and look in verse 8, and he said, take heed that you be not deceived. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and the time dropped near. Go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions be not terrified, these things must first come to pass, but the end is not by and by. Oh, by the way, do you remember that I had said about a year and a half ago that they’re going to have protest in our streets?

And then after they have their peaceful protest, it’ll come to some violence you just watch and wait and see. And then they’re going to have to have the police step in and if it gets too bad, we’re going to demand government do something and buddy they are going to. It was interesting. I was in the office and Peter says, Pastor, put the CD in there. I put it in there. He likes telling me what to do. He said, Now play it right there.

And I played it right there. And it was a year and a half ago that I said exactly what’s going on right now. So I got it on tape on video. I mean on the CD. And so I’m not making it up. I told you before it ever. I told you before Glenn Beck did or Rush Limbaugh. But anyway, the Bible is true and tells us where it’s going. So all I got to know is the book and you win.

You don’t have to back up and you don’t have to apologize. But it says here in verse 11, “…and great earthquakes shall be in diverse places, and get these famines, pestilence, and fearful sights, and great signs shall there be from heaven. But before all of these, they shall lay their hand on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the Senate, God, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. And verse 13, you ought to underline this.

This is a great verse. And it shall turn to you for testimony. In other words, when they do this, this gives you an opportunity to give a testimony. So as you and I serve the Lord and sometimes it seems like things go wrong and but here things are going to go wrong. And God says you don’t have to worry about what you’re going to say. You don’t have to meditate. Oh, what am I going to say? What am I going to say?

God says I’ll give to you at the right time what you need to say. It’s just like God giving you new grace to face moments that lies ahead that you and I have never experienced before. Trusting and believing that God who gives me grace today will give me grace tomorrow and it’ll be new grace. Grace to face things I’ve never had to face before. So anyway, God says they become opportunities. Just like Jesse gave a testimony this morning about the car.

About the flat tire and it led to an opportunity. So that’s what he’s talking about and God is going to give us an awful lot of opportunities in the days that lie ahead. So regardless of what happens in the world, you and I are not to be afraid. Look there in verse 25 and there shall be signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars and of on the earth distress of nations with perplexity. see in the waves of roaring men’s hearts failing them for fear.

Those are simply opportunities for you and I that know the truth to be able to help. We should always be looking for the problems in life to give us opportunities to show people the truth, what God’s word says. So yes, even though it might get dark in the world to come, you and I are supposed to be the lights and the light shines the brightest when it’s the darkest and the light shines the brightest at home. So if you can’t shine at home or at church just a sense you’re not going to shine out there.

Keep your testimony right and do right. But just so that you see this look there in verse 35 and as a snare shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Now look in Revelation chapter 6, turning the Bible Revelation chapter 6. Revelation chapter 6, this is after the rapture takes place. This is the opening of the seals. And so here in Revelation chapter 6, and look there in verse verse 7 of chapter 6, and when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the forth be say, come and see.

And I looked and behold a pale horse, and his name that set on him was death and hail followed with him. Power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth to kill with the sword, with hunger, death, and with the beast of the earth.” Now this is doing the tribulation period, and that people are going to be starving to death. There’s going to be great famines, as the Bible says. So we know that there is always this humanitarian need that people have all over the world.

And so that’s why in Mark chapter 16 and verse 15 where he made this statement, go in ye into all the world and install sanitary sewers and do men who menitarian things. Now those are good things to do and people need things. But we as God’s children must keep the main thing, the main thing. And the main thing is what God says they need. He says, preach the gospel. Because even if we was to feed everybody in the world, they’re still going to die.

And according to the Word of God, when the raptor takes place, there’s still to be the tribulation period. There’s still to be one-fourth of the world population and it’s going to die because of these things. And you’re talking about several billion people. It’s gonna be a very bad time. All right, look there in your notes there. I wanted to show you this. Let her see on top of the page. We are dealing with the deepest need of the human race, the physical, social and humanitarian needs.

They are truly great. And I wish that first of all, we would lead people to Christ, challenge and teach them how to love their husbands or their wives, their children, and to work and to develop the skills that they need so that they can meet their needs. Many people don’t know how to do things. We have been blessed as a country, but if we only feed the poor, they will always stay poor and dependent. And this is why once you get people on the so-called welfare roles, sometimes it’s hard to ever get them off because they become dependent upon it.

It diminishes their integrity and their dignity as an individual. So this is why these things are so important. But look at inside the first little box. Most of the world lies in poverty. Famines has ravaged through third world countries. Infectious diseases run rampant when there is not enough medical supplies. Wars and natural disasters have left hundreds of thousands of homeless and hopeless. But number five, You ought to underline that word. But man’s greatest needs are forgiveness and justification and eternal life.

The church must never forget her first calling. This is always and should be number one. Because see, a man is still, regardless if you met all those needs. Is he still going to die? By giving him food and taking him medically? Are you keeping him from dying? Will he ever die in the future? Well, yes, he’s still going to die. Now would you rather have him go to heaven poor or to go to hell on a full stomach?

He’s still going to die. So his greatest need is still to know the Lord. And then if we can help in other ways, I think it’s wonderful. I think it’s great. I’m not against those things. Let her die. We are dealing with the greatest opposition. There are so many that are opposing the clear gospel of Jesus Christ. You think of how many preachers there are on radio and television and how many churches there are. And most of us do not have the same message.

We’re not preaching the truth. And there’s people that are contradicting the clear teaching of the Word of God that salvation is the gift of God. They’re adding works to the message. And so they’re in opposition to the truth that we have and what we believe. Islam claims 1.3 billion followers. Did you know that they have some of their Muslims that are going to Catholic University? And now they are complaining because they have Christian symbols. And they don’t want those Christian symbols because it offends their religion.

So they go to a Catholic University and they see the cross or a statue of Mary and then And they want them to change because it’s offensive to them and it discriminates against them. Well, la dida. I wondered if you went over there to Iraq and went into their mosque. I wonder if they would, please don’t mention the name of Mohammed. It so offends me. I wonder if they would accept a Jewish man in their fellowship. They talk about they’re trying to get the Justice Department now to make it a crime about saying or doing anything that offends their religion.

I’m not joking. This is true. This is coming down the pike because it’s offensive to their religion because they say it causes people to hate Muslims. Do they hate Jews? Oh, but that’s different. That’s different. Do they hate Christians? Yes, that’s different. It’s okay for them to hate everybody else, but you’re not supposed to hate them. Now I believe that I don’t need government telling me who to love and who to hate. God’s Word tells me love the whole world.

I can love everybody in the world, but I don’t have to love their religion. and neither do I have to love people’s sins. Because now see, the government’s gonna tell me, I can’t say anything about the homosexual because that offends them and that’s a hate crime. No, I can love the person and hate the sin. They said, no, no, no, if you hate the sin, you hate the person.

So now you can’t do that. So government’s gonna tell you who you can and cannot hate. Or what you can and cannot hate. Or what you must, I guess, love. Who gave government the right to tell? I believe this. I think, hey, whoever you wanna hate, I don’t care. You wanna hate me? Go ahead, I don’t care. They hated Christ. You wanna be in their company? Go ahead. If you wanna hate the blacks, hate the blacks. You wanna hate the white, hate the white.

Who am I to tell and to make somebody love? I’m gonna pass the law. It don’t work. It is when you trust Jesus Christ as your Savior and you know that God so loved the world. That’s what causes a white man to spend all those years traveling and trying to reach the Indians and going into the ghetto, trying to reach the Spanish and trying to reach the blacks and we pulled them all in on our buses. We didn’t care.

Why? Because they’re a soul. So we don’t have to worry about that. But I still don’t like somebody telling me what I can and cannot do. There’s something inside of me that just makes me crawl. I can’t stand it. Because it’s not right. And nor am I supposed to try to control all the actions of every other individual. But when you realize there’s all kinds of religions in the world, I don’t think you ought to pass a law that makes me love all those religions.

