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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 declared. Clearly declaring the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the Internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make itDragonMagazine for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach Brachios toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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 to speak on the subject of wallowing in the mire. We’re hearing the book of Isaiah chapter 53, look there in verse six. You know, the Bible says that we have all gone astray. Well, if you’re gonna go astray, you gotta have a starting point. Where were you to start with? What did you go astray from? See there in verse six, all we like sheep have gone what? Astray. He says, we have turned everyone to his own way.

So go in astray means going your way and away from God’s way because you always have to know what did you go astray from? You went astray from the way of God, the will of God, the word of God. So any person who was not in the way of God has gone astray. Believe it or not, you could sit here this morning and if you’re not in the will of God, you have gone astray and you’re living your life away from God and the Bible describes that very simply as wallowing in the mire.

You say, really? Yes, I want to show it to you because the last thing that you want, last thing I want, is to be compared to a sow that’s wallowing in the mire. In Psalms chapter 40, look there in verse 1. Verse 1 says, I waited patiently for Lord and he inclined unto me and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit out of the Myricle. So God says in his word that he brought you up out of a horrible pit.

You said, well, I’ve never been in a pit. Well, you can walk out here on solid ground on dry that you can walk on the asphalt. But God says that if you are a stray, you You are walking in my replay. That’s how God sees you. That’s how God sees me. When we are as a sheep gone astray from a particular point, then God says we have left his way for our own will. And so God says that you are to be delivered from a horrible pit.

And even though I didn’t know I was in one, but I was, I was lost. I was undone. I was sinking. I could not save myself. And that was like the tar baby that got stuck in the tar and can’t get loose. And that’s the way people are in the world. They cannot shake themselves loose from the mire in the world. Now get what he says. And out of a mireclay and set my feet upon a rock, which is Christ, and upon and establish my goings, my directions.

And then he says in verse three, and he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God. many shall see it in fear and shall trust in the Lord. So the reason that you are supposed to have your way established, the way you live, the things that you say, the song in your heart, is so that other people will see and understand. And the Bible says, come to know the Lord. So God wants to use you and me because he lifted us up out of the mighty claim.

And then he says in verse 4, blessed is that man that makeeth the Lord his trust and respected not the proud nor such as turn aside to lies. There are people in the world that are going to lie to you and I. There are different peaches in the world. And the Bible says there’s false teachers. Anyone who teaches you to leave the way of God or the will of God is false. But because they are so powerful and so strong and the example that we see of other people is going to lead you and I away from that which God won.

All we like, she have what? Gone a strafe. It’s so easy for us to go astray. It happens without us knowing it. We don’t even see it sometimes. All we want is to do what we want to do. What’s wrong with that? That’s going astray. So you find out from the Word of God, the will of God. And are you doing what God wants? He said, well, no, not exactly. Okay, then you’ve gone astray. And verse A says, I delight to do thy will.

Oh, my God, yea, thy law is within my heart. So there you have a statement about being brought up out of the Mary Clay and established your way. Put a song in your heart so that you will establish your going and that do the will of God for your life. That isn’t that wonderful. Now that’s what happens when you trust it, Christ, as your Savior. Now it would be great if every Christian did what God said. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of 2 Peter in chapter 2.

Chapter 2 verse 19 there is an illustration given here. And it seemed like it’s a very strong statement that Peter could say something like this. But he says in verse 19, while they, and the word they refers to the false teachers. I’ll show you that in just a minute. They promised them liberty, those that they teach. We’re going to set you free. And you hear a lot of that in America today. We want our freedom. We want our freedom.

And the ones that are talking about freedom wouldn’t know what to do with freedom if they had freedom. And remember years ago the old Hymnity crowd used to always talk about it. Make love not war. They didn’t look like they were capable of either one. While they promised them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption. For of whom a man is overcome of the same as he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollution of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein.

And overcome, the latter end, worst with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of God or the way of righteousness, than after they have known it to turn from the Holy Commandment delivered unto them. How would you explain these scriptures? It seemed a little on the contradictory side. Are you saying that it would be better for a person not to know the Lord than to know the Lord and then not serve the Lord?

Be better off not to know the Lord and to know the way of righteousness and then turn from it? Well, I don’t think that’s what it says, but I can see where people would get that idea. But let’s look at it from two different viewpoints. One, let’s just pretend we got a lost man here. Okay? There’s a lost man standing right here. That means that he’s a sheep that’s gone astray. He doesn’t know the way of God, the will of God, the word of God.

He doesn’t know how to get to heaven. Why? He’s lost. He doesn’t know where God is. He can’t find God. And there’s a lot of people like this wandering through life and they’re sheep. And God’s word talks about here’s a lost man, but there’s like in scripture two kinds of lost people. There’s the lost man that knows the truth about how he’s supposed to live and they will do his best. Then there’s the others that know what you’re supposed to do and totally defy it and have no desire to fulfill it.

But there’s some people who know the truth and rebel against the truth. So there’s lost people that know what’s right and will not do what’s right. God describes that in the book of Romans in chapter 1 of the people that know the will of God and refuse to do it. But it’s another thing whenever you’re flaunting your sin and glorifying in your sin and you want to get other people To believe in your sin that is nothing wrong with your sin Well, see that’s where the Bible talked about the false teachers see there in verse one But there were false prophets among the people even there’s there shall be false teachers among you and they will come in And they will teach things they’re teachers, but they’re false and they teach people to go astray to go away from the truth, the Word of God itself.

So the more truth you have, the more light you’ve been given, will the more severe the punishment is going to be to those who rebel against it. So is it better to tell the lost man? So if you tell the lost man, now he knows, but then he rejects it. Because of his additional life, the judgments is worse upon the man because he rejects it. But But there’s a possibility that by telling the Gospel we get many people to trust Christ to save them.

I’m one of them. Most of you are someone who at one time you were lost, but somebody presented the Gospel. You trusted Christ to save you. You have eternal life. You’re going to heaven. Aren’t you glad that you were at least told so you could at least make a decision? In spite of the fact that if you had rejected it, that’s light that’s going to be worse upon you than if you’d never heard it. So there’s choices that we make.

Then you take a man who knows Christ is Savior. Let’s pretend that you have trusted Christ as your Savior. As a child of God, is it better for God to at least tell you what He wants you to do with your life? Or not to tell you what to do with your life. If He tells you what to do with your life and you’ve got the light, the knowledge from the truth of God’s work on what God wants you to do and then you rebel against it, you’re going to be judged because you did not do what you should have done.

But if you were ignorant of it and you didn’t know, then the Bible says in the book of Luke in an illustration about a parable, they shall be beaten with fewer stripes. It means you didn’t know as much so you not as much required. So whom much is given, much is required. What do you do with Christians? Is it better not to tell a Christian what God wants him to do with his life? Because once you tell him he has additional light.

And that additional light means God is going to hold responsible for what He knows. But what about the person that says, well I’m not going to go to church because if I go to church I’ll learn more. If I learn more I have to do more. If I don’t do it then I’m going to get just so I’ll just stay home and I’ll learn anything. Okay. So we have to deal with those. But then you can’t do the will of God because you don’t know the will of God.

And because of that, is it possible that God knows what you could have known? you gone, had you listened, had you read the word? So God knows all the fact concerning every individual, whether it was good or whether it was bad. It is the will of God to get his children to escape the pollutions of the world. God wants you to live differently. He has lifted you up out of the mari clay, set your feet upon a rock, and now he says, don’t go back to the Mary Christ.

Don’t go back to what you used to have and the way you used to be. Do you believe that the Word of God wants you to live Godly? Not to live on Godly, but to live Godly? So you find out the things that are the will of God, the way is it possible for a Christian as a sheep of God to go astray. Can you, can I go astray? Yes we can. So if we go astray it’s because we are still sheep.

Let’s pretend for a moment. Here we have a pig. See this pig? Now you’ve got to be able to see the pig. See this little pig he’s sitting up here? Now what a pig like a pig loves to wallow in the mud that’s the nature of the beast that’s what a pig likes but what if we took this pig and we brought him in the house we give him a bang and we spray him with our piggy end and your curl is tail put earrings on the pig put a ribbon on the pig don’t that pig look beautiful but if If you let the pig go, where is the pig going to go?

Just because you cleaned him up, washed him up, smelled him up and curled his tail and put a ribbon on him, he is still a pig. And the pig still likes the mud. So it doesn’t matter what you do, the pig that was washing, to the wallowing in the mire has God saved you and saved me to simply be a pig that goes back to wallowing in the world like we don’t know the will of God we don’t know that he’s my father and I’m his child and I’m supposed to serve him but you see whenever you trust he crisis your Savior, it’s like taking this pig and this pig believes on the Lord and Lord behold God gives this pig the nature of a lamb.

Now this pig is really messed up because he the sheep doesn’t like the mud and the sheep likes the cool steel waters. The pig wants to wallow in the mud but the sheet doesn’t want to. So it’s got two extreme natures living inside of that pig. So how are we going to help this pig that outwardly looks like a pig? Things like a pig. All of this life has acted like a pig. But now we have injected into this pig a new nature of a lamb.

Now how am I going to get the lamb nature to dominate the pig nature. You understand the problem? This is where you and I are. So many of us, the older we get. Our finding now that we have different kinds of physical ailments. And so we go to the doctor, and the doctor says, I want you to take this pill, twice a day, every day for 30 days. So you take that medicine. Some of us in here, we probably take one pill a day, or one pill a month, or one pill every two weeks, or take them for a year.

a year and we take the very first ones to keep me from getting arthritis, ones to try to lower my blood pressure, ones to kind of thin my blood. You got to have a pill of all kinds. But what if God says, now, now, piggy, if you want to look and act the way you should, I want you to take four shots every day. If you take these four shots, then it will really help you to be a strong little cheat.

And so this is a shot that I’m going to give you. And this little shot is the studying of the Word of God. If you’ll study the Word of God, take this shot every day. It’ll help you. And if you’ll take and meet once a week, take this shot, at least once a week, I want you to go to church. That’s the little shot. And if you’ll take these four shots and I want you to learn to witness, that’s one of the thing that you got it and I want you to pray I want you to talk to me every day one pill a day on that so if you take these shots and you’ll do this right thing it’ll help you to be a strong little sheep even though you live in a pig and next thing you know there’s a pig that is totally different and the changed

the pig the changed pig is the pig that can influence the rest of the pigs some Some of God’s people can’t influence anybody because their own life has never been changed. They won’t take the daily appeal that God says. They won’t study the word of God. They don’t take their shots. And then they don’t pray so they don’t take their shots. And they’re not able to go to church so they don’t take their shots. And so they don’t witness to other people so they don’t take their shots.

And then they wonder why they’re not strong. But physically we will do it all the time because we want to live longer. the reason the purpose of the goal of your Christian life is it to be just to wallow in the mind. Now get what he says here. Look in verse 20, for if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and saved you Jesus Christ. So we can use this as a double reference, one we can refer it to lost people who know the truth and rebel against it.

We can also use this illustration to those who know Christ is Savior and have escaped the pollution of the world by trusting Christ is Savior and then lo and behold turn and go right back to what God pulled them out of. He says in the verse 20 he says they are again entangled therein overcome the latter in worse with them than the beginning. See a person who knows the truth and refuses to obey the truth, God says it’s worse for them than it wants before because now you’ve got additional life you’ve got to count for it.

You can’t say, well I didn’t know it, you didn’t know. And that’s why whenever you read the Word of God, God tells you what He wants you to do, how He wants us to live, and then when we won’t obey God, then God says that you are wallowing in the mark, just like a pig that goes right back to what he was before. Is it possible for a Christian to live the way a lost man lives? Yes, exactly the same.

And then get what he says here in verse 21, for it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after they have known to turn from it. So it’d be better if you never learned it at all. If you don’t learn anything at all, then of course you will wall in the mark all your love. At least by knowing the truth you’ve got an option. If you know the will of God, you know what God wants you to, you can choose.

Now look in verse 22, because it says it’s true according to that proverb. In verse 22, but as it is written unto them according to the true proverb, the dog is turned to his own what? Ugh. His own vomit. Now, in God’s eyes, for Him to save you, give you eternal life. Stabbing your feet upon a rock, stabbing your going, and reveal to you what He wants you to do, and for you not to do it, there’s no difference that you, like a dog, return into your own vomit.

Now you think that makes God sick. This should make you sick. Because it’s not the will of God. You don’t want that. That’s how God sees it. But look at the other part of it. He says in the last part of it, and the sow that was washed to her, wallowing in the mark. In other words, the old pig goes right back to what he was doing before. You don’t want to do and to live the way you used to or you could.

You don’t want to go astray. Only way you can keep from going astray is stay close to the shepherd. Stay close to the shepherd. When they be neat that once we trusted Christ our Savior, there was some way somehow they could guarantee me that I’ll never go astray. Well, wouldn’t that be great? But you know, there isn’t anything. There’s no personal experience that I have ever had that can keep me from going to the street. See, I can go astray today.

I can go astray tomorrow. Every sheep can go astray at any given time. So there’s no personal experience that I have ever had, even though I’m thankful that I will save when I was 18 years old and I can say that that changed my whole life. But I’ve lived long enough to see a love of people who have been saved and served the Lord and still go astray. Is there any guarantee that could keep that from ever happening? Is there any exposure to any truth that can guarantee that you will not go astray?

Any truth? I can read the Bible, study the Bible, memorize the scripture, study the Hebrew, study the Greek always doing nothing but I EVENT been exposed to anything that I know of right now that can keep me from going astray. There’s (?, no guarantee.berra I can go astray You can go astray And maybe at different, we do go astray We go backYang to wallowin in It means to live according to the flesh. It means to go your own way, do your own thing.

453 Means to violate the will of God. There is no example in heaven or in earth or in earth. That can guarantee you that once you trusted Christ as your Christ is your straight. That if I only gave you this illustration about this person, something, you’ll never go astray. Wouldn’t it be great if all of God’s people, all the other heart, all the days of their life? Wouldn’t that be great? Do they? And yet I I cannot refer to any great example of anybody that will guarantee me I will not go astray.

But there are numerous, numerous lessons to compel us forward. I have watched and seen a lot of examples and with people and some experiences that compel me forward where I want that, but there’s no guarantee. But God’s Word gives us a few little ideas. 2 Peter and chapter 1, he says, whereby are given unto us, exceeding great and precious promises, that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature. So when When you trusted Christ as your Savior, God injected you within the divine nature.

A nature that does not sin, hates sin, can’t sin, and you have a godly nature given to you by God when you trusted Christ as Savior. But you still have the nature of the old flesh. You’re over. That’s why you’re like the pig who’s been injected with the nature of a sheep and you have conflict. You want to get in the mud, you don’t want to get in the mud. You want to go to church, you don’t want to go to church.

You want to read the Bible, you don’t want to read the Bible. You want to be faithful, you don’t want to be faithful. And you struggle with that. But God says if you’ll take these pills faithfully, you do what I say do, He says you can be strong. And then He says this in verse 4. He said, you might be partakers of the divine agent, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. When you trust it, you escape.

And if you go back to it, no, you can. You’re still safe, still have eternal life, still go to heaven when you die. But look at the price that you’re going to pay for all eternity of the blessings that you could have had here and the rewards you could have had when you got to heaven. Is it better to have known or not to have known for you personally? Do you want to know the will of God? And what would be the reason for knowing the will of God so that you can do the will of God?

Of course, if you knew the will of God, Would you do it? And if you don’t, it’d be better off if you did not know it. That’s why this is so important. And he makes the statement there in verse 10. Wherefore the rather, brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for it, if you do these things, you shall never fall. God gave us a guarantee. And the guarantee that you’ll not fall or go astray is based upon the human.

going right. So whenever the divine gives a divine guarantee that’s dependent upon the human man’s obedience, there can be no guarantee. Because the guarantee is based upon your performance. Will you follow? He makes the statement about do this and add to your faith. And he says then you’ll be able to see and you won’t have to fall. But many of God’s people will not heed what the Word of God says. When you little by little, when you violate some of the little simple things and you don’t take this pill regular and you don’t take this pill regular, okay, you can there’s something’s going to happen in your life that’s not going to help you to be as strong as you could have been.

I hope that you understand what I’m saying because this is so important. It deals with will or not do you want to be like a dog that returns to the vomit or a Sow to wallow and in the mire. I didn’t write these verses. They’re in the Bible for the Christian and God said this is what many of his children do so be strong be wise look up here Let me show you something probably never seen this before in your whole life look at me now This is you and me this is sin we have sin on us God loves us, but he hates our sin.

And for you and I, to pay for sin is eternal separation from God in a place called hell. But God wants us to go to heaven, and to go to heaven, we have to be perfect as righteous as God. And none of us are perfect, none of us are righteous. So we can’t go to heaven because God will not allow us in and we can’t get rid of the sin. And you can’t get into heaven. So how do I get there?

Well, God says you can’t earn it. You can’t work for it. You can’t buy it. Well, how do I get there? 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. He took the sin, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead, and God said that we would believe that He did it for us. He would put this payment to our account, and we would get to go to heaven on what Jesus Christ did for us.

See, that’s free, that’s a gift. You don’t earn it, you don’t work for it, you can’t buy it. And once you trust Christ as your Savior, God says that you have been placed upon a solid rock, which is Christ. You’re going to heaven is because you’re on Him. And He will never let you down. He’ll never cast you out. He’ll never lose you, never leave you. He gives you eternal life. You’re going to heaven because He is saving you, taking you to heaven.

You’re not trying to hang on to God to get to heaven. So then you can fly away, lose yourself in. But once you trust Christ as your Savior, He gives you eternal life, and you go to heaven on what He did for you. That’s the best news in all the world. Let’s pray shall we? 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 toll-free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage. If you’re 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 going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Arne. friend one day it will happen the trumpet will sound we will be changed. caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day.

Belie even that the Lord is coming soon. 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 The 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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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.

Timothy and chapter 3 says this know also that in the last days perilous times shall come for men shall be lovers of their own selves. Cauvatas, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, un-thankful, unholy. There’s many things in God’s Word that warns us about the human nature. It says in the book of Jeremiah that the heart of man is deceitful above all things, desperately wicked and who can know it. What would people do if there was no food in the grocery stores and no trucks were able to run, no gas, people can’t go to work?

And I know it seems like it’s a far-fetched scenario. That’ll never happen. quickly things can change. And I was talking a little bit about the days of Noah and the flood. Where the Lord had told us as He looked down upon the sons of men and He saw the wickedness and He says and it was great that there was nothing that they would not try to do anything they imagined to do they did. They have no restraints. Nothing holds them back.

We have people like that today that have absolutely no morals whatsoever. There’s nothing to guide them. They are truly like sheep without shepherds. And the Lord says that He looked down upon the children of men and decided that He was just going to wipe them out. So he brought in the flood. He saved Noah, misses Noah, three sons, their wives. And think of how many people may have been upon the earth, especially when they can live for a thousand years before the flood.

And had children, how many people must have died? How can a God that creates the heavens and the earth not care what happens to people and the misery they have or the way that they die? Especially when we believe that there is an all-powerful God that can do whatever he wants to do. Why does God and why did God allow all those people to die in a flood? And whenever you see the scenes that they’ve shown from New Orleans, all those people that were dying bodies in the street in the Colosseum.

Old folks, women wonder where their babies are. And if there’s a God in heaven, how can God justify himself? Because I know in the minds of people, we often become bitter at God, angry at God, because they thought that whoever was in charge could have done something. And there’s always going to be the Monday morning quarterback that figures out what they could have done or should have done. But I do believe that could be a forerunner of something that’s really going to take place in our country.

And it could be that the Lord gave us a taste of what’s down the road and how that we might need to prepare in a better way. What if something really did happen that was really bad? The Bible says in the last days that There shall be earthquakes around the world more severe. What if there was more earthquakes that sent in not just 30-foot waves, not just a high level of water? But what if they came in 100 feet high?

What if California did break off? They’ve been talking about it for years. True? You’ve heard it. Well, one day when it happens and those people are destroyed, will it be because, well, somebody should have done something about that. Who in the world in their right mind would have built a city below sea level knowing the possibilities but not expecting it to happen and to have a lake that’s above you. That would be scary for me alone. And it didn’t matter how many levees were closed and secure.

All you need is just one break. One break. So it didn’t matter how many areas in your life that you guard if you had a fence and a hundred cattle in there and you had ten gates but you left one gate open where you You still lose the whole hurt to that one gate you left open. And it only takes one levy to break in order to do all the damage. How quickly things can happen. It doesn’t always have to happen the way that you think or expect or when.

And there could be major earthquakes or some nut get ahold of a bomb and blow a land off the map. The key thing, regardless of any catastrophe, I believe that there is a God in heaven who who is never taken by surprise. The question that many people ask, did God know that this was going to happen? Every bit of it. Did he know every person was gonna do every person? All the misery God knew it all. And why didn’t God stop it?

They didn’t. God, when did you know about this? How much did you know? Well, why did you let it happen? Can you and I have more compassion for those people and what they’re going through than God? What about the God that has the power to do something about it, to have all this compassion? Am I to have more than God? Interesting questions. Why didn’t God, if he has more loving compassion than what I do, why didn’t God stop it?

Why did God let it happen? Have you ever read the book of Job? It wasn’t so much that it had to do with And Job as it did with those people who were always trying to figure out why did it happen. And God used Job to teach them. They thought they had the answer to everything and they didn’t have the answer. They were Job’s good friends. And they were wrong in their conclusions, every one of them. They really didn’t know what was behind thePASS.

They didn’t know what had taken place between God and Satan. and how that Job’s integrity was being challenged. They didn’t see all of that. All they knew is Job must have done something wrong. Does the righteous sometimes pay with destruction, just like the lost man? When a lost man goes outside and a Christian goes outside and it rains, does it rain on On both of them are just the lost men. Or does the righteous suffer also? God does allow at times righteous people to die to suffer the same horrible deaths that the wicked.

Whenever God sent Jonah to Nineveh, what was the ultimatum? God said that he was going to destroy the city, the whole city. Around 40-some thousand people. God’s going to just wipe them all out. they did not do what was right. And so he said, Jonah and Jonah says God’s going to destroy this place unless they got right. I mean they all went down to the altar. They all got right and God spared the city. Jonah was still mad because he knew God was going to do that.

He knew that God would have compassion upon him. Jonah didn’t want God to have compassion. God was going to have compassion and Jonah didn’t want God to. He wanted God to zap him. And God says you got more compassion over that worm that killed that gourd that keeps that heat off of you than you do those people down there. And it ends the story with Jonah being a bitter man, a bitter man in spite of all the people that was going to be destroyed weren’t.

about sudden Gamora. Remember when Abraham says, Lord, if there’s 50 people there, you won’t destroy it. If there’s 50 righteous, God says, I won’t do it for 50. Oh, what about 40? What about 30? What about 20? What about 10? God said, I won’t destroy it for that many. That means that he was going to destroy Sodom Gomorrah. God brought judgment. Is this what’s going on? I don’t know. I’m not God. I don’t have all the answers. But I do believe that God, if he’s in charge, knows what he’s doing.

We may not understand why God picks and chooses like he does. I could not understand. And I mentioned this to Lee Patton down there to his church. Church. I had two great friends. One was Dr. Curtis Hudson and Lee Patton. They both got cancer. One lived, one died. I don’t. God has reasons that He hasn’t revealed to us. But I want you to take your Bible and turn there to the book of Matthew, the book of Matthew in chapter two.

Sometimes God will let his righteous die, but when they die, they go to be with him. So death in the Bible says concerning his saints is a precious thing. The death of his saints is a precious thing in the eyes of the Lord. Think about it. Because the only way you get there is you you got to leave here so death is not something that you and I are supposed to fear. But we do, don’t we? We do. Because we’ve never done it before.

Did God know that Herod was going to try to destroy his son? Was God able to miraculously provide for his son yet? Why didn’t God just kill Herod? If that’s what Herod wanted to do, why didn’t God just, you know of that. There. But God didn’t. There’s some kind of rules in the game of life and death that we don’t really understand totally yet. Like there’s in football, we know the rules. Play basketball, there’s rules. Every sport, there’s rules.

There’s rules concerning marriage, in children. There’s guidelines. There are guidelines to life. God made the rules. And there’s things God will do and God will not do. There’s prayers that God will answer, there’s prayers God won’t. There’s things that God has a four-time agreed upon of what the rules are. And I believe if there’s anybody who plays by the rules, it’s God. And He’s a righteous God. So there’s some things that God is able to do and some things he’s not because of rules.

I don’t know them all. He hasn’t revealed them all. God doesn’t have to. That’s part of the rules. He said the secret things belong at the end of the Lord, something God hasn’t revealed. Now are some things God has revealed? Being warned of God in a dream. get that, been warned of God. Isn’t it amazing that we have the technology today to have satellite system that can warn us about, you know, hurricanes and we can even track the hurricane and watch it on our TVs and see where it’s going to go.

And you know that pretty much they’re able to predict the path of a storm. Where is they think it’s going to hit in the eye of the storm and where is going to pinpoint. Isn’t it amazing of what man has been able to accomplish. And we have warning systems that will help us. Did not the mayor of the city tell the people to evacuate and some people did. Some people didn’t. Maybe some people couldn’t. But most people probably believe it wasn’t going to be that bad.

I believe there’s things in God’s word that God has warned us about. But he makes the statement, he has been warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod. They departed into their own country another way. Why? Because God knew the future. God knew what was going to happen if they faced Herod. They knew Herod’s motive and that Herod wanted to kill that child. So here’s this one child. Why was God to spare this one child and warn his mom and dad so they could take him to refuge a place of safety and God let all these other children and all the coast and all of Bethlehem, God let all of them die.

They all died. What if you were the parent of that child? That was your child? here at Kiel trying to find that one child. If you knew this, how would it make you feel about God? He took your child and left another one, and all God had to do to stop all of that was kill that one guy that wanted to do it. God says that it is He that is able to shape the course of a river and the ways of a king.

God raises up and God puts down. You see, there’s a lot more behind the scenes than what you and I will ever understand. But look what he says in verse 13, When they were departed, behold the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying, rise, take the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt. We have here some of the same stuff that was told down there. But what if Joseph had no faith? God. What if he hadn’t done it?

Well, it might be a different story altogether. We don’t know. He said, flee into Egypt and be thou there until I bring thee word. You go down here and stay there until I tell you to move. He says, for Herod will seek. Herod will seek. What are you going to do? All he wants to worship him. Now, that’s what Herod said. But God knew the real motive of Herod. And God’s not taken by surprise. All this that’s happened is not a surprise nor a shock to God.

It’s to us, those that are living that watch it, see what’s going on, trying to figure out how we could have prevented all of this from happening. Did it ever occur to people that sometimes you can’t prevent some things from happening? You’re not going to stop it. Most of our leaders had never faced anything like this before. Bush ordered the war in Afghanistan and also over there and I write. Did some people question his judgment about jumping the gun and doing so without real evidence of the weapons of mass destruction?

Has he taken any heat from that? Or whenever something else is gonna happen would you think you want to be cautious and be right the next time? So if he had jumped the gun down there and And that didn’t flood, he would have got criticized. If he waits too long, he gets criticized. In other words, the only way he could have done it was at the perfect time. At what point was that and whose judgment? Some people can’t win.

It doesn’t matter what you do. You and I are in the same situation. We don’t always make the right decision all the time. We wish we could. But it won’t work that way. Here he makes the statement, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. Did God know that? In advance? Yeah. What did he want him to do? Wanted him to leave. Yet God could have done something else. And then in verse 40, and when he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, departed into Egypt.

Why did he have to believe by that? Couldn’t God protect his child? God could have protected him. God could have bla- And there’s some places where the Bible says, God did things a different way. God will work different ways in your life. God knows what’s coming tomorrow. What do you think we are told just to trust the Lord without all the explanations? See, we say, well, I don’t mind trusting God if you just tell me what’s going on. God doesn’t tell us all the things that are going on.

and the same catastrophe that is death to the righteous, which is a precious thing in the eyes of the Lord, can be judgment upon the wicked. The Bible tells us in the last days, perilous time shall come, and that God is going to send worse things upon the earth. And he says, there’s going to be famine and pestilence. Just like he knew this about his son and what one man wanted to, God already told us what’s coming. And he describes the tribulation period as the worst time the world has ever known.

There’s never been a time like it. So evidently what we had just seen is nothing compared to what’s coming. Because what’s coming, he says, there’s nothing like it has ever happened. This is perhaps the worst calamity that’s ever hit the American shores. And yet it’s nothing compared to what is right around the corner. Do you believe that America truly is ready for a catastrophic event like that to happen in another major city? Have you noticed that regardless a man has that sinful nature and when given the opportunity how wicked they can become, can Can you believe that there were people that were raping killing people?

Shooting at helicopters trying to get in to help people. And while some people are trying to be heroic and helping, there’s others are just letting the old sinful nature run wild, no control. The Bible talks about the sinful nature of man. And dealing with the character of an individual is what would you do if you had the chance to do it and thinking that you would never get caught up with. What would you do? If you had four or five little kids and they were starving and hadn’t had anything to eat, nothing to drink, and there was a grocery store, and they had food and water on the shelves, would you go get it?

I would in a heartbeat. Yes, I would. And so would you. And there’s things that you’re going to face in life that you’re not going to have all the answers. the answer. But should you charge God foolishly? Just because you don’t understand why God allowed some things to happen. In this world, God is going to allow a lot of bad things to happen. And some of those bad things that will wipe out some wicked people is going to take out some good people right along with them.

But for us, it will be a blessing we get to go to be with the Lord, but for the wicked that wake up in hell.” And look in verse 15, “…and was there until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of by the Lord of the Lord by the prophets saying, out of Egypt, have I called my son. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wrath and what I sent forth and slew, get to all the children that were in Bethlehem.

And in all the coast thereof, from two years old and under, why would God let that happen when he could have just killed one man? God could have killed one man, but God let that man live and wipe out all the children two years old and under. Then he makes his statement in verse 17, then was fulfilled, that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet. Saint Raima there was a voice of her in lamentation and weeping in great morning.

Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they are not. In other words, all these women, God prophesied in the book of Jeremiah about all these women crying and weeping and mourning because their children are dead. did God know it was going to happen? And God allowed him to be slaughtered. Because you see, Herod was stabbing at one baby. He was trying to kill one baby. But we believe that babies, until they reach the age of a kind of a with the Lord.

So they’re in heaven. And the one baby that was kept alive lived to die. because that’s why he came. But not to have a premature death when he’s two years old. God appeared to him and warned him. Look down in verse 22. But when he heard that Arcelias did reign in Judea and the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go hither. Notwithstanding been warned of God in a dream, warned again. Do you think God, miraculously sometimes intervenes, causes one person to think this and somebody else to think that and they make different decisions and they wind up in this place, that one in that place, this one is spared and that one is dead.

You and I will never understand this side of eternity. All the things that God has done and why God has spared you or spared me from some little accident or wreck that we could have been dead by now. Why am I still alive? I haven’t got the clue. I live only by the grace of God and so do you. Let’s just pretend if there is no trucks that can run because of gas and if there is no electricity because they have to have something to produce electricity and all of a sudden there’s no food and there’s no water.

If you have no food, no water, how fast would it take our country to be thrown into a real serious national crisis? And what would you do? How wicked would you get? The next door and date neighbors got food and water and you don’t. You talk about watching people, the ugly side of individuals. Why do you think in the nation of Israel when God told them about they’re going to come and they’re going to put a siege around this city?

you’re going to eat your own children and you’ll boil your own sons. Do and evil things. It’s amazing what we’ll do just to live. We have a lot of reason to be thankful, but we need to be cautious. And we’re not going to have all the answers. And I believe it’d be premature to judge too quickly. There’s some things people can’t think of. They don’t know it’s going to get that bad. There’s things in my life that I thought, well, if I’d have known that, if I’d have known that, well, I’d have known that.