I can love the people. And I want everybody to have eternal life and they go to heaven when they die. Let her eat. We have the greatest message the world has ever known. And it is a message of love. I want every Muslim, everybody in the religion of Islam. I want every Catholic. I want every Baptist. And I want every foot wash in that originally. I want them all to trust Christ as their Savior. I want all of them to go to heaven when they die.

But I don’t want them to have the right to kill me. Because they don’t like me. And just because I may not like their religion doesn’t mean that I’m going to get an AK-47 and go blow them away. Because of what I believe, I’m not going to do that. Let her f. We have the greatest means available than ever before. You see, because we have radio and we have TV. Do you know that the disciples were able to reach the known world at that time?

No automobiles, no telegraphs, no tell star, and yet they were able to reach the world. We have all those things, and I don’t think we’re doing too good of a job, but a little about a little, we’ll make an impact. We won’t know until we get to heaven to see just how much has been accomplished because of the fathance of various ones. Different ones of y’all have gotten creative. trying to figure out ways in which you can do something and reach somebody, you know.

And I think Fred, when it saw that little children’s track, now we got a nice little colorful children’s track. Y’all seeing that? Isn’t that a nice little track? That’s because, you know, Fred, this thing that we had just day for the Fall Festival, they worked together on that and Jan, and look, I mean, people were involved in doing it, but see, somebody had an idea. That wasn’t my idea. That was these guys. But they’d be getting creative. They want to do something, think of something, the ways they’d do something.

And because they are motivated because they believe the command. Did I make y’all start going on Friday night? I didn’t make them do that. Well, why did they do it? I didn’t have to challenge them to do it. I didn’t have to tell them to do it. I didn’t have to boss them to do it. It’s because they know the command themselves, the command motivates so that you’re not always at the mercy of who’s going to make me do something.

Well, maybe nobody’s going to make you do it. Now, what are you going to do? Not obey God because, well, nobody else is doing it. In fact, but you realize be creative and find out. Wonder what I could do. Maybe I could write a book. Maybe I could write a track. Maybe I can go to the rescue mission or maybe I can go to the nursing home. Maybe I can go to the prisons or maybe I can go here and try to think, well, what can I do?

You got a couple hours on Sunday afternoon. There might be a nursing home that would just love to have somebody come there and just give them the gospel. I have done that so long and so many times, different nursing homes around the country. I go up in the Minnesota and they say, yeah, can we go to the nursing home today because the guy led to the Lord? That’s what he decided. I never told him to do it. He just knows it was another fishing home.

So I’d go to the nursing home and bring a guitar and I’d sing a couple of rants song and lay it down down and give the gospel and these little old ladies are sat there and some of them have no clue where they were. But some of them are, I love that preacher. Some of them are sleeping on you. It don’t matter. But you give the gospel, give an invitation and you’ve got to be careful. Buy your heads. I’m serious.

It’s funny, but yet there might be one that paid attention and says, you know, that makes sense to me and trust the Lord. And I used to go down there to see Wally, a doctor, Stanford’s wife, so she was down there and they were caring for her and she was in this nursing home, beautiful place. I thought, man, if I ever go to the nursing home, this is where I want to go. And it was just a beautiful place.

And so me and Wally would go in there and we’d have our get, he’d have his get turned. I’d have my harmonica. And it introduced me and say, Yankee, play the harmonica for me. I don’t know, I’d play a couple songs and they’d just like to make clap, you know. And they’d bring him in wheelchairs and they’d go, listen, that’s such an, anybody could do that. Anybody can do that. You don’t have to be a preacher. All you got to do is love souls.

Just want to find a way that God can use you to get a few. Hey, we’re running out of time. Because of all these things, see that letter G, we have the shortest time. I believe the Lord might cut our time short. Whatever generation it is that’s going to be alive when Jesus comes is going to have their lifetime cut short. You’re not gonna finish living. You’re not gonna go to the grave, but wouldn’t it be great to be found busy serving the Lord, doing what you came or what you have, where you are?

That’s so important. Look up here. This hand represents you and me and this wallet represents sin. We all have sin on us. God loves the whole world. God is not interested in man’s religion, no religion. You see there’s Christianity and that’s all there is. All the rest of them are false and not worth the quarter. The Bible says God loves us, but he hates our sin. And to pay for this sin is eternal separation from God in hell. And it doesn’t matter what anybody else says or any other religion says God says there is a hell.

And you and I are sinners and that’s where we’re headed. But God wants us to go to heaven, everybody. There’s some religions teach that God doesn’t want everybody there. There’s some religions that teach that Christ didn’t die for every man. Well, I disagree with them because the Bible says otherwise. So God loves the whole world and God wants the whole world to go to heaven. But He doesn’t want to make you, He doesn’t want to force you. He wants you there because you want to go there.

You see, you didn’t ask to be born into this world, but He is asking you if you want to go to heaven. And He kind of gives you a choice. There’s a heaven and there’s a hell. And anybody with any intelligence at all would say, hey, I want to go to heaven when I die, except there’s a few hardheaded people that will not believe. So God says that because of sin we can’t get in. We cannot earn eternal life.

We cannot work our way to heaven. This hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord God in the flesh. He came into this world and there is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved. There is no one else. He says, I am the way, the truth in life. No man comes unto the Father except through Him. You don’t go through Him. You don’t go. Any religions that teach contrary to that, it’s wrong. Period. Who says God says?

I just happen to stand where he stands. And I do not have respect for other people’s religions. I’m sorry. No, I’m not either. This is the truth. Christ had no sin. He loves us and our sin separates us from Him. So Christ took all the sin of all the world, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead and said if we would believe that He did it for us, He would put this payment to our account and we get to go to heaven on what Jesus Christ did for us.

It is the gift of God. It’s not of works, lest any man should boast. And whenever you believe that he did it for you, he says, these things have I written unto you that believe in the name of the Son of God. You may know that you have eternal life. And he said, I’ll never cast you out, and now I’ll never lose you. Ah, best news in all the world. Let’s pray, shall we? Every head bowed, and every eye closed, and no one looking around.

If you’re here tonight, and you’ve never trusted the Lord, would you do that? Yeah, if you’re watching by internet, what I’d write now, the quietness of this mind, just talk to the Lord and say, Lord, I don’t understand at all, but I know that I’m a sinner. I believe Christ died, paid for my sins, and I will trust Him right now. That’s my only hope of going to heaven. Friend, it doesn’t matter who you are, what color you are, what your religion is.

If you don’t accept Christ, you don’t go to heaven. But if you do trust Christ as your Savior, you will go to heaven. So would you do that right now? Would you trust Jesus Christ as the one who died and paid for all of your sins. And God said, if you’ll trust Him and believe it, He will save you and give you as a free gift of our lasting life. Our Father, we thank you so much for all you’ve done for us for this time together.

Bless each one and those that watch by internet in Christ and we pray, amen. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing tool free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bibleline programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the radio broadcast link.

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. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcasts of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, 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, and just keep looking up.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 to be able to help you. 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. So you have a Bible, open it. You’re supposed to always bring your Bible to church. What good is a soldier without a sword? How are you going to learn to fight if you don’t know your sword? The sword of the spirit is the word of God. So you need the word of God.

You want the Holy Spirit to use you? Use the sword. Learn the sword. Learn how to use the sword. Be skillful with the sword. sword. And in turn with me to the book of 1 John and chapter 3, 1 John and chapter 3. The title of that little song we just did was, Better Things to Do. Yeah, Better Things to Do. I cannot think of a poor excuse for not serving the one who died for me and you. He saved us from a place called hell and I don’t know about you, but I’m so glad that Jesus didn’t have better things to do.

I guess we need to keep our vision on what is the main thing and keep the main thing the main thing. So we’re going to talk about the main thing tonight. Here in the book of 1 John chapter 3, I want you to look with me there in verse 16. Verse 16, Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But who so hath this world’s good, and seeeth his brother have need, and shedeth up his bowels of mercy, or a compassion from him?

How dwelt the love of God in him? That’s a good question. My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but indeed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before Him. Where if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and north all things. So the word of God tells us that you and I are supposed to demonstrate what real love is in this world, especially to those that are of the household of faith.

Now, in the little paper that I just handed out to you, some of these things I cover at different times, but I want to hit it from a little bit different viewpoint tonight. Because I know that as we go through life, the preacher’s supposed to challenge you, motivate you, exhort you all these kind of wonderful things. But what if I can’t? What if I don’t have the ability to challenge and motivate you to do the things you’re supposed to do?

Well, if I simply did nothing more than a read a scripture, you’ll have to figure out how to get out of obey in that command, regardless of my inability to challenge and motivate you. You might say, well, I’d serve the Lord, but I just not motivated. I need somebody to really challenge me. Why? I don’t have anybody in almost 50 years to challenge me to serve the Lord. Nobody has to motivate me to serve the Lord because I know the command of Scripture.

Go into all the world and preach the gospel. That is a command. Whether I have the ability to challenge you or not. Are you getting my drift yet? You kind of get an idea of what I’m talking about. It is so important. Look there to note, the difference between a missionary challenge and a missionary command. The point, number one, we are not challenged to take the gospel into all the world. Why? Because we have been commanded to do so.

A challenge is something that you could either take or leave. I’m just not challenged to do it. I’m not motivated to do it. So we feel like I should only do that what I’m challenged to do. I should only do that what I’m motivated to do. I believe I have a responsibility whether I want to or not. A dispensation of the gospel is still committed unto me. I’m still responsible regardless of how I feel about it. Now am I still telling the truth?

All right. I just want to know if you’re still with me, or if you’re going to sleep on me or not. But I do believe it’s very important. Look at number one, we’re not challenged to take the gospel into all the world. If I challenge you, I am encouraging you, exhorting you, trying to persuade you to do what I am asking you to do. If you do it only because I, Yankee Arnold, pastor of the church, talked you into it.

But what if I don’t have the ability to do so? I mean, you don’t have to do it. If you don’t have to do it, why do it because of me? Who am I? You and I are supposed to do what we do because the word of God tells us what to do. Not because of the pastor’s ability in relaying the message. No, I do believe I have a responsibility to try to do all those things. But the real reason, keeping the main thing, the main thing is God said so.

Regardless of how I present or deliver the message, if you had nothing more than the word of God itself, and you read it, and not another soul was around to challenge or motivate you, to exhort you, would you still have the same responsibility? Yes, you would. And that’s why it’s so important to keep these things in mind. See, there’ll be a challenge is not an order. It puts you under no obligation. I may challenge you to, hey, let’s all go down to IHOP tonight, or to VI tonight.

Well, there’s no command, and you could take it or leave it. I may challenge you to do a lot of things, but there’s no command. But see, the gospel is a command. To preach the gospel, to tell people that is a command. And keep this in your mind also. I do not depend upon the Holy Spirit to lead me to witness. I depend upon the Holy Spirit to lead me as I witness. I do not depend upon the Holy Spirit to tell me who to talk to.

I depend upon the Holy Spirit to lead me to whoever I talk to and what I say because it’s already a command. You don’t need a leading to obey a command. We have been told, this is what you do, obey. Now I depend upon the Holy Spirit to lead me as I go. I depend upon the Holy Spirit to lead me in what I say and how I say it. But to do it or not, that’s already a command.

And that’s why you do the other. But if you waited on the Holy Spirit to tell you who to talk to, I guarantee you, you won’t have very many people to talk to. Because now you become the judge of, Well, I don’t want to do this in the energy of the flesh. Because that sounds so spiritual. I don’t want to do this in the flesh. I only want to do it in the spirit. So when the spirit moves me, then I know.

I wonder how long you’d have to wait. You might wait forever. So lo and behold, that’s why somebody like James will talk to those stick guys out there by that sign out there. because it’s a command. And some people obey the command. Some people you don’t have to try to challenge and motivate them to do certain things because they already know what to do. Are you supposed to read your Bible? Does God’s word say steady to show thyself approved unto God?

Why should I have to challenge and motivate you to do that? What you already know you’re supposed to do that? Well, what if nobody challenged you to do that? Then you don’t have to do that because nobody challenged me to do it. You know, you could use everybody under the sun as an excuse not to fulfill your God-given responsibilities. But I’m glad you’re not like that. Because that’s why you’re here tonight. You come because you do know the Lord and you love the Lord and you wanna study more and you wanna be stronger in the Lord.

What about prayer? Do you think prayer is something that God wants us to do, tells us to do? Or just, well it’s an option, you know, it doesn’t really matter. I believe that praying is a command of God. When He says, pray without ceasing. That’s a command. Why not? There are commands in the Word of God. We are commanded to love one another. It’s a command. And it’s not based upon feelings, but upon commitment. Like I said before, a man who loves his wife, that’s a commitment.

It means you’re committed to fulfill the responsibilities as a husband or as a father. And you fulfill that commitment. And if you’re not ready to come fulfill that commitment, then you are not married again. girl or that girl that may marry you if she’s not willing to fulfill the responsibilities of the wife. So that’s the way she goes. Take your Bible and turn to the book of Matthew in chapter 24. The book of Matthew in chapter 24. Are there going to be hungry people in this world?

Oh yes they’re gonna be hungry people. They’re gonna be poor people in this world. There’s all kinds of people in this world. But I want you to look there at number two in your notes where we have, we are facing the largest task any generation has ever faced. The largest task any generation has ever faced. Look at letter C, we are dealing with the deepest need, the deepest need of the human race. A letter D is we are dealing with the greatest opposition and done in letter eat, we have the greatest message in the world.

In letter F, we have the greatest means. And then in letter G, we have the shortest time. We believe that we are the generation living when Jesus Christ could come back and shorten all of our opportunities. It’s just one thing if I knew I could live to be a hundred, but I believe the Lord may come back before I get to be 70. So I may have my time cut short. You know one thing about the book of Revelation in the book of Matthew in chapter 24, it says, and unless God shortened those days, shortened those days, no flesh would be left alive.

And I wondered if the shortening of those days would change the time schedule of Ted. Well, it’s interesting to think about some of these Matthew 24, look there in verse 6, this is what Jesus said, is coming down the road. So you and I ought to know we are not going to make this world a utopia. We’re not going to bring in the kingdom upon the earth. The church is not going to win the world of Christ, it’s not going to happen.

Why? I’ve already cheated. I’ve done read what he says happens in the future. So he says in verse 6, and you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. Do you know this world is getting shakier by the year? I mean it’s getting worse and worse. It’s not getting better and better. We’re not establishing peace around the world. Boy, if everybody was just in democracy, yeah, right. That ain’t working out too well either. He says here, see that you be not troubled for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

So we know these things are going to happen, but this is the beginning of the tribulation period. That hasn’t even got here yet. Verse 7, nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There shall be famines, pestilence, that means viruses or diseases and incurable things, earthquakes and diverse places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Well, I think a lot of these things could take place before the rapture takes place. And I believe that if you look around the world, we’re having catastrophic events all over the world.

You know what all these various things are doing to the government of America? Every time something goes on a tornado hits or a hurricane hits or a flood hits or a fire hits, a snow blizzard. It’s a national crisis and so government gives millions and millions and millions and millions to bail out all these people. Do you ever wonder where they get all that money from? Do you know there was a time in this country where the government would not give a dime to help out any state on any problem?

But of course they started taking the money from the states and we’ll give you some help back. So now we got 50 states helping out that one little state that has that trouble. What happens when it’s 10 states or half the continent? Well, we have dug ourselves a hole, and now they’re even having trouble trying to figure out where they get the money from to bail out these crisis that’s all over the place. Fires on in Texas or blizzers up in Northeast or, you know, dry dust storms that are happening.

All these things, you know what it does? All it does is just drain the resources right out of our country. And we’re gone, Nicole broke our government. This is why. A loaf of bread is going up in price. Everything going up in price oil goes up in price. Everything’s going up in price. It’s not that you’re paying more money. It’s just mean the money you have isn’t worth as much. Anyway, that’s another sermon. But I want you to see that what Jesus said is going to happen and this is in the future.