Of course you’d do something different, but you don’t know that. And there’s always somebody who says, well, you should have done. and maybe you should have, but you didn’t know to do it. I believe that majority of people try to make the best decision they can at the moment. And it just don’t, sometimes it’s not the right one that somebody else would have made, or it’s the wrong one. It doesn’t make a person wicked just because they lacked a little knowledge, not knowing sometimes exactly what to do.

I hope that all of you will be in prayer for these people and to hear some of the stories of what happened to someone. And then the other morning I woke up Friday morning, I guess it was Saturday morning. I suppose I’d get up at six, I woke up at four. And for two hours I’d lay there, while I’d wait, I’d lay there and I cried. Coming up the road, I’d come a couple of times to make sure I’m still awake.

And I said, honey, I’d been listening to the news. And I’d stop at a restaurant and got something to eat, got me some coffee. And I couldn’t talk to her for a while. I was just so overwhelmed with all the suffering that was going on. Now, you stop and think. Their misery was terrible. But then to see the misery that you have in this life, and then look further and deeper than that and see, there’s something that’s even worse than all of this.

Then all the food or the medicine or the care that people want to give is where are they going to go spiritually? Do they have eternal life? Do they know the Lord? Were they prepared to die? See, that’s still the most important thing. But I know that Christians are supposed to care, and opposed to have compassion, and try to help people. Let’s pray, shall we? Our Father, once again, we thank You for Your love to us. That Jesus Christ came into this world, wrong no one, and yet suffered cruelly at the hands of wicked people, religious people, and Father was mocked and shamed.

And Father no doubt there’s a multitude of people that had been the astrodome and the Houston, all these areas, and Father the shame that so many of them no doubt had to go through with no facilities and Lord Distench, not taking baths, not being able to eat or to sleep properly, and then watching loved ones die. How horrible that is for so many people, even to see. And I would just pray that you’ll help those that are seeking to help others there, to help to bring some comfort to ease some of their pain.

We ask all of you blessings upon us help us to do right, to do what we can. We thank you for this time together. Bless our service tonight. 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 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 toll-free 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org. and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our home page. If you’re 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 going to our church website, Calvary of Tampa dot org.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. And now a closing thought from Pastor Arden. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Hot up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep looking up.

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. 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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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 1 Peter 2. 1 Peter 2, every one of us as God’s children were born by the Word of God, born by the incorruptible seed. Because the Word of God endures forever, you will endure forever. Because it abideth forever, so will you. Because you were born by the Word of God. Now since you were born by the Word of God in chapter 2 and verse 2 it says as new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby.

It’s one thing to be born into God’s family. It’s another thing to grow in God’s family. You were born into his family when you trusted Christ as your Savior and now because you are his child God wants us to grow. I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Romans in chapter 5. The book of Romans and chapter 5. I want you to know there are some things that will help you in your walk with the Lord.

Say things that will help you to grow. The Bible gives us things to do. He tells us some things not to do. But one thing every Christian needs to be convinced of is that the Bible is the Word of God. the Bible is the sole authority for faith and practice, for what you believe and what you do. So that whatever you believe is in agreement with the Word of God, and whatever you do does not go against the Word of God, so that you know what to think, what to believe, and you know what to do with your life.

Here in Romans in chapter 5 and verse 1 says, therefore being justified by faith, We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. How do we know that we’re saved? Because the Word of God tells us we are. How are you saved by faith? How do you know you’re saved by faith? Because the Bible says it’s by faith and faith alone. It says that a man is justified, made righteous by faith in Jesus Christ alone. And therefore being justified, not that I’m going to be justified someday, I am justified right now.

I’m just as if I have never sinned in the eyes of God. And you and I are supposed to believe that because the Word of God teaches that. You see, you cannot grow as a Christian until you’re sure of your salvation. If you’re always wondering whether you’re saved or whether you’re lost, you can never mature as a Christian. Because those building blocks are based upon the foundation and the foundation is Christ. And if you’re not sure of your foundation, you cannot build as a Christian.

You’ll never mature. you’ll always be a babe in Christ. So you need to make sure that if you trust the Christ as your Savior, you know that you have eternal life and that you’re going to heaven when you die. That is the gift of God. Take your Bible looking first John chapter two, the book of first John and chapter two. And the Bible tells us there in verse 12, I write unto you little children because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.

Every one of us as little children in order to grow and to become mature, you have to understand and believe that God, for Christ’s sake, hath forgiven you of all your sins. And now as a child of God, you should forgive yourself, because sometimes Christians cannot grow because they’re still laboring under a load of guilt and will not forgive themselves. You see, you sinned because you were a sinner. That’s why you sin. You still have a sinful nature, and you’re still going to sin.

You’ll do that today, and you’ll do it tomorrow. But God hath for a Christ’s sake, not because of any great thing you’ve done, but because of what Christ did for you, God can justify you as though you never sin, forgiven you of all of your sins. So you need to understand that and believe that, because that is a foundation upon which you need to build and to grow. Otherwise, you’ll think afterward, okay, I committed another sin, I must be lost.

No God forgave you of all your sin from the time you’re born to the time you die, all of your sins are forgiven because they’re all paid. The only reason God can forgive a sin is because the sin was paid for by Jesus Christ, and you’re simply claiming that forgiveness. Look in the Bible to the book of Colossians in chapter 1. You and I need to understand that we are only pilgrims in this world. only passing through and that one day we are going to be with the Lord in heaven.

And the Bible says in Colossians 1 verse 27, To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you the hope of glory. Glory is the perfection of God. means there’s no sin there. It means that you and I have come short of the glory of God, or short of God’s perfection. So the Bible says when we trust Christ as our Savior, we will one day be glorified.

We’ll have a body that will not have any sin in it whatsoever. We will go into the glory of the Lord into where it is perfect. Heaven is a perfect place. We will enter into that glory. And the Bible tells us that Christ in you is the hope of this joyful anticipation of the perfection that one day you’re going to literally claim and you’re going to be there. But until then, you know you have been saved from hell and you’re saved to heaven.

It’s an incorruptible place, undefiled, reserved in heaven for you. So you were saved from something to something but we have to live in the nasty here and now. That settled, that settle and now what’s causing most of our trouble is the thing that we have to go through now. How do I grow as a Christian? What are some things God tells me that I should do? What are some things that I should not do? Romans chapter 10 looked there in verse 9.

He says that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shall be saved. For with the heart man believeth under righteousness. Remember confessing Jesus Christ to people is not what saves you. It is when you believe with the heart the Bible says man believeth under righteousness. His faith alone is what gets him righteousness. You’re made righteous by your faith. Not what you do. After you trusted Christ as your savior the Bible says confession is made known unto salvation, but not for salvation, because you and I are saved, you and I should confess that.

When you trusted Christ as your Savior, have you ever confessed to anybody that you have trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior? That is something that God does want us to do. And I believe one of the things that helps a person to grow in the Lord is learning to confess Christ at all times in all circumstances, regardless of the trials and tribulations, all the time confessing Christ. In other words, acting like a Christian at all times. It is God’s will that God’s people confess Christ and sometimes by silence if necessary, which would be most difficult for a lot of people.

If you are saved, you should admit it. Do I have to confess Jesus Christ in order to be saved. No, I do not. When the Bible says here in verse 9 that if thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, that was you believe that Jesus Christ, he is the Lord. And you believe that he died and he paid for your sins and came back again from the dead. The only way people can ever hear about that is that somebody who believes that in their heart tells somebody about it.

Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word. So faith is neither even in thy mouth the word which we speak as it’s mentioned there in verse 8. So God wants every one of His children to confess Jesus Christ so that others can hear what God has done for them. Take your Bible and turn to the book of 1st Timothy in chapter 4. The book of 1st Timothy and chapter 4. Every one of us as God’s children are supposed to witness letting other people know what God has done for us.

In 1 Timothy chapter 4, look there in verse 12. In verse 12, says, let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the believers. What are you supposed to do between the time that God saves you and the time that God takes you home to be with Him in heaven? God expects you to be a Christian, live like a Christian, act like a Christian, talk like a Christian in every area of your life until you get home.

That is God’s will. That is a way of you confessing Christ before the world. You’re not to live like the world, think like the world, do the things the world does. God expects His children to be different, to live different, to think different. And therefore you do not look to the world for leadership. You don’t look to the world for guidance. You don’t look for the government to what to do. You’re to look to the incorruptible Word of God.

To find out as a Christian, what does God want me to do? You’re supposed to be the kind of a husband that a Christian husband supposed to be like. to be like. The wife is supposed to live like a Christian wife, a Christian mother, a Christian teenager, a Christian child. On the job, you’re to be a Christian employer or a Christian employee, a Christian in every area of your life at all times. You’re to be a Christian in your trials, your Christian in your tribulations.

Under any circumstance, you’re to live and and think and do like a Christian is supposed to. Why? Because you are a Christian. That’s what you are. And you’re supposed to live that way. In verse 12, let no man despise that youth, but be thou an example of the believers in what? In word? In conversation or behavior? In charity? In love? In spirit? That’s your attitude? In faith? In purity? For how long? Well look what he says in verse 3, till I come.

Now here of course he’s talking about the Apostle Paul when Paul comes and he’s going to minister to that I believe we ought to do it also till the Lord comes or until you leave this world. Take your Bible and turn all the way over there to the book of Matthew and chapter 10. Matthew and chapter 10. Understanding that as a child of God, you and I are commanded by the Lord to live a certain way. There’s things you’re not to do in your life.

Then God says to put off. And he says here in chapter 10, in verse 26, fear them not therefore, and down in verse 28, and fear not them which kill the body. In verse 31, fear ye not therefore ye are a more value than many sparrows. See verse 26 tells you what you are called to do, and that you’re not to be afraid. Down in verse 28, you’re not to be afraid of what people can do to you even if they kill you.

9 verse 31, you’re not to be afraid of thinking that I’m not worth anything. I don’t have much value to me. God can’t use me. I don’t have any talents and I don’t have any ability. God says, you’re not to put yourself down. You are valuable because God thought you were worth it for him to send his son to die for you. If nobody else ever trusted the Lord, but only you, you were worth dying for. God thought you were worth the whole world.

If a man shall gain the whole world and who shall sow, what did it profit the man? So God says, your soul, your one soul, is worth more than all the world, and all the wealth, and all the world. So if God says you’re valuable, you’re valuable. If God says you’re important, you’re important, because it was worth what he did in order to get you. What you’re willing to pay for somebody tells you how much value that it has.

And so God so loved the world. And God’s not a respecter of persons. That means that not one person in this world is worth more than anybody else. But neither is anyone worse less than anyone else. So then he says here in verse 32, Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father, which is in heaven. Is it God’s will that you, while you’re here, you’re supposed to confess Jesus Christ before others. You don’t do that to be saved.

You are saved by your faith, trusting in what he did for you. But when God saved you gave you eternal life and left you here. You are supposed to confess Christ before other people. In other words, you’re to let people know who you belong to. Why do you live the way you live? Why do you think the way you think? Why do you do what you do? And you should make sure that people understand it is for Jesus Christ.

And don’t you be afraid and don’t you be ashamed of saying I am a Christian. I believe in Jesus Christ I know in whom I have believed and I’m not ashamed of that No man should be ashamed of that. Paul says I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ And if you’re not ashamed of it, then preach it If you’re not ashamed of it, tell people about it Or why do you hold back or you’re afraid? Listen, in this world there is nothing that can happen to you.

That’s greater than death. And death is our doorway to heaven. Here he makes the statement, him, while I confess also before my Father, which is in heaven, this is not for salvation. This is for rewards, so that you understand that look in chapter 10 there and look in verse 41. Verse 41, He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s what? Reward and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s Reward and whosoever shall give to drink under one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple Barely I send you he shall in no wise lose his reward Rewards are earned Salvation is free Going to heaven is the gift of God.

It’s not a works. Westini man should boast. I’m going to heaven and go to what he did. Rewards are earned. That’s what God will give to you when you get to heaven. But that’s based upon what you do. So getting to heaven is free. Rewards, something that you have when you get there is a result of what you’ve done for the Lord. So when he’s talking about confessing Christ before man, this is not what you have to do to be saved.

and God have mercy upon all those preachers who are trying to get people to confess Christ before man in order to be saved because the Bible doesn’t teach that. A man does not have to let anybody know who’s trusted Christ is saving. You can trust Christ as your Savior and never let a soul ever know it. But it would be a shame and a disgrace to you if you do so. If the redeemed of the Lord should say so, then you should say so.

Here in Matthew in chapter 10, look again there in verse 33, but whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father, which is in heaven. One of the things that will help you to grow as a Christian is learning to talk about the Lord openly and unashamedly and boldly to anybody. And don’t be afraid of the results. This is why the disciples in Christ, they turned the world upside down, but today we’re afraid or ashamed.

We’re timid or shy. We don’t want to offend anybody. We don’t want to make anybody mad. Why? Why not? I’m an extremist. I like to do whatever the Bible says I’m supposed to do. Do it. If people don’t like it, that’s okay. If they love it, that’s fine. But it should not be because we’ll mean an unkind and rude and crude, but to try to be as wise as we possibly can. But remember when he says here, but if you will deny him before men, him also, my father will deny in heaven.

What’s he gonna deny you? Salvation, he can’t deny you salvation because that was a gift that he gave you without works. But he can deny you rewards that you wanna have. And that’s why he says, if we will serve the Lord down here, God says, by your good work, you’re laying up treasures, treasures in heaven that thieves cannot break through and steal. And moth and rust does not corrupt. It means once it’s laid up, it cannot be lost. That’s why it’s to your advantage to serve the Lord.

And it’s to your disadvantage if you don’t serve the Lord, because it’s cost to you hit blessings now and it’s going to cost you rewards when you get to heaven. You say, what are those rewards? I don’t know and I don’t care. But whatever they are, it will be It’ll be worth it all. It’ll be worth it. Take your Bible now and turn to the book of Psalms, the book of Psalms in chapter 17, the 17th Psalm. Never go to meetings or join in amusements where you would not like the Lord to find you.

You should not say things you don’t want to be saying when the Lord comes and you don’t want to be doing something you shouldn’t be doing when the Lord comes and you shouldn’t be in places you shouldn’t be when the Lord comes. That’s why the Bible says, children, abide in him that when he shall appear, you may not be ashamed before him at his coming. Don’t be ashamed. Now, if you knew when he was coming, oh, maybe you could plan it and get away with it.

But do you know exactly when he’s coming? Do you know the day of the hour when he’s coming? No? So then you ought to just go ahead and do right because you wish you had of anyway. Look there in the 17th Psalm. And notice what he says there in verse four. In verse four, he says, concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips, I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer, realizing that in this world, the world has a path that it travels.

And the world is doing everything he can to lure you into the path that leads to destruction. Satan doesn’t care how he destroys a Christian, just as long as he destroys you. He doesn’t get how he has to ruin your testimony. Destroy your life as long as he wins. You can use a thousand reasons. Well, it was because of some Christians Skydragonlike what they said. I didn’t like this and I watched this movie and I did. The reasons won’t matter.

As long as you quit serving the Lord Satan wins, you lose. And there is a path that leads to destruction and the world is trying to lure you into its path. But there’s another path. You see there in verse five, hold up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps, it not. In other words, there’s two paths. The one that the world walks in and the one that God has for you and you’re the one that determines which path you take.

Every child of God, if you want to grow strong in the Lord and you want to be mature in the Lord, you’re going to have to make up your mind which way do you want to go? Do you want his blessings? And if you don’t make the wise decision, remember this. All the fruit comes from a root and the The root decision is, I will serve God. And then you make all of your decisions in relationship to that one major decision.

If you say, I’m not going to serve a Lord, all of your decisions then are in relationship to that decision. So you have to settle it in your mind. If you really want to grow in the Lord, what am I going to do with my life? I will serve God. I won’t serve God. And your decisions will reveal which one you really want to do. And you can lie and you can cheat and you can deceive and blame and all the rest of it.

Why you didn’t do what God wants you to do. But the only main reason because I did not really want to serve God. Because nobody can make you serve the Lord. And nobody can stop you from serving the Lord if you choose to do so. Take your Bible and turn to the book of Mark chapter 8. The book of manag and chapter 8. a verse here that every Christian needs to understand this is talkingSeveral to a Christian, not talking to a lost person.

He says, or what shall a man give piety for his soul? Now, this is not talking about, you know, what didoğan give up in order to go to hell because you see && 34. When he had called the people unto him with his disciples, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him take deny himself, take of his cross and follow me. This is to the Christian, not about how to get to heaven, but how to live your life.

This is talking about those who already know they’re going to heaven, but now what are you going to do from the time that he saved you? In the time you get to heaven? What are you going to do? You got to make up your mind. He says, for whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel the same shall find him.” In other words, that’s your purpose in living.

If you will do what God wants you to do, you’ll find your purpose in living. It’s why God left you here. Why did God leave you here just to grow? Go to be what? Do what with your life. And then he makes the statement in verse 36, for what shall it profit a man if he gained the whole world and lose his purpose for living? If he He loses his life. He wastes his time. Remember life is what time is made out of.

And when you waste time, you waste life. And you don’t get much of that to live. You only got so many years in which to live. So many years in which you accomplish something for the Lord. If he gains the whole world and you lost your purpose in living, what did it profit? What did you gain? And then he uses this phrase, what shall a man give in exchange for his life? If God tells you, I want you not to forsake the assembling of yourselves together and you do.

Okay, what did you get for it? You traded obedience for disobedience. What did you gain? You exchanged your obedience for disobedience. Or was it worth it? What did you gain by disobeying God? Whatever you gained is temporary because what it cost you was something eternal. Rewards that you would have gained when you got to heaven. The blessings of God upon you now. You exchanged something that was permanent, that was spiritual, that was eternal, and you gave it all up for something that was temporary.

For a moment, have you ever seen a little child and you can offer them a piece of candy for something valuable and they don’t know the value of it? Oh, give me the candy. And that’s the way Christians are. Satan offers you little trinkets and you take them. And yet Satan offered Christ the kingdoms of the world. And he says no. He turned them down. Because he knew the real value. You reveal your wisdom by the decisions that you make, by the life that you live.

You don’t give to God’s work the way you should. You disobey. By your disobey that you exchanged that obedience force up. What did you gain by not doing it? See, I was going to give $50, but I changed my mind and I’m going to keep it for myself and I’m not going to give to God’s work. Okay, you made a choice. You exchanged it. I’ll tell you that $50 is not worth any amount of what you supposedly gained with it and what you can buy with it based upon what you could have done by your obedience to God.

Do you read the word? Do you pray? He said, no. What did you exchange for it? I exchanged my Bible reading for worries. Instead of praying, I worry. of giving your life to the Lord, what did you do with your life? You exchange it for what shall a man give in exchange for his life? See, as a child of God and you want to grow to maturity, that is revealed by the wisdom that you have and the choices that you make.

You have to settle it in your mind. I want God’s best for me. And when you get that clear in your mind, that helps you to make all these other decisions that you need to make. But it all goes back to that. Look in the book of Luke chapter 14. Luke chapter 14, the Gospel of Luke, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. And Luke chapter 14, I want you to notice there in verse 27, he makes the statement similar to what we saw just a moment ago in the book of Mark, but a few things I want to share with you.

In verse 27, and whosoever Jeff not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. Now you can be saved without being a disciple. You can have eternal life because that was a gift. The God gives you that. But you may never serve God. And he says, who so ever, that means it’s a choice. You see, your salvation was a choice. Remember John 3, 16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that, who so ever?

Who so ever? That’s a choice. God doesn’t make people believe. God doesn’t make people reject him. Now out of those who do believe it, God says, whosoever, whosoever will, could have something in those that won’t, they won’t get it. God will use those, they will dedicate themselves that I wanna be a disciple of Jesus Christ. I wanna serve him, I wanna grow, I wanna be what God wants me to be. So then he says here in verse 28, why does some Christians seem like they start off like a rocket and then they fizzle out just as fast?

They never maintain that steadfastness in the Lord. He says, for which of you? And tending to build a tower, it said if not down first, in order to something you ought to do first, sit down and figure out what’s it gonna cost me? And a lot of people are not willing to pay that price for discipleship. You see, salvation costs us nothing. But discipleship will cost you everything. 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 toll free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, Go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re 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 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. I broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryuptampa.org Thank you for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Arden. Friends, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Hot up to meet the Lord in the air.

So live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.

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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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.

Second Corinthians and chapter four. One thing after you trust Christ is your Savior And if you make up your mind to serve the Lord, don’t quit. Always hanging there, always stay at it, never stop, never quit. Satan only has one job. One for the lost is to keep the lost blinded so that they don’t get saved. He only got one main goal for the Christians. That’s to get you to quit serving the God so that you will not do it.

Now he don’t care what means he has to use. The Bible says by all means Satan will do whatever he possibly can to get you to quit. Now you may blame it on somebody else why you’re not faithful or why you don’t do this you don’t do that but it all boils down to a Satan got you to quit. He simply uses people and if he wins he wins he don’t care how he wins as long as he wins.

It won’t matter why you quit as long as you quit you don’t ever want that to happen to you. One is you don’t want to be blinded to the place where you reject Christ as your Savior and spend an eternity separated in hell And then if you have trusted Christ as your Savior, you don’t want to be fooled by Satan into quitting. Now look there in your Bible, the 2nd Corinthians in chapter 4 and look in verse 3. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.

The people in the world can’t see. Why? Because they’re blind. They can’t do any good works because they’re dead. You see dead people can’t do works. You never call upon a dead man to build you a fence or to paint the house. Why? because he’s dead. God doesn’t ask dead people to do anything. They have to be given life first. That’s why whenever you bring the gospel, the gospel is the good news of how a dead man can have life and a blind man can see.

So whenever you explain the gospel and a person understands it, yes, they’re lost and they need to trust Christ as their Savior and the very moment they believe on him and trust him as their Savior. God gives him as a free gift eternal life and God will never cast him out and never lose him. They are God’s children. It says in verse 4, In whom the God of this world blinded the minds of them which believe not. So their minds are blind.

He said, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them. Their only hope is for the gospel to be or gotten to the lost man, the man that’s blind. So somebody has to take it. So God took that treasure, the gospel, looking in verse 7, but we have this treasure in earthen vessels. So we’ve got a job to do in earthen vessels in a body that’s mortal that has aches and pains and yet we’re here to do a divine job.

Satan is going to do whatever he possibly can to get you to quit so that you will not do what you’re supposed to do. Satan wants to ruin your life, ruin your testimony. Whatever it is to get you so busy doing everything else you don’t have time to do what God wants you to do. Then he makes a statement there in verse 8, we are troubled on every side yet not distressed. We are perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken, cast down but not destroyed.

What he’s saying is we’re troubled on every side, but it didn’t quit. He says we are perplexed. He said, but didn’t quit. In verse 9, he says persecuted, but we didn’t quit. Cast down, but we didn’t quit. He says always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus. In other words, the thing that kept us going is that we were always remembering, as he says, always bearing about keeping it in our mind and bear this in mind.

What Christ went through while he was here, Satan did everything he possibly could to get Jesus Christ to quit, not to accomplish what he came for. You see, Satan wanted to get him to sin because if he could sin one time, he could not be the sacrifice for the sins of the world. Satan knew that. That’s why Christ had so many people trying to do so many things to Him, get Him, try to get Him so discouraged or try to get Him to sin, to get angry, to get mad, to do something that would violate Him being the sacrifice on the cross for us.

And even at one time He prayed, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but thy will be done. So it didn’t matter what means Satan had to use. His goal was to stop Jesus Christ from getting to the cross and pay in first sin. He didn’t understand all of it and he thought he had victory but we’ll discuss that in just a moment. But he says here persecuted but he didn’t quit. Cast down but didn’t quit.

Paul had everything happened to him, trying to get him to quit and he would not quit. See why wouldn’t he quit? Well because of several things. You’ll notice there in verse 14, knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise us up also. If you take my life, it doesn’t matter because the same one that raised up Jesus from the devil also bring me up from the death. He said, I’m not worried about it. Not worried. I will not quit.

I won’t quit. When he makes a statement in verse 15, for all things are for your sake. He says another reason I won’t quit. He says for your sake. Because you need me. I have a message to preach. I have a purpose in living When the decision came at one time where the Bible says in the book of Philippians Paul made the statement he says I am in a twix between two. I have a desire to depart and to be in heaven He says which is far better.

He says but it’s more needful that I remain here for you In other words, that’s better for me, but not for you God didn’t leave you here just for you. He left you here so that you could be used as a blessing to other people because you have a hidden treasure in an urban vessel and the people are blind and the only hope is for the light of the Gospel to be gotten to them. Does Satan stop you? you?

Are you a witness for the Lord? Are you a testimony? Do you give the light of the gospel? Do you tell people how to have eternal life? Do you ever witness for the Lord? If not, you think of this. Why not? Why did you quit? Why haven’t you obeyed God’s voice? That is the one thing that God wants us to do more than any other single thing you could ever do in your life is to witness to somebody else.

If you haven’t done so, it’s because Satan got to you that calls you to quit. What was it? Why do you quit? Or if you ever was a soul winner, are you now a soul winner? Did you stop? What happened? Now, I know that. He also makes the statement there in verse 15, for all things are for your sake, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redown to the and here’s another reason for the glory of God is because your God wants you not to quit he wants you to always abound in the work of the Lord always abounding never stop never quit I don’t like quitters the Bible says a man that put his hands to the plow and look it back is not fit for the kingdom of God.

Don’t quit. Never stop. Now notice down here in verse 17, for our light affliction which is but for a moment, work it for us. He says it’s also for us. In other words, it’s not just because, well, he was raised from the dead. So will I. Not only for your sakes, not only for God’s sake, But he also says, for my own sake, he said because of the light afflictions that I go through down here, works for me a far more eternal weight of glory.

When you get to heaven, God is going to reward you for everything that you have ever done for Him. And you can’t lose that. So that’s why, why endure down here? You see, we don’t endure anything to get to heaven because going to heaven is a gift. You don’t earn it, you don’t work for it, you don’t buy it, you don’t have to endure anything. You don’t have to worry about being in trouble on every side and perplexed and persecuted and cast on.

That has nothing to do with becoming a Christian. Becoming a Christian is simply you except in Christ as your Savior and He gives you eternal life as a gift. But as a child of God, God has so much He wants to do for it. That’s why He left us. here. He said, I have taken this treasure, the knowledge of how to go to heaven, placed it into earthen vessels. Every person in this room who knows Christ is Savior has had this treasure placed in an earthen vessel.

Now, because it’s an earthen vessel, it’s a body of flesh. We’re weak. We get disappointed. We get discouraged. We get cast down. We get persecuted. All those things trying to get you to quit. Satan’s only trying to stop that treasure the light of the glorious gospel from shining to anybody else. He doesn’t care how he does it. He doesn’t care how he stops you just as long as he stops you. Some of you know that the Apostle Paul relates many times to sports and the teaching of God’s Word.

And over and over again he talks about these sports. I want you to look at one. Look there in the book of 1 Corinthians in chapter 9. He talks about running a race. So we know that he’s talking about runners in a race. He also talks about boxing. Look there in verse 26, I therefore so run, not as uncertainly so fight I, not as one that beateth the air, but I keep under my body. That means that I buffet my body.

In other words, he’s saying like every day when I get up, I buffet my body. like I take my fist and give myself a black eye. Like I beat my body and let my body know my body will not control me. My body is gonna be in subjection to me. My body is gonna be my tool. My body will not control and dominate me. It’s gonna be my servant and not my master every day that you live. That body of yours is either gonna be your servant or your master.

And that’s why Paul says I buff it myself. He says, like, give it myself a black eye to the netlet. My body knows it’s not going to rule me. He says, because I don’t want to quit. When I run the race, I don’t want to quit. How long ago did you start your race? When did you trust Christ as your savior? When you trusted Christ as your savior, you were given a course to run. A course to run. How have you been running?

Have you been jogging, sprinting? Have you quit, sit on the sidelines? Are you involved or doing nothing? That’s something you have to decide why haven’t you begun the race? And if you did begin the race, how are you doing? Are you still running? Are you giving it all that you have? Or had you quit? It’s easier on the sideline. It’s not much pressure on the sideline. But in the race, yes, there’s a battle, and you get beat up on.

You get bruised, and you get hurt. You get persecuted, you get cast down, you get perplexed. But never quit, never quit. Go back there to the book of 2 Corinthians in chapter four. Many of you know the sport of wrestling. I remember years ago I had a first cousin of mine. Grady was my first cousin. And we were in Atlanta, Georgia. I mean, Betty had just been married, short period of time. He was only a few years older than I was, but he says, I’m gonna be a wrestler someday.

And he would get in front of that mirror, and he would flex those muscles of his, and he’d turn around, and he would flex, you know, and he’d sew the ripples in his shoulders, and he had a physique, and I looked like a rail, and he was so big and strong. And he said, I’m gonna be a wrestler someday, and I thought, sure you are. Sure you are. Well, the next thing I heard about him, he went by the name of Crazy Luke Graham.

And he was a wrestler. And he did make it big time. Went all the way to the top. Crazy Luke Graham. Sometimes he was a dirty wrestler, but all I know is he did do what he said he was gonna do. But when you wrestle, they always have it, you know what, two out of three falls, and they may get you pressed, but they haven’t got you pinned until you got both shoulders down on the mat. And how many times I’ve watched him and they’ll get that guy and he’d get him down on the mat and they’d bring him up over and they try to pin that guy down there and he’d get that referee go, bam!

And he pulls up that shoulder. And they’ll hold it back down. Bam, bam. I got it back up in time. He’s pressed, but he ain’t panned until they’ve done it three times. Anybody ever watched the wrestling? My aunt sitting in her trailer down here in Crawford loves that Saturday night wrestling. And as she said to all excited, get all worked up and she’d be like she was in the ring with those guys. And I said, ain’t I lean? I said, most of that is a real, real, real.

It’s a lot of a showman stuff. She says it’s real and boy did they’re getting and she would jump in here But then she would holler and she would yell and she would go through the excitement sitting in her chair Watching it on TV and why she was watching she died of a heart attack I had a funeral But the thing is is you saw that guy and he jumps off the rope and he lands on them And they bounce up to a three feet and they get down there and you always notice that the referee always seemed to be looking the other way When the guys over here doing something dirty to the guy And you’re trying to get him panned and you wonder how does he manage to get that last bit of energy that get that shoulder up just at the last minute right

before that third count that’s wrestling. When you come to football and most people in here love football don’t you? I love football I love to watch football but sometimes when they give the ball to the fullback or the half-back and he gets ready to run and there’s no hole. It closed up the hole. What should he do? He’s perplexed. What should he do? Well if I was in you know what I’d do and I saw all those guys coming at me.

I’d go the other way. If I had that ball and saw Ken guys coming at me you know what if you want the ball you could have the ball. I don’t want the ball. One time they run this one play and the full back was smashing so they carried him off the field. So the coach said, send it another guy. So he sent another guy. After that plate they carried him off the field. He said, Leroy, you get in there.

Leroy ran in there. They’d not give Leroy that ball. They went in there and they threw a pass. They carried that guy off the field. Coach, I’ll give that ball to Leroy. So they threw another pass. Here that guy off the field When it came off the field he says why did you give that ball a Leroy? He said Leroy didn’t want that ball You’re a child of God Satan mean and love he plays dirty He’s out to hurt you and you’re saying I don’t want the ball.

I don’t want to get involved I don’t want to get hurt. I don’t want to get persecuted. I don’t want to get cast down. I don’t want to be perplexed I want to play safe I don’t want to do anything. And yet many times the guy will be given the ball. And it seemed like there’s no hope of getting through, but he runs and he runs straight and he follows his blockers hoping that a hole will open up when he gets there.

I may times you’ve ever watched boxing. I love to watch boxing too. I think boxing ought to be outlawed. I think it’s a disgrace for two men to stand in a ring and beat on each other. black and blue and their goal is to knock another man senseless and to put him on the canvas. I think it’s a shame to have in our country and I think it ought to be stopped but until they do I’m going to watch everyone that I possibly can.