But now look there at letter B. We are facing the largest task any generation has ever faced. And from a human perspective, we believe that the doctors and the scientists work together to find cures for diseases. They’re always trying to figure out, you know, give money for this, money for that. And they have been able to prolong life and have some cures for cancer and diabetics and all these various things, high blood pressure. They have figured out some ways to help solve some of our problems.

So the day we don’t have to worry about what we do or don’t do, just take a pill. And then you take another pill to solve that pill that creates those crisis is in your life. And if you ever listened to some of the side effects of some of the pills that you’re taking for something that’s supposed to be just a little bit of a thing and they’re not, I could, I could die ten out of the ways. This is enough to scare you to death.

Oh, I’m so depressed. I got to have another pill. Give me another pill. What were you taking up here? Oh, I got to have another pill for that pill because of that problem. There’s no end to it. and wouldn’t it be neat if God’s people knew how to trust the Lord and God will take care of things and when he made the statement that if you had served me he says as a nation he said I put none of these diseases upon you but because our nation is gone astray from God then as a nation and when God chastens this nation he’s gonna chasten us right along with it God’s people will suffer right along Now, and but God knows how to deliver the just out of problems, and He may just do that.

One of the best ways that I know of is just take us on out of here, and that day will come. Look at letter B under number letter B. Kings and presidents have sent delegations and ambassadors to foreign lands to establish political relations, solving problems. We have ambassadors over there, and they send their ambassadors over here. And so we all can talk and fellowship and solve all of our political problems. And so that’s why we have peace all over the earth.

That’s working real good, isn’t it? Let us see. Corporations have sent business professionals to expand their interest in world markets. Did you know one of the biggest problems I think right now in America is people that have corporation businesses? They are not only, in most cases, unable to hire, but they are afraid to hire because they are afraid to fire. You see, when you hire somebody, you have to have a way if you no longer are able to support that person.

You got to find out, well, how can I get rid of this person? Because now, if you fire them, now you can get into trouble because you fired me because of the color of my skin. You fired me because of my religion. You fired me because, and I had seniority, and you fired me, and it goes on and on and on. What some people they find out, it’s better not to hire because you have trouble having to fire because everybody’s so happy.

Now let me just kind of give you a little yank-yology. No charge for this. I do believe, and you may not totally agree with me, but it’s still what I believe. I believe if I want to start me a business of my own, I believe I ought to be able to hire whoever I want to hire, for whatever price I want to pay. And if I don’t like their work, fire them without an explanation if I so desire. And somebody said, well, that’s not fair.

So what? So I don’t like that big deal. Get over it. You’re discriminating against my religion. So what if I am? Who says living in America, I don’t have the right to discriminate? What happened to my opinion? What about what I want to do? When did I give up all of my freedoms because it offends you or it offends you or it offends you or it offends you? I wonder if anybody ever thinks about what a friend’s me. What’s wrong with I hire a person and they don’t do their job and I say I’m firing you and I’m going to hire this person?

Oh, sue you! Because we have on the federal level passed a little amendment you can’t discriminate on the base of religion or race and sober. Why not? So now you are locked in and it traps the people and they can’t get rid of some bums that can’t do the job and they refuse to do the job and teachers that can’t educate and principle that won’t discipline. And you can’t get rid of them. And don’t tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about.

I most certainly do. I had a Christian school in Colorado and I had 42 full time people working for us. And if I wanted to fire the mud fire them and I owe you no explanation. This is what I’m paying if you want to work for it, you work for it, if you don’t like it, you leave. Period. And I didn’t have to give anybody any explanation if I didn’t want to. Oh, I loved having a Christian school. Say that don’t sound very Christian.

Yes, it does. It most certainly does. And by the way, who’s the one that says that you have to like everybody? Like every race, as a Christian, I do not put one race above another. But if somebody wants to start a restaurant and hire only black folks, well, they’ll bless you. Hire only black folks. If you start a Mexican restaurant, what probably kind of people would you like to have? Japanese.

You have an Italian restaurant in your old Germans. What’s wrong with having people that you want? And if you want to discriminate, well, do it. Government needs to get out of the business of trying to tell people how to run their business. Anyway, that’s my humble opinion. I just thought I’d tell you that. This will probably be on the YouTube tomorrow. Anyway, as we’re moving right along, turn over the page. I probably never finish all this anyway. Look into your Bible to the book of Luke, chapter 21.

Luke, chapter 21. Luke 21, and look in verse eight. And he said, take heed that you be not deceived. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and the time dropped near. Go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions be not terrified, For these things must first come to pass, but the end is not by and by. Oh, by the way, do you remember that I’d said about a year and a half ago that they’re gonna have protests in our streets?

And then after they have their peaceful protest, it’ll come to some violence. You just watch and wait and see. And then they’re gonna have to have the police step in and if it gets too bad, we’re gonna demand government do something and buddy, they are going to. It was interesting. I was in the office and Peter says, Pastor, put the CD in there. I put it in there. He liked telling me what to do. He said, now play it right there.

And I played it right there. And it was a year and a half ago that I said exactly what’s going on right now. So I got it on tape on video. I mean, on the CD. And so I’m not making it up. I told you before it ever. I told you before Glenn Beck did or Rush Limbaugh. But anyway, the Bible is true and tells us where it’s going. So all I got to know is the book and you win.

You don’t have to back up and you don’t have to apologize. But it says here in verse 11, And great earthquakes shall be in diverse places and get these famines, pestilence and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. But before all of these, they shall lay their hand on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogue and into prisons, and brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. And verse 13, you ought to underline this.

This is a great verse. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. In other words, when they do this, this gives you an opportunity to give a testimony. So as you and I serve the Lord and sometimes it seems like things go wrong and but here things are going to go wrong and God says you don’t have to worry about what you’re gonna say. You don’t have to meditate. Oh what am I gonna say? What am I gonna say?

God says I’ll give to you at the right time what you need to say. It’s just like God giving you new grace to face moments that lies ahead that you and I have never experience before. Trusting and believing that God who gives me grace today will give me grace tomorrow and it’ll be new grace. Grace to face things I’ve never had to face before. So anyway God says they become opportunities. Just like Jesse gave a testimony this morning about the car, about the flat tire and it led to an opportunity.

So that’s what he’s talking about and God is going to give us an awful lot of opportunities in the days that lie ahead. So, regardless of what happens in the world, you and I are not to be afraid. Look there in verse 25, and there shall be signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars and upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity. And seeing the waves roaring in men’s hearts, failing them for fear, those are simply opportunities for you and I that know the truth to be able to help.

We should always be looking for the problems in life to give us opportunities to show people the truth, what God’s word says. So yes, even though it might get dark in the world to come, you and I are supposed to be the lights and the light shines the brightest when it’s the darkest. And the light shines the brightest at home. So if you can’t shine at home or at church just a sense you’re not gonna shine out there. Keep your testimony right and do right.

But just so that you see this, look there in verse 35. And as a snare shall it come upon all of them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Now look in Revelation chapter six. to turn into Bible to Revelation chapter six. Revelation chapter six, this is after the rapture takes place. This is the opening of the seals. And so here in Revelation chapter six, and look there in verse, verse seven of chapter six.

And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth be say, come and see. And I looked and behold a pale horse. And his name that set on him was Death and Hail followed with him. Power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth to kill with the sword, with hunger, death, and with the beast of the earth. Now this is doing the tribulation period and that people are going to be starving to death.

There’s going to be great famines, as the Bible says. So we know that there is always this humanitarian need that people have all over the world. And so that’s why in Mark chapter 16 and verse 15, where he made the statement, go in ye into all the world and install a sanitary sewers and do humanitarian things. Now those are good things to do and people need things. But we as God’s children must keep the main thing, the main thing.

And the main thing is what God says they need. He says, preach the gospel. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part two of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing tool free, 800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bible and programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Radio Broadcast link. 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. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, 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 and just keep looking up

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. 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 concluding message of this teaching will be a blessing to you and your family.

Take your Bible and look here in the book of John, the Gospel of John in chapter 6. The Gospel of John in chapter 6. John chapter 6 talks about somebody that’s hungry. Looking for 35. Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. In other words, there’s bread that we eat in this world that keeps us alive physically. But he has some bread that when you eat this bread, you will have eternal life. See down here, the bread that we eat is temporary.

Most of y’all had breakfast, some of y’all had lunch, but chances are everybody’s going to eat something today. So that means that you don’t have to eat the rest of the week, right? If you can’t hardly make it till we get out of here and get to the village in. I’m one of them. So just because I eat a big meal at lunch time doesn’t mean that I don’t have to eat anymore. I still get hungry. But Christ says, if you eat the bread that I have, you never have to eat it again.

I mean, one meal will do one bite will do. So all you need. That’s why he says, taste and see that the Lord is good. Boy, that was a good bite that I had 50 years ago and never had to do it again. I’ve never had to get saved again. That one bite did me well. I have eternal life. And he says here in verse 35, and Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. He that come up to me shall never hunger.

That’s eternal security. Because once you do it, you never have to do it again. So what would we call the lost man? Somebody that’s hungry, somebody that’s thirsty, well somebody that’s ungodly, somebody that’s a sinner, I guess we could preach the gospel to just those people. No, you just about can narrow down. Maybe we ought to just preach the gospel to everybody. we ought to just go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Oh, there’s another word.

So what are the lost men? What do they call creatures? They’re creatures. So whatever a creature is, and we’re not talking about the little crawling creatures, we’re not talking about the four-footed time, we’re talking about human beings going to all the way and preach the gospel to them because they can hear and understand and believe. That is, I believe the will of God. Look in John chapter 9, since you’re right here in John, look in chapter 9. We just sung a song, I once was blind, but now I see.

I once was blind, but now I see. Look what he says in verse 25. He answered and he said, whether he referred to Christ is a sinner or not. I don’t know,” he says, because they asked this blind man, who did this to you? He says, I don’t know. I don’t know. He says, all I know is I once was blind, but now I see. See what he says? One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see.

I know that 50 years ago, I could say I was blind, but now I see. I didn’t know where I was going. I was like a blind man. Sorry about that, Ted. I was like a blind man. I was like a lost man. I could not see. But now I see. And I know that it was the Lord that caused me to see. And now I see. So I guess we could say, going to all the world and preach the gospel to everyone that’s blind.

That’s blind. Not with their physical eyes, but blind spiritually. They can’t see. They don’t understand. And that’s why the question, do you know where you’re going to go and you die? It’s such a good question because most people don’t know. But maybe it’s, uh, we can’t call them the lost man. We could call them the blind man. So everybody going to all were and reached the blind man. And I think that might cause some people a little confusion. So what were we going to use?

Well, pick your Bible looking Matthew chapter 11, Matthew and chapter 11. Matthew 11 and the Bible says, they’re in verse 5, that some of John the baddest, you know, had been placed in jail and he was on the verge of losing his head. And he sent a couple, says, find out is this raise, he really the Messiah. And have we followed the right man? We pointed it out the right person and Jesus answered them. And I don’t I think John questions as much as he wanted his disciples that were following him to be sure.

That’s my personal opinion. But anyway, when he says in verse 3, and said unto him, are thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered instead unto them, go and show John again those things which ye do here and see. The blind receive their sight. The lame walk. The lepers are cleansed. The death here. The dead are raised up. and then look what he says, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. So maybe we need to go into all the world and preach the gospel to the poor.

And is it just those that are poor in this world or just poor spiritually? You know, the same verse or this phrase is mentioned in the book of Isaiah in chapter 61, I believe, where it talks about the spirit of the Lord is upon me and hath anointed me to preach the gospel and so forth. talking about this very same thing. But there he talks about the meek. Here it uses the word the poor. The book of Luke also refers to the poor.

So what are we going to call those people that you and I are supposed to reach? They’re poor. I was poor. God says that he was rich and he He set aside his riches and became what? Poor that we through his poverty might be made rich. So if I’m going to be made rich, I must have been poor. True. You and I were poor, very poor. And now we are rich, very rich. And the Bible makes it simple and makes it clear, I believe, that there’s something that you and I have in our hands.

The Bible calls it, we have this treasure in earthen vessels. This treasure is the gospel itself inside of us and what we know and what we can do for people. You know, I had a ranch meeting up there in Georgia. It never really got super big and we struggled off and along and it would up and down, up and down. And I had some kids come and a lot of them were problem kids. A lot of them, if they were my kids, I would have killed them.

They were brats. Someone’s just playing brats. We had one kid that came and he was in the drugs. He was cute and all the girls liked him. He was about 14 years old. But all the girls, they don’t care about anything else of what he does and how he lives. He’s cute. I had to constantly keep telling those girls, leave the guy alone. He’s not worth the quarter. No, no, he’s not right with the Lord and all this. But he trusts the Christ of Savior.

Went to one of my camps. I had to send him home. He come to ranch and I had to have him leave. And I kicked him out. I don’t have many times. I’m telling you the truth. Sometimes there’s some kids that you don’t know how to, you can’t help them. I know what I like to have done to them. Because, you know, you can have a couple of little brats. They can totally ruin a youth meeting. And so I have to figure out what I’m going to do with this kid.

But he was so nice. He was like, you can’t help but like the kid. Even when you’re chewing him out, he sat down with a grin on his face. He was like the grin off of you. But he was just smiling. And the girl just thought he was just, what a hunk. There was a little bitty skinny kid. And the more trouble he got in, the more they liked him. Can you believe somebody like that? Most of you women in this room, that’s the kind of a fellow you would have went with when you were a teenager.

But anyway, I got a phone call this week. I answered my phone. He says, hello. He says, do you know who I am? I says, no, keep talking. He said a few more things and I kind of recognized it but I couldn’t really recognize it. I couldn’t put a name to him. I said, I have no clue who this is. He says, my name is Jeffrey. I said, I don’t know any Jeffrey. He says, yes, you do. I says, no, I don’t.

I do not recall knowing any Jeffrey in my whole life. He says, my name is Jeffrey, Jeffrey Hunter. I says, I remember you. He says, it was about seven or eight years ago when I came to ranch. It’s when he trusts a crisis savior. And he was always in trouble. He called me up and he says, Yankee, he says, I just want to thank you for all that you did for me. And I thought, what did I do for him?

All I remember is kicking him out and chewing him out. But he says, I’ve made up my mind. He said, I’m 22 years old now, and I’m going to serve the Lord. He said, now I see I need to serve the Lord. I want to do something with my life. I almost come on glued. I almost lost it. And I said, I’m so proud of you. Sometimes you can’t see the result at the time. You just want to strangle a few of them.

But years pass and you see some of the results of some of these kids and it just blesses your heart. Because at the time all you were doing was digging up the ground and planting the seeds and nothing grow. Nothing grow. Nothing grow. You know what it makes you want to do when you don’t see anything grow into me. I feel I just quit. It ain’t worth it. And then sometimes on down the road there’s something and have you ever planned something in the garden you go out to every five minutes and check and see if it’s up yet.

And then when you first see the little blade coming up out ofCritics, oh look, ladies, come on up. So what is it? I don’t know. We’ll have to wait till we get the fruit on it. And you plan all these things and then you have to wait till something happens before you know what kind of work because the winds and blew the little picture away and you don’t remember what you plant. I’ve done done that a lot of times.

I have no idea. But you know it’s supposed to be some good stuff. And to see somebody come along and they finally understand. So I’m going to serve the Lord. See, that’s what you and I are in the business of doing. We want God to use us to plant seeds. You can’t make it grow. We plant and we water. But God giveth the increase. You and I have never saved a soul. I’ve had people come up and say, Yay, yay, yay.

I want you to meet somebody. I saved them. I’ve had someone say, tell me this is the pastor. He saved me. I’ve never saved a soul. God has saved a lot of them. If anybody gets saved, God saved them. No man has ever saved anybody else. You’ll never save anybody. But you and I have a responsibility to sow the seed. And that’s all we are. Handfuls on purpose. And that’s in the book of Ruth. Sowed handfuls on purpose. And you’re always going to have a bag and you’re always going to have some seeds.