I love boxing. As long as it’s not me they’re hitting. I love to watch it. I love to watch guys get at it. But listen, a man be maybe knocked down but not knocked out. I’ve watched many of men who are knocked down and it seems like they ought to quit and won’t quit and get back up, get a second win and go at it again. Not down, but not knocked out. Press, but not pen. And it’s so important to realize that the Bible uses many such terminology concerning sports to help us to understand the Christian life because that’s what it’s about.

not quitting. Don’t give up. You see, we’re in something a lot bigger than any kind of sports program going on. Your very life itself is more important than basketball or football or wrestling or anything you want to name. The battle that you have to face every day. Don’t quit because somebody’s trying to get you to quit and don’t care how they do it. But whatever means possible, you always hang in there. Never quit. Never stop. Always keep that You ever seen somebody running?

Now remember whenever we started running, you haven’t gotten in shape yet, and after a while your calves are painting, your side is killing you, you can’t hardly breathe, and you want to just quit. Or you run until you vomit. Run until you vomit. Get so sick you can’t stand it. Just always one step. I can handle one step. The longest journey begins with a single step. I don’t have to run a mile. I just got to run one step.

Always one step more. One step. Just like you ought to take your dictionary and cut out the word I quit. Never quit. Never stop serving God. And don’t let anything stop you. But you know, even when you run, side is pain in you and you don’t like you have any more air, Bye. you don’t know what you’re going to do, one step after the other. And you may fall back at times even in running. But don’t quit the race.

Don’t quit the race. And don’t get discouraged because somebody’s passing you and somebody’s accomplishing more than you. Don’t worry about their talents and their abilities and all that. You just do the best you can do with what God’s given you to do and never quit. But it makes a statement there, we are troubled but I didn’t quit yet not distressed. This is the same terminology as used for wrestlers when they say pressed but not pinned. Press but not pinned.

Troubled and tied down on every side but every time it seems like you’re gonna lose you pull Pull up that shoulder and you don’t quit. Don’t lose the match. We are perplexed but not in despair. Perplexed but Paul says we didn’t quit, we didn’t quit. Do you ever get troubled and think that’s good reason to quit? Now let up. I know people that have surgery and then just give up. No more hope, no more will to live. Don’t be like that.

Always fight, always fight. Don’t lay down and feel sorry for yourself. The work to get up, to go, never stop, always hanging in there, never quit. For flex but not in despair. It’s like many times you as a Christian, God’s giving you the ball. Says run. And as you looked, you say, there ain’t no hole for me to run through. And all I see is giants coming at me. But you’re to believe that if God is on your side, if God is running interference for you, God will make a way and God will make a whole.

And you don’t care how bad it seems, how hopeless it seems, but you and God are a majority and you and God can beat anything or anybody and hang in there, believing that and run straight toward the problem trusting that God will open up a way by the time you get there. Just like in football. He says persecuted, but not forsaken. Persecuted, but not forsaken. Persecuted, but it didn’t quit. Persecuted, falling behind, but I’m still in the race. I’m not forsaken.

I’m still here, and I’m still running. Maybe I’m not as fast as I used to be, but I haven’t quit. and you always keep prodding, always keep running, never stop. He says they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible crown. You have something that’s a lot better than anything that any man will ever get down here, because yours is coming when you get to heaven. Your race isn’t over yet. Cast down, but not destroyed. It’s the same principle of being knocked down, but you’re not knocked out.

out. There’s no crime to be knocked down. The shame is when you stay down. Get up, get up. And don’t go through life feeling sorry for yourself, having pity parties for yourself, and crying over spilt milk. What gone is gone today is a new day and take each day one at a time, one day at a time. One lady was not expected to live. Doctor says, there’s no hope for you to live.” She said, Lord, just help me to live this day.

And she lived that day. The next morning she says, God help me to live this day. And she lived that day. And she kept on until she lived 20 years longer than the doctor said she’d ever live. Why? Don’t quit. Don’t give up. Give everything you have to God and let God use you and bless you. Never Let me share this with you. There is a big fence, big wall, iron gate inside of that wall was humanity. All the people of the world.

All on the inside of this big wall. There’s a big gate and gate. And all those people inside that wall are all suffering. They’re all suffering in such misery. And they’re standing at the gate, justice. Justice is standing there. And there’s no smile in his face. He’s just justice. That’s what he is. Mercy comes up. And she sees through the iron gate the mass of humanity and all the people and all their misery and all their woe. And mercy says to justice, can I have an opportunity to go into those people and show them some kindness and some compassion.

I want to show mercy. And justice stood there and says, no, mercy cannot go past this iron gate. Those people have sinned, and the law says they must pay, and all of their misery is the result of sin. And I am justice, and they’re getting what they deserve, because the law says, and mercy cries out, oh please let me go into the people. I want to have compassion upon the people. I want to help the people and justice says no way they can you can go in there.

Justice says either they die or justice dies but they both cannot live because the law says they send and they must pay and justice is the fulfillment of the law and justice cannot be done away with unless you do away with the law and the law cannot be done away with unless you do away with the punishment and so mercy sits outside the wall the iron gate and weeps. So angels come along and one angel steps forward and says, as he looks, says the Son of God, and says, the justice, can I pay their debt?

Can I pay what they owe? And so, justice says, the law has condemned because of their sin. And Jesus Christ was willing to pay all all their sins, to satisfy the rightistic demands of the law so that justice is not violated, so that God can be just and the justifier of all of those people that will believe that what Christ did was for them. And only because Christ was willing to pay for their sins could mercy be shown to the people, and they could be set free.

You see, what you and I deserve is eternal separation from God in hell. Mercy can be shown to us by us not getting what we deserve because Jesus Christ died and paid for our sins. Satan wanted to do everything he could to keep Jesus Christ fulfilling the demands of the law. That’s why Christ was made unto the law, that he might pay the penalty for all those people that went inside that wall behind that iron gate because God demanded justice.

And because of what Christ did, that gate can be open and everybody can receive mercy, but only because they believe that what Christ did was for them. 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 Bible 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. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the link below on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our home page. If you’re 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 going to our church website. Calvary of Tampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Arden. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Hot up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.

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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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.

The book of Hebrews, chapter 8. I want to speak on the two covenants, the two covenants. You might hear them call the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Old Contract, the New Contract, the dispensation of law, the dispensation of grace. But there are two covenants in the Word of God, Especially these that are using the Bible to explain some things to you and I. If you’ll notice there in your notes that I gave to you, you’ll notice under old covenant, established upon man’s performance.

The new covenant established upon Christ’s performance. So one is ours and the other is his. The law, the Old Testament, the old contract, the old covenant that God made with man, the nation of Israel in particular, and gave them the law was based upon Israel obeying the law. And what they said was that whatever God commands us to do, we will do it. So that was a covenant, but it was based upon man’s performance. Man had to perform. He had to keep the law.

And if he didn’t keep the law, if he broke it, he was to pay the penalty. And if he didn’t want to pay it personally with his own life, then he had to offer the proper sacrifices. There were some crimes that they could commit, and a sacrifice would not atone for it. There were many of the laws that demanded the death penalty for breaking God’s law. And so the people were not too excited about this. Living under the law was not a joyful thing because the people were not able to perform, live up to the standard.

The bar was raised too high. And so for 1500 years, no one ever kept the law. No one ever kept the law. And so people have died for the last 1500 years up to the time of the cross without having kept the Ten Commandments without obeying the law. Now the New Testament is different. The New Testament is a new contract. It’s a different will. And God made it based upon His Son. son Jesus Christ would come and he would perform and he would make a covenant with us based upon what he will do.

The law was based upon what we had to do and we could not perform. No man ever has and so therefore to be under the law killed but to be under Christ under grace makes alive. It’s a totally different thing. Here in the book of Hebrews in chapter 8, I want you to look there in verse 6. In verse 6, it makes a statement, now, when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.

But into the second went the high priest once alone every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the heirs of the people. The Holy Ghost is signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing, which was a figure for the time then present in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service Perfect, as pertaining to the conscience.

So there was a covenant that God had made with the people. The people were not able to be made perfect by the sacrifices that were made. When you read the book of Hebrews, you will find there’s several things mentioned in here and it’s talking about making an individual perfect. If you’ll notice there in Hebrews chapter 7, look down in verse 19. He says, for the law made nothing perfect. And to go to heaven, you and I have to be perfect.

Well, the law couldn’t make you perfect. If a person really understands this, nobody would want to live under the law. No one would trust in their good deeds to get them to heaven. Nobody would trust their righteousness. If a person really understands what the law says, everybody would trust Christ as their Savior and not try to earn their salvation by their good deed because the Bible says the law made nothing perfect. Now look there also in Hebrews in chapter 5 and notice what it says in verse 9, and being made perfect Jesus Christ.

He was made perfect. He became the author of eternal salvation, the word eternal salvation and the word perfect could be the same. You see in order to be eternal you have to be perfect. And that’s why to go to heaven we have to be perfect, to have eternal life. Because the wages of sin is death and so sin brings death. So for us to have eternal life we have to be perfect. How does a man get to be made perfect?

law could not perform. I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Galatians and Chapter 4. Galatians and Chapter 4, Galatians and Chapter 4, there is an allegory that’s used by the Apostle Paul trying to help the Galatian Christians to understand why they could not keep the law to be saved or to keep their salvation once they were saved. So the law was not to be saved by and nor after you are saved are you supposed to try to keep the law in order to keep your salvation.

Both are wrong. Look what it says there in verse 22. Now referring to an Old Testament individual, he is using a story of a man, two wives, two children to teach the difference between between lawribune grace. Remember, every church today has to either teach salvation is by grace or it’s by works. See the one way or the other. Think of how many churches are, it’s either by grace or it’s by works and they’re teaching one way or the other.

It cannot be both ways. Grace means without works, works means without grace. So when we say it’s by grace means that weavorite free. There’s nothing that man has to do to save himself. In verse 22, look what he says, for it is written that Abraham had two sons. One by bond made, the other by a free woman. So there was two children that were born. And Ishmael was born by Hagar, was a bond slave. And the other one was by Sarah intrigues his wife.

But the first one was by the slave. But he who was in the verse 23 of the bond woman was born after the flesh, but he of the free woman was by promise, means by faith. So there is a child by law and there is a child by grace. And these two children are a type of law and grace. Hagar was a slave, so her son was a slave. And because Sarah was a free woman, she wasn’t a slave, she was the wife.

Her child, born by a promise from God, was a faith child, born by faith. When she was 90 years old and Abraham was 100 years old. That’s a miracle child. So there was one child that was born as a slave, had no rights to claim anything from Father Abraham. Though Abraham was the father, but he was not considered a legal son, Isaac was. And And so you have these two children, but the flesh was born before the Spirit. You and I, when we’re born in this world, our flesh birth was born first.

And then when you heard the good news you were born by. Faith and became a child of God free. You’re not under Bonnet. You’re not under the law. Your first birth was under the law. Your second birth is not under the law. And if you ever understand it and become that clear picture in your mind, it’ll help you as you go through the Bible and understanding this. Now look what he says there in verse 24, which things are an allegory, characters or types.

For these are the two covenants, the one from Mount Sinai, which gender to bondage, which is Hagar. So look up here. There was in the Old Testament, Moses, Mount Sinai, the law. You have a different story in the New Testament. You have Christ, Mount Calvary, a new birth. And this one is free. This one is not under the law. So there were two covenants, two agreements that God had made. And then he makes the statement in verse 24, 5, for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, an answer to Jerusalem which now is in his in bondage with their children.

In other words, this is a type of the people that are born into the world. They are a type of the flesh, first birth, that fail to keep the righteousness of God. They could not keep the law. So they have all sinned and none of them can inherit what God the Father has. Or at this point Abraham, their father, had. Only those who are the true seed in verse 26. But Jerusalem, which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all.

For it is written, rejoiced, thou barren, that beareth not, break forth and cry, thou that travaileth not for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.” Now the words, Hagar didn’t have a husband. She was a handmade slave, but she has a lot more children than Sarah who was the wife. Even today, how many nations are there of the Arab nations, about 13 nations. How many nations are there of Israel?

One nation. Are the Israelites outnumbered? Are they outnumbered? Are there more Arabs than Jews? Yes, there are. And so this is what it’s talking about then. Are there more people who are children of the flesh, then there are that are children of God. Because everybody born into the world is a child of the flesh. But out of those who have trusted Christ as Savior, there’s a fewer number that are the children of the Spirit. So there’s a flesh birth and a spirit birth.

When I was born into the world, I received my flesh birth. When I trusted Christ as my Savior, I received my spirit birth, my new birth, born of God. This one can’t sin. This one is born and created in Christ Jesus. Perfect. This one cannot sin. If you can’t sin, it cannot die. That’s why once you trust Christ as your Savior, your child of God for how long? Forever. And so whenever you physically die, the flesh will die and you will never die from the first birth that will, but the second birth can’t die.

That’s why Christ says, if a man dies yet shall he live and those that believe in me shall never die. That’s talking about the second birth. So it’s a tremendous portion of Scripture. Look there in verse 28. we brethren as Isaac was are the children of the promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit. Is it the Arabs that are persecuting the Jews or is it the Jews that are persecuting the Arabs?

Arabs are persecuting the Jews. It’s always been that way. It’s never stopped. This was true then. And now here you are you You have a flesh birth and you have a spiritual birth. Which one persecutes which one? The flesh is always persecuting. You have a flesh nature that will always try to destroy you. But you have a new birth and you can become spiritually stronger than the flesh birth if you will obey God. And then you can have victory in the Christian life.

Many of God’s people never have Christian victory. They’re always defeated because, you see, they try to… Feed both of them. See your flesh birth has desires and your new birth has desires. These are the desires of God that feeds upon the word of God. And these desires are the desires of the things of the world. And these desires are misleading. And you can spend your whole life fulfilling these desires instead of these desires. But if you try to satisfy both, you can’t get victory and you’ll battle all the days of your life.

You have to commit one to the other. That is a tremendous battle that you and I face. He says in verse 31, so then brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free woman when you trust the Christ as your Savior. Now look there at your notes again. Number two, Moses is a mediator of the law. That is found in the book of Galatians where the Bible says in chapter 3 that God had a mediator. This law was brought down and given by angels to God’s men, Moses, and the people says we don’t want God to talk to us directly.

The thundering that they heard scared them to death. Just being near that mountain that was radioactive. The Bible says if any man touched it, it’d be shot through darts. They were scared of God. They didn’t want to see God, talk to God, nothing like that. They said, you talk to Moses and let Moses talk to us, but we don’t want to talk to God. The people were afraid. Now when it comes to the new covenant, we have access unto the Father through who?

Through Jesus Christ. Look at this very quickly. You need to see this. First Timothy chapter two. 1 Timothy chapter 2 and notice there in verse 5, if you do not have it underlined in your Bible, I would underline it. It’s a tremendous verse. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. There is only one. In other words, you don’t go through no woman, no other priest, nobody. You go to God through Christ and that’s the only way you get there.

Christ says, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. That’s the only way. There is no other way. Anybody who teaches something other than that is teaching contrary to the Word of God. The Bible is our authority. You have to go by what the book teaches. Look now in Hebrews, chapter seven. Look there in verse 23. Hebrews, chapter seven, verse 23. Under the law in the Old Testament, There were many priests, and the reason there were many priests is because there were many people, and many people, many priests because many people who sinned had to offer many sacrifices.

And one priest couldn’t handle everything, so they had many priests. Not only was that a problem, but the priest after a while, guess what they did? They died. They died. So because they died, another priest would have to do it. And when that priest died, another one had to do it. So look there in verse 23, notice what it says, and there truly were many priests because they were not suffered or permitted to continue by reason of they kicked a bucket.

They died. That’s why they couldn’t continue. They were an eternal. They didn’t have everlasting life here. And so that’s why the priest There had to be many of them and a chain of succession all the way back from Aaron. Aaron was Moses’ brother, but he was made a high priest of the tribe of Levi. Now if you look over there at the other one concerning Jesus Christ, under the new covenant, look at Hebrews 724, one priest in verse 24, but this man, now in contrast to the many priests in the Old Testament in verse 24, but this This man, Christ, because he continues for how long?

In other words, he is eternal. Half an unchangeable priest. In other words, he can’t forever make intercession for all of us, from now on, forever. And therefore, we only needed how many high priests? Only one. Because he has an unchangeable priesthood. He can’t die. He continues forever. He’s not like those in the Old Testament. The other thing, look there in Hebrew 7 and verse 27. Hebrew 7 and verse 27, an inferior priesthood. Not only was there a problem with the priest, but they were inferior, and here’s why.

Who referred to these priests, these interceders in the Old Testament, need if not daily as those high priests, who offered up sacrifices first for his own sins, and then for the peoples. So these Old Testament priests had to offer a sacrifice not only for the people, but for somebody else too. Who was that? Themselves. Why? Because they were sinners. They were no better than the people that they offered the sacrifices for. See, there’s people the day they consider themselves priests and they like to act as the go between between God and the people and so forth.

This is what they had in the law. that God says, that was inferior. What I have in my belief is far superior to anything that they had in the Old Testament. You and I have a high priest, Jesus Christ, who forever live it, make it the intercession for us. And also notice there at number four under New Covenant, a superior priesthood. Hebrew 726 says, for such and high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from what? Separate from the sinners.

Who would this be? That’s Jesus. Jesus Christ, he is not like those people in the Old Testament. Jesus Christ, when he interceded to God on our behalf, wasn’t a man like you and I. He was holy, he was perfect, He was separate from sinners. And he ever lived to make an intercession for us. I think this to me is awesome, awesome stuff. Now in the Old Testament, what did they use as a payment for sin? It was the animal, the blood of animals, but the animals could not take away sin.

The blood of animals was corruptible blood. It couldn’t pay for sin. And God never gave it to pay for sin. It was only a type of an innocent life paying for somebody else’s life. And it was a type until Jesus Christ came who was the embodiment of all those Old Testament types. They were the shadow of the real thing. Jesus Christ was coming to make this total payment for all the sins of all the world. So number five under the New Testament, the New Covenant is the blood of Jesus Christ was incorruptible blood.

And you can read that in the book of Peter. Look in Hebrews chapter nine and verse 25. Hebrews chapter nine and verse 25. In the Old Testament, the high priest had to continually offer these offerings. And this is what people are doing today. You see the, all this continuing stuff that doesn’t work. That’s what you have by people who go to church continuously. They go to church every Sunday and it won’t save them. They give money every week and it won’t save them.

And they pray and it doesn’t save them. They do all these good deeds and they may even sacrifice do so much all to no avail. It will not save them. And yet there’s multitude of churches that are doing just that. There may even be somebody here at Northside Baptist Church that’s doing the very same thing. You can hear what I’m saying and still never hear a word of what I’m saying. Wouldn’t that be a terrible thing that when it’s all over with and we get to heaven and we say, well, we’re so and so and we’re so and so we’re so and so.

Well, they came to church all that they heard it a thousand times. You know, they never did really trust Christ as their Savior. They were believing that all those good things was going to help. They never really trusted the Lord. They thought that they’re good life, their attendance, and they meant well, and they were sincere. Like all of that, it helped a little bit. like I’m going to be good just in case of then you can’t, you’re not trusting Christ.

You can’t do that. You can’t play a game with God. Christ says you either trust in me and only me. Or you don’t have my salvation and you will not get eternal life and you will not be saved. You cannot trust your works. All of this that I’m talking about now, all these scriptures and Hebrews and all these Old Testament times, is all trying to tell you to make sure you do not think that you have to continually keep doing good things in order to get to heaven.

And if you don’t, you’re not going to make it. I can save you a lot of time. You can’t earn eternal life. You cannot work for it. You cannot buy it. Look at Hebrews 925, nor yet that we should offer himself, he should offer himself often as the high priest entered into the holy place every year with the blood of others. Every year they had to do this. But God says that Jesus Christ didn’t have to do that like they did.

And then he makes this statement. They’re in chapter nine and verse 28, looking verse 28. So Christ was, and you ought to underline this in your Bible, once offered to bear the sin of many, and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. In other words, the second time he comes, he’s not coming to pay for sin. That’s not why he’s coming. He’s not gonna come back again to pay another payment because he paid for all the sin all at one time, that time that he did come.

Hebrews chapter 10 and verse four, I want you to see this. Hebrews chapter 10 and verse four. The blood of the animals in the Old Testament only covered sin. It was called an atonement. It means at one mint, it is a covering. It does not take it away. It only appeased God’s anger upon the sin, looking forward to the day that Jesus Christ would come to the cross and make a complete payment for all the sin. And a person made these sacrifices, not trusting in them for salvation, but as a sign of their faith, that they were believing in a sacrifice that one day would come, and they were axial obedient.

But no sacrifice ever saved anybody in the Old Testament. The Bible says here in verse four, for it is not possible, get that. It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sin. So if this is true, then we know that nobody in the Old Testament was ever saved because they offered up blood sacrifices, because he says it’s not possible that the blood of bulls and goats can take away sin. Isn’t that true?

And then what is said? He just said right there, not one person in the Old Testament after 1500 years was ever saved because they offered all those sacrifices. They were not saved that way. Every man’s always been saved the same way by faith. They look forward to the Messiah or a payment being made, and simply trust in Jehovah. We are saved looking back that the payment has been made. So we’re both saved by faith on different sites of the cross.

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 toll-free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s These are any previous Bibleline program.

Go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage. If you’re 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 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, Calvary of Tampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Art.

Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound and we will be changed. Hottop have meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon 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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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 wanna speak to you on understanding our own terminology. A lot of times we say things!. People don’t understand. And we confuse people. Jesus made the statement feed my sheep. He didn’t say feed my giraffes. It means put the food down on the bottom shelf so everybody can understand it. Here in the book of Romans in chapter 8. Romans in chapter 8. The word adoption. The word adoption is used in the Bible. several places. But when it used in the Bible, what does it mean to be adopted?

Now, in the physical realm, in our time, we know that if you adopt some child, it’s not really your child, it’s somebody else gave birth to the child and you adopted it into your family. But when it comes in the Bible, what does it mean? Well, here in the Bible, it makes a statement in Romans in chapter 8. It makes the statement that we are going to be adopted and we’re waiting for the adoption which the Bible says to it the redemption of our body.

So look there in verse 23 and not only they but ourselves also which have the first fruits of the Spirit even we ourselves grown within ourselves waiting for the adoption to it the redemption of our body. There are several things about this adoption that’s use in the Bible. It’s also a reference to when you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior. You were born into God’s family and you were removed from your first birth to your second birth. You were removed from the curse of the law and made free from the curse of the law.

So it is you being moved from a child of the devil under the law and now you are a child of God. Though you are born into God’s family, you have been placed into God’s family as his son. So it is the placing of a child of God into God’s family. Now that takes place the very moment that you and I trusted crisis our Savior. Now we are still waiting for the day in which we will literally have the adoption from this world and we will be moved from here and placed there and we become the mature sons of God and we will know even as we are known and we’ll all be spiritual up in heaven because we won’t have the old flesh nature.

As a child of God, we have been adopted into God’s family by the new birth. So that’s something that happens when you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior. The day is coming when God is going to move us from this world into his family and therefore he says here in the last part of verse 23, waiting for the adoption to it the redemption of our body. That means the body is going to be removed from this world, it’ll be changed in a moment, the twint on of an eye if the Lord should come back in our lifetime and will be caught up to meet the Lord.

So number one is letter D, the act of God whereby one who is already a child is placed in the position of an adult son. Now I want you to turn your Bible to the book of Ephesians in chapter one, the book of Ephesians and chapter 1. Look there in verse 5. The Lord says that the very moment you trusted Christ as your Savior, you became His child because… God has from the foundation of the world predetermined that all those who believe in Christ will be made just like Christ.

You will become His child. You will have eternal life. You will be without spot. You will be without blemish. You will be perfect and pure and holy. But here in the book of Ephesians in chapter 1, look in verse 5, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself. So you were not only born of God, but you have been given to Christ, adopted into his family. We have become not only a child of God, but we’re now Christians, placed into his family.

That took place the very moment you and I trust the Christ as our Savior. And when he says here, having predestined it, and in other words, that is an act of God. Predestination is an act of God. For knowledge is an attribute. That’s what he has. He has for knowledge. He knows the end from the beginning. But that doesn’t mean that’s what he does. God may know that tomorrow you’re going to rob the 7-11 store. But that would be sin.

That would be wrong. So God didn’t make you do it. though God may know what you’re going to do. So just because God knows something doesn’t mean God planned it. Not everything that we do is the will of God. If you reject Christ as your Savior, that’s not the will of God. If you as a child of God do not serve God, that’s not the will of God, but God will allow you to defy Him. But if you do, it is the will of God for Him to chasten you.

He said, according to the good pleasure of his, well, in other words, this is what places God did not ask you if he could do this. This is something that he did and he determined to do before you and I were ever born. He determined that all those who believe will become his child, place it to his family, and go to heaven whenever we die. That’s how I know I’m going to heaven because he determined that. It’s not based upon my good works because he determined it wouldn’t be based upon my good works.

book of Romans in chapter 4. As we look at what the word faith means because some people think that faith is the gift of God. Faith is not the gift of God because faith is the ability to put your confidence or your trust in something, someone. And so all of us can trust something. We can depend upon somebody. You reason you turn on the light switch at home is because you believe that if you do, the light will come on.

That’s faith. Or you put the keys in the car. Why do you do that? Because you believe that if you turn that key, that motor’s supposed to start. So you can demonstrate faith all the time. Well, when it comes to the Lord, it’s you putting that confidence in Him. You see, faith is not what’s going to save you. It’s the object of your faith. If I put my faith, all of my faith in Milton Hale to save me and take me to heaven when I die.

Well, there’s a problem. He don’t have the ability to do that. So I may have all the faith that Milton can do it, but see Milton don’t have that ability. So it’s the object of my faith. So if I put my faith in Jesus Christ, the object of my faith, he will save me. But if I trust my good works, my good works can’t save me. The church can’t save me. So whoever you’re trusting in must be able to save you.”

So Romans in chapter 4, look there in verse 21, and being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was also able to perform. That’s faith. You believing that what God promised, he will perform. I trusted Christ as my Savior because he said that if I trust him, he would save me. So I believe he is able to do what he said he would do and he will perform that. He said if I trust him, he will take me where?

To heaven. All right, then it’s his job to get me to heaven, not mine, his job. So I’m depending upon him to keep his word and he cannot lie. Look up in verse 16 says, therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace. That means unmerited. It means you cannot earn it. You can’t work for it. You can’t buy it. You don’t deserve it. He says, it is of faith that it might be by grace to the end or for the result, the promise of eternal life might be sure to all perceive.

The only way you can be sure of going to heaven is because God says, I’ll make it by faith, you simply believe Him, and that it’s by grace means you don’t deserve it, but you’re going to take and trust Him. And God said, by you trusting Him, He saves you and gives you eternal life. And you can be sure. So faith is trusting Christ. Look Romans 8 and verse 30. The Bible tells us that there’s several things that God has determined.

And not only did he save you, but because of God’s foreknowledge, knowing you before you were ever born. God has predetermined that he is going to not only save all those who believe, so it’s up to you. But once you believe God says he is going to justify all those who believe, he is going to declare you righteous. He is going to glorify you. you. In other words, so that God from the beginning says, although that believe on me are going to get this, this, this, and this.

So if you believe, you’re going to get this, Ibid, this, and this. Because God said so. He predetermined. So you and I are supposed to believe that as a child of God, all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. So that as a child of God, I’m supposed to believe that God determined before the foundation of the world that all those that believe on Him, all things are going to work together for the good of all those who believe and love Him.

Now, you made me leave on Him and have eternal life, but you don’t love Him. And if you don’t love Him, you’re not going to serve Him. So, all things are not going to work to your advantage. They’re going to work against you, going to cost you. But if you love the Lord, I know that nothing in this world, in this life, is going to go against me from having the best that God wants me to have. Now look what he says in verse 30.

Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called, and whom he called he justified, and whom he justified them he also glorified. So in the mind of God, God saw the end from the beginning. That’s what God could do. before this earth was made and before there was a person on the earth God already sees the end from the beginning and says all those that believe on him are going to be justified like they’ve never sinned and glorified glorified mean to be made perfect in body soul and spirit when you trusted Christ as your Savior he saved your soul and watched your soul white as snow but he didn’t into a theme with your body.

So you’re waiting for the day when your body is going to be redeemed and glorified and you will be in the presence of God. He has saved you from hell but he hasn’t got you to heaven yet. But that is just as sure as the day he saved you because you see it’s all one package. When you get one thing you get all the rest of it because you’re a child of God. It all comes together one total package deal.

He determined that. Here in Romans in chapter eight and verse 30 when he makes the last statement there, then he also glorified as though it’s a done deal, but it’s not totally done yet. Look at the next statement, justification. Turn to Romans chapter five and verse nine. Romans chapter five and verse 9. Justifications are word that’s used in the Bible. It’s a judicial term in the words it’s like the judge declaring something. You have been found guilty, charges have been brought against you and then for some reason the judge declares you not guilty.

And we know that it’s because somebody else took our payment. They found guilty of having our sins upon them. Christ took our sins, took took our guilt, took our condemnation, paid the price. And the Bible says, justification means God justifies you just as if I have never sinned. Just in the words like I never did it. And so that is what the word justification, see the letter C? Means to declare or pronounce righteous, to declare or pronounce righteous. God says, you are righteous.

Now look at me, I am a sinner. I’ve sinned every day of my life. And as long as I live in this world, I’m going to continue to have sin in my life, not because I want it, but because I was born with a sinful nature, just like you. But God has declared me a righteous man. I am justified. I’m going to heaven because he has justified me, declared me righteous, because somebody else took all my penalty, all my pain.

Now see there in Romans in chapter five and verse nine, Much more than being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. I have been justified, not going to be already have been. I am now a justified individual. I have been declared righteous. Look in Romans chapter five and verse 10. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God. Look in your notes there, Roman numeral five, reconciliation. And look at letter E straight across from it.

Means to remove the problem between two parties at disagreement with each other. This is what they’re trying to get done with Israel and the Arab nations now, in the PLO. They’re trying to get somebody to reconcile their differences so they can have peace in the Middle East. Well, they’re not going to have peace in the Middle East. They’ll be a false peace treaty made, yes. But you and I the Bible says were enemies of God because we’ve sinned against a holy God.

So God says that we needed somebody to Rucking style us together. We need a peacemaker Somebody that represents God and somebody that represents man. Well who in the world could do that? Well, we need a perfect God man Wouldn’t it be good if we had a man that was perfect and God to represent God and a man to represent man man, one person that’s a mediator. Well, there’s only one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. So Jesus Christ is the mediator and He paid for our sins in order to bring us and God together, reconciled so that we’re not at war with each other, so that God doesn’t have any reason to send me to hell.

And so now because of the payment He made reconciled me back to God. I can’t go to hell now because God has no charges against me anymore. His son paid for all of my sins. Therefore there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ. Redemption is what we get the word redeemed. If you go down to the pawn shop and you say, look, I want to let you hold this gun and it’s worth $500. And if you’ll give me $50, I’ll come in next week and redeem it.

So you’re supposed to go in the next week and pay them some money and redeem that rifle. It’s already was yours, it’s just you got to redeem it. That’s what happened to you and I. So when God created Adam and Eve, they already belonged to God. But because of sin, there was a payment to be made. The man couldn’t make the payment. Jesus Christ had to become as a man, our kinsmen, our redeemer. And He could make the payment for us so that we could be taken off the auction block.

And God says we are now His possession twice, one by creation and two by redemption. First, He is my creator. He made me and then He bought me. I belong to the Lord. I have been redeemed. Now we’re waiting for the day of redemption, which means one day we’re going to be redeemed from the world and we’ll receive the redemption of our bodies. Your body is going to be changed in a moment, the twinkling of an eye and caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

Regeneration and write down this verse, Titus chapter 3 verse 5 Titus chapter 3 and verse 5. This word speaks of the new birth. You see we often say well how many generations you know from Adam until Moses and how many generations from Moses on the David, how many generations from David onto the Messiah. The Bible talks about these generations. Then it makes a statement in the book of Genesis and these are the generations of Adam. Then when you get the book of Matthew in chapter 1 and says, and this is the book of the generation of Jesus Christ, and so and so be got, so and so and so be got, so and so these are various generations.