And all we’re doing is going through life casting seeds. Did you realize, and you may not see how important is it, do you realize that if Roger didn’t do what he does, Did you realize that there’s a who know how many people that will hear the word of God? Those are seeds. And people may have already trusted Christ to save you, but they may hear something that will challenge Him to serve the Lord. And we won’t know until we get to heaven the results of that or the CDs that we have.

All the messages we have on the radio, you realize every day of the week I have a different message on the radio. True, how many of y’all have ever listened to you, Mario? Oh, some of y’all have. Now you can turn me off, huh? You know, I like that. But every broadcast, different messages. And we had to go through our kind of glean through what we’ve already done and so forth. But God has been good to it. But all we want to do is keep so in seat.

Just keep so in the seats. But here in the book of Matthew, I want you to look there in chapter nine. chapter 9 and verse 36. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd. They were like what? Sheep. Go in all the world and preach the gospel to all the sheep. This is what God says, all those people that don’t know where they go into, they’re like sheep Without a shepherd a sheep without a shepherd has no way of determining where it’s going he lost either way and However, you want to cut it and every one of these situations a man that is blind is Just like being lost Let’s see has something or some way in which can guide him and when you and I can’t see spiritually

where it’s left, where it’s left, where it’s left. And when you don’t know where you’re going, when you die, you’re lost. And I don’t see anything wrong with using the word myself. Look in the book of Luke chapter 19. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Luke chapter 19. And why he didn’t even mention this verse is beyond me. It’s like it must not be in his Bible. But lo and behold, look there in Luke chapter 19 and verse 10. For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Now do you think this is referring to the believer who went astray? I don’t. I think he’s talking about a lost man that doesn’t know where he’s going when he dies. I think he’s talking about the ungodly, that sheep that goes astray, that person that’s a sinner. That creature that he says is going to all the world and preach the gospel to him. I believe this is a reference to that. And why somebody else can’t see that unless they get these new versions that they say is not so bad and they’re taking these words out so that it doesn’t refer to anybody.

in particular, and next thing I know you come up with some garbage like that. I despise it. Bible talks about using great plainness of speech. Great plainness of speech. And I think that’s pretty clear. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. And in chapter 15 he talks about things that are lost. Look there in chapter 15 very quickly. The reason he refers to these three items, whether it was a lost sheep, a lost coin, a lost son, they all demonstrate one thing.

It answers the question in verse 2. The Pharisees and the scribes, murmuring, saying, this man receiveth sinners and eateth with them. And it says, they come to see, why is he doing this? And he answers the question, and all three of these illustrations point out one thing. He came to seek and to save that which was lost, like a man who has some sheep, and he loses one. He goes after that sheep trying to find that one lost sheep.

Or a woman who has a dowry, and she loses a piece of that diary and she searches and tries to find that one little coin or a man who has two sons and one left home and he was lost as far as the man is concerned and he came back and he says my son was lost and now he’s found. You see whenever you start off with the human race you had Adam and Eve. From that point on everybody from them has been lost.

They’re like lost. And I don’t believe they know the way. Unless somebody tells them, somebody shows them, somebody helps them, they will be eternally lost. And the word is used about the word lost as the word perishing, the word perishing. Look there in John 10, verse 28. John chapter 10 and verse 28. Where it says in verse 28, page 1129, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. That word perish means never be lost. Once you are saved, and once you have eternal life, you can never be lost.

So the word perish, and and lost from Apaluma is a same that can be used in a number of scriptures in which he says it’s not even found in the New Testament. And I haven’t been to Dallas Theological Seminary and I don’t know all the Hebrew and the Greek. All I know is King James Version English, but I can read. And I believe I can understand what God is saying. And I don’t agree with what somebody writes just because they put it in print and they’re well known.

I have an issue with it. I will say so. And this message that I’m preaching here tonight, a copy of this will be sent to him because I believe in letting them know how I think and how I feel about it. I believe it’s dangerous to start stuff like this, to confuse people. Well, the loss aren’t really the loss. The loss are the saved man who’s not walking with God, that’s the lost man. Who’s the lost man? Who’s the safe man?

Now is that clear to you? It’s not clear to me. I believe it’s going to cause a lot of trouble. Look in 1 Corinthians in chapter 1. 1 Corinthians 1 and chapter 1. And look there in verse 18. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 18 says, for the preaching of the cross is to them that perish. There’s that word perish, foolishness. Parrish can also be lost. Parrish. But unto us which are saved, it is the power of God. So look there in 2 Corinthians and chapter 4, 2 Corinthians chapter 4, and look in verse 3.

See if this verse is in your Bible. It’s in mine, now it may not be in your Bible. Verse 3 says, but if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. Do you believe this word lost here is referring to the believer? I don’t. I believe he’s talking about those that do not know the Lord. And even though there are some of the translations that take this word lost and put perish. Well, turn over there to the book of 2 Peter, chapter 3, 2 Peter and chapter 3.

And look in verse 9 and verse 9. Verse 9 says, The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish. And if the word perish can refer to the LOST man, then he’s not willing that any should be lost. I have no problem with it. Have none whatsoever. But that all should come to repentance to believe, to change your mind, reconsider, think differently, see God is a God of love that paid for your sins and trust Him as your Savior.

Now, in John 3, 18, it makes the statement that he that believe on him is not condemned, but he that believe if not is condemned already because he have not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. So I guess you could say that a man who is lost is an unbeliever. So going to all the world and priests the gospel to every unbeliever, we could call him that. But I really don’t see anything wrong with saying that that we’re here to reach the lost man.

In our minds, we believe that the word lost in referring to the lost man, to the person who doesn’t know where he’s going when he dies, yes he is a sinner. Yes you could say he’s a heathen. Yes he’s a wicked man. He is a sinner, He is a sheep and he’s all these things, but when you’re born and all down, he’s a lost man. And I believe that if Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost, then that’s what we ought to be doing.

To seek and to save that which was lost. Now we can’t save them, but we can sure plant the seas by which you can hear and understand. Look up here. When I do this, what am I doing right now? I’m fishing for the lost man. I’m fishing for the lost man. I’m hoping that whether you’re here or watching by video, that if you had not trusted Christ as your Savior, that you would, and that if you already know the Lord, you’ll go fishing.

This hand represents you and me. The wall of represents sin. We all have sin upon us. God loves us. H.R. Sin. And the Bible says the pay for the sin is eternal separation from the Lord. And God loves us and wants us to go to heaven, but to go to heaven we have to be perfect and we’re not perfect. We’ve all come short of God’s perfection, we’re all sinners. We cannot save ourselves. We’re lost. We don’t know our way.

And the Bible says Jesus is the way. He came into the world. So Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. He came into the world because He loves us, hates our sin, because our sin separates us from the Lord. So Christ took sin, hatred on the cross, and came back from the dead. God said if you and I would believe that He did it for us, He would put the payment to our account and we’d get to go to heaven on what Christ did for me.

I once was lost. Now I’m found. I was blind. Now I see. Let’s pray, shall we? We head bow nice clothes and no one looking around. I know most of you here have trusted Christ as your Savior. You know you’re heavy turned alive. But we must always defend the clarity of the gospel, the truth of the gospel. And however you look at the person who doesn’t know where he’s going when he dies, whatever you want to call him, that’s fine with me.

But I’m going to keep calling him a lost man. I want to help him to be found. God is doing the seeking and he wants the lost man to respond to the gospel. If I can’t call him a lost man, what pray tell do I call him? I don’t see anything wrong with it. But if you’re here or watching by internet, if you’ve never trusting Christ as your Savior, friends you’re lost. It means you’re going to perish and spend an eternity separated from God in a literal fire burning hell.

But God loves you and He proved it by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to down the cross to pay for your sins. And He said, if you would believe He did it for you, He would give you as a free gift everlasting life that He had never cast you out and never lose you. Is there anyone at all say, yes, I will trust Christ as my Savior tonight and and preach on light for you to pray for me. Is there anyone at all?

If you will, just to be in it very quickly, and put it right back down. Our Father, we thank You so much for all You’ve done for us, for the privilege we have of no onion, love in You and serve in You, and we pray that You’d help us to keep the gospel clear and simple. And we just pray, Lord, You’re will to be done in our lives. Thank You for each person here for all that You do for us in Christ’s name.