In other words, those that come after you, that’s another generation, one that come after them, that’s another generation. Well, see, when we are in this generation of human beings, we need to be born again. It’s called a regeneration, a rebirth, redone. I was born into this world And now to be born where I can be a child of God, it’s a regeneration. So it means a new generation, a new birth, a new creation born of God. I’ll look there in Titus chapter three and verse five.

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. So the Holy Spirit creates within you a new birth, born again, born from above, born of God, a new generation of people. So now I am a part of a new generation. I’m part of all the believers that are in Christ. I was a family of the world. Now I’m a family of God.

I’m in His family, born into God’s family. And so the word regeneration means this. It’s not something that you do, this is an act of God that He performs in saving you because He says, by the Holy Spirit. Not by works of righteousness which we have done. That means that you are not saved or become a child of God. You don’t go to heaven because of your good deeds. In other words, God didn’t save you and let you go to heaven because you went to church and you gave money and you promised to live right.

If you trust in your good deeds in order to get you to heaven, then you don’t get to go to heaven. God will not save anyone who is trying to save themselves. If you believe that your good deeds are helping you to get to heaven, you don’t understand it. And you’re not trusting Christ. You’re saved by grace. Grace means without works. God will not save you with you doing good deeds and trusting Christ too. So I’m going to do both.

That’s in case you can’t because he says Christ becomes of no effect unto you. In other words, He can’t save you. No effect, no power. So you must trust Jesus Christ and Him alone. Turn in your Bible now under repentance to the book of Acts chapter 17. Acts in chapter 17. The Bible tells us that it is the will of God for every man to repent, look there in verse 30. Acts chapter 17 and verse 30. Verse 30 says, and the times of this ignorance, God winked at.

But now commandeth, commandeth, all men, every man, everywhere to do what? To repent. Do you have to repent to be saved? Yes, you do. But what does it mean to repent? Repent does not mean, like a lot of preachers tell you, that it means to turn from your sins. That is not true. That is a lie. Nobody can do it. Nobody’s ever done it. God’s never saved one man because he promised to stop his sins or because he stopped any of his sins.

God only saves a man because he trusts in Jesus Christ and him alone is his only hope to go to heaven. So the Bible says that repent is changing your mind, thinking different to reconsider. When used for salvation, it means to change one’s mind to think differently or reconsider. That’s what repent means. If you are an unbeliever and you become a believer, what have you done? Changed your mind. If you’re trusting in your good works to get you to heaven, you need to repent.

Change your mind. That will not save you. You must trust Christ as your Savior. So God commands everybody to repent. That doesn’t mean stop all of your sinning because that’s an impossibility. Nobody ever has, nobody can. And in this life you always have sin. That’s not the issue. But now notice what he says. Verse 29, for as much then as we are the offspring of God by creation, we ought not to think to think. The think means with the mind to think that the Godhead is like on the gold or silver or stone, driven by art man’s devices.

See, repent means to change your mind. So you’re thinking something that’s not true. You’ve got to think something else. And the Bible says that it is commanded of every man, repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Don’t you trust in your good deeds to get you to heaven? You’re to trust in Jesus Christ and Him alone as your only hope of eternal life. Look at the next statement and turn in your Bible to the book of Philippians chapter 3.

Philippians chapter 3, this righteousness is man at his best before salvation. In other words there’s people who are trusting in their self-righteousness to get them to heaven. That means they’re righteous in and of themselves. They become the judge of their good deeds and sometimes they say yes I’m going to heaven because they believe they have lived a good enough life. And there’s other people that say well no I’m not going to heaven because in their judgment they believe they have not lived good enough to get there.

So they’re basing their eternal destination upon their righteousness, their self-righteousness. Whether it’s good or whether it’s bad. And so you have made a bad assessment. You see your salvation heaven or hell is not based upon your righteousness. Now look what he says here in Philippians in chapter three, looking verse nine. And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness. If it’s my own righteousness, it would be my self-righteousness, my righteousness in myself. What I did, look what I’ve done.

I sing in the choir, I go to church, I give money, I’ve done this, I’ve done a good neighbor, I pay my bills, I do all these good things. Therefore, if anybody makes it, surely I will. No, you won’t. Salvation is by grace for by grace are you say through faith that not of yourself. It is the gift of God, not of works, not of works lest any man should boast. So there is self righteousness and there is a God righteousness.

And God says, I’ll give you mine. Now if God walked in here right now and says, look, your righteousness to get to heaven is not good enough. I’ll give you mine. Well, if he gave me his righteousness, that would make me his righteousness. Who? The righteous is God. Look at the last one there in Romans in chapter 4. Look at this Romans chapter 4. This righteousness given the man at the moment of salvation. God giving you his righteousness. And look what he says there in verse 6, verse 6 of Romans in chapter for even as David also describe it the blessedness of the man on to whom God imputed imputed that means put to his account imputed righteousness without what without works in the word God give me his righteousness without my works but once you trust in Christ as your Savior and you have eternal

life is it the will of God for God’s children to live like God’s children yes we should I go to church? Yes, why? Because that’s his will. Should I give? Yes, because that’s what God wants. Should I pray? Yes, because that’s what God wants. Should I preach? Yes, because that’s the will of God. See, I do right not to get to heaven, but I’m doing because I’m going there. Look up here. This hand represents you and me. All of us represent sin.

We all have sin on us. God loves us. Hates our sin. And for you and me toERROR to heaven, we have to be perfect as righteous as God, no sin. Well, everybody’s a sinner, so we can’t save ourselves. And the Bible says the penalty is eternal separation from God in place called hell. So man can’t save himself, it’s not just what can be done. This sin represents Jesus Christ, he’s the Lord, God in the flesh. He came into the world because he loves us.

Our sin separates us from him. So Christ took the sin, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead. And the Lord said that we would be lead that He did it for us. He would put the payment to our account. We would go to heaven on what Jesus Christ did for us. That’s free. That’s a gift. And once you trust Christ as your Savior, you have eternal life and God will never cast you out and never lose you.

You go to heaven whenever you die. That’s what I’ve done. I’ve done it a long time ago. I have eternal life. I’m going to heaven when I die. I’m sure. I know it. Guaranteed. If you have not trusted Christ as your Savior, right where you are today. You can accept Christ as your Savior. Before you get up and believe, you can know that you’re going to heaven. All that you have to do is Lord I know I’m a sinner.

I believe you paid for my Savior. And I’m going to trust you right now as my Savior. And God guarantees to save you if you turn a light, make you his child. You’ll go to heaven whenever you die. And he’ll never cast you out and never lose you. Let’s pray, shout. 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 Bible 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. If you wish to hear today’s program again would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program go to by the line ministries dot org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our home page if you’re in the area we welcome you to visit us the address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road in Tampa, Florida 33634 our Sunday morning services begin at 10 30 and at six o’clock on Sunday evening.

Life broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Arden. Friend, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound, 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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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.

He says, foxes have holes and birds of the ear have nests, but the son of man hath not where to lay his head. He said there in verse 59, and he said into another, follow me, but he said, Lord, allow me first, or suffer me first to go and bury my father. Allow me to go and bury my father. Now, what’s wrong with that? Well, I believe that Christ knew that their reasons were simply excuses. You see, you cannot plan a dedication that I’m gonna dedicate my life to the Lord tomorrow if you haven’t dedicated your life to the Lord today.

With the Lord, God always is to be a priority. He wants to be first and not Lord, I’ll serve you, but first of all, I got other things I wanna do. Other things that are more important to me. Well, you can’t serve God that way. So he makes a statement here in verse 60, Jesus said unto him, let the dead bury the dead. I believe he talking mainly about let the spiritual dead bury the physical dead. You see, there’s some things that Christians can do, and there’s some things that lost people can do.

It’s kind of like, well, let the lost people do what the lost people can do, and let God’s people do only what God’s people can do. Because you see, the lost people can’t do the work of God. Only God’s people can do the work of God. When the Lord tells us to follow Him, and I will make you fishers of men, that’s not to the lost men, because the lost men don’t do that. But God’s people can do that.

So it’s God’s people doing that which is a priority, the most important job in all the world. There’s some things that the lost can do, we’ll let them do that. It doesn’t mean that you don’t do some of the same thing the lost does, but the law can’t serve God. So well, I’m gonna serve the Lord, but, and then they butt it all over the place. They got a few priorities that take the place, it’s center stage, and God says, you don’t get it.

I’m first. You take care of what I want first. So then he makes a statement in verse 61. And another came at him and said, Lord, I will follow thee, but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Lord, I’ll follow you, but let me go home and tell them by first. God says, forget it. You don’t understand what I’m talking about. You don’t understand, you don’t get it. It’s not that he cares, you can’t go home and you can’t tell him.

It’s that Christ God, he says that he knew What was in man? He knew reasons that people give that are simply excuses. The reasons are not good reasons. I’ve met a lot of people that have been in the hospitals and boy, preacher prayed that I’d get out of this hospital bed. If I ever get out of this bed, boy, I’ll be in church and I’m gonna live right and I’m gonna straighten up and I’m gonna do all this. No, you serve God right where you are, even in the hospital bed and start glorifying Him.

Where you are with what you have at that moment. Start serving God now. It has to be now. But they said, I will follow, but you must wait. God doesn’t want to wait. He wants us to serve them. Now, I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Matthew. In Matthew chapter four, it says there in verse 18, and Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee saw two brethren, Simon called Peter and Andrew, his brother cast and they net into the sea, for they were fishers.

And he said unto them, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they said, well, I’d like to, but I got a lot of other things to do first. Now, it says they straightway, they were straightway means immediately let their nets followed him. Now, out of all the people that Christ has said, follow me, follow me, follow me, follow me, there’s 12 of them that did. But he mentioned a lot of them, but they had reasons.

They had excuses. They had other things to do. So we read about those who did. We don’t know who those were that didn’t. They have the things that were more important. When you get to heaven, God’s going to reward you in heaven because you put God as a priority. You served him first. And then you trusted God in your service to him that God would take care of all the other things because God will. And he promised. When he makes a statement in verse 19, follow me and I will make you rich.

Is that what he says? Follow meheast and I’ll make you popular. No, he didn’t say that. Follow me and I’ll make you fishers ofse. Men. So I believe that one of the things that God wants us to do is to be fishing. Now, for example, this afternoon, there’s some fish that are getting together. enthusiasian. And they’ve asked me to come fish. And I’m going fishing. It’s a funeral, but a funeral is a place to go fishing. Whenibraries are a wedding, a wedding is a place to go fishing.

You see, I’m a fisherman. That’s what I do. I go fishing. go to the flea, the flea market, I go fishing. If I go to a grocery store, I like to go fishing. Sometimes all I can do is pass out a track then, but sooner or later I might be talking to somebody, but I go fishing. I like to fish. I’m not talking about those other kind of fish that you have to sit there and wait for the ones you see in the water.

I don’t do too good on that. But let me mention something to you. There’s two goals when you go fishing. The goal of the fishermen is to catch a fish, right? The goal of a fisherman is to catch a fish. The goal of the fish is to get the bait without getting a hook. Now I don’t know if that fish says in his mind, I’m gonna get the bait and I don’t want to get the hook or he just goes ahead and gets the bait and just luckily he gets away.

But remember the goal of the fish is not to get caught. We have people in the world and their goal is to get the bait, get the goodness from God, get the wonderful blessings of God without getting caught. Can they give, get go all the way through life and enjoy the wonderful blessings of every day and not get caught by the fisherman, the Lord Himself. Now our job as the fisherman is to try to bait the fish because our goal is to catch them.

Don’t you think it’s, people have the right to believe whatever they want to believe? I said, no. No, I don’t believe that. I believe they have the right to believe right and I don’t believe it’s right to believe wrong. I believe that God’s going to hold us responsible for how we believe. So there’s only one way to get to heaven. I talked to a man the other day. I says, well, what kind of church do you go to? He says, I’m Baptist.

I hadn’t told him what I was. He said, I’m Baptist. I said, you know, there’s only two two kinds of Baptists, the kind that’s going to heaven, the kind of ain’t. I said, which kind are you? He kind of smiled. He said, well, I hope I’m going to heaven. I said, so if you hope you’re not real sure, well, I hope I’m going. Anyone who just hopes are going to heaven, I always talk to them like they don’t know.

Because if you don’t know, why should I tell them he knows? And he said, I want them to understand, trust the Lord. I talked to a person one time, I said, what kind of church you go to? He said, I go to Pentecostal Church. I said, you know, there’s only two kinds of Pentecostals. Well, what’s that? I said, kind of going to heaven, kind of name. I said, which kind are you? And I would I don’t care what religion you go to.

There’s only two kinds. Kinds go ahead and kind of name. So it doesn’t matter what church you go to. It’s have you or have you not have you really, have you trusted Jesus Christ as your savior. And I believe that when you go fishing, you got to go where the fish are. And you’re going to have to try to figure out how fish react and what they want and certain baits to use and so forth. And I believe that God in heaven knows where the fish are And he knows the fish that are hungry, and he knows the fish that are bite, and he also knows where the fishermen are.

And I think the greatest thing in the world is how God brings the fishermen to a fish. Sometimes bring the fish to a fisherman. There was a man, I guess you would say he’s a college age, young feller, but he was big, and he played football. I had never met him before, but he was hungry. Well, I like to talk to people about the Lord and so I thought it was amazing how God brought me and this man Together he was from way up north and I’m from down here in the south and God allowed us to meet in North Carolina one night our Pass crossed and I caught me a fish But it all started because see Eddie was in the Navy up there in Connecticut and and anyone in the car.

So I bought in this beautiful car, very expensive car. I paid at least $600 for this car. But I didn’t know if it would make it up there. I told Eddie, I’ll drive the car up there for you. I’ll drive it for you. So I left here after church on a Sunday night and I drove that car to Connecticut. Well, I left here. It was dark and I kept driving and driving and all of a sudden in the wee hours of the morning, the lights started getting dimmer and dimmer and dimmer.

I couldn’t hardly see. And I’m on the expressway, going about 25 miles an hour. And the big old transfer truck just whoa blowing past me and almost knocked me off the road. Little old Ford Escort, wouldn’t hardly go. And I thought I’ve got a thousand miles to go and this car won’t hardly move and here I am taking the car. Oh my stars. In any way I had a few little incidents on the way up there. But I got close to New York and I said things already then broke down twice.

I wanted to try to get it fixed. And I’m taking this beautiful little bomb to my son. And I told the Lord, I says, Lord, don’t let this car break down on Brooklyn Bridge. Don’t let it break down during rush hour. Well, whatever happens, don’t let that happen to me. Now, you know, I like to pray. Well, you won’t believe this, but here I am. I’m going over the great big old bridge over this great big old body of water.

There’s about three or four lanes on my side, and I just made the mistake of getting on the inside lane. And I’m a boogin’ along about 70 miles an hour, trying to keep ahead of the traffic behind me. We was on the group plan. And all of a sudden, the car died. It just died. On the top of the bridge, it died. It stopped running. For no reason at all, just stopped. And all of a sudden, here I am stopped on the top of this bridge and all the cars behind me.

And on the right-hand side, they’re just a bulletin pass me and blowing the horn and all that. And then I’m sitting there. And a guy comes up behind me and he says, can I push you off the bridge? I thought, well, the car ain’t worth that much, but I’d still like to keep it. I thought he literally wanted to push my car off the bridge. And I said, what? He said, for $20, I’ll push you off the bridge. I said, all right.

And I said, pulling up slowly and I’ll say, if our bumper’s made, he says, you just get in. I got in. Bam. He never took a second thought about whether we matched or didn’t match. He hit me and started pushing me. And I could see him motioning me to get over in the other lane and car started sliding sideways, sideways, trying to keep from hitting me. He pushed me, I couldn’t, no, no, I couldn’t do a stare. And he pushed me off the bridge and took me on down and started at a service station and I gave him his $20 and before I could give him a track, he was gone.

But the man there fixed the car and I led him to the Lord. Now would God allow certain things to happen at certain times to get you at a certain place to meet a certain person at a certain time so you can win him to the Lord? I believe that. Well, I got the car to Eddie, but then I had to come home. And I thought I would try to save this kid all the money in the world because I knew he didn’t have much money and he was going to have to take care of Daddy.

Well, anyway, he took me to the bus station. He took me to the bus station and I got on the bus. I’m tired because I’ve been up all day at Sunday. I was up all that night. I was up all the next day. I had no sleep. I’m shot physically. I’m tired. Now I’m going to get on a bus, like a 12-way bus, and drive right home. Well, at least I can sleep on the bus. You know, just get there and conquer it.

You wake up, you’re there. I like that idea. That bus stop every 20 minutes. Every 20 minutes, that bus will stop. Some people get off and then the other ones we get on, it was a constant barrage of new people getting on and getting off and turning lights on and all that stuff. But anyway, this one lady gets in the front. I’ll get in the back where it’ll be nice and quiet. I get back in the back. And then right in front of me, this woman came in and sit down with about four kids.

And I try to go to sleep. And those kids hollered and yelled and screamed and fought for 500 miles. It had to be. I didn’t get no sleep. We got to a bus station and had changed buses. So I’m in the bus station and I hadn’t done this for a long time. And I thought, well, now what do I do? So I checked and they said, well, the bus will be by here at a certain certain time. And that place was packed in there.

And I said, well, if a bus comes by here, there’s more of us than there’s room on the bus. They said, well, whoever gets on the bus first. Well, I think I got a ticket. They said, well, so do they. They don’t catch this bus, they have to catch the next bus. Well, I said, well, I can’t afford to take and catch the next bus, but I got to get this next bus. No one’s coming. He says, then you better get in the line.

Everybody was sitting around the edge because it’s going to be a while for the bus to get there. And they had about five or ten people standing in the line. I’ll tell you, if I sit here, I fall asleep. That bus comes, I’ll be sleeping when it’s gone. So I got up and I stood in line and I stood there about three o’clock in the morning. When I fell asleep, I have no idea how long I slept. Now I can stand straight out perfectly still and go sound asleep.

Anyway, a bus came and people started getting on the bus and I got on early enough, I went to the back and nobody was sitting there and just see, I got that whole seat all by myself and so I just kinda spread out. To try that, I don’t want nobody to sit on it cause I figured, soon that bus starts off, I’m gonna take this whole seat, I’m gonna lay down and I gotta get me some sleep. I am physically, I’m shot.

I said, if there’s a God in heaven, Lord, let me have this one whole seat all by myself. Everybody get on the bus. All those seats were taken except mine. I had hoggy that. I had to kind of put my duffel back there and I kind of spread out. Somebody come by. I kind of looked at the whole thing, you know. You say you posed a duet, but I did. I did that. I did all of that thing you can pose a duet.

And then the guy got ready to take off and then next thing I know, I noticed he got back up out of his seat and he walked down there. Let’s see if we got any more room on here. And he looked at me and he gave me a big smile. We have room for one more. We got room for one more. And on the bus came the biggest dude I ever seen. I mean, he was huge. He was huge.

And this black boy came on down. He must have weighed 300 pounds. And he looked at me and he smiled and he sat down. And when he sat down, he pushed me up against the wall. And there I was. We started talking after a little while because I’m still wide awake. I can’t sleep yet. out that he was a football player. For some national team, I mean, he plays football, and I led the man to the Lord. And the greatest thing was, is after I led him to the Lord, I was so sleepy, I went to sleep.

And because he pushed me up against the wall so tightly, I didn’t move. I could sit there and sleep all night long. And after a while I woke up, I was refreshed and I was like, can God bring all the… Well, all about to happen to you just to get to where you can talk to an individual. I believe that. I believe God will allow things like that to happen. I was one time having a… I had a great big old continental silver eagles bus that I had and it was a motorhome and we’d travel around it.

And so I was going to sell it and I went to Nashville. So I’m sitting up there in Nashville, Tennessee at a place where they have great big old buses up there. And I was sitting there in the park and a lot waiting for them to open up because I got there early. I noticed that there was a guy looking in the windows. So I opened the door and I said, you can see it better from the inside. He says, oh, I’m sorry.

I said, that’s okay. Come on. You can come in. So he came on in and I gave him a quick little tour and I asked him who he was and he gave me his name. I couldn’t remember. And anyway, I said, do you know where you’re going to go when you die? He said, well, I hope I’m one to heaven. I said, you know, the Bible says you can know you have eternal life. I said there and I explained this to him.

This is what I explained to him. This is you and me and this is sin and we all have sin on us. And the Bible says God loves us but he hates our sin. And for us to pay for that sin is eternal separation from the Lord in hell. But God loves us once to go to heaven and to go to heaven we have to be perfect as righteous as God. And God says nobody’s perfect. We’re all sinners. And God says you cannot save yourself.

You can’t earn eternal life. This hand represent Jesus Christ. He’s God in the flesh. He came into the world because He loves us. Now He hates our sin because our sin separates us from Him. So Christ took the sin, paid for on the cross, came back from the dead, said, if we’ll believe He did it for us. He’d give us a free gift everlasting life. And I said to the man, I says, right now the best you know how I said, will you trust Jesus Christ?

Will you depend upon Him to take you to heaven when you die? He said, yes, I will. I said, if you trust Christ right now, God said, He saves you right now and gives you eternal life right now. And I said, what kind of worked you do. He says, I’m the bus driver for Randy Travis. And I says, that’s interesting. I just watched that on the news the other night. He said, I know he was on the Johnny Carson show and he’s coming in here in a couple hours and he has to be picked up at the airport and I got to go drive the bus.

He said, that’s why I’m here. He says, I enjoy talking to you. He says, are you going to be here later? I said, I’m going to be here and there. I said, I really don’t know. I can’t promise. Anyway, he went to the airport, picked him up and delivered him wherever he was going to. I went and got him something to eat. He came back and he had a red Mercedes beautiful thing. He came over to me, he says, can I talk to you for a few minutes?

I said, sure. So he came back in the motor home, we sit there and talk. He says, you know, he said, I always wanted to come to Nashville and I wanted to do something and I wanted to either get in the band or something like that. He says, and the Lord’s opened it up for me to do all this. He says, and I made good money. He says, I get good money for just driving a bus. He said, and I’ve got some land here.

He says, and I got a beautiful car. He said, I got money to bank. He said, I’m single. He said, I know you girl wanna know what’s his name. He says, I’m miserable. And I says, because happiness is not in those things. I says, happiness and true happiness is between you and God because you don’t have joy. You see, you have to know what is your purpose in life? What does God want to do with you? I says now that you trusted Christ as your Savior this morning, I says God wants you to serve Him.

God wants you not only to be his child or go to heaven, but God wants to use you while you’re here. And I talked with him and I had to wear a present and then he was gone. I don’t know whatever happened to this man, but you know what? I caught a fish. When I get to heaven, I expect to see that fish in heaven. That guy on that bus, I expect to see him in heaven. That day whenever I was down here in Florida, and I was so frustrated with myself because I like to play a little game of golf every once in a while.

But sometimes I get so frustrated because the harder I try to hit the ball, it goes all kind of ways and don’t go where I want it to go. I’ve been caddying since I was 12 years old. I learned a little bit about the game I could tell a person what to do, but when I have to do it myself that I can’t do it. It’s good. And I went to this driving range and I got me a bucket of balls and I started hitting these balls and they were going everywhere.

I was so frustrated. I was mad. And that’s the last thing you’re supposed to do when you play golf. But I was just frustrated. This guy was over there watching me. And he came over and he says, you look like you could use a little help. I said, yes, I sure could. He says, who are you? I said, who are you? He said, well, I play golf. I said, wonderful. I play golf too. And he said, well, I think I can help you a little bit.

I said, okay, well, what do I do? I said, I ain’t got any money to pay you. He says, that’s okay. I said, he says, I’m a golf instructor. He says, I give golf lessons. He said, that’s what I do. I said, oh great, got me a guy that’s going to teach me golf and not have to pay him. He said, now dress the ball. I said, hello ball. No. But anyway, I did everything he told me to do and he said, now swing.

He said, number one, he says, you don’t stand right. He said, number two, you don’t get it from the club right. He said, number three, he says, your backswing isn’t right. He says, number four, he says, your father, he said, this is not right. He says, come and think. He said, you don’t do anything right. I thought, well, thanks bud. But anyway, after a couple hours of him working with me, he kind of says, I can’t help you. He says, I’ve never met anybody that I couldn’t help.

You’re the first. He says, I don’t know what it is. He says, but there’s everything that I tell you to do, you do it, but it don’t work. And he was frustrated because that’s what he does. I found out that he played on the senior tour. He was playing on the senior tour at this time. But at this day, and he also, he was a gopro, a country club. So he came by and he had seen me in my dilemma.

I said, sir, I don’t have any money to pay for the lessons. I said, but can I buy you something to eat? He said, sure. So we went to a restaurant and he got him a big old tray and he sat down there and he started to eat. And when he sat down to eat, I stopped and I bought my head and I was gonna pray. I said, you mind if we have a word of prayer? I said, no, go ahead.

So we prayed. I said, what kind of a religion are you? He said, well, I’m Catholic. I said, oh, he said, what are you? And I said, I’m a Christian. I said, where are you going to go when you die? He says, I’ve been having a lot of questions. He said, I’ve been wondering where I was going to go when I die. And I thought, this is interesting. So I talked to him and found out his wife had just left him.

And after I explained the gospel to him and I went through this sitting there while we were eating, I pulled out my wallet right there at the table and I explained this to him. says, we’re all sinners. God loves us. Jesus Christ paid for all of our sins. The only thing we can do to go to heavenmpeg is to believe that He did it for us. See, you don’t join a church to go to heaven. You don’t give money to go to heaven.

You don’t have to pray to go to heaven. I say eternal life is a gift. It’s totally free. It’s like if I offered you my wallet and you accept you’d have a wallet. If I offered you this microphone and you accepted you’d have a microphone, eternal life is a gift. I said, if you trust Christ right now, God said He would give you right now. He’d turn the life. And I said, sir, you understand what I’m saying? He said, yes, I do.

I says, right now, right here at this table, the best you know how? Will you trust Jesus Christ as your only hope to go to heaven? He said, yes, I will. I said, if you trust Christ right now, then God said, He gives you right now what kind of life He said eternal life. I said, if it’s eternal life, how long would it last? He says forever. I said, if it lasts forever and all you send are paid, where would you go into that?

He said, I’m going to heaven. I said, you understand what I’m saying? He said, yes, I do. I said, no, if I saw you 10 years from now, and I asked you, where are you going to die? What would you tell me, Simon? It wasn’t a heaven. I said, why? He said, because I’m trusting Christ as my Savior. I said, by the way, what was that question he was going to ask me? He said, I was going to commit suicide today.

He said, my wife has left me. And even though I played on a senior tour, and he says, I made some good money, he said, my life was miserable, and everything was falling apart. And he says, and I’ve been talking to God, if there is a God, If it is true, I want to know. And he says, I teach golf lessons at another country club, and he says, I just happen to come by here. And I was going to hit me some golf ball, but then I started talking to you.

He said, not only have I trusted Christ, but my Savior. He said, but you know, He says, you saved my life. Now, do you believe that there’s a possibility that God already knew the condition of this man? And God knows what I’ll say and what I’ll do, and He can bring people together? See, it don’t matter if a guy plays on the PGA tour. It doesn’t matter if the guy is a driver for Randy Travis or whoever they got.

They’re all individuals and if they die, they go to hell. They have to be one to Christ. I never forget one time I had a guy named Bobby Anderson called me up. He played football for the Broncos and I’m living there in Denver, Colorado. And I had given devotions before for not in Miami and for a couple of teams. And here I am out there and he gives me a call and I wonder if I would come and give devotion for the Denver Broncos.

And Mr. Miller, Red Miller I think was a coach at that time. And I said yes I would. So they were all meeting in this fancy restaurant and a hotel there in downtown what they called a mousetrap. And I went there that morning and my friend Bob Daley, my old bodyguard out there, he went with me. And it was very interesting, fluid little, and one of the other guys, now I can’t remember who they are. But anyway, we went in and they all ate breakfast and when they got through they asked me to speak.

Now what do you think I should talk to these football players about? Should I talk to them about how to play football? Should I talk to them about the individual positions and what to do and how to win the game today because they were going to play the Oakland Raiders? You think I ought to tell them how to do the job? I don’t know anything about that stuff. I see, when God put some fish together, I’m a fisherman. So what do you think I ought to do?

I’m going fishing. They gave me 30 minutes to speak, 30 minutes. So in 30 minutes, I wanted to talk to them about what I thought was the most important thing in all the world. Why? Because we’re only passing through life one time. And if I come in contact with them, I want to make an impact for eternity. I may never get a second chance. And so I, in that 30 minutes, started off very simply, my name is Ralph Arnold, and I know I have eternal life and that I’m going to heaven when I die.

And I want you to know that. Let me show you something. And I says right now, the best you know how, if you’ve never done this before, will you trust Jesus Christ as your savior? And I will say two thirds of the ball players, at that moment, that day raised their hand trust Christ as their Savior. But it’d be a shame if you went fishing all your life and you never caught any fish and if you have trust the Lord I want to encourage you to serve him to tell people about him.

Let’s pray, shall we? Remember this, salvation is free. It’s a gift. Will you right now accept Jesus Christ and Him alone is your only hope of going to heaven? If you will I like to pray for you. Not going to have you forward, not to get embarrassed of you. Or right where you are, so yes, I’ll trust Christ as my Savior and preach I like you to pray for you. Trust the Lord, believe me, did it for you. You that know Christ as your Savior, realize it’s the most important thing you can ever do to go fishing.

Our Father, we thank You so much for Your blessings to us for this time together and for each person here, for those who listen by way of radio and 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 toll free 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage. If you’re 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 1030 and at six o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen going to our church website.

Calvary of Tampa dot 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. We will be changed. Hot up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.

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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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.

Can I practice homosexual go to heaven? On the loaded questions? If a man is really saved, will he really do those things if he’s a real Christian? Because you and I know that good people are supposed to go to heaven and we know that bad people are supposed to go to hell. So if you are bad and you live bad, then you ought to go where the bad people are supposed to go. Only the good people are supposed to go to heaven.

We’ve heard that all our lives. You have to be good. You’ve got to do right. You’ve got to live right. And if you live wrong, you don’t get to go. Everybody’s heard that. But now I want you to look Shinzo your Bible in the book of Romans in chapter 11 and verse Sounders. And if by grace, then is it no more ofribune. Otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace, otherwise work is no more work.

In other words, it’s either by grace or by works. It says if it’s by grace, then it can’t be by works. But if it is by works, then it cannot be by grace. Which is the stronger motivation for a person to do right? a man tell people that there is a heaven and that there is a hell and that if you live wrong and if you do a lot of these sins that are wicked, you are going to hell.

So if you want to go to heaven, you have to stop doing those bad things. Wouldn’t that be a great restraint upon individuals? not to do those things if they knew they were going to hell if they do these bad things so therefore because we don’t want people to do these bad things because if they do they’re going to hell that if they knew this well then they’ll live right because they don’t want to go to hell but a problem is this most of the world already believes that.

Most of the world believes that if you’re bad you’re going to hell. So if they know that why aren’t they being good? True? If it’s true why aren’t they living right? If you have to be good to go to heaven then why isn’t everybody living good? They get there. Either they don’t really believe it or they think it’s impossible for them. Or if you are going to go to hell Why not carry it to its extreme? If I’m going to hell anyway, I might as well live like I please.