We pray. Amen. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you are blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free, 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bibleline programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Radio Broadcast link.

If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 336-34. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, 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, and just keep looking up.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. 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.

Well, I know you have a Bible because I ain’t no sense coming to this church if you don’t have a Bible. So we’ve got a few things to talk about tonight. Who are those that don’t know where they’re going when they are going to die? What do you call them? What are people called that don’t know where they’re going when they die? They’re what? Somebody says lost. They don’t know where they’re going when they die. What are they? Huh?

Unsaved? Lost? All of the above. I got an article in the mail and it kind of bothered me just a tad. It was written by Bob Wilkins. Now I know Bob Wilkins, I preach for him. He heads up a group called the Grace Evangelical Society and he’s been strong on the gospel of grace for a long time. But he wrote an article and he says, who is the lost person according to scripture? And he says, when we actually go to the scriptures and see how the word lost is used, we find out it rarely if ever refers to those who lack everlasting life.

Now, I had a problem with that. So I thought, well, that was an interesting statement. It caught my attention. And so I began to read a little bit more. And I thought, well, we got a call on something. This is what he said. He said, there is not one place in the epistles where the term lost occurs in English translations with the lone exception of 2 Corinthians 4, 3 in the King James Version, which is translated them that are lost.

Whereas other translations have those who are perishing. There are a handful of places where Paul refers to those who are perishing. My point is that not only is it uncommon for the apostles to speak of lost people in their epistles, they never do so. Then he says, lost people are people, often believers, who’ve lost their way. I believe somebody’s getting confused or they’re going to confuse a lot of people. confusing language to me. He says that God doesn’t refer to the people as being lost that don’t know where they’re going when they die except in one place.

Well let me ask you something. If God said in His Word, I am coming back to the earth on January the 15th, 2010. How many times would He have to say that for it to be true? Well, it only says this one time. Well, is it still true or is it untrue? How many times must the Lord say something for it to be true? Well, I have a problem. He said, I think it is high time we stop referring to unbelievers as the lost.

If neither the Lord nor his apostles ever did that, remember Jesus only referred to one person, Judas, is lost. Why should we? The Lord taught that if a believer is out of fellowship with God, then that believer is lost. He is born again but lost in terms of his walk with God. The practical benefit of this change would be that we understand the Bible better and we come to realize that any time we are out of fellowship with God we are lost people.

Our concerns should be that we not become lost. There is no guarantee that we will stay in fellowship with Christ. But if we become lost, then we, like the prodigal son, will find famine and loss, and that should certainly lead us to come to our senses like he did and return to the Father, it always pays to stay in fellowship with God. Now was that clear to you? That is not clear to me. Now this is a highly educated man.

And I really believe that He loves the Lord and loves the Word and He loves souls. But this is confusing. I had to read it several times to make sure I understood what He was saying. And when I got through, I totally disagree with Him. Yes, I believe that a sheep of the Lord can go astray, but He doesn’t get lost in the sense that He’s lost. He’s not lost. So what I did, it kind of pricked my mind to try to cover a few things.

And I want you to follow along with me because what are we supposed to call those people that do not know where they’re going when they die? Now we can’t call them Christians that I know that. We can’t call them Christians and we can’t call them believers because that would mean they’d be saved. look there in Romans in chapter 5, Romans and chapter 5 and follow me through a little of my madness. And hopefully that’s what makes sense to you because you are going to have to deal with things like this because people are always coming up with something new and they think they’re making it simple and clear and it becomes muddy.

Here in the book of Romans, I want you to look there in chapter 5, Romans chapter 5. And look what he says here in verse 6, for when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. So I guess we could say that the people that don’t know where they’re going when they die would be, but they are ungodly. But that wouldn’t be a very, you know, good term because a Christian can live ungodly. But Christ died for the ungodly, so that whoever is ungodly, Christ died for, so I guess you could call them the ungodly.

Christ died for the ungodly sister right there. Look at the next verse. Look there in verse 8, but God commended his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Okay, so Christ died for sinners. So we know two types of people that you can maybe call them the you know sinners Christ died for sinners. Christ died for the ungodly. All right, but is it wrong to say that sinners and the ungodly are lost.

I always looked at it this way and I asked people the question, do you know where you’re going when you die? And they often say no. Well if they don’t know where they’re going when they died they don’t know where they’re going. They’re lost. They don’t know where they’re going. If somebody was in the woods and I said where are you going? I don’t know. Then you must be lost. You don’t know where you going? I don’t see anything wrong with the word and I don’t believe that I need to change it because Bob Wilkins says I need to stop saying that.

Did you know this is a very powerful man? Very powerful man because he influences an awful lot of people and he is strong on the gospel of grace. He believes in eternal security just like you and I do. A few years ago, I would have let him preach in my church. No questions, I had to because the man was clear. When I went down there to preach for him in Dallas at the Graysy Evangelical Society, they had a seminar down there.

Tony Evans was down there and a few others. Dr. Seymour was there. Freddy Coyle was down there. He didn’t speak there, but I was he was down there. Anyway, they asked me to speak. I spoke. I didn’t detect it as much thin, but then my friend, Danny Adams. He said, Did you catch I said something strong something from but I could put my finger on it at the time and then afterwards I saw it Take your Bible and turn to the book of Ezekiel chapter 3 the book of Ezekiel And chapter 3 all the way back there in the Old Testament There’s a verse here that I want you to see in chapter 3 This is on page 843 in your old school for a reference Bible and it makes a statement here in verse 17 Son of man, I am made thee a watchman unto the house of

Israel. Therefore hear the word at my mouth and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, thou shalt surely die, and thou giveth him not warning. Thou speak to warn, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his life. The same wicked man shall diet is iniquity, but his blood will I require thine hands.” Sounds like we could maybe call the man wicked man. Christ died for the wicked. Would that be true?

He died for the wicked man. And he says to warn the wicked man of his wicked way. So we use sins to show how sinful a man is and how he needs to be righteous to go to heaven and they’re not righteous. So we can use the verses, so I guess we could go on to all the world and preach the gospel to every wicked man. I wonder how many of that would include. Go in the world and preach the gospel to every ungodly man.

I wonder how many of that would include. Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every center. I wonder how many of that would include. I think there’s a trail here somewhere and I think it’s going to lead us someplace. A turn in your Bible to the book of Isaiah chapter 55, Isaiah chapter 55. One of these days I’m going to preach the whole 55th chapter. I love the 55th chapter of the book of Isaiah, loaded with a lot of good stuff in it.

But chapter 55, look in verse 1, verse 1 says, Oh, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye by, and ye come by wine, and milk without money, and without price. Do you know what you could say from this one verse of, well, least several things. Everyone that’s thirsty. Go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone that’s thirsty. That would include a lot of people. They’re thirsty people. So is that what we call them?

They’re thirsty people. And you notice it also says, come ye without money. So there is a verse in the Bible about preaching the gospel to the poor, preach the gospel to the poor. So whoever is poor, we’re supposed to preach the gospel to them. We’re supposed to preach the gospel to anybody that’s thirsty, anybody that’s a sinner, anybody that’s an ungodly person, anybody that’s wicked. So far I haven’t even used the word lost if we don’t want to use the word lost.

Okay, well, what do we call them? What do we call the person that doesn’t know where he’s going when he dies? Take your Bible and look there in the book of Revelation, book of Revelation in chapter 22, Revelation chapter 22. So once in the Old Testament, and here’s one all the way over here in the New Testament, seem like nothing has changed, nothing’s changed. In chapter 22, you’ll notice there in verse 17, and the Spirit and the bride say, come, let him that hear it say, come, and let him that is a thirst come, let him that is thirsty.

Well, that’s the same thing as of Isaiah chapter 55 whole. Like, ho, ho, ho, ho, got good news. Let everyone that’s thirsty come and buy without money, either they’re poor. And here he’s talking about it’s a free gift because it says, and let him take the water of life, how much does it cost? That word freely, how much does it cost? Nothing. It’s free. It’s free. Go into all the world and preach the gospel. It’s free. So I guess just anybody that’s thirsty.