True? If I’m going to go to hell. Why not just go ahead and commit as many sins as I possibly can do whatever I want because I’m going there anyway? Because I’ve had people tell me this. If you’re a Christian and you have eternal life and you’re going to heaven, If you tell people that you can go to heaven and still do things wrong, they’re gonna live like they please anyway So it seems like whether you’re going to heaven or hell people are gonna live like they want If I know I’m going to hell, I’m gonna live like I please If I know I’m going to heaven, I’m gonna live like I please So I don’t look like either one is a restraint upon a person’s life if it was Why are people doing what they’re doing?

The world is in a mess People are living in adultery, murders everywhere, living in sin, trash, fill all over the world Well telling people they’re going to go to hell Doesn’t seem to be working You seem like people are so consumed with themselves, they really don’t care what God said. They don’t care for the heaven, they don’t care for the hell, they go do what they want to do anyway. Why should we waste our time trying to change people when they don’t want to be changed?

It is not my job to make people straighten up and fly right. I can’t make people live godly. I can’t make people stop their sin in it. God’s Word, don’t work, nothing will work. So I’m just going to tell it the way I truly understand it. Can a man, and I hope that people that are listening by way of radio will not turn off the dial, but listen to my answer, can a Christian be a practicing homosexual and still go to heaven when he dies?

Yes. Can a person be a practicing murder, a serial killer and still go to heaven? Yes. Can a person, a Christian be a practicing adulterer and still go to heaven? Yes. Don’t he have to keep getting forgiveness for those things? No. And still go to heaven. Yes. I don’t care how bad you can materialize in your mind about how wicked an individual can be. Can a Christian do all those things and still go to heaven? Yes, he can. Most preachers will not tell you that.

But the fact of the matter is yes he can. And I’ll also throw this in. I don’t care how righteous a man may live. The most righteous man that you know. They can read his Bible and go to church and pray do all the good. Give to charity all the good things he can possibly do. And when that man dies if he hasn’t done that one thing, trust Christ to say, he still goes to hell. true. Reg Because of how righteous he may be he goes to hell If he hasn’t trusted Lord But if the most wicked man because of how he lives if he has trusted Christ to save it he goes to heaven since it’s not fair I didn’t say anything about being fair.

I’m not God. I’m not the judge The Bible says that God so loved the world every person in the world every wicked individual in the world understand I I am not advocating anybody living sin just because I don’t tell a person that if you do these bad things you’re gonna go to hell. Doesn’t mean that I want bad people to do these bad things. No, I don’t want them to do that. But that’s not the reason they go to hell.

That would be it lying to them. So no, I don’t tell people you’re gonna go to hell because you do all these bad things. That’s not true. Neither am I going to tell people if you do these good things you’ll go to have me because that’s not true. You see a person’s destination is not dependent upon how a man lives. Always keep that in mind. How a man lives has nothing to do with his destination. Yet I heard that all my life.

If you live good you go to heaven, if you live bad you go to hell and yet it’s not true. God says if it’s by grace it cannot be by works. But if it is by work, it cannot be by grace. It’s one way or the other. Grace means unmerited. It means you don’t merit it. You don’t deserve it. You mean you can go and don’t deserve. That’s what grace is. Works means that you have to do good works to get it.

One way or the other. Salvation either has to be a true gift or it’s not a gift, either to gift or it’s not, or it has to be because you earned it. Now which way is it? Take your Bible and turn there to the book of Ephesians and chapter 2. The Bible says here in the book of Ephesians and chapter 2 and verse 8, make sure you are clear on this one point. I’m Nancy to say by grace or by works, but it can’t be saved by both, but what does he say?

He says they’re in verse 8, 4 by what? Grace, are you saved? You’re saved by grace. Grace means you did not earn it. You did not deserve it. Not one person sitting here in this room that is saved, was saved because you deserved it. No person in this room or listening by radio or anywhere in the world has ever been saved because they’ve been good. No man has ever been saved because they deserved it. They’re not saved because they joined the church.

They did any good deed. God never saved anybody because of that. Nobody ever will be saved because of that. Salvation is the gift of God. say it by grace. What is grace? On the merited favor, getting something from God you don’t deserve. Now, out of all the people in all the world, the Bible says all the world is guilty before God. All have sinned and come short of God’s perfection. In God’s eyes He says, there is no difference between Jew and Gentile.

They have all sinned. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, everybody. And the wages of sin is death. So death passed upon all men for they all have sinned. Here in the book of Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8, 4, by grace are you saved through faith because of what you believe. And that not of your self, not of yourself, it is the gift of God. It’s not of yourself, it is a gift. It’s not because you did any good works.

Then he says in verse 9, these three were very important, not of works. Why? Because it’s not of yourself. It’s not by what you and I do that saves us. You are not saved because you lived a certain way. Titus chapter three, look at this very quickly, page 1284. Here in Titus in chapter three, look there in verse five. The Bible says this, not by works of righteousness which we have done, But according to his mercy, he saved us, saved his past tense.

And because you have been saved, it was not because of some past works that you did. But what he said, not by works of righteousness, which we have done. You were not saved because of what you have done. Salvation is a gift, totally free. When Christ died on the cross, He paid the debt for how many of our sins. He died on the cross and paid for my sins from the time that I was born to the time that I die.

All of my sins are all paid. Man is saved by what? Grace. If I still got to heaven, that will still be what? Grace, because I didn’t deserve it. If a man committed serial murders, if he is saved, he’s still a child of God. He still goes to heaven when he dies. Am I advocating that? No, I am not because sin is wickedness and God says for his children to depart from iniquity. Be separate to live godly. Be ye holy for I am holy.

All those things, but the conflict is never to be held. For example, if you were to jump off the Empire State Building and on the way down you realize the era of your ways. And you at that moment trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior. In mid-air will God forgive you of your sins and save you? Yes he will. Will trusting Christ as your Savior do away with you hitting the ground bow? No. You still are going to suffer the consequences but it will not be hell.

There are still consequences to sin in our life that we must account for and will have to pay for. The law of so and in reaping is still in effect. An alcoholic who ruins his kidneys is still going to have to suffer the consequences. The man who cuts off his arm and says, Lord I shouldn’t have done that, still has to live with his arm chopped off. off. Just because God forgives you of all of your sin doesn’t mean that your next-door neighbor will forgive you for running off with his wife.

He may want to put a bullet right between your eyes and I hope he does. When you steal something, God will forgive you, but I hope that the government don’t and put you behind bars for the rest of your life. You see, there’s still other results of sin, but the penalty of health will never be placed against you. No a Christian cannot ever go to hell in the future because when you trusted Christ as your Savior, you received the gift of eternal life and you have eternal security.

You are secure for eternity. Then if you’re not eternally secure, you are not secure. It’s either by grace or by works. Well, what motivates people? What is that restraint upon an individual that make them live right? Tell him a man he’s going to go to hell if he lives bad, doesn’t make him live good, does it? No. And don’t blame the gospel and the truth of the gospel upon why some Christians don’t live right just because they’re never going to have to go to hell to pay for their sins.

Now if something else is missing, something else that should challenge and motivate us. You see, as a child of God, when you are born into God’s family, you become his child that moment, born into his family, and you’re going to heaven whenever you die. And that can never be changed, never be taken away from you. Now, I want you to take your Bible and turn over there to the book of Romans. The book of Romans and chapter 4. Once you look there in verse 5, says in verse 5 of chapter 4, but to him, that work it not, but believe it, the only way to do it is to be able to do it.

on him that justifyeth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. You’re saved because you took God at his word and you believed that by trusting him and him alone as you’re only hope to get to heaven, God said he will save you based upon that one deed alone, nothing else. And God says that by trusting Christ that it not considered a word because it says to to Him that work it, not but believe it. So you can believe and not work.

That is contrary to our human nature. That does not seem right, it doesn’t seem fair. Doesn’t seem like that’s the way it all will be. But you and I did not design salvation. God did. This is the way God says it is. And every preacher in every church throughout the world that’s telling people they have to live a certain way to get to heaven. They’re not of God. They are false teachers. You’re either saved by grace or not saved at all.

You are saved forever or not saved at all. Am I advocating people to live in sin? Anybody that darkened these doors and listens to me long enough knows that I do not advocate people, God’s children, to live in sin. Ain’t that true? I’ll do anything I can to challenge and motivate people to live right, but not to get to heaven. And I’m not going to lie to people and say, you’re going to go to hell if you don’t straight up and fly right because it’s not true.

Man goes to hell because of unbelief. He that believer on him is not condemned. But he that believer not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. He that believer on the Son hath everlasting life. that he that believeeth not the wrath of God abided upon him. He didn’t believe it, he didn’t believe it. He that believeeth on me hath, present tense, right now everlasting life. If it’s everlasting life, how long would it last, last forever?

And that means all my sins are paid. I can’t go to hell in the future. Well, I’ve had people say, well, if you tell people that, they’re just gonna go out here and live like the devil. I’ve believed this for 35 years and I haven’t done it. That’s not the reason why people do it. As a child of God, the Bible says this, and I want you to see it, look there in Romans in chapter six and verse one.

If what I’m saying is true, and a man can’t lose his salvation, and yet he commits a lot of sins, you name it, and the Christian can commit it. Yes, even practice it. Live in it. He’s still going to go to heaven. Yes, He will. If works could not save you, bad works can’t take it away. In Romans and chapters, say, what shall we say then? Shall we, what, continue in sin that grace may abound? Look up here, just a moment.

If I commit 10 sins, God’s wonderful grace can cover my sins. Grace, that is, what’s the name of that song? Grace that is greater than our sins. Grace that’s greater than our sins. And it’s true. If I commit 50 sins, God has enough grace to cover my sins. If I commit a thousand sins, God’s grace is sufficient to cover a thousand sins.

I don’t care how many, because God’s grace is enough. The pain and cover it all. To wipe it away is what never happened. grace that is greater than our sins. Because that’s true. The last part of that verse says, shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Should I commit more sin so that I can get more grace? The answer, no. God forbid. Well, then why shouldn’t I live in sin? Because, see, there’s other penalties beside hell. Just because I’m not going to hell, there’s no reason that I live in sin because the Bible says there are consequences to me as a Christian.

Well what sin will do to me as a Christian? Take your Bible now and look there in the book of 2nd Corinthians in chapter 5. You see lie in the people, don’t work because you can tell a person don’t do all these sins. That doesn’t work. Threaten them with hell. That doesn’t work. Tell a Christian that once you’re saved, if you live in these sins and you commit somebody’s sins, you’re still going to go to hell. You got to get saved again.

That doesn’t work. Why don’t just tell them the truth? Once you’re saved, you’re saved. You have eternal life. You’re a child of God. You’re going to heaven when you die. Not not you’re a child of God. Because you are a child of God, the Bible says love is a greater power than the desire of God. If we can just get people to fall in love with the Lord. All the rules and laws and regulations will never make a man always do the things that he’s supposed to do.

But love will reach further than that. Look at verse 14. For the love of Christ constraineth, that means to motivate us. What motivates me? Love is to motivate me. Tellin’ a person that if you don’t live right, you’re gonna lose your salvation, that’s a lie. That’s not the truth. Christian can’t lose his salvation because salvation is not in his hands. When you trusted Jesus Christ as your savior, you were trusting Christ to take you to heaven. And if he takes you to heaven, you can’t go to hell unless he loses you.

And he said, I’ll never cast you out. He said, I’ll never lose you. I will never forsake you. He’s the one who justified you. He’s the one who paid for all of your sins. He’s not gonna do it to you. If he doesn’t cast you out and he won’t lose you, well, who in the world is going to? There is nobody else. You can’t do it to yourself because you trusted him. You’re trusting the Lord to take you to heaven.

And once you do, you’re in his hands. Not all state, you’re in God’s hands. And he’ll never fail and never leave you. And so he says here for the love of Christ constrain with us because we thus judge no other we think like this. Here’s how we should think. Not everybody thinks this way. So therefore they won’t have the same results in their life because we thus judge that if one died for all, then we’re all dead that he died for all that they which live of those that believe on Christ and receive eternal life should not henceforth.

That means from now on should not. What you should do, what you have to do is two different things. I should live for God, but I don’t have to. And it will not affect my salvation, not one eye-o-one. It will not affect my destination. That can never be altered, can never be changed by me or God. But see, there’s more than just getting to heaven. There’s more than just being alive here upon this planet. I want more than just to be saved.

I want God’s blessings upon me here now. I want God’s rewards when I get to heaven. I want to be used by God. I love God. And the Bible says if a man loves God the same shall be known of him. You’re known by what you do with your life, what you really love. If I love the Lord, then I know that me living in sin hurts him. And so therefore I try to correct areas in my life that I know that are not right.

You have to control the way you think. And he says, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again. I should live for the one who died for me. You see, my motivation is not, well, I got to do this to so I don’t go to hell. No, I can’t go to hell. That’s not even an issue. I’m a child of God and I’m going to heaven. But what if a man, a Christian does do these bad things?

A practicing homosexual. I can’t think of anything worse than that. God says there’s no difference. the difference between practicing homosexual or practicing a daughter? What about some Christians that are practicing liars? I know some Christians that are practicing gossipers. I know some that are practicing drinking. I know some Christians are just practicing bad mouth. I know Christians that share with me because they have to try to see how to get things right in their life practicing lustful thoughts. But people can’t see those.

They’re just as wicked in God’s eyes. You see what I would never do that? All those stuck, yeah, but you might be guilty of these other things and you know it and won’t live right. Won’t live right. But if you’re God’s child, how should you live? God says that we should. For sake things, we should live godly. We should live Holy. But see, we’re not doing it to get to heaven. If I don’t do it because I am a child of God, I know that my heavenly Father, no, he can’t send me to hell.

But he will chasten me. He’ll discipline me. Some he may take home early. The Bible says that some of his children are sick, weak, and dead, taken home because of their rebellion. She’s better to just tell the truth and believe that he’s not a child. truth and if this truth will motivate and help a person to straighten up their life and find. But the other way is simply a deception. It’s a lie. People trying to live right because they’re afraid that if they don’t they’ll go to help.

That’s because they don’t know the truth. That’s ignorance. That’s somebody who’s deceiving people. And I made up my mind years ago either I’m gonna preach the book, live out of the book, or get out of the pulpit. But I believe that a preacher ought to practice what he preaches. I believe that a preacher ought to try to live righteous and godly and holy. Not because he has to, but because he wants to. It’s a right thing to do. Maybe leaving that once you’re saved, always saved.

I’ve had so many people, well that’s just given people a license to sin. No, it’s given them a freedom to serve without fear. Serving the Lord because of what he’s done for you. Because you judge in your mind if he did this for me. Why shouldn’t I do this for him? He saved me from hell and he wants to blast smile like why shouldn’t I let him blast me? He wants to reward me when I get to heaven. Why shouldn’t I let him?

But when you as a child of God will not serve the Lord, you’re saying God don’t bless me. I want you to chase in me. When you won’t serve Him, you’re saying, Lord, when I get to heaven, I don’t want none of your stinking rewards. You wouldn’t say that verbally to Him probably, but the way you live tells it, either you believe the book or you don’t believe the book. The gods word is true or not true for those that are listed by way of radio that asked this question, can a Christian commit these bad things and still go to heaven?

I want you to make sure you understand me. Yes, you can. God will never cast you out, God will never lose you. You have eternal life and we should as a of God that live as righteous as God wants. But if we don’t, we don’t. We don’t have peace and power out of you. That’s freestyle. You’ve been… 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 Dye-Link toll-free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage. If you’re 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 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Life broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Art. 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, 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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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.

First Corinthians chapter 15, I want you to turn your Bible there. I remember not long ago somebody bought me something and they couldn’t find a receipt. Have you ever had something and you can’t find a receipt for it and you want to take it back and they don’t want to take it because you don’t have a receipt? That happens all the time. You lose the receipt. What is a receipt? Receipt is the proof that you paid for something. It’s the proof of purchase.

So whenever you think about the resurrection, you say, what is the resurrection really? Jesus Christ coming back from the dead is our living eternal receipt. Jesus Christ coming back from the dead is your proof of payment. It shows you that you had a payment made for you and the scars in his hands and in his feet and in his side is the stamp that certifies you have payment in full. Jesus Christ is our proof of payment. He is our living eternal receipt and therefore we should be thankful that Jesus Christ came back from the dead.

Another good reason is for this. Jesus Christ when He was here, He He says, when you kill me, I will come back again from the dead. I will come back the third day. I will rise again. If Jesus did not come back again from the dead, then He was a liar. So Jesus coming back from the dead is to fulfill His Word. You see, if He hadn’t done what He said He did, we have no reason to believe anything else he said.

Why would we believe that he made a payment for our sins? Why would we believe that there is a heaven? Why would we believe he’s coming back again? If he did not come back from the dead, we wouldn’t have any reason to believe anything he talked about. So He coming back from the dead is the authenticity. It is the foundation of Christianity. We base everything upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. So here in the book of 1 Corinthians in chapter 15 I want you to look there in verse 1.

Moreover brethren I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you which also you have received and wherein ye stand by which also ye are saved if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you unless you have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received how the Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” And I’ll read verse 4, that he was buried, that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.

This is a very interesting portion of scripture, it is the outline for the rest of the whole chapter. A lot of verses in this chapter of the verse 58. But when you read this, there’s two things to keep in mind. It talks one about Jesus Christ coming from the dead. The other one, verse 51, talks about Jesus Christ coming from heaven. So if you say, I believe one, but don’t believe the other, well, wait a minute, it’s the same chapter, talking about the same person.

Jesus Christ came from the dead and He’s coming from heaven. But remember this, if He did not come from the dead, He ain’t coming from heaven either. But if he did come from the dead, he is coming from heaven. Got it? That’s what this chapter is about. Another reason is this. In the book of 1 Corinthians, we’re about 14 major problems in a church. 14 major problems. They were having all kind of problems in this church. I mean, from sex to alcohol, I mean, you name it, they were having the problem.

All kinds of divisions in this church. I mean, this was… One wild church, but there were 14 major problems. He said, how can we solve these problems? He says, one thing is you need to really believe and understand is that Christ came from the dead and that Christ is coming back. And in between His death on the cross and Him coming back is a reason, a motive of why you and I should serve the Lord for the Lord. That’s why in verse 58 the conclusion of the whole matter was he says be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work.

And if he did die and did pay four hour sins, they’re all paid and there’s no more left to pay for. There’s not one more sin to pay for. They’re all paid, paid for all of them. He died once. He was buried once. He arose once to give unto you and I, eternal life once and for all. So that when we trust Him as our Savior, He gives us eternal life. So He came back from the dead. Him coming back from the dead is the reason we’re supposed to believe everything else that He taught because nobody could do this.

And when He came back from the dead, He gave reasons why we should believe it. He talked about the various ones that had saw Him after His resurrection. He talked about 500 at one time who saw Him after the resurrection. He told His disciples, go into Galilee and I’ll meet with you. Now whether or not they met in Galilee and they knew He was coming, and over 500 brothers where He had His ministry came together and they saw Him.

40 days, heUGEELT among them and they saw him. And they were convinced that Jesus Christ was alive. And Paul says, I, aslations born out of due time, I also, I saw him. Now Paul shouldn’t say, I saw him if he hadn’t seen him. And if he did see him, it’s okay for him to say, I saw him. And if he did see him, and it is true, Christ is alive. That means he can conquer death. It means that)| if he can come back from the dead and still be alive, then what do you and I got to worry about?

See, all of our hope is based upon this truth. Christ came back from the dead. And he says, by which you are saved if you believe, not in vain. How can your faith be in vain? I thought if you believe, then you’re saved, How can you believe or how can you trust in vain? Only if Christ did not come back from the dead. If Christ did not come back from the dead and you trusted Him as your Savior, wouldn’t that be in vain?

Yes. There is no salvation if Christ didn’t come back. He can’t come back and get you if He’s still dead. Because everything is based upon the fact that He said He was God and that this is the proof that you and I need. and I need evidence, facts. You see, I wasn’t there. And Christ says, blessed are those who have seen and heard Him for themselves. But He says, blessed are they that believe and have never seen and never heard.

I believe the record that was given. I’ve never seen Christ. I’ve never met in the apostles. I wasn’t there when all this took place. But enough evidence is given to convince me that I can believe it all. There are four major questions that are answered in the book of 1 Corinthians in chapter 15. One of those questions is this. Is there a resurrection? And the answer is yes. From verse 1 to verse 34, the question is, is there a resurrection?

And he says, yes, there is a resurrection. So that when we trust Christ as our Savior, our faith is not in vain because he did come back from the dead. But what if he didn’t? If there’s no resurrection, then he didn’t come back from the dead. And if he didn’t come back from the dead, look what else? In verse 14, our Christ is not risen, our preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain. In other words, everything that I’ve been preaching for 40 years has no value to it.

And everything you believed, or whatever I preached for 40 years, is of no value to It was all in vain. It was for nothing. And if there is no resurrection, the Bible says we are of all men most miserable, because there’s nothing to live for. There’s no purpose in life. The atheists were right. Evolution is true. And if all of that’s true, then why have morality? Why have laws to govern anybody? Why not just do whatever you want to do?

It doesn’t really matter. Then lying is okay. Cheating is alright. Murder can be justified. Adultery can be okay. Abortion can be justified. Why? Just animals. But look what else he says here in verse 17 and if Christ be not raised your faith is vain and you are yet in your what? You’re yet in your sins and you are condemned and you can’t get free of your sins and you will die like that. But what if what if it is true?

Then it’s the reverse of all of this. We don’t have to be of all men most miserable. We can have fullness of joy here. We can enjoy a few of the pleasures of eternal things now. Because we believe that where we’re going is a place called heaven and the pleasures of eternity and fullness of joy in his presence. That’s what he says in his book if all this is true. So that means that you and I have a reason for living.

So is there a resurrection? I believe there is. I believe there’s enough facts for it. The other question came up was What are they going to be? These bodies. What are the bodies going to be like when they’re resurrected? Well there are several things that are mentioned here and this is in verse 35. In verse 35 and down to verse 50 the Bible says in verse 42 that our bodies will be incorruptible. That means they will not be able to be subject to death ever again.

Your new body you’re going to get. In verse 43, Sid, it’s gonna be a glorious body. And verse 43 also says it’s gonna be a powerful body. You realize the power that God has? And you are gonna have a body that has power to it. Have you ever read and heard about some guys that, you know, they’re very weak and so forth, but some kid gets pinned under a car and all of a sudden a guy’s got all this adrenaline that flows to him and he can even lift a car about several thousand pounds on it and he goes back, and he can’t do it and wonder why.

Well, there’s things like that, But remember this, Samson, the strongest man in the world by the power of the Holy Spirit living within him, look what he was able to do, the power. And yet the Bible says that we’re going to have a body just like the body of Jesus Christ. And the Bible says that when the doors were shut and all the windows and so forth, everything was closed in because the disciples were in an upper room scared for their lives.

All of a sudden Christ appears in their midst. He was walking with the two on the road to Emmaus and all of a sudden he appeared and started walking with them and he disappeared right out of their sight so the power of a body that can go through walls and The power of a body that can appear and disappear God says that’s the kind of a body that you’re going to get because the resurrection is true You’re going to get a body just like the Lord’s and so this is means that we’re going to have a spiritual body not a spirit body about a spiritual body, a body that is designed to last forever.

They make cars designed to break down the moment you make your last payment. And so you’re going to get a body that will never break down. It’ll last for all eternity in a new place. And that’s what God, now if God said all of these things and if He did come back from the dead, then everything else he says, should be a piece of cake for you and I to believe. And if that’s true, should it affect our lives here and now?

Yes, it should. You see, why? Because he’s coming back. If he’s coming back again, well, then what’s going to happen when he does? Well, there’s another question that’s asked. And that question is, what about the people that won’t die? there in verse 51. In verse 51 says, Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep. That means that we will not all die. We shall all be changed. See, there’s going to be a resurrection of people that died.

But what about the people that don’t die? You mean I mean, there’s some people that won’t die? Yes, it’s called the rapture. It’s when Christ comes in the air, and the Bible says that every person who has trusted him a savior will be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye, caught up to meet the Lord in the air. When he said, we shall not all sleep, we will not all die, but we’ll be changed. While I’m standing in this body, if the Lord came right now, I would be automatically in the twinkling of an eye changed, glorified, receiving a body just like Christ and caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

Never see death. There is a generation of people living that will not physically ever die. I believe that’s going to be my generation. I don’t know if I’m going to be in that generation, but I believe it’s my generation. I believe Christ is coming back in my lifetime. I hope that I’m around when that happens because I really, I’m not afraid to die. I’ve never done it before. And I would rather, the Lord just change me and let me go to heaven, you know, without anything happening.

I would prefer that. How many of you in here would prefer to go in the rapture? Let me see your hand. How many of you all would prefer to go in the grave? Not a taker, not a one. Look there in verse 52, in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last Trump, for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible. The dead shall be raised incorruptible. But that’s those who have already died.

So they’re going to have a body that’s going to be changed. And we that are alive when Christ comes shall be changed. So did He come back from the dead? Yes He did. If He came, He’s coming back. But if He didn’t come back from the dead, then He can’t come back from heaven. How did he get there? So the Bible says he is coming back again. And when he comes back again, you and I are going to be changed.

And we’re going to be changed and fashioned like unto his glorious body. That’s what God’s going to do for us. And that’s why he makes this statement here in verse 53, for this corruptible must put on incorruption, it says, and this mortal shall put on immortality. That means people who are mortal, I’m a mortal person means I’m subject to dying. I could die. Putting on immortality means I won’t be subject to death. It means I can’t die. So that means that while I’m alive, what a miraculous thing this is going to be.

But all this is true. It’s in the Word of God. And And all of this is based upon whether or not do we really believe he came back bodily from the grave. Him coming back from the dead was the acceptance of a payment that he made. And God in heaven was satisfied with that payment. He is a living eternal receipt that our sins have been paid for. That’s why from now on, even while I live, and you live, and we still feel sin, we have a receipt that says, paid in for.

Christ is my payment. He did that for me. I don’t deserve to go to heaven, but He loves me that much that He paid for my sins, and I’ll go to heaven on what it did for me. Let me just show you this very quickly. This hand represents you and me, and this wallet represents sin. Now we all have sin on us. God loves us. hates our sin and the reason is because our sin separates us from God. This hand represents Jesus Christ.

See, we’re separated from Him. So the Bible says that if we pay for the sin is eternal separation from Him. But God loves us and wants us to go to heaven and go to heaven. We have to be perfect as righteous as God and no one’s perfect. No one is righteous as God. So how can we get to heaven? Well, we can. We need a Savior. Man cannot save Himself. He has no hope. That’s why, see, it’s not according to your good deeds.

It’s not because you went to church and you changed your life and you stopped sins in your life. You can change everything you want to. Try not to sin from this day forward. That ain’t gonna get you to heaven. You see, you’ve already sinned. You’re already condemned. He that believeeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. He had to be as not trusted Christ. If you don’t trust him, you don’t go.

But this hand represents Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. He came into this world because He loves you and me. He hates our sin because our sin separates us from it. So Christ took the sin, paid for on the cross, came back from the dead. Our sins are paid. The resurrection of Christ is what we look to as the proof that everything He ever taught, that it’s all true. Because we know no man can come back from the dead.

Nobody can do that. Nobody’s ever done that. him. And then he was able to be seen by over five hundred at one time. And that’s why the resurrection of Christ is so important to Christianity. And we believe that because that happened, and that was true, everything else he said is true. So how can this affect my life? What kind of an impact should this do to me? What’s the value of this doctrine, this doctrine of him coming from the dead and coming back again, because I’m caught in between.

I look back to his death and what he did for me. I look forward to him coming again. And I believe that this doctrine is to help me now. I don’t have to fear death. I don’t have to be afraid. I believe that the greatest enemies in the world, whether it’s the sins of the flesh, of the devil of the world and death itself. Christ, when He was here, conquered all of it and said, He would help me. He faced every problem, every trial, every temptation, all the world, all the devil, and all of his angels, and everything, and can give me victory in my life.

Because Christ did it. He said He would give me power in my life to help me live the way I should live. For 40 years, He has done that. I don’t live like I used to live. I don’t think the way I used to think. God has changed me. He has done a wonderful work in my life, and I believe that. But now also, if he is coming again because that is true, then that means that when he comes and I disappear here, I will appear at the Judgement City of Christ.

And if I’m going to appear at the Judgement City of Christ, that is a rewarding stand. The rewarding stand, that doesn’t determine your destination, you’re already in heaven. to determine the rewards that you will get for all eternity. In other words, God is going to bless you. He’s going to give you praise, honor, and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. If all of that is true, and He says that He will not allow anything to come upon you in your life here, greater than what you can stand, that you can’t have victory and He will make a way of escape that you may be able to bear, that all things work together for good to those who loved the Lord to those who were called according to his purpose.

So I know that I’m going to be in heaven and I know I’m going to stand today, Jim and Sidah Christ, and I know that God’s going to reward me or I’m going to suffer loss of what I could have had. If all of that is true, then I also know that when he comes back to the earth to rule upon this earth, he said, if I serve him, I will rule and reign with him. Now, I don’t know what all that entails.

I don’t have to know. All I know is he promised. He promised. He gave his word. And this is the only time that I’ve got to live to demonstrate, I believe it all, by how I live. You see, some people say, well, I have faith. Show me your faith without your works. And I’ll show you my faith by my works. Because I believe all of that. I believe it should change my life. If you say, I believe it too, but it doesn’t change your life, you don’t believe it.

You don’t believe it. Every man lives according to his beliefs, according to his theology. If you really believe Christ is coming back and can come back soon and can come back today, it’ll make a difference on how you think and how you live. So should there be a doctrine that can help us, poor people, laugh at 80 old souls down here to face life, give us a reason for living? I think so. And the Bible calls it having this victory.

there in verse 57 verse 57. He says, but thanks be to God which give us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ and he can’t give you victory if he’s dead. He gives you victory because he came back from the dead and he is alive alive forever more. And now look in verse 58. Verse 58 is an awesome verse if you don’t have it underlying you ought to underline this verse in your Bible. It’s the conclusion of everything has been said in his whole chapter.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding, always abounding in the work of the Lord in the work of the Lord. Now let me ask you this, are you in the work of the Lord? Every person who trusts Christ as Savior is in the work of the Lord. Now you may not work too good, you may be a pitiful labor, but you’re in the work of the Lord. You, every person, is to be in full-time Christian work.

You may be a housewife, that’s full-time Christian work. You work on a job, you work under somebody, you’re still full-time Christian work, because it means that you’re working for God full-time wherever you are and whatever you’re doing. You say, well the preacher’s the one that’s in full-time Christian work and You know the missionary, the evangelist, we’re in full-time Christian work. So are you. Every person is being full-time Christian work. You’re working for God full-time. And God’s going to reward you for what kind of a mother you are, for what kind of a child you are, for what kind of a father you are, what kind of a labor you are, how you make your money, how you save your money, how you spend your money, how you think everything about your life full-time.

concerned about every area of your life you’re to do right. There’s no time when you say well I just give God 10% so I’m not full time. No every person to be in full-time Christian work for the Lord. You’re just in a different place but he says always he says But you steadfast, always abounding in the work of the Lord. Now look at the last part of the verse, for as much as you know, that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

For as much as no means you’re going to labor according to how you understand this great truth, this teaching that he just spoke about. If you really believe all of this, it’ll change your life. Now if you say, well, I can take it or leave it, it don’t really matter. And you don’t dwell on it. You don’t really meditate upon what God is saying and the impact that this can have in your life. Now you’re going to have a haphazard life, slip shod, you’ll be unfaithful, undisciplined, go to church once in a while or you’ll give a little bit here and there, but you won’t be fully dedicated to God.

And every Christian should be. And the reason is because it’s all true. It’s not in vain. You did not trust him in vain because he did come back. You see, you trusted him in vain if he’s dead. So your faith is not in vain when you trust Christ. if your faith in the Lord is not in vain, then your labor is not in vain. Your sacrifices are not in vain. Your discipline is not in vain. It’s all worth it.