Take a Bible and look here in the book of John, the gospel of John in chapter 6. The gospel of John and chapter 6. John chapter 6 talks about somebody that’s hungry. Looking for 35 Jesus said Under them I am the bread of life In the words there’s bread that we eat in this world that keeps us alive physically But he has some bread that when you eat this bread You will have eternal life See down here the bread that we eat is temporary Most of y’all had breakfast some of y’all had lunch But chances are everybody’s going to eat something today.

So that means that you don’t have to eat the rest of the week, right? Some of you can’t hardly make it until we get out of here and get to the village end. I’m one of them. So just because I eat a big meal at lunchtime doesn’t mean that I don’t have to eat anymore. I still get hungry. But Christ says if you eat the bread that I have, never have to eat it again. I mean, one meal will do.

One bite will do. That’s all you need. That’s why he says, taste and see that the Lord is good. Boy, that was a good bite that I had 50 years ago and never had to do it again. I’ve never had to get saved again. That one bite did me well. I have eternal life. And he says here in verse 35, and Jesus said unto them I am the bread of life. He that come up to me shall never hunger.”

That’s eternal security. Means once you do it, you never have to do it again. So what would we call the lost man? Somebody that’s hungry, somebody that’s thirsty? Well, somebody that’s ungodly, somebody that’s a sinner. I guess we could preach the gospel to just those people. No, just the back of their adopt, maybe we ought to just preach the gospel to everybody. Maybe we ought to just go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Oh, there’s another word.

So what are the lost men? What do they call creatures? They’re creatures. So whatever a creature is, and we’re not talking about the little crawling creatures, we’re not talking about the four-footed time. We’re talking about human beings going to all their and preach the gospel to them because they can hear and understand and believe. That is, I believe the will of God. Look in John chapter 9, since you’re right here in John, look in chapter 9. We just sung a song, I once was blind, but now I see.

I once was blind, but now I see. Look what it says in verse 25, He answered and he said, whether he referred to Christ is a sinner or not. I don’t know, he says, because they asked this blind man, who did this to you? He said, I don’t know. I don’t know. He says, all I know is I once was blind, but now I see. See what he says? One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see.

I know that 50 years ago, I could say I was blind, but now I see. I didn’t know where I was going. I was like a blind man. Sorry about that, Ted. I was like a blind man. I was like a lost man. I could not see. But now I see. And I know that it was the Lord that caused me to see. And now I see. So I guess we could say, go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone that’s blind.

That’s blind. Not with their physical life, but blind spiritually. They can’t see. They don’t understand. And that’s why the question, do you know where you’re going to go when you die? It’s such a good question because most people don’t know. But maybe it’s, we can’t call them the lost man, we could call them the blind man. So everybody going to all run and reach the blind man. And I think that might cause some people a little confusion. So what word are we going to use?

Well, pick your Bible looking Matthew chapter 11. Matthew and chapter 11. Matthew 11 and the Bible says they’re in verse 5 that some of John the Baptist you know he had been placed in jail and he was on the verge of losing his head and he sent a couple says find out is is this raised he really the Messiah and have we followed the right man we pointed it out the right person and Jesus answered them. And I don’t think John questions as much as he wanted his disciples that would follow him to be sure.

That’s my personal opinion. But anyway, when he says in verse 3, and said unto him, are thou he that should come or do we look for another? Jesus answered instead of them, go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see. The blind received their sight. The lame walk. The lepers are cleanse the death here, the dead are raised up. And then look what he says, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. So maybe we need to go into all the world and preach the gospel to the poor.

And is it just those that are poor in this world or just poor spiritually? You know, the same verse or this phrase is mentioned in the book of Isaiah in chapter 61 I believe. Where it talks about the Spirit of the Lord is upon me and hath anointed me to preach the gospel and so forth talking about this very same thing. But there he talks about the meek. Here it uses the word the poor. The book of Luke also refers to the poor.

So what are we going to call those people that you and I are supposed to reach their poor. I was poor. God says that He was rich and He set aside His riches and became what? Poor that we through His poverty might be made rich. So if I’m going be made rich, I must have been poor.” True. You and I were poor, very poor, and now we are rich, very rich. And the Bible makes it simple and makes it clear, I believe, that there’s something that you and I have in our hands.

The Bible calls it, we have this treasure in earthen vessels. This treasure is the gospel itself inside of us and what we know and what we can do for people. You know, I had a ranch meeting up there in Georgia. It never really got super big and we struggled off and all on it. It would be up and down, up and down. And I had some kids come and a lot of them were probably kids. A lot of them, if they were my kids, I would have killed them.

They were brats. Someone was just playing brats. We had one kid that came and he was in the drugs. He was cute and all the girls liked him. He was about 14 years old. And all the girls, they don’t care about anything else, of what he does and how he lives. He’s cute. And I had to constantly keep telling those girls, leave the guy alone. He’s not worth the quarter. No, no, he’s not right with the Lord, no less.

But he trusts the Christ’s Savior. Went to one of my camps, I had to send him home. He’d come to ranch and I had to have him leave. And I kicked him out. I don’t have many times. I’m telling you the truth. Sometimes there’s some kids that you don’t know how to, you can’t help them. I know what I like to have done to him because you can have a couple little brats. They can totally ruin a youth meeting.

And so I have to figure out what I’m gonna do with this kid. But he was so nice. He was like, you can’t help but like the kid. Even when you’re chewing him out, he sat down with a grin on his face, and he looked like the grin off you. But he was just smiling. And the girl just thought he was just, what a hunk. There was a little bitty skinny kid. And the more trouble he got in, the more they liked him.

Can you believe somebody like that? Most of you women in this room, that’s the kind of a fellow you would have went with when you was a teenager. But anyway, I got a phone call this week. I answered my phone. He says, hello? He says, do you know who I am? I says, no, keep talking. He said a few more things and I kind of recognized it, but I couldn’t really recognize it. I couldn’t put a name to him.

I said, I have no clue who this is. He says, my name is Jeffrey. I said, I don’t know any Jeffrey. He says, yes you do. I says, no I don’t. I do not recall knowing any Jeffrey in my whole life. He says, my name is Jeffrey, Jeffrey Hunter. I says, I remember you. He says, it was about seven or eight years ago when I came to ranch. It’s when he trusts the Christ’s Savior. And he was always in trouble.

He calls me up and he says, Yankee, he says, I just want to thank you for all that you did for me. And I thought, what did I do for him? All I remember was kicking him out and chewing him out. But he says, I’ve made up my mind. He said, I’m 22 years old now and I’m going to serve the Lord. He said, now I see, I need to serve the Lord. I want to do something with my life.

I almost come unglued. I almost lost it. And I said, I’m so proud of you. Sometimes you can’t see the result at the time. You just want to strangle a few of them. But years pass, and you see some of the results of some of these kids. And it just blesses your heart. Because at the time, all you were doing was digging up the ground and planting the seeds and nothing grow. Nothing grow. Nothing grow. You know what it makes you want to do?

When you don’t see anything grow, I feel like I just quit. It ain’t worth it. And then sometimes, on down the road, there’s something, have you ever planted something in the garden and you go out there every five minutes and check and see if it’s up yet? And then when you first see the little blade coming up out of there, oh my God, ladies, come on up. So what is it? I don’t know. We’ll have to wait until we get the fruit on it.

And you’re planting all these things and then you have to wait until something happens before you know what kind of work because the winds blew a little, a picture away and you don’t remember what you’re planting. I’ve done that a lot of times. Have no idea. But you know it’s supposed to be some good stuff and to see somebody come along and they finally understand. I’m going to serve the Lord. That’s what you and I are in the business of doing.

We want God to use us to plant seeds. You can’t make it grow. We plant and we water, but God give it the increase. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tappa, Florida, with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part 2 of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach by the line and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free, 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bible Bibleline programs just go to our homepage atespieministries.org and click on the radio broadcast link. 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. BibleLineMinistries.org. broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org. Thanks for joining us on Bible Eye, and now, from Pastor Arnold.

Friends, 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, and just keep looking up.