You ever heard that song? It will be worth it all. It will be. So you may go through a lot of things down here. Don’t get mad. Don’t get bitter or anything like that. Not at God. Always stay faithful. Always keep serving God all the days of your life. Don’t stop. Don’t quit. Don’t change. Keep growing in the Lord. And much more as you see the day approaching that Christ could come back. Be more faithful. Cram for exams. Look over here one more time.

This you and me, this sin. We have sin on us. This is Christ. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Christ. whosoever, anybody whosoever believe it than him believe that he did it for them rusher not perish but have everlasting life simple verse I’m trusting him to save me he says he won’t let me go to hell he says he’s taking me to heaven and he gives me everlasting life and I’ll never cast you out and never lose you and he that believe it to me have everlasting life because you see my going to heaven depends upon him not me that’s how I know I’m going to heaven.

Not because I do anything good and all the bad that I can do can’t send me to hell. So you’re looking at an individual that cannot go to hell. You say well because you think you’re so good because I believe he is God and he keeps his word. See he came back from the dead and all of it’s true. All of it’s true. And so once you trust Christ as your Savior he gives you what kind of life, eternal life.

And if it’s eternal life, how long does it last? Forever. If it lasts forever, and all you’re centred paid, where are you going to go and you die? Can you know you’re going to heaven when you die? You don’t have to wait till you die to find out, do you? You’re right. Let’s have first show it. 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 If you 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 toll free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our home page. If you’re 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 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arden. Friend, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Hot up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon.

Just keep looking up.

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. air. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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 Revelation 20, the book of Revelation and chapter 20. We’re going to look at four different things here in these few verses from verse 11 to through verse 15. One will be the setting, one the summons, the secrets and the sentence that’s found here in these verses. You and I are to proclaim to the world that God wants people to know that there is a great, quiet, throne judgment coming.

And this is something that every person is going to have to attend. The setting is called the great, quiet throne that takes place. There’s also going to be a new heavens and a new earth because the first heaven and the first earth be done away and it says they’re found no place for them. At this setting it’s called the Great Quiet Throne, great because of the power that’s going to be there. You realize there is no one with the power of God except God.

No one greater. Down here people are trying to put together all kinds of ways to prove to the world they have more power than someone else. A fighter wants to beat another fighter because then he’s the greatest of all time. And somebody’s not trying to outrun somebody. There’s always the gains and the competition that we have competing against one another, nation against nation, race against race. Everyone trying to wield more power in order to put fear into other people.

But the thing is, there is no power greater than God’s. The great, white-thrown judgment, great because of its power, but the word power means the authority. He has the power, the authority, this judgment to do whatever he wants to do. That is power. To have that kind of authority. There is no appeals court. And to be able to summons the whole world to attend. And the Bible says the angels will be there. And I believe that you and I as believers will also be there, but we have an escape.

We have a substitute. We don’t have to be judged. It’s right because of its purity. Purity because it’s going to be a judgment that will be just. Remember whatever God does, whatever His power that He has and His authority to make whatever decisions and to execute whatever judgment it has to be right. God has to be fair. He has to be just in whatever he does. That’s why over and over again he is called the righteous judge that he is.

But it’s the great white throne and just thrown because of its purpose. Why are we standing here? Because it’s a throne. It’s a judgment. Everybody is going to be judged, judged according to what? The Bible says the books will be open and they will be judged out of those books according to their works. And therefore yes every man needs to be getting together his evidences for his defense because should he stand before God and lose his case the results are devastating.

The punishment is eternal separation from God in a literal fire burning hell forever. Also, the summons is to the great and the small. It’s to the living and the dead. And the Bible says even death and hell will deliver up the dead which were in them and they will stand at this great white throne judgment. So the summons goes out and you and I are supposed to be letting people know, look, you’ve been summons and you will appear. Down here, people jump bail when they’re supposed to appear.

The other thing is the secrets of every individual are going to be revealed. It means the hidden motives of the heart. Not only has the deeds that you have done been recorded because the Bible says your judge is according to your works out of the books. So that means that all your deeds are being placed in a book along with your thoughts and the motive and the intent of your heart. That’s powerful. That means that there’s a lot of things that nobody knows about.

A lot of things you kept secret. But the Bible says what is secret here, one day will be shouted from the house top. In other words, everybody will know. If I was a lost man and knew all of this was true, that scared me to death. But see, you’re looking at an individual. I’m not worried one eye-old about the great white throne judgment. I’m not scared. You say, what about all those bad things you’ve done? And all those bad thoughts you’ve had over the years, I don’t have to worry about it because none of my sins can ever be brought up.

Because see I had a substitute. I had someone pay for all of my sins so I won’t be judged. Am I glad? God helped the person who has not accepted a a substitute, someone to stand in their judgment for them. But someone has already took my punishment and I don’t have to take it. And I’m so thankful for that. I want you to know two things about the sentence that’s going to be given at this great white-throat judgment. One, it is sure.

It is sure because God said, they shall be judged. And if God says, they shall be judged, they shall be judged. And also the severity of this judgment. You see, it’s not just going to be a slap on the hand. It’s not going to be, I’ll give you three strikes in your out. This is not going to be some little warning. The punishment here is called the second death. It’s called being cast into the lake of fire. Now take your Bible, look there in the book Revelation chapter 20 and verse 11.

Revelation chapter 20 and verse 11. I want you to notice there in verse 11, he says, and I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heavens fled away and there was found no place for them. So the Bible does teach that after the thousand year reign upon the earth that the devil will be cast into the lake of fire found there in verse 10, where the beasts in the false prophet are and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.

That’s where the devil is and his angels, the beasts in the false prophet and that’s where the people are that have already rejected Christ’s Savior and at the end of the tribulation period we’re casting to the lake of fire but it’s not over and there’s others that are coming. I want you to hold your place here and look in 2 Timothy chapter 4. 2 Timothy and chapter 4. There’s a verse mentioned there that I’d like to share with you that also sheds a little light on this concerning the judge at the Great White Throne judgment.

This is on page 1281, 2 Timothy chapter 4 verse 1 says, I charge thee there before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead, the quick and the old that have trusted Christ as Savior and have eternal life, and the dead are those that are spiritually dead. And he says, the judge, the quick and the dead, at his appearing. You see when he appears and he takes us out and we stand at the Judgement City of Christ.

But there’s others who will not be at the Judgement City of Christ because that one is for the Christian. That’s for the believers. That’s to receive rewards. But then there’s another judgment that’s coming at the end of time and he says at the end. So at the end of the thousand years there is going to be the great white throne judgment. So that’s something that even the Apostle Paul was preaching to the churches in those letters. the letters concerning Timothy.

Here in Revelation now in chapter 20, look again in verse 11. And I saw a great white throne and him that sat upon it from whose face the earth and the heavens fled away and there was found no place for them. Verse 12, and I saw the dead small and great stand before God. The dead means those that are living even today but have not trusted Christ’s Savior, they are spiritually dead. They’re cut off from the source of eternal life.

They’re cut off from the source of God. But physically, they’re alive. When you and I talk about death or dying, death means to us to be absent from the body. But absent from the body doesn’t mean you don’t exist anymore. It simple means you’re not living there in the body anymore. You’re absent from the body but you’re present with the Lord. you’re still very much alive. You see, when God created you, you will always be. You will never cease to be.

You’ll just be in a different place. Well, you can’t get it. That’s all. You’re only in this world for a few short years. But the house that you live in, your body will not last forever down here. And you don’t know how long it’s going to last the last 50 years, 60 years, 70 years, and you can die tomorrow. But when the body goes, you gotta move out. And the Bible says you’ll either be with the Lord or you’ll be in a place of torment.

Now here he makes the statement in verse 12, and I saw the dead small and great. So it doesn’t matter if you’re small or if you’re great, it doesn’t matter. You are gonna stand at the great white throne judgment. This is an appointment for every individual. Unless of course they have accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. Now notice what he says here, and the books were open. There’s books that will be open by which when you were born into this world, everything that you have done is in these books.

They are recorded. And so there is the book of the living, and there’s also a book of those who have eternal life. Look at this. And the books were opened, and another book, singular, was open, which is the book of life. You see, there’s the Lamb’s book of life. Well, the Lamb’s book of life is the book that you get into when you trusted Christ as your Savior, And we’re supposed to rejoice that our names are written in the lambs book of life.

But you see, your name’s not written the lambs book of life until you trust Jesus Christ as your Savior. Anyone whose names are not found written in the lambs book of life. Don’t go to heaven. You see what he says under in verse 15, and who’s so ever was not found written in the book of life. That’s the lambs book of life was cast into the lake of fire. So you see, there’s two sets of books that will be opened.

The one set of books, that’s the one that contains their works. The other one contains the name of when you trusted Christ as your Savior. So if you have not trusted Christ as your Savior, your name is not in the Lamb’s book of life. Your name is in the book of living. Even Moses said, Lord, blood out my name out of the book of the living, but he wasn’t talking about the Lamb’s book of life. He was talking about the book of living.

Take my life while I’m upon the earth. And God will not. He says not blot your name out of the book of life because that cannot be done. That’s why when you read in the book of Genesis in chapter 5 when it says and Noah lived so many years and he died and and lament lived so many years and he died and Matheus lived and lived so many years and he died but they all died. That’s the book of the generation of Adam.

But in Matthew chapter 1 you have the book of the generation of Jesus Christ. Those who are born into the family of God, there are no deaths recorded because you see once you’re born into God’s family, you can never die. That’s a different book. This one is a book of eternal life. This one over here is your human life, your physical life. So yes, human life is temporary. My spiritual life life is eternal. This one will die, but the other one will never die.

And that’s why Christ says, if a man believe in me, he shall never die. And though he die physically, yet he shall live. That’s because he has eternal life. And so there are these two books. That will be opened. And these books is to contain the works that an individual has done. Look what he says, which is the book of light there in verse 12. And he says, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their work.

So their works are going to judge them. What is the requirement to get to heaven? You have to be perfect to go to heaven. You have to be righteous. And so you’ve never done anything wrong. Anybody here like that? No, don’t you raise your hand. You have to be righteous to go to heaven. But you see, there are people that do not believe, one that there is a God, they don’t believe in heaven and hell, and therefore they don’t need a Savior, and they don’t worry about what they do.

Then there’s others who believe that, yes, there is a heaven, and you’ve got to be real good to get there, they’re going to do the best they can. So you have some. You have some people that believe there’s a heaven and there’s a hell and they figured they can’t make it anyway so they might as well have a ball before they get there and hope that somewhere along the line out of the goodness of God he’ll let him in anyway and so they always intend to get right with God and never do.

Is the works to determine whether or not they go to heaven or hell? No. They’re going to be judged not to determine their destination because their destination has already been settled. You see a man is already condemned while he yet lives. He that believe it in Christ and him is not condemned but he that believe if not is condemned when? Already because he hath not believed. So you see a man doesn’t to stand at the Great White Throne judgment to find out if he’s condemned or not, he’s always already condemned.

That’s why he’s been hauled into court. There’s charges that have been filed against him. Remember, the Bible says that whenever you and I, we commit this sin. That means we have broken God’s law. All these transgressions of ours were wrote on a piece of paper and nailed to Christ’s cross. So when he died, he died for all our transgressions. But he did it for the sins of the world, but see, not everybody will accept that payment that was made for them.

So now that little piece of paper with all their sins, now they going to have to account to God and they’re not cleared. This payment is put to your account only when you believe that he did it for you. And think of how many multitudes of people have not accepted this payment, Christ made for them. You see, this is an awful place to have to be. Have you ever thought about this? Think about all the people that do not know the Lord, don’t like God, don’t like anything to do with Christianity, and loves to just do anything that they wanna do in sin.

They are not very comfortable in a godly church. They’re not God, they’re not comfortable. They don’t feel at home. They’re uneasy. I’ve even met Christians that don’t like to go to church, don’t like to do godly thing, but it’s not because they’re not saved, it’s because they want to live ungodly. You see, when you want to live godly and do right, God’s people are okay to be around. But when you’re not right, you don’t want to be around them, you’d rather be with the people who are like that in the world.

So you’re more comfortable with them Because you see, when you want to clean up your life, well, then you need to hang around people who are also trying to clean up theirs. But when you don’t want to, it doesn’t matter who you hang around. Interesting. But it’s an awful place. But when you stop and think that the Bible says, no man has seen God and lived. You can’t see God and look upon Him because it would kill you because His holiness, His pureness and His power, the Bible says it with blind, you would kill you.

So that’s why when Christ came into the world, He was God in the world, He had to veil Himself. So you can see His physical form, but if you saw God without that form, then it would kill you. Now people are going to stand at a judgment and be face to face with God. Now they’ll be standing in a body that won’t be like the body they have now, because it will be a body that will live or exist forever.

a body that will be able to be cast into the fire that burns with brimstone and never die, like a burning bush that burns and never consumed. Here’s a perfect God meeting a sinner. And here’s a sinner that’s got to try to justify clear himself in front of God. What evidence is he going to use? So God opens up the books and let’s look at the evidence. Now, is this man by his work and by his actions, by his needs, going to be able to prove to God he never sinned?

God has all the facts. God has the evidence. There will not be a substitute standing there saying, look, Lord, let him go because I’ve already paid for his sins. No, it’s too late now. That payment was rejected. He stands alone and he has been summons to appear and the sentence is to be rendered. Look what he says there in verse 13, and the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hail delivered up the dead which were in them.

You see death is where the body is placed in the grave. So the bodies will be brought forth. the soul is in hell and so the soul will be brought forth. So death and hell or the body and the soul will come together and stand at this judgment. What is going to be the sentence of all of this? You’ll notice there in verse 13, in the last part of it where he says, and delivered up the dead which were in them, and they were judged every man according to their words.

Every man, you don’t have to worry about what somebody else did or did do. How many times I’ve heard people say, well I’m just as good as they are. I’m not as bad as they are. And they do something they say, well everybody else does it. What’s that got to do with you? Every man is going to be judged for what he hath done. And eventually for you and I, those that have trusted Christ as their Savior. The Bible says every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.

Remember, going to heaven is free. That’s free. That’s what God did for us. Christ died, paid for our sins, and we get to go to heaven and it didn’t cost us anything. That was the gift. What I have when I get to heaven, all those rewards, if there are any of them, those rewards are earned. That’s what you get as a result of your works down here. We see we don’t do good works to determine our destination. Our destination is determined by our belief or unbelief concerning what Christ did on the clock.

If I believe he did it for me and trust him as my Savior, I go to heaven. My destiny is fixed. If a man does not believe that, then he is lost. He goes to hell for all eternity. His destiny is fixed. One thing is not yet been fixed. I am now in the process of my Christian life. By the deeds that I do, I am either earning or losing rewards in heaven and the blessings of God now. The lost man by his deeds until the day he dies.

By what he says and what he does and how he thinks and all those things about him is determining the amount of punishment that he receives Inhale, but you see the judgment is not to determine your destination. It’s to determine the amount of punishment that is going to be upon an individual that goes to hell. In verse 13, if a person wants to trust in their good works to get them to heaven, your good works must be perfect works.

There can be no sins against you, not one sin written against you. If in this book one sin is written against you, that’s all it takes to send you to hell for all eternity. Look there in Revelation chapter 21 and verse 27 very quickly, and there shall and know wise enter into it talking about this holy city, the heaven, anything that befiled, neither whatsoever work of the domination or make it a lie, but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

See, going to heaven, going to the holy city, living forever, never has anything to do with how you lived. It’s was your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. The only way your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life is when you were born into God’s family. When you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, you were born into God’s family and you’re now his child forever and now God is going to reward every Christian according to his works after he’s been saved.

The lost man is going to receive various degrees of punishment. Look there in verse 14 of chapter 20. And death and hell with body and soul. Remember the book of Matthew in chapter 10? It says, fear him which is able to take body and soul and cast it into hell. Well that’s who he is and that’s the power that he has and whether anybody likes it or don’t like it, think he was right or unread. He has the power to do it and he said this is what he’s going to do.

If I was a lost man and I knew this and I could see this and I can understand it, you know what I’d do? If I thought I had any sense at all, I’d get saved. I’d get saved. I would believe that Christ died and paid for my sins so that I could have eternal life and go to heaven when I died so that I wouldn’t have to go to hell. That’s a good reason for getting saved. I had a man tell me one time with that.

You got saved for the wrong motive. I said, don’t tell me. He said, you ought to get saved because you love God. I said, I didn’t love God. Didn’t know God. I got saved for one reason. I didn’t want to go to hell. And I thought that was a pretty good reason. And afterwards, I kind of fell in love with him, but not before. Look what he says there in verse 14. And death and hail were cast into the lake of fire.

This is the second death. Remember there in chapter 20, he’s also talking about over there in verse five and six about the first resurrection. The second death and the second resurrection have no power. Means they have no authority, no rights, no privilege, nothing. And they are cast into the lake of fire. That’s the second death. So those who have not trusted Christ as Savior will die twice. Once they died when they were separated from their body. That’s physical death.

That’s the first death. Second death is when you’re separated from God’s spiritually for all eternity. You don’t want that one. Now look in verse 15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. So the question is very simple. Is your name recorded in the book of life? is your name recorded in the book of life. Look there in Revelation chapter 13 and verse 8. It makes a statement, and all that dwell upon the earth shall worship Him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

So that shows you that not everybody’s name sah is in that book. But the question is, is yours? Is your name in the Lamb’s book of life? Do you know you have eternal life and that you’re going to heaven when you die? If you have not trusted Christ as your Savior, you’re lost. And if you’re lost, you’re going to stand at the great white throne, judgment. And once you stand there, you are automatically condemned. You have no hope. Look up here.

This end represents you and me and this wall represents sin. We all have sin upon us. God loves us, but He hates our sin. Everybody sins. Everybody is condemned. But God loves us. And He says for us to pay for that sin, eternal separation from Him. But He wants us to have eternal life and to go to heaven. To go to heaven we have to be perfect as righteous as God and none of us are. And by our works we can never be good enough so that’s why we needed a Savior.

You cannot earn your way to heaven. This hand represents Jesus Christ and God in a flesh came into the world because he loves us. H.S. sin because our sin separates us from him. So Christ took all of our sins, paid for the mother cross and came back from the dead. And he said that if we will believe that he did it for us, he’d put the payment to our account. We go to heaven on what he did for us.

I don’t earn it, I didn’t deserve it, but I sure will accept it. The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Let’s pray, shall we? 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 toll-free 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage. If you’re 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 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Life broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bible Live, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arden. Friends, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound, and we will be changed. Hot up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon, 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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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 Matthew chapter 25. Matthew chapter 25. The Bible tells us that we are living where many great events are going to take place. Who are the best basketball players of all time? Who’s the greatest gopher of all time? Who’s the greatest sprinter of all time? And all and on and on. One of the greatest events that ever took place. That’s never happened again. And that was for the garden of Eden.

You stop and think. Wouldn’t you like to have lived there? Wouldn’t you like to have been that couple that lived in the garden of Eden and everything was wonderful? You know that Adam lived to be 950 years. That’s a long time to live. Sometimes we’re trying to squeeze out 50 years or 60 years or seven years. Well, what about the flood? There’s never been one like that flood. Never been a story quite like that story. Mankind has never had given to them any greater set of laws by which to live by than the laws that God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai.

There’s never been any nation come up with better laws for society than what was already given. One of the greatest events that ever took place. When you talk about the cross of Jesus Christ, history, history, everything before Christ or after Christ, one of the greatest events of all time, almost everybody in the world has heard about that baby that was born and that man that died on a lonely hill on dog author in Israel two thousand years ago. When you died you think that many people will know about you?

You may live twice as long as that one man, but not one event of all time has equal that event. Why? Because he came back from the dead. These are some of the greatest events of all time. The Bible says that there’s going to be another great event that’s coming. That event is talking about the rapture. The rapture is where Jesus Christ will take us out of this world. What an event. It’s never happened before. It’ll never happen again.

But one of the greatest events of all time, and you and I are living at a time when that could take place. You see, I get more excited about these kinds of things than the things that happens upon the earth. The Bible says that there’s going to be a tribulation puret upon the earth, seven years long. There’s never been a time like it before and never will be one afterwards. Greatest event, one a great event, but it’s going to be a terrible time because it’s going to be without God’s restraints upon the earth.

And man will be free to do whatever he wants to do to whatever degree he wants to do it. And then the Bible says that Jesus Christ is coming back in power and great glory. What an event people have heard about this all their life. All the way down through the centuries, people have heard about Christ returning to the earth in power, great glory, and are going to set up a kingdom upon the earth. These are some of the greatest events of all time.

In the book of Matthew chapter 25, look at the beginning of one of these great events in verse 31. When the son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy angels with him, then shall he set upon the throne of his glory. Remember he’s coming to set up a kingdom like he came this first time, but he was rejected. He was crucified. The kingdom was postponed, but the king is coming back and the king is going to set up his kingdom just like he promised.

Then he says, and before him shall he gather all nations and he shall separate them one from another. So God says at the end of the tribulation period, And yet there will be a multitude of people that will be alive at the end of the tribulation period. And they’re going to stand before the judge that sits upon this throne, King Jesus, upon the earth. And it’s going to determine those who get to go into the kingdom. And those who are cast into the lake of fire.

What a judgment. Called the judgment of the nations. and those who have trusted Christ as their Savior are going to go into this kingdom that God is going to set up. Look in verse 34, then shall the king say unto them on the right hand, come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. In other words this is the consummation of a plan that God began before he ever started the world.

You You see, because God knew what Satan would do, and God knew what Adam and Eve would do, and God knew down through time what all of us would do, and God had already planned a plan of salvation before the foundations of the world. And this is that period of time where he says, enter out into the joys of the Lord. And he says that they will come from the east and the west and talk about the Old Testament Saints in the book of Matthew in chapter 8.

And we will see these Old Testament saints in this kingdom. But this is a great event when Christ returns. Now I want you to take your Bible look there in the book of Zechariah 14. It’s on page 978 in an Old Schofield Reference Bible. We know that Christ is going to come back in power and great glory to the earth. And it’s not far away. The minimum time period would be seven years. That’s the least that it can be.

It could be longer, but it can’t be any shorter than that. Because when the raptor takes place, when Christ comes and takes us out of this world, there will be seven years of tribulation upon the earth, then Christ’s returning in power and great glory to the earth. Now notice what he says there in verse three. In the Lord shall go forth and fight against those nations.” That’s when he fought in the day of battle. See, there’s going to be a judgment of the nations when Christ returns, but when He returns, the nations of the world are going to gather themselves to gather to battle against the Lord.

In other words, they will be able to see Christ coming in heaven. And yes, one day, people from another world are going to invade this world. I’ll just wait for God’s time. Here in Zechariah chapter 14, he says there in verse 4, and his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall clean in the mist thereof toward the east and toward the west. And there’ll be a very great valley, and half of the mountain shall remove toward the south or north and half of it toward the south.

This has not yet taken place. That’s a prophecy. The Bible says this is going to take place when Christ returns in power in great glory with His angels and in Revelation 19 with the saints, and we will come back with Christ. His feet will touch upon the Mount of Olives, and it will divide. Part toward the north, part toward the south. And the Lord says, there’ll be a great earthquake in that day. You can see why. And then He makes a statement there in verse 12.

Look in verse 12. And this shall be the plague where would the Lord will smite all the people that are fought against Jerusalem. Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet. And their eyes shall consume away in their hold and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. This is going to take place toward the end of the tribulation period. Some kind of a tremendous war battle that takes place where men’s flesh will come off their bones.

So this is descriptive of a battle that will take place when God will gather together all these nations. Now, look in Zechariah chapter 12. Zechariah chapter 12 and look in verse 2. Of course, if this is going to take place, it means that Israel, Jerusalem, must be a troublesome spot in order for the nations of the world to turn against Israel. Now, remember this, in verse 2, the Bible tells us, he says, Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling under all the people round the bow when they shall be in the seed both against Judah and against Jerusalem.

God says that the day will come, talking about in the future, and this was written almost 500 years before Christ. So this was written 2500 years in advance. This is when Israel has been out of the land for 2,000 years and now Israel is back. And Israel today is a burdensome stone to all the nations of the world. Even our President tries to figure out how to keep peace in the Middle East. All the nations in Europe, all of the nations of the world are concerned about what happens with that little old bitty tiny nation the size of Rhode Island.

Isn’t that amazing? And yet the Bible says that this is going to take place, and it will. Take your Bible and turn there to the book of Revelation. And chapter 14. The Bible tells us, and I look and behold a white cloud. And upon the cloud one set light unto the Son of Man, having on his head a sharp or a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple crying with a loud voice to him that said on the cloud, thrust in thy sickle and reap.

For the time is come for the to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that set on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven. He also had a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar which had power over fire and cried with a loud voice. The hymn that had the sharp sickle saying, thrust in thy sharp sickle, gather the clusters of the vine of the year for her grapes are fully ripe and the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth and gather the vine of the earth and cast it upon or into the great winepress of the wrath of God and the wine press was trod without the city and blood came out of the winepress even until the horses brought them by the space of a thousand and six hundred for

So the Bible says this. In the plains of Maguero, the Bible says that the blood will be as high as the horses bridle. The sign that they have in the plains, and I’ve seen it five times that I’ve been there, that there is going to be, and they quote the the scripture that’s found here in the book of Revelation, in the nation of Israel, they’ve got a sign then. This is where the battle of Armageddon is supposed to take place, prophesied in scripture, and they got it there.

This is where the last world battle is going to take place. The greatest of all time. In this plane, the Bible says that it’s like a bull, and God says the harvest is ripe. So he sins forth the angels with sharp sickles to cut down the vines and bring them clusters of grapes into this great big bowl. Well this clusters of great refers to people from all over the world and nations that will come together for this great last battle.

And though the people think they’re doing it. It is God behind the scenes through His angels that’s bringing them there and drawing them to this one place on the face of this earth. And in this one great big valley, God’s going to bring them from the north to the south of the west and bring them into this great big valley, the nations of the world. Now I want you to take your Bible look in Mark chapter 4, the book of Mark and chapter 4.

There are prophecies that God has given at the beginning of His ministry, telling some of the things that we’re going to take place. You’ll notice they’re in Mark chapter 4, look in verse 26, and He says, so is the the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself, first the blade, then the ear, and after that the full corn in the ear.

But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he put it in the sickle because the harvest is come. God uses the understanding of sowing seeds and a harvest to help us understand you and I are sowing seeds and there’s gonna be a harvest. The Bible says Christ is like a kernel of corn. And unless it died, it abideth alone. So Christ died, was planted, came back from the dead. And now you and I are the kernels that make up a full ear of corn.

There are those of us who have trusted Christ as our Savior. If you have your wheat, if you’re lost, you’re tears. So when you trust Christ as your Savior, you have eternal life. You’re God’s child. You’re going to heaven when you die. But you see, only God can see the heart of man to know who has and who has not really believed in Jesus Christ. I believe that most of you have trusted Christ as your Savior. But who am I?

What do I know? As far as you know, maybe I am. That’s why the Bible says, God’s a let it alone. When He comes back at the end of the tribulation period, He’ll gather all the people in the world together and He’s going to separate the sheep from the goats. The sheep will go into the kingdom and the goats will be cast and they everlasting fire. The Bible says they’ll be burned. But here in Matthew it makes the statement in verse 27 of chapter 13, so the servants of household came and said to him, Sir, this is not thou so good seed in thy field.

From Winston hath it tears, and he said to them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Will thou then that we go and gather them up? But he says, Nay, lest that why ye gather up the tears, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. Isn’t that what’s going on? Are not we living at the same time? Well, there’s believers and unbelievers. God’s people and the devil’s people saved and lost believers and unbelievers all living at the same time and Sometimes we can’t tell the difference between but God knows the Bible says God knoweth his children He knoweth them that are saved the Bible says sometimes you may not even be sure that you Really saved even after you have been saved because you can have questions and down But the Bible says we have this security

having this foundation, the Lord knoweth them that are His. So when I trusted Christ as my Savior, born into God’s family, God knows me. He knows my name has been recorded in the Lamb’s book of life. I may have questions and I may have doubts, but He has none. I’m still just as safe and just as secure because it’s based upon His power and not my power. He has the power to save you and the power to keep you saved.

You didn’t save you and you don’t keep yourself saved. And yes, I believe that once saved, always saved. Now notice what he says here in verse 30, let both grow together until the harvest and in the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, gather ye together, first the tears, bind them in bundles to do what? To burn them. But gather the wheat into my barn. Who said this? Jesus Christ. Christ is coming back again. Now go back to the book of Matthew and chapter 25.

Matthew chapter 25. And when he makes the statement, he says, enter thou into the kingdom, blessed of my Father, that was prepared for you from the foundations of the world. And now I want you to notice what he says up there in verse 41. In verse 41 he says, then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, those who do not believe, depart from me ye cursed into what? Ever lasting fire. Prepare for the devil and his angels.

God made that for the devil and his angel that people reject the Lord, they reject heaven, they reject salvation. And so the Bible says there is found no place for them. So they made their choice, they rebelled and God says, This is where they will spend all eternity. And he says, and the smoke of their torment ascended up forever and ever. You see why people need to be saved? You see why it’s so important and that we’re running out of time.

And even though some of this was recorded 2500 years ago, we’re only a few years away from all of this culminating for the greatest event of all history, of all time. Now notice what he says down in verse 46. And these shall go away into temporary punishment.” Is that what your Bible says? Everlasting punishment. But the righteous. That’s those who have trusted Christ as their Savior. You see, you’re not righteous because of what you did. You have been made righteous, declared righteous, because you accepted a payment Jesus Christ made for you.

See, eternal life isn’t something you earn or work for. Eternal life is a gift. But to go to heaven you have to be righteous just as if you never sinned That’s why Christ took all the sin upon himself paid for the sins of the whole world and If you accept what he did for you he puts that payment to your account and you go to heaven on what Christ did for you Salvation is free. It’s the gift of God and you have been declared righteous Because of what Christ did not what you do, but the righteous did this The righteous into light eternal means that you get to go to be with the Lord for all eternity.

And the Bible says, and therefore comfort one another with these words, because you’ll never be separated from the Lord. Now take your Bible and go back to the book of Revelation. And look there now in chapter 16 of the book of Revelation. He says in 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 product. These three in the tribulation period are going to do what Christ did when He came.

There was the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. In the tribulation period there is Satan, the dragon, and the beast, which is the anti-Christ of the political system upon the year, and the false prophet, which is the head of the religious system that will take place. So there will be a one world government, a one world religion all under the head of the devil himself during the tribulation period. This is the unholy trinity. And notice what he says, for they are the spirits of devils and remember they catch their enemy and deceive by the tongue.

That’s how a frog catches its prey by the tongue like frogs. In verse 14, but they are the spirits of devils working miracles which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world. Remember, there is a gigantic subtle plan that is being worked out. Though mankind doesn’t see this diabolical scheme, he’s yet in the very midst of it. He’s been manipulated. He’s been deceived, but he doesn’t know what’s going on and they’re like animals being used by a higher power for destruction.

That’s why unless you serve God and know truth, you will follow air. So he makes the statement in the middle part of verse 14, which goes 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. So the Bible says that they are going to be getting all the nations of the world to come against Jerusalem and they happen to go into that very valley and not only there to fight against Israel and all that.

This is at the end of the tribulation period. This is because they see something. Now look at one of the verse before we look in Matthew again. Verse 16, and he gathered them into a place called in the Hebrew tongue. What’s the word? Armageddon. Everybody even lost people. The news media have heard of Armageddon. They’ve heard of Armageddon. It’s in the Bible. It’s the last great battle that’s going to be fought. And then Bible says in the last days, the reason that’s will happen is because the nations of the world are going to turn against Israel.

and they’re almost there now. Turn it against them. Their only security right now is because of America. There’s people in America that don’t like Israel and yet you and I as Christians have been admonished by the Word of God, pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We’ve been told to pray for Israel, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. We’re to try to do everything Then we can to help and encourage and pray for Israel because it’s a sense the wicked are not going to.

As you look at some of these verses and you hear these things, this is a terrible thing that’s going to take place upon this earth. Now I wanted you to take your Bible and turn now to the book of Matthew chapter 24. Matthew and chapter 24. Matthew 24 and notice there in verse 27. This is when Christ returns to the earth. Seven years after the raptor has taken place. The raptor is a snatching away where God takes us out.

But notice in Matthew chapter 24 and verse 27, 4 as the lightning cometh out of the east. And shyneth even unto the west, So shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. It will not be. A all of a sudden thing. It will not be where nobody sees it happening. it says, and shine it even unto it. So shall also the coming of the sentiment be there are going to be people that will see Christ coming to the earth before he gets to the earth.”

Now, notice. In verse 29, immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, the moon shall not give her life, the stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of the heaven shall be shaken. This is when Christ is coming back. His armies are with him, the angels are with him. You and I will be coming back with him.” And then he makes the statement in verse 30 and then… Shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven.

And then all the tribes of the earth mourn and they shall see, you ought to underline those three, the word they shall see the Son of Man coming. Now, almost like he appears, they’ll see him coming and prepare, I believe, to meet him because they know where he’s coming. And the devil is getting all of the nations of the earth together and dragging him over there, but God says he simply uses the devil. He uses the wicked demons and he uses the rebellion of people to accomplish his will.

And so while they think they’re coming there to fight against the Lord, God says, I’ve got a great big old bowl prepared for you. And I’ve sent my angel and they’ve cut the vines. And that’s where in Matthew 24 says, and one shall be taken one left. One taken one left. They were taken, not in the rapture. They were taken to the battle of Armageddon. They’re taken into this great big bowl. This is where they’re going to be killed.

This is where the blood is going to be. It has the horses bridled for almost 200 miles. Now, I know what he says. And they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Whenever you see the words power, great glory always know that it’s talking about when Christ comes to the earth, not when He comes in the rapture. When Christ comes in the rapture, it’s always immediately suddenly we disappear here and we appear there and the saints are taken out of the world.

This is when He comes with His saints to the earth not to leave but to set up His kingdom. And that’s why He says here in verse 31, “…and he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other. And so God is going to also bring his people together. The judgment of the nations means the judgment upon the Gentiles.

The Bible says that the nation of Israel that have been scattered on all the nations of the earth are going to come together and they will see the one that they crucified and the Bible says they will be born in a day. They’ll trust Jesus Christ as their promised Messiah. That is what the Bible teaches concerning one of the greatest events that will ever take place among this world, the battle of Armageddon. 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 toll-free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our home page.

If you’re 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 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryuptampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arden.

Friends, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Hot up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every prevaling that the Lord is596 coming soon. 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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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.

Bless someone think that because I take a strong stand stand on the gospel of grace that a man is saved by grace. He doesn’t earn it, doesn’t do anything to keep it, that he saved forever, and that regardless of what that person does after he is saved, he cannot impossible, he cannot lose his salvation. So then there are those who will ask the question, do you mean to tell me then I can just live like I please and get away with it.

Let me be clear. You can live as you please, but you cannot live as you please and get away with it. God does not teach that in His Word, though it is impossible for any of His children to go to hell in the future because they have been saved from hell. They have been given eternal life. They’re given a home in heaven. They’re now God’s children. The Bible tells us in the book of Romans in chapter 3, where the Apostle Paul makes the statement and he says that some have slandered us, saying that we’re teaching that you can have a license to sin.

And since that you’re never going to be punished in hell for your sins, then you’re just giving people a license, telling them that they can just go out here and do anything they want and never have to worry about it. Well, I don’t teach that. The apostle Paul did not teach that. He also makes the statement in the book of Romans in chapter six, “‘Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?’ Because the Bible says the law was given that sin may abound.

So you would see sin for what it really is. So without the law, you wouldn’t know it was that bad. So when the law was given, sin revived. Paul says, I died because I saw what sin did to me. I saw how wicked sin really is because when the law was given I saw how righteous God was. So whenever the law was given sin abounded. And when sin abounded the Bible says grace much more abounded. So that regardless of how many sins there are because they’ve broken the righteous law sin, though it abounds, It’s much more abounded, so there’s enough grace to cover all of our sins.

So then because of that shall we continue in sin because grace will cover it. God says, God forbid. That’s not his will. To use our freedom as a license, or like God’s given us permission to go ahead and sin, that he doesn’t do. In the Old Testament are the stories that help explain New Testament doctrine. though God will not punish you and send you to hell, he will chase in you as a child of God. So remember that when you trust the Lord, God becomes your Father, you become his child, and as a child of God, you cannot live as you please and get away with it.

So your heavenly Father is going to chase in you. Now, turning your Bible to the book of Exodus in chapter 20, Exodus 20 and understand that there is a great penalty involved upon God’s people for disobedience. There is a cause and effect. And the Lord says that sometimes because of the Father’s sin, it can be visited upon the third and fourth generation. They’re in Exodus in chapter 20, page 95, and an old Sculphin reference by the book in verse 5.

Thou shalt not bow down by to them nor serve them, talking about false idols, false gods, for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.” In other words what God is saying and the issue is not always you know going to hell. I cannot go to hell, but I can reap the consequence of sin committed in my life. So, we’re not discussing heaven and hell issue at this time.

I’m talking about those who have already trusted Christ’s Savior and realizing that when you rebel against the Lord and you refuse to correct the problem, some of the possibilities that God may use to chase in you. and realizing that you do not sin only unto yourself, though you may sin against God, your sin affects people. Even believe it or not, the secret sins of the mind can bring chasening from God. Not just the ones you commit, but the ones you harbor in the mind and refuse to correct.

And many, I believe, of God’s people are being chasened because they refused to discipline their thinking. There’s pictures you may not hang on the walls of your home, but you will hang them on the walls of your mind. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of 2 Samuel and chapter 12. I want to share this brief story with you. In all of these cases, you will notice that heaven and hell is not the issue. It is a way in which during your life God is going to chasten you for your rebellion.

Do not always think God does it the same way with every individual. God chastened this man and this family this way. He may chasten you differently. But remember that what you do in your rebellion also affects your children and your grandchildren, and maybe even their children to the third and fourth generation. So what you do is not just to yourself, it affects a lot of lives. In 2 Samuel and chapter 12, there’s a story, as you know, about David, who one day instead of going to war, as kings do, at the time when it’s time to go to war, he stayed back, and he looked and he saw a woman that was not his wife.

Evidently a beautiful lady and her husband was off to war. He desired that woman, her name was Bashiba, he took her committed adultery with her. Later he got the husband to come home and to try to sleep with his wife so that when the child would be born he would think it was his child. Well he refused. He says I could not do such a thing, knowing that those men are out there in war sacrificing their lives and for me to be enjoying the comforts of my home.”

He says, I cannot do it. Now David had a problem. So he told Joad, says, you take Uriah and put him in the heat of the battle that he died. And he died. Now his sin is covered. Nobody knows. Well, God knew and God told on him. And a man by the name of Nathan, who was a prophet of the Lord, came to see him. And He used a simple little story. He said there was a poor man, didn’t have much, only had one little lamb.

And he had some people that came to see this king, this master that had all kinds of animals. And he took that person’s one little sheep and killed it to feed to his friends. And he said, what should you do to a guy like that? And David says, the man going to pay four times and you ought to die. Whoo, what a penalty. And then Nathan looked at him and says, thou art the man. You see what he says there in verse six, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold because he did this thing and because he had no pity.

And Nathan said to David, thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul. He said, I gave you so much. And you took another man’s wife. And then you killed her husband. So you committed adultery and you committed murder. Now let me ask you something. Most preachers today will tell you that, I mean if you commit murder, you ain’t going to heaven if you commit murder.

You can’t go to heaven if you commit adultery. This was God’s man. This was a saved man. This was the man that the Bible says was after God’s own heart, the apple of his eye. This man is the one that wrote most of the Psalms. He was the king in Israel. He was the one that’s so blessed of God. This is the little boy that would kill the giant. This is David, a godly man, but godly man can fall.

That man that committed adultery still goes to heaven. That man that committed murder will still go to heaven. That’s the same man that wrote the 23rd Psalm and said, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell on the house of the Lord forever. That’s the same feller. But you’ll have people today will tell you, you can’t kill somebody and go to heaven. And you can’t commit adultery and go to heaven.

Well, I beg to differ. Yes you can. A Christian can commit any sin and still go to heaven when he dies. You see, when you trust Christ as your Savior, you’re accepting the payment, the penalty for your sins in hell, once and for all, for all of your sins. after you are saved from hell and now your God’s child can a child of God still sin yes he can is it God’s will no it’s not what did God tell David when he got caught in his sin well he owned up to it look in verse 10 now therefore the sword shall never depart from buying house now get that the sword shall never depart from buying house because thou hast despised me.

The reason he committed adultery because he despised God. The reason he committed murder because he despised God. He despised the commandment of God. The commandment of this is thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not murder. He did that. What he wanted to do was stronger in his life at this point in his life than the word of God was in his life. So you have to love one and despise the other. That’s why the Bible says you can have two masters.

For you’ll love one and despise the other. You’ll have the command of God and the will of man. And if the will of man is stronger than the desires that you have for God, then you’ll despise the will of God and do the will of man. You can’t have it both ways. You can’t do whatever you want and expect to get away with. There are consequences to sin that David paid. Oh yes, he paid. In verse 12 he says, for a vow it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.”

In other words, everybody can know, and David said in verse 13, David said in the Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord, and Nathan said in the Nathan, the Lord hath put away thy sin, thou shalt not die. The Lord did that for you. That’s grace. You’re supposed to die, but you won’t die. Grace greater than our sins. Grace that abounds, though sin abounded. Grace much more abounded. Shall we sin then so that we can have more grace? God forbid.

That’s not the will of God. But what happened to him? Did God take and give him thirty stripes? No. Fourty stripes saved one? No. Did he punish him? Oh yes, he did. He reaped it four times. And the sword never left his home. Yes, he paid. You know what it says in verse 14? How of it? Because of this deed they’ll have to give great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. The child also that is born under thee shall surely die.

Your child that’s going to be born, your child will die. Why did that child die because of his sin? His sin cost his son. That’s why that son died. And you’ll find out it makes a statement over there in verse 23, but now he is dead. Wherefore should I fast. Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” One down and three to go. One down and three to go. Turn to page your second Samuel chapter 13.

David had more than one life. So he had a lot of kids, a lot of half brothers and half sisters in the family. In verse one of chapter 13, and it came to pass after this, that Absalom, the son of David had a fair sister whose name was Tamar and Ammon the son of David loved her. So here’s a brother that loved the sister. So he fell in love with her and he moped around. Well in verse two he says, and Ammon was so vexed that he fell sick for his sister Tamar for she was a virgin and Ammon thought it hard for him to do anything to her but he had a friend that said it all up says, I got an idea, pretend like you’re sick and tell you want some food when When she comes in there, you grab a holder and put them in your bed.

Isn’t that nice to have some friends tell you how to get what you want? You’re the king’s son. You ought to be able to get whatever you want. Look who you are. Well listen, if David, the daddy can come in adultery, why can’t the son? Why can’t the son do what daddy did? What’s king David going to say to his son? You shouldn’t do that. Okay. Look what you did, Dad! And don’t you think that things that moms and dads do don’t get thrown up to them later in life by their own children?

Look what you did! Right or wrong? And even though you can get forgiveness and God can forgive you, the harm and the damage many times will last for years. And other people will do what they do and they’ll blame you for it. Right or wrong, it doesn’t matter. I’m talking about those people who use ORDER people as justification for their sin. So he says in verse 11, and when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took whole of her and said in her,hra come lie with me, my sister.

And she entered him name, my brother, do not force me, for no such thing ought to be done in Israel, do not bow this folly. And I, wither shall I cause my shame to go. In other words, what you’re going to do is shame me. What am I going to do? He said, if you’re the king, son, why don’t you ask the king for me? And he’ll give me to you. But do it right. Do it right. Though if you want me, marry me.”

What she says. Says in the last part of verse 13, now, therefore I pray. Speak unto the king, for he will not withhold me from thee. How bit he would not harken unto her, but been stronger than she forced her and lay with her. in verse 15, then Emnon hated her exceedingly so that the hatred where would he hated her was greater than the love where would he had loved her. And they told her to go and then he sent her away and she says, you send me away.

It was a greater shame than what you did to me because she wore a clothing that says, I am a virgin. Certain where that she had on her body says, I am a virgin. So she went outside and she put ashes over her head and she tore her clothes because now she’s no longer a virgin. And the shame of that, she said, what am I supposed to do now? And then you have two down and two to go. So you look down there in verse 21, Absalom, her brother, found out what his brother had done.

And it says there that even King David in verse 21 heard up all these things. He was very wrong, but he couldn’t do anything about it. What did you do, Dad? You see, whenever you do not discipline yourself, it’s more difficult to discipline someone else. When you don’t correct the problem than your own life, it’s difficult to correct them in the children or the grandkids, or the great grandkids someday. Nothing in here is talking about going to heaven or going to hell.

Is David paying for his sin? Yes, he is. He didn’t die, but God’s whooping him. He’s whooping him because those he loves are being hurt. And yet they’re making their own decision, but it’s a way that God allows things to happen. And yet you can’t stop it, you can’t change it. Some people will correct the problem and dedicate themselves to the Lord and break that chain. Sometimes there’s people who are strong enough to say, look, I don’t care what you did or what you did, I’m an individual and I’m going to make my decision based upon the will of God and do right.

And praise the Lord for a few handful of people that have the strength of character to do that. Absalom hated Ammon. Look at verse 23, it came to pass after two full years. Absalom was still mad two years later, but he decided we’re going to get all the king’s son to have them all together. He said when we get them all together, I’m going to kill my brother because of what he did. Now notice in verse 32 and Junidab the son of Shimiye, David’s brother answered and said, Let not my Lord suppose that they have slain all the young men the king’s son, for Amnon only is dead, for by the appointment of Absun this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.

In other words he promised two years before he said I’m want to get him for that. Two years at Harvard in him and he planned on how he was going to kill his brother because of what he did to his sister. Wait a minute David, how are you going to say anything? Didn’t you commit murder? Now his son has committed murder. You committed adultery? They commit adultery. It follows three down and one to go. You see there in verse 37, now Absalom, the one that David really loves.

He loves his son Absalom and now Absalom is afraid and so he flees.” And it says in the last part of verse 37, and David mourned for his son how many times? Every day. Can you enjoy the blessings of God and be happy and joyful when you’re mourning every day? Think of how long his life was miserable. And the Bible says in the first Psalm, talking about how that David hurt so bad. He knew more so long and he says his bones were so dry he says I wait of it I could not stand it and he had to confess things to God did he get away with it no he don’t get away with it can you sing yes you can say can you commit adultery yes you can Can you get away with it?

No, you can’t. Can you commit murder? Yes, you can. Will you still go to heaven? Yes, you will. Is it right or wrong? It’s wrong. And God will chase him. But you don’t know to what extent God’s going to cover that. And says, thou shalt not die. You don’t know the severity. And you don’t know when. Yet David was a forgiven man. But he suffered the consequences for the rest of his life. You can put scars upon yourself today by which you’ll suffer all the days.

days of your life. Don’t think, well, it won’t matter and I can get away with it. Think of the consequences of your rebellion. When you want to do that, which is wrong, always think about what does God want. And if you despise the will of God, because of what you want and you let some little passion and some little desire so override you, it’ll destroy you. You will not win. And how many others are going to suffer because of what you’ve done?

verse 39, and the soul of King David longed to go forth unto Absalom. Take your Bible, turn all the way over to chapter 18. The shame of it all was that Absalom then led a rebellion against David and he turned the hearts of the people against David and caused them to love him. His son was trying to overthrow his dad and And it is an amazing all of this is right after David was faced with what he had done David said let him pay four times He paid four times and the sword will not depart from his house See you can’t sin against God get away with it You may not know or never will know the severity of some of the things that have happened to you as a result of what you’ve done but never even maybe got corrected.

Confess your sin, but say for example, here’s a man and he has a wonderful wife and the man sends against his wife by committing adultery and because of that it can cost him his family and cost him his children who turn against the dad because of what he’s done. God can forgive but you can restore a walk. God don’t restore walks because God didn’t break the walk. The man has to restore the fellowship by restoring the walk with God, but that doesn’t heal the marriage.

That doesn’t undo the damage. That doesn’t erase the fears, and that doesn’t erase the feelings that people will have. That doesn’t make them forgive you. Just because God can forgive you, but that don’t mean people do. People can carry things to their grave. And you may suffer the rest of your life, yes God forgave you, and you You may forgive you, but that doesn’t mean everybody else will. And people can’t sometimes forget. That’s the way the real world is.

Absolom was riding a mule, went under a great big old bow of an oak tree, and he got his long beautiful flowing hair caught in the branches. And the mule ran out from underman, he’s dangling there, and his hair’s caught in the tree. Man told Joe Abb and Joe Abb says, why didn’t you kill it? He says, I’m not touching him. He says, because you know the King David. You know the King? He knows everything. He knows everything that happens.

And he’d come after me, and so would you. Joe had said, I ain’t got time to talk to you about this. So he went. And while he was hanging there in a tree, pierced him through the heart. And then 10 men gathered around him, and they all had their little fun with. Absalom. Absalom now is dead. Word got back to King David. When King David heard that, looked there in 2 Samuel chapter 18. And look at verse 33. And the king was much moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and whipped.

And as he went, thus he said, Oh my son, Absalom, my son, my son, Absalom, would God I had died for thee? Oh, Absalom, my son, my son. And if God had allowed him to get his wish, he would have died. Over five years before this, because he says, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die. And God says, thou shalt not die, but it’s going to be visited upon your family. And that’s why he says, would God I had died for you?

He could have said the same thing about the little boy that died. He could have said the same thing about the other ones that had died as other son Ammon. He could have said about the girl, they got raped if he had died. No, that would have been too easy for David. Have you ever heard somebody say, boy, if God, If you know that I’m going to go astray, I want you to take me home first before I send against you.

And so now you put the ball into his court and God, if you know I’m going to send against you, you take me home. Oh, no. No, you don’t. He’ll leave you here to discipline yourself and you to walk right and live right. You think about the consequences. And one of the worst things God may ever do to his child is not to take you home before your time, but let you live and let you suffer some of the consequences of your wicked decisions.

So you cannot live, contrary to the will of God, and get away with it. You can try, but you can’t get away with it. I don’t want anyone to ever think, just because I teach that you’re saved by grace and you don’t have to stop anything, start anything, join anything. You don’t have to do anything. God will save you just like you are. You’re saved by grace. You don’t have to go to church. You don’t have to give any money.

You don’t have to promise to stop something or start something, nothing. And God will save you just like you are. And I don’t care what you do and how many sins you commit, God will never cast you out. Now, that might sound like I am teaching people to go out and live and sin, but you need to hear the rest of the story. There is another side of the coin. Though God will never send you to hell and I can’t ever go to hell, but my heavenly Father can beat the living daylights out of me while I’m here.

I know that God deals with everybody and he gives them personalized attention. I know that and I believe that. And just because he whooped that man that way because of that sin doesn’t mean he’s going to do you exactly the same way. He might spare you. He may be long suffering And I pray that he will but you don’t know that’s why David says concerning the son even after your son gonna die David still fasted and prayed They said why’d you do that?

He says perchance God would be gracious Perchance he’ll be gracious. Do you want God to bless your life? Do you want his will in your life? Look up here Let this hand represent you and me and this wallet represents sin now. We all have sin upon us All of us are sinners, understand this. All of us sin. But God loves us, but He hates our sin. He says for us to pay for the sin is eternal separation from God.

In hell. God wants us to go to heaven and to go to heaven, we need to be perfect as righteous as God and none of us are perfect. None of us are righteous. We’ve all sinned. You cannot save yourself. And it doesn’t matter how many sins you’ve committed. Christ, this hand-riversing Christ, Christ died and paid for all of them. It came back from the dead, all of your sins are paid. When you accept this payment He made for you, you have a payment that keeps you out of hell.

You can’t go to hell. Now as a child of God, though he will never cast you out, he will never lose you. Understand that as a child of God, if you want his blessings now and rewards in heaven, than you need to do right. And if you choose not to, God’s going to chase you. Let’s pray, Shiloh. 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.

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The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Life broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Art. 1. Friend, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound, and we will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.

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 totally. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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.

Here in the book of Numbers, at chapter 21 is a story that is used teach the simplicity of the gospel. I want you to see it in verse 5, and the people speak against God and against Moses. Wherefore have He 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, God was feeding them with manna that came down from heaven, giving them bread they didn’t have to work for.

Here’s about two million people that have come out of captivity out of Egypt, crossed the Red Sea into the wilderness on their way to the promised land. But lo and behold, because of twelve men or ten men that went into the land to spy it out, came back with an evil report, now the children of Israel have got to wonder for 40 years in the wilderness all because they would not believe God. And so the Lord says you’re gonna die in the wilderness.

Most of them know they’ll never get into the land of promise. Wouldn’t that be a heartbreaker? No one that they’ll never get into the land that flows with milk and honey. No one that they’re gonna live in a desert walk for 40 years in a desert and die in a desert. Not much future in that is there? Not much hope there. Verse 6, And 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, and we have spoken against the Lord and against thee. Pray unto the Lord that he will take away the serpents from us, and Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent. Sit it on a pole, and it shall come to pass it. Everyone that is bitten when he looked upon it shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, put it upon a pole, and it came to pass it if a serpent had been any man.

When he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. And if he didn’t, it died. So simple. The people murmuring, complaining God’s insurface among the people. Snakes. They bit the the people, poisonous snakes, the people were dying. So they cried out to Moses, we’ve sinned. God says, make eyes, a serpent out of brass and put it upon a pole and lift it up. And everybody that looks at that, if they’ve been bitten, they will, it didn’t matter how big the snake was at bit him.

It didn’t make any difference how much damage was done by the snake when the bit them, if they were bitten, they would die. It didn’t matter if they were old or if they were young. Nothing else mattered. All they had to do was look at the brazen serpent and they would live. They didn’t have to look and keep looking, they just had to look. Look at it and they’d live. Isn’t that a simple illustration? God uses the simplicity of something He’s got a lot of people who have a lot of people who have a lot of people who have Lookmunition in chapter 3 when Nicodemus had come to Christ at night.

He didn’t have all the answers. Christ told him that he had to be born again and he didn’t understand how. So he goes through and explains to him what it means to be born again. He says you have to have a new birth born of the Spirit. And down there in verse 13 he says, and no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven. even the Son of Man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, using an illustration that we just read just a moment ago, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.

But in the Old Testament, in the book of Numbers, when they lifted up the serpent, What did the people have to do in order to be healed? Just look. There was nothing for them to perform. All they had to do was look and they’d live. So simple. Christ says, if the Son of Mary lifted up, He said, I’ll draw all men unto me. All we have to do is look and live. Look to Christ and you can live. You see, all of us have been bitten by the serpent, the devil himself.

Every one of us are going to die. We’ve got poison in our system. We’ve got sin in our bodies. And sin has caused a reaction in our bodies. We don’t have clear judgment anymore. We can’t think straight. We have the poison of snake in our bodies. And that’s why we say the mean, ugly things that we do. We have been bitten. Every person born into this world needs deliverance. We’re all going to die. And God says you can live, but this living is not just talking about a little extension of your life here.

He’s talking about where you could have eternal life, not temporary life, not just another five years, another 10 years, not another 20 years, but eternal life. See what he says there in verse 15, that who so ever believe it in him should not perish but have eternal life. See verse 15 goes with verse 14. Look at it again. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up that whosoever believe it in him should not perish.

By believing in him we won’t perish. We won’t go to hell. But have everlasting life isn’t it simple? So he uses a very simple story in the Old Testament to help explain the gospel to an individual. Knowing that if you believe this you will never die never die never die of a physical death you’ll never die as far have been separated from God death means separation you’ll never have spiritual death where you’ll be spiritually separated from God for all eternity in a literal fire burning hell take your Bible and turn to the book of 2 Kings, chapter 5.

I want to just get to you very briefly. Five big mistakes, five big blunders that most people make. And most of us in this room have made some of these decisions, big blunders. There’s a lot of people that are still making these big mistakes. I want you to follow me from verse 1. Now, Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable because by him the Lord had given deliverance on the Syria.

He was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper. And the Syrians had gone out by companies and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid. And she waited on Naaman’s wife, and she. Said unto her mistress, would God my Lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria, for he would recover him of his leprosy. And one went in and told his Lord send thus and thus said the homemade that is of the land of Israel.

And the king of Syria said go to, go and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of Raymond. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel saying, now when this letter is coming to thee, behold, I have there with sent name in my servant to thee that thou mayeth recover him of his leprosy. And he came to pass when the king of Israel had read the letter that he read his clothes and he said, Am I God to kill and make alive?

That this man does send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy. Wherefore consider I pray you and see how he seeketh the quarrel against me. And it was so when Elisha the men of God had heard that the king of Israel had written his clothes that he sent to the king saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes, let him come now to me. And he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.

And Elijah sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go in Washington, Jordan, seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shall be clean. But Naaman was rough and went away and said, Behold, I thought he will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord as God, strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abena and Farpa, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?

I not washing them and be clean, so he turned and went away in a rage, and his servant came near and spaken to him, and said, My Father, if the Prophet had bid they do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? How much rather than when he saith to thee wash and be clean? Then when he down and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child and he was clean.

Tremendous story, great story, but there were also five big mistakes that were made in this simple little story. Now, Maman was simulacra, but he was a great general, a great warrior, a man of valor, the Bible says, but a leper. That means he was incurable. He had leprosy and leprosy would eventually take his life. Well, of course, no man wants to die. Everybody wants to live. Everybody’s looking for a cure who wants to die of cancer. If I had a cure for cancer, I bet people would line up in order to get the cure.

Well, I have a cure for the sins of people, for the problem that people have and why they’re going to hell and they can have eternal life and know they’re going to heaven. But one of the biggest things in Mayes was, if you’ll look there, it says, he offered money for such a thing. And you notice they’re in verse five, and the king of Syria said, go to go and I will send a letter onto the king of Israel and he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold and 10 changes of Raymond.

What did he expect to do? What did he think he was going to have to do? He was under the impression he’s going to have to buy his healing. He’s going to have to pay for it. He’s going to have to give something for it. One of the biggest blunders that we have among people today is that because when they’re ignorant of the righteousness of God they go about trying to establish their own righteousness and therefore have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

There’s people who are trying to think they have to pay God something. They’ve got to give God something. Many people think they’ve got to change their life in order for God to save them and that’s not true. They think they’ve got to stop some of their bad things so that they’ll be good enough for God to save. That’s not true. You don’t have to give money. There’s people today that are going to church trying to buy salvation. There’s church people who join churches and give money trying to earn their salvation.

They’re trying to pay something. That’s one of the biggest blunders that people have. Why? Because it can’t be bought. You can’t earn it. You cannot buy it it is free what God can do. The next thing I want you to see there in verse 6, he went to the wrong person. Remember the little maid said to the the prophets, see there in verse 3, and she said unto her mistress, would God my Lordmble with theParser that is in Samaria?

Well the king of Israel is a high and”},{“. So what did they King of Syria want to do? Send him to the king. See there in verse six, and he brought the letter to the king of Israel saying, Now when this letter is coming to the behold, I have there with St. Ammon, My servant to thee that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. She didn’t say send him to the king. She says send him to the prophet, not the king.

He went to the wrong person. I remember just recently listened to an individual talking about God is Allah. I’m sorry. Allah is not God. Jehovah is God. The only true living God is the God of Israel. And his name is Jehovah. There is no other God and he has a name and he’s not known by all these other names. The other names is a different God.

And many people go to the wrong God. Can you go to the wrong churches? Can you listen to the wrong person telling you the wrong thing about how to get to heaven? That’s why the lost people today don’t really understand how to get to heaven because so many churches and so many preachers are all saying different things. If all the churches and all the preachers were of God, shouldn’t they all teach the same thing? Yes, they should. All preachers should teach the same truth from the same book.

If the Bible is not in contradiction, and it’s not, why then are preachers in contradiction of each other? They should not be. All preachers are not automatically write just because they’re the preacher. That’s why I want you to bring a Bible. That’s why I want you to study the book because the preacher isn’t God. The preacher makes mistakes. The preacher says things that are wrong. That’s why you need to go by the book and look at the chapter and the verse and make sure it says what he says it says.

Otherwise, you can find yourself expecting something that a man can’t deliver. He went to see the king. And he says to the king, I want you to, that thou may have to recover him of leprosy. And the king got mad. Why did the king get mad? He didn’t have any power. He didn’t have it. The Bible says there’s false teachers and false prophets today. He says there are clouds without water, clouds without water. It means they’re wells, but they’re dry, there’s nothing there.

The Bible is a living book, and it is a well that springs up into everlasting life. You see, you have to hear truth from somebody who can get into the well and bring up the living water so that people can understand it, and it’s clear and on a level that they can perceive. He says in verse 7, it came to pass when the king of Israel read the letter. He tore his closing and says, am I God? Am I God?

You see, if Jesus Christ is the only one that can save, well, then the preacher can’t save you. He’s not God. The preacher cannot forgive your sins. He’s not God. The so-called Father today of other religions when they call some man their Father, he’s not their father? He can’t save them. He didn’t bring them into the world. He didn’t begot them. He didn’t father them. He’s not their father. God says, no man, your father upon the earth. Now you’re not talking about your earthly father that you have.

He says, only one father, and that’s God. He says, don’t you call somebody else, God? They’re not God. He said, I’m God. And I’m sure you know of people who do such a thing. I want you to look there in verse 9. In verse 9, He had gone to the wrong place. He didn’t get far enough at the door and so close and yet so far away. When you think of how close some people get, they can even come to church and listen and hear the Bible and yet be so close and still never trust Christ’s Savior.

They They hear that they’re a sinner. They hear that Christ died and paid for the sin, came back from the death. They hear all of that. And they know that if they trust Christ to save, they’ll have eternal life and they’re going to do it someday. And the road to hell is paved with intentions. They always intend to. Nobody intends to go to hell. They always intend to do right, just like I know Christians. They know that they have eternal life.

They’re going to go to heaven when they die. know that. They know they should serve the Lord and they’re going to one day. One day I’m going to get right. One day I’m going to really start serving God the way I should. One day I’m going to start giving. One day I’m going to start being favored. One day I’m going to start going to the sun and school. I’m going to start going to the sun and I’m going to start going.

One day I’m going to start doing all those things. I know I’m full of, but not now. All you have is now. Always do right now. But he says you’re in verse nine. So name and came with his horses and with his chairs and stood at the door of the house of Elijah. Elijah wouldn’t go see him. Elijah wouldn’t even go to the door. And he was mad about that. You see, I want you to notice in verse 11, he made the statement, I thought that he surely would have come out to me and stand and call on the name of his God and strike his hand over the place and heal me from my lepercy.

Here’s a man named him. He’s a mighty man in his country, but get this. Elisha didn’t even get up and go to the door. Isn’t that a slap in his face? In other words, you have to humble yourself and realize you’re nothing. You’re nothing. God says come as a child. Come as a child with childlike faith. With nothing in your hands that you can bring, you can’t grow it over look who I am. God, you ought to save me because look who I am.

God says you are a a center and deserve to go to hell. And that’s the truth. God doesn’t save something because of the look who they are. Everybody gets saved the same way by faith in Jesus Christ. I unsaid the same way these Old Testament saints were saved. I’m saved the same way these New Testament saints are saved. I had been saved the same way every man has been saved through the process of time. All of us in this room have all been saved exactly the same way.

We trusted Christ as our Savior and Him alone, or none of us are saved. But we all get saved the same way by grace. No man has ever earned his salvation. No man has ever worked his way to heaven. God never saved any man because of who he is. God has never saved any man because of what he’s done. God’s never saved any man because of his accomplishments in life. God has never saved any man because of those things.

Every man’s been saved the same way because he humbled himself as a sinner to an Almighty God and trusted Christ as the Savior. That’s how simple it really is. But everybody thinks it’s got to be a different way. You see one of his problems that he used the wrong prescription. You see in verse 11 when it makes the statement, but naming it was Roth. That means he was mad and angry, very upset. And when the way it says, Behold, I thought, I used to try to teach people how to give the gospel.

And I says, when you give the gospel, always tell them what you thought, or what you found out in what you did. I thought that a man would go to heaven because he was good enough. I thought a man had to live right in order to go to heaven. I really I thought a man had to keep the 10 commandments in a bay to go and rule to go to heaven. That’s what I thought. I thought good people go to heaven and bad people go to hell.

Well, that’s what I thought. I thought wrong. I found out that, no, no, that was true. I found out that God saves a man by grace without him earning it, without working for it. By grace are you saved through faith. When I found that out, I did it. I trusted the Christ as my Savior. Well, he thought something that wasn’t true. He thought it was going to be a different way, and it wasn’t that way. And the Lord says in verse 10, Elijah sent a messenger unto him saying, go and wash in Jordan seven times, and you’ll be healed.

Go wash in Jordan seven times. That’s not the way Naaman had it pictured. That’s not the way it’s supposed to be done. Well what did he want to do? He said, why should I go and wash in Jordan? The rivers and Damascus are a lot cleaner than that river. So he was mad about that. Do you believe that he came with the right attitude? Do you think he was a submissive spirit? Or he seems beyond the argument of side, like he’s looking for trouble.

And yet he has leprosy and he’s dying. And yet he can be healed. But you see, God made it so simple. It was so simple what He had to do. But He says, if God had told you to do some great thing, you’d have done that. Some people would rather stand on their heads, fit wood nickels, than to simply just trust, you mean that’s all I gotta do? That’s all I gotta do? That’s all you can’t do. You mean I don’t have to do anything?

No, you don’t have to do anything else. I don’t have to join the church? No. I don’t have to be baptized to go to heaven. No. No, you don’t. I don’t have to change my life to go to heaven. No, no, you don’t. I don’t have to quit my sins to go to heaven. No, no, no, you don’t. No, you don’t. Well, I always thought, No, you thought wrong. That’s not the way it is. It’s simple. He had the wrong passion because you notice it says he went away in a rage.

So he turned and went away. He came so close, so close to missing out on a healing that could have taken place and he turned and he went away. And that’s when he says in verse 13, and his servants came near and spake on him and said, my Father, if the prophet, if the prophet had bid thee to some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? How much rather than when he saith to thee, wash and be cleaned?

That’s too easy. It’s got to be harder than that. It’s got to be more complicated than that. Where did preachers get the idea they’re supposed to go into all the world and make it hard for people to understand how to go to heaven. Who gave them that authority to change his message? God made it simple. He made it clear. And nobody has a right to mess with it. So if we make it simple where people can easily identify, that’s so easy to understand.

They say, oh, you preached that easy believerism. What do you preach? Hard believerism? Of course it’s supposed to be easy. God says even for a child that a child can understand it. Salvation is a gift. It is totally free. Look up here very quickly. This man represents you and me and this waller represents sin. We all have sin upon us, but God loves us. And he hates his sin. And the paper, that is eternal separation from God in hell.

Now to go to heaven, we have to be perfect as righteous as God. none of us are perfect. We’re all sinners. God says that we cannot save ourselves. That’s why we need to be saved. This hand represents Jesus Christ. God in the flesh, He came into the world because He loves us. He hates our sin because our sin separates us from Him. So He took the sin, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead. And God said if we’ll believe that He did that for us, He would put this payment to our count and we would go to heaven on what Christ did for us.

Salvation is a gift. Remember this, Jesus is the person of salvation. He is the place of salvation at the cross. And the blood is the prescription for our salvation. There is no other way. God made it clear, made it very simple. Once you trust Him as your Savior, you have as a free gift ever lasting life. Let’s pray. We’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 toll-free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage. If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us.

The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. For Sunday morning services begin887th 30 and at 6 o’clock onyahoo. By broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Art. Friend, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Hot up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon, Just keep looking up.

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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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.

There has been quite a bit of stir lately concerning teaching of creation in the schools. You know a few years back there was quite a stir because they wanted to teach evolution in the schools. You see in our country all our schools taught creation. All our schools used the Bibles. All our schools had pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United states. We had teachers that would teach the kids right from wrong and would not afraid to say that’s wrong and that’s right.

But today we have higher education. We have a few intellects that don’t think that’s the way to teach anymore. I want you’re turning to Bible to 1 Corinthians in chapter 15 and notice they’re in verse 12, you and I claim to believe that the Bible is true. You and I claim to believe that Jesus Christ is real, that He is really the Son of God. We say we really believe that. We say that we believe that there is a real literal heaven and hell.

We say we believe that because Christ taught that the Bible teaches that. We’re supposedly what the Bible says. You see if you believe in God you can believe in creation without any trouble at all because you can believe that in the beginning God created the world but if you don’t believe in God you can’t believe in creation. True, think about it. So if I don’t believe in God well I can’t believe in creation so I have to believe that the world got here another way.

Okay, the world is here. Either somebody made it or it made itself. Ah, that’s what it is. The world had to make itself. We Christians believe that in the beginning God created him. But that’s so unscientific because we can’t prove it. Why? Have you ever seen God? Ah, see there? Yours is all by faith. But the evolutionists, they believe that in the beginning There was nothing. And then something created something and brought it here. And there we are. How do they know that’s what happened?

That’s their faith. That’s their belief. But that’s scientific. Can they prove that that’s how it happened? No? Well, what are the facts? There are none. The evolutionists has no facts whatsoever. The evolutionists cannot prove scientifically that evolution ever took place. There is none, but that’s scientific. And we believe the Bible, that’s faith. Well, what’s theirs? Okay, so I put my faith in God. Who did you put your faith in? Who wrote your textbooks? They got theirs from Darwin, doesn’t it?

Evolution was this transmutation of species has never been proven. The reason for this is very simple, It’s never happened. Evolution is no more than the imaginations of men who deny the word of God and so are Desperately struggling for some explanation of the origin of life because the world is here if I don’t believe in God I’ve got to have an explanation. How did the world get here? So they’re trying to cram their religious beliefs down the minds and the throats of the kids that go to our schools and in our universities This is what Charles Darwin said in a book that he wrote my life in letters way after he had wrote his Darwin book on evolution.

And on page 210 this is what he said. He says not one change of species into another is on record. We cannot prove that a single species has ever been changed into another. Charles Darwin said that. Says there is no proof. There is none, but people have taken that little thought and have permeated the mind and sewn the seeds and now we’re refunding the consequences. In the little drawing that I gave you, I want you to look at it.

I put this together about 15 years ago. I drew it and then I had my artist that was in our school draw it for me. And you’ll notice there on the left where it has in the little schoolhouse, The word secular humanism, secular humanism, secular means without God. That’s why they call it, you know, you go to a secular school, means you go to a school that don’t teach about God. That’s a secular school. I believe everything is sacred to me.

Everything I do is sacred. The absence of Christianity doesn’t mean the absence of religion. Everything is taught according to somebody’s belief. Secular humanism is the belief that man is the epitome of all knowledge. That man is the measure of all things. Man himself becomes his own God. Why? Because there is no God. Because they believe that if there is no God, how did we get here? here and so by the process of perhaps some four gases that come together and spontaneous combust them and lo and behold the big bang theory and there’s a blob of protoplasm floating around in the ooze of the Nile and life who came from non-life.

Oh wait a minute you see if it’s scientific that can’t happen why because life the law of biogenesis states that life must come from life and exist on previous life. That’s the scientific fact. All life comes from life and has to exist on life in order to live. That’s the scientific fact. So, is these four gases, is it life? No. Then how can it ever give birth to life? It can’t. It’s unscientific. How did you get from non-life to life?

And then you have a little one cell of Miebuh, one cell of protozoan. They’re supposed to grow and produce everything that we have today. I’m supposed to believe that I as the highest form of this evolutionary process on this evolutionary ladder man with his brain can’t produce the one celled amoeba but I’m supposed to believe that the one celled amoeba without a brain produced me. It’s smarter than Iuthor I am, because I can’t make it, but it could make me.

I can’t produce the world, but I’m supposed to believe the world made me. Can you do it? Have you ever seen evolution take place? You never have. There is no scientific facts for evolution. And yet it permeates our society. You say, well, it doesn’t make any difference, just because they teach a little evolution in our school. Oh no, that is the religion of the atheist that’s taken over our institutions. And that’s why you’ve noticed a secular humanism. That’s the root.

Now look at the fruit. Have you ever wondered where these things come from? And you’re going up through there and you’ll see things about the ERA. That was where the women trying to get theirs years ago. It destroys the family. The drug abuse, the God is dead. The theory of evolution, anti-God, anti-American, anti- Bible, anti-Christ, abortion, pornography, homosexuals, the gay rights movement, the right to suicide, death, education, and the end of legal marriages and ban them prayererial in a new world order in euthanasia.

All these things are the fruits of a bad root. And that’s why these things are permeating our society because we let a little seed somebody sow some tears among the minds of our young kids. And now those kids are adults and adults don’t know right from wrong. Adults have no character and no integrity. And they’re in place of leadership or heaching the kids, they’re filth and they’re trash and they’re secular, humanistic, religion to the minds of those that don’t believe that at all.

Let’s pretend for a moment. Here’s a little Johnny. And I believe in creation. And here’s a man over here’s an atheist. He doesn’t believe in creation. He doesn’t believe in God. He believes everything I don’t believe. Can you have a little child? If I get your child, I’m going to try to teach your child what I believe. If that man gets your child, he’s going to try to teach your child what he believes. Don’t you think that you as the parent ought to have a choice and who gets to teach your child?

But they’re trying to force it by the legislation of the pen and force you to put your kids in a school to be taught by a person that will destroy your child, to destroy your home and destroy our country. Because who have come in while we were sleeping and taken over our country. And I don’t like it. I want you to notice here in 1 Corinthians 15, if Christ be preached that He rose from the dead, I’ll say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead.

In other words, some believe it and some didn’t believe. In other words, some say that there is a God and some say there is no God. Some say there is a resurrection. Some say there is no resurrection. Wait a minute. If we say that we believe it, should not we be able to preserve that teaching in our generation and our children? Yes? Well, what right do somebody else have to destroy what I’m trying to teach? You’ll notice over there in the other drawing where it has American Christian.

This is the Christian faith, the Christian faith. When you take the principles of Christianity and you mix them together with civil liberties, you can produce a country like the United States of America. Remember this, there are nations that have been built by the religious beliefs of its people. There’s countries that atheists have built, and they have a communistic type government because that’s what an atheist wants. There are countries that Muslims have built. There’s countries that Catholicism has built, but America is a country that was built upon the principles of Christianity.

Let me read something to you. The proposition that the United States of America or a Christian and Protestant nation is not so much the assertion of a principle as the statement of a fact. That fact is not simply that the great majority of the people are Christians and Protestants, but that the organic light, the institution, the laws, and the official actions of the government, whether that action be legislative, judicial, executive is and of right should be and in fact must be in accordance with the principles of Protestant Christianity.

This is a Christian and Protestant nation in the sense stated in virtue of a universal and necessary law. If you plan an acorn, you get an oak. If you plan a cedar, you get a cedar. If a country settled by pagans or Mohammedans is developed into a pagan or Mohammedan community, by the same law if a country be taken possession of and and settled by Protestant Christian, that nation, which they came to constitute, must be Protestant and Christian. It is in accordance with analogy.

If a man goes to China, he expects to find the government administered according to the religion of the country. If he goes to Turkey, he expects to find the Quran supreme in regulating all public action. If he goes to a Protestant country, he has no right to complain. Should he find the Bible in the ascendancy and asserting its benign influence of not only on the people but also upon the government. Our rights in this country is that Christians can influence government.

They always talking about well you know the separation of church and state. Don’t forget the separation of church and state. You don’t find it anywhere in the Constitution. It’s not there. That’s what people want to use in order to get Christianity out of the influence of government because there’s eight that’s that want to overtake our country. We don’t have to worry about somebody coming in with some guns and bullets and tanks and bazookas and all the rest of it and Star Wars type.

Oh, we got the enemy among us that are destroying our homes and destroying our young people and destroying our government. It’s been taken over from the inside. We don’t have to worry about it from the outside. If any other religion takes over America, it will be her downfall. evolutionary teaching is nothing but the religion of the atheist. And they got into the school. Remember, it used to be Christianity was taught in the school. The Bible was in the school.

They came in and got that out and don’t want it back in. And so what do we do about that? Let me mention this to you. The University of Georgia, one of the oldest universities in this land, started around the same time as the founder of our country And believe it or not, it was for the purpose of training, men and women, and the principles of Christianity. And there are articles of incorporation. Every person on the board of directors for the University of Georgia must be a Christian and profess the Christian faith.

And the reason is so that they would permeate that institution and make sure that everybody who goes there is permeated in the philosophies of Christianity. University of Georgia. I dare you to find out if all of them profess Christianity. If they don’t, they ought to resign their jobs. Because if they don’t, they are traitors to that institution that was founded for the very purpose of training young and men and women about truth and character. But they won’t do that.

Because while good men slept, the enemy sowed some tears. And now the results are coming. And we don’t like the results, but unless Christianity takes and fights back, we all lose this country and you know what a country will be like when it’s run by atheist? Check communism. America is the greatest nation on the earth. And the reason is, is because it’s the only nation that was founded upon Christian principles. nations were founded upon their religion, but this nation was to be different according to the teachings of this book.

And yes, this was a Christian nation founded upon Christian principles and we had God and the Bible taught to all of the kids because it’s truth and it’s right. Why now do we think that evolution is so scientific. Evolution is not scientific. Evolution is not truth. They’ll tell you that look, this form of life that we know today came from a common ancestor on down the line and that there’s animals that they have common ancestors. They used to teach that man came from an ape but they couldn’t ever find him in links.

So they said that the link is missing and they talked about the Crobe-Manyung, the Heidelberg, man the Pitt the Cantonese, the rekness, men the The Knossers will put the kind men all these different bones that they found. That proves evolution. No, it doesn’t. It’s a bone. We can disagree with the interpretation of those bones. If evolution is true, why don’t they produce the facts? If we came from some common insertion, we came from some ape, where’s the bones? Where’s the half-man in half-eight?

There are none. Between non-life and life. There’s the link between non-life and plant life and plant life and animal life and animal life and human life. There is no links that the link is missing. The whole stupid chain is gone. There is no missing link. Who or what is responsible for the first piece of matter? Art matter is here. They say, mind over matter. You don’t mind, no matter. Matter is here. Where did it come from? Who made it?

Did you make it? Do you know anybody that did if it wasn’t God then it’d be by faith Believing something I was in the school one time and I brought my Bible in there in the man’s door. Hey. Oh, yeah No, Bible no Bible in this school. I says Pardon me. I says you ask me to come and speak and I’m here and I’m gonna speak and I’m gonna use my Evidences that I’ve got he said well, we don’t want religion in the school I says why don’t you sit and shut up?

I says all of your books that you have is your religion That’s your beliefs. That’s your faith written by men. He said, well, the Bible was written by masters. So is yours? I said, yeah, but I got all these books by all these different men. I said, I got 66 books written by different ones. I said, if you can use yours, I can use mine. Yours is faith. So is mine. Okay. We’ll take and go with that. See who has the best answers.

And before it was over, the kids were in there just, yeah, it was riot. Jeremiah 10, 12 says that God created the earth out of his power. That’s where matter came from. God created it, made it. And I believe what the Bible teaches. The second law of thermodynamics teaches that everything is running down. Nothing gets better and better and better. But according to evolutionary teaching, things had to start from chaos and get better and better and better and better and better.

That’s unscientific. The second law of thermodynamics is a scientific law. It’s impossible for evolution to happen. Nothing can produce something better than what it is. You can’t produce anything better than what you are. It’s not the survival of the fittest. It’s the arrival of the fittest. How did you get here? How did it get so good? God says it fell and evolution is just getting better so they’re talking about on a collision course. I’ll take the Bible any day.

Have you ever seen a dog have a monkey? Do you ever worry about your cats having chickens? No because of the fixity of the species. You see a dog has 22 chromosomes and a monkey has 54. You don’t have to ever worry about it. Dogs are always gonna have pups. Going down low, do you mind? But I’m supposed to believe that I got here by the process of evolution. There was something less than a human down the road that I came from.

My ancestors may have swung by the neck, but they didn’t swing by the tail. Man has 46 chromosomes. This chromosome count is a steady factor, and this determines what is called the fixity of the species, and it will not change. Dogs always give birth to dogs, and people always give birth to people. and the Bible says throughout the Scriptures and it reproduced after its own kind, after its own kind, after its own kind, and that’s a scientific fact. Evolution breaks every scientific fact known to man.

And I challenge and I dare any evolution to prove anything about their evolution or strategic with some facts. Have you ever heard of them talk about, well, haven’t you heard about the evolution of the automobile, the evolution of the telephone? it did not evolve. Evolution means that something happens without any outside interference working upon it and causing it to take place. Evolution is random chance. Evolution is little microorganism reproducing into complex forms of life that’s never taken place. Never taken place.

A telephone was made, yeah, but somebody made that telephone. A man with a mind, a man with a brain designed that telephone, that’s why that that telephone works. And that telephone by itself did not evolve and become a beautiful telephone today. And now this digital has a picture on it and has all that stuff in it. An answering machine, a fax machine, it didn’t evolve into that. It developed by an intelligent person outside of it making it work. But you’ll hear him talk about, well, the evolution of the car.

The car didn’t evolve. They didn’t do anything by itself. There was an intelligent behind it. You see, I believe in God, because I believe in the beginning God created. I believe God can do anything He wants to do. And I got a good answer. And that’s scientific. It’s scientific to think and to believe that somebody made this world. It’s dominatiotic for any intellectual man to think that it produced itself. Have you ever seen something come from nothing? Have you ever seen it?

Why should you start thinking that now? The world’s here. You come from nothing? Who made the first matter? Where did the first sex come from? That’s a good one. Study about the sex life of the amoeba. How to split up and stay happy at the same time. Somewhere along the line, some blob had to look at the other blobs and look, let’s stop this reproduction business like this. Oh, why don’t you become a male and I become a female?

How stupid some people must be. It catches my imagination to think that somebody thinks, I’m told they’ll believe that swap. That’s trash. That’s somebody’s belief because they refuse to believe what God says and professing themselves to be wise. They become what? Fools. You want to know truth? Get in this book. Belize this book and you’ll learn what truth is all about. Looking Colossians in chapter 2. Colossians in chapter 2. Now look in verse 8. In the book of Colossians in in chapter two in verse eight says, be where?

Let any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. He said, be careful of anybody who has any philosophy that wanna drag you away from the principles of Christianity. In the book of first Timothy, it talks about in this false science, science falsely so-called, they call it scientists, not science. You want to know how things begin? I got somebody who claims to have been in the beginning and knows exactly how the first man arrived.

I know where all the animals came from. I know how the world got here. I know because I have a witness who was there and he testified and he says, you don’t only have to take my word, I, I’ll give you some prophecies and I’ll tell you what will happen in advance. I’ll give you all the answers in advance. Pre-written history, one-fourth of the Bible. So that whenever we read what he says about this, you know, that might be true because you know, he said this and it’s true.

He said this and it’s true. He said this and it’s true. He said this is gonna happen and it’s true. And everything happened just like he said. We haven’t found him wrong in anything yet. All right, who’s the witness for the evolutionist? Dead Men’s Bones. Dead Men’s Bones. And their bones are always suited for the individual and the life in which they find them and there’s no such thing as half in the media. Where’s this half-monkey and half-man? Where’s all these in betweens?

There are no in-betweens. We’re here today. Why is an evolutionist going on today? They say it will have happened so slowly. You can’t see it happening. How do you know it did? How do you know it happened? Because if you have enough time, anything is possible. That’s their scientific fact. If you have enough time, that’s why scientists need billions and billions of years. Have you ever watched TV sometime, National Geographic, and billions of years ago this volcano? You’ve been to billions of years ago.

And they can throw forward being 20 billion, you don’t mean nothing. It’s kinda like government, $4 billion, $20 billion, nothing, nothing. You don’t mean nothing. And you and I, as Christians, ought to stand for what we believe is true and not be ashamed that we believe the Bible. Not be ashamed, I’m a Christian. I’m not ashamed I believe in God. And I won’t bow to no man. Or no university college president. I’ll get who they may be, how many degrees they may have.

They may sound intelligent, But if you don’t know God, you’re, you’re awful. Because that’s what God says. Look up here just a moment. Let it as a hand represent you and me. This wallet represents sin. We all have sin on it. But God loves us. You see, if you don’t believe in God, you can’t believe none of this. You can’t believe none of this if you don’t believe in God. You see, if you’re an atheist, then you don’t believe you got sin.

That’s just, you’re just the product of your environment. I shot like a dog. You don’t blame a dog for acting like a dog. He has no personal responsibility. Well, that’s what they’re doing with people. You’re just an animal. You see, if there’s no God, you’re only an animal. Well, if you’re nothing but an animal, then treat you like an animal. You’re just an animal. How, then, you don’t try to teach a dog morals? Well, if a man’s only an animal, why teach a man morals?

That’s why they don’t want to teach it in the schools. Don’t you understand? If people don’t understand what they’re doing, they think they’re animals. So they treat them like animals, they educate them like animals. That’s why they don’t try to teach you how to them. They teach you what to think. So you can’t think for yourself. You can’t reason because if you could reason, you wouldn’t believe that stuff. The God says it. We’re humans. We have a spirit inside of it and God loves us and he hates our sin and it is sin.

And God says to go to heaven, we have to be perfect as righteous as God. And we’re not perfect. If there really is a heaven and there really is a hell that a man will spend eternity in. God says, you cannot save yourself. That’s why you need a savior. This man represents Jesus Christ. God in the flesh, Christ took our sins, paid for them on the cross, came back from the dead, said, if we’ll believe that he paid for our sins, he’d put that payment to our count and we’d build a heaven on what Jesus Christ did for us.

That is, yeah, that’s free. God loves us and wants us to have eternal life. That’s more important than anything else in the school. 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 Bible 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. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or 80 previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage. If you’re 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 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Life broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Arne. Friends, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Hot up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep looking up.

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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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.

What would you know if God hadn’t revealed it? What would you know if God hadn’t told you? There are some things that if God had not told us, we’d be in the dark. You could not have thought this up on your own like it is in the Bible. The natural mind could not think such holy stuff. Man’s mind who writes men’s books and men’s movies and things like that, most of them all are on love, sex, money, power, stuff like that.

But God’s word is on pureness and holiness, godliness. You wouldn’t know there was a heaven if the Bible didn’t tell us. You wouldn’t know there was a hell if the Bible didn’t tell us. You would never have come up with the idea of a man being born into this world without a human father by a miraculous way that God is going to take and by the power of the Holy Spirit placed the seed within the womb of Mary and she has a baby and without a man.

Adam, see, he was made without a mother and father. Eve didn’t have a mother and father, but she was made from a rib. Every once in a while, you know my wife, she counts my ribs. I want to make sure there’s not another woman in my life. 1 Timothy chapter 3, look there in verse 16. It says in verse 16, and without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. There is a lot of arguments about whether or not this ever really took place.

This is talking about the incarnation. You’re talking about God coming into the world and being born in a human form as a baby and living a totally perfect life, totally without fault or mistakes. And growing up to be a man of about 30 years old and having a ministry, a man could not have just designed something like this in his mind because you don’t think like this. a perfect individual and it was God who came out of a man didn’t design this because it would have been a little impossible to have come up with all the ways the Bible was written.

You’re talking about a book that’s been written over 1600 years by between 35 to 40 different writers living at different periods of time, never meeting the other writers and yet all of it all put together talks about one person and each one revealing different things. is a miracle. No other book has ever been written like this book. Great is the mystery of godliness, the mystery of god. And the mystery is not a, you know, this is a murder mystery.

You know, the real intents and you got to try to figure out who did it, the butler. This is different. A mystery in the Bible is a truth that was hidden in times past, but now revealed for the first time. So when you see this word mystery like this, it means here is a truth that is being revealed for the first time so that people can understand this awesome thing. And he says, great is this story, this mystery about how God taken upon flesh and been born as a child, that’s an awesome story.

But if the Bible didn’t tell us, we would not know it. It makes a statement in the book of Corinthians in chapter 2, he says, if the princes of this world were so smart, so wise, why then did they crucify the Lord of glory? If they were wise, if they were smart, you see, if the people of the world today were so smart, why don’t they trust Christ as their if they’re so smart. And why do the people in our universities and colleges They study all these things and the foundation of them is a lie.

Every person who believes in evolution believes a lie. So lie. The whole thing is based on a lie because the alternative to evolution is creation. If you don’t believe in a God, you can’t believe in creation. So the alternative is you have to believe in evolution. So evolution is the religion of an atheist. It’s what an atheist believes. But a Christian should not believe in it. believe in evolution. Difficult for an atheist to believe in creation by a creator.

Not only was the mystery of what happened to Jesus being born, but it also was justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up in the glory. In other words, He came from heaven and to the world, left the world, and went back up into heaven. Now that, some story in just that itself. What an awesome story. Now take your Bible and look there in the book of Colossians in chapter 1, the book of Colossians and chapter 1 and look there in verse 27.

Verse 27, you would not figure this out if God had not revealed it. You wouldn’t have known it. So there’s things that God says the secret thing belonging unto the Lord. So what we do know is because God has seen fit to reveal them to us. So God has seen fit to reveal a new truth to us that people in the Old Testament never knew, never heard. And that was in the Old Testament even the Holy Spirit would come upon an individual to do a particular job and then would leave and could give them tremendous power.

Samson, the strongest man in the world, was strong not because of his hair, he was strong because of the Lord. The Bible says that when he lost his strength, it says he wished not that the spirit was no longer on him. So the Holy Spirit could come upon an individual and do mighty things to an individual, could reveal things to them, speak through the individual. But when the Holy Spirit had done its job through that person, then the Holy Spirit believe.

That’s why David says, I prayed that thou pay not thy Holy Spirit from me. You and I don’t pray a prayer like that. Is it? Well, why not? Because the when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and I, he doesn’t come upon us, he comes within you. You and I have the Holy Spirit living within us inside of us. And he promised he’ll never leave you and never forsake you. But see, if if the Lord’s word didn’t tell us that you wouldn’t know that because you can’t feel a spirit.

Is she? Oh, no, I’m saying why because I can feel the spirit moving around inside of me. You don’t feel that. Now there’s time when you have experiences of joy and you can even bubble over and you can shout and praise God and all that. That’s the overflow of some knowledge that you have because of what God’s done for you and you can have tremendous joy. But you know the the field spirit that you can’t do. But I understand what people are talking about but I want you to know that the truth of the scriptures is that the Holy Spirit dwells every believer.

Now look at verse 27, to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles which is, now here’s the truth, Christ in you the hope of glory. The glory is perfection and that’s why when you saw the Shukana glory you saw the perfection of God. When it talks about going to heaven and heaven is a perfect place and we have all come short of his glory. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, the perfection of God.

We sin, he’s perfect. We’ve come short of perfection. Now God says this joy or hope of glory, a joyful anticipation of this perfection. We didn’t know about it. You didn’t know that you could be made perfect here and now by simply trusting Christ as your Savior. You would not know that if God had not revealed that. So God put it in His Word so that you and I can know I can be perfect simply by accepting Christ as my Savior.

And not only that Christ in you Christ in me. When God gave me His righteousness He gave me Christ. Well the Bible says that what He did was He took my sins upon Him, paid for my sins so my my sins are paid. My sins are paid, but I don’t have any righteousness. So God gave me his right. Now he can’t give me his righteousness till he takes my sins, but he took my sin. So when I accept him as my Savior, God said, and I believe he did it for me.

He gives me his what? His righteousness. So I have his righteousness. The righteousness of God is really Christ, you can’t separate the righteousness of God from God. It is God. So I have His righteousness, I have Christ. In me, the hope of glory. So to know that as a child of God, not only has He saved me, but He gave me His righteousness or His Son to be in me. Now we have scripture that says that Christ is in me.

There’s other verses talk about God is in you. Another verse that says, no you not that the Holy Spirit whereby you’re sealed until the day of redemption is within you. is within you and He is our hope. The Holy Spirit lives in your side of your body and that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. So, would you call Him God? Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, I have God in me. So I am a temple of the living God.

So when I’m in church, I know God is here. I brought him. When I leave, God is with me. When I go to the restaurant and eat, he is with me. Everywhere I go, and he said, he’ll never leave me, and never forsake me. I have God always with me. I am always in the presence of God. And you need to understand that, and you can live a little bit better when you understand that he doesn’t go on a vacation.

You can’t leave him. He’s with you. And everywhere you go, he’s inside of you. Look what he says there in verse 25. He says, we’re up. I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God. A dispensation is a period of time in which God deals with an individual or groups of people regarding a certain responsibility. and the consequences if you fail that responsibility. So the Bible is broken down into different dispensations because of how God deals with people at different times.

See, God is now not dealing with the nation of Israel. He’s dealing with us, the church. The day will come, He’ll deal with Israel again. It’s called God has designed the ages, the different periods of time. In verse 25, according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for you to fulfill the Word of God. In other words, the reason that I teach you the Bible is so that you can fulfill the will of God. And then in verse 26, even specifically the mystery which hath been hid from ages, different periods of time, and from generations, but now is made manifest to a saint.

So there’s things that people did not know before, but now can be known, and the truth is now revealed for the first time. Christ is in you. God is in me. And he’ll never leave you and never forsake you. So how long is the Holy Spirit going to be within you? Or ever. Do you have to pray for the Holy Spirit to receive the Holy Spirit? No. That’s why there’s no verse in the Bible that commands you to be baptized by the Holy Spirit.

Because you don’t have to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. You already have been. The day you trusted Christ as your Savior, the Bible says, Jesus Christ baptizes you into his body by the Holy Spirit, done at that very moment. The very moment you believed it. You said, well, I didn’t feel anything, of course not. It’s a spiritual thing by the Holy Spirit of God. So these scriptures are given because he said, these things you would not know, you couldn’t find it out on your own because these are truths that God has revealed to us.

Take your Bible, look in Ephesians chapter three. Ephesians chapter three, look in verse two. If you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me toward you. Here’s talking about the dispensation of the grace of God. You see, when Christ was here, John the Baptist came on the same preaching, the baptism of repentance, and the gospel of the kingdom. The kingdom of heaven is upon you. Oh, that’s not what we preach today. We don’t preach that.

We preach the dispensation of the grace of God. In other words, you’re saying, we’re not trying to set up a kingdom upon the earth. That was when Jesus was here and John the Baptist was here. They were gonna preach the kingdoms, they’re gonna be set up, why? Because the king was here. That’s why he called his cabinet. That’s why you find the things in the book of Matthew about how they’re gonna roll and reign in the kingdom. He had everything he needed.

The only thing is they rejected the king. So it was postponed. So now God is dealing with us as a different group of people, different unit, different time, and there’s certain responsibilities God’s given to us. We’re not trying to bring in a kingdom. We’re not trying to bring this, make this world a utopia or a better place to go to hell from. God is they going all the world and install Senator Sures and all the work. No, no, no.

They go in all the world and preach the gospel. He says right now doing this part of time he’s doing one main thing. He’s calling out from among the Jews and the Gentiles. A people for his name. In other words, individual believers all over the world of every nation, everyone who trusts Christ as Savior, are all going to form a different body of believers called the Church. They’ll become the bride, and we are going to be the bride to Christ.

In other words, God has a son, and the son, nature wife, which is a man of She needs to be perfect and there’s nobody perfect for him to marry. So God is giving us a new birth without a sinful nature so that we’ll be perfect, so that he’ll have a perfect bride for his perfect son. Now you get it. That’s what God’s doing. So while we’re not trying to save the world, can’t save the world. It’s not going to get better and better.

It’s going to get worse and worse. There’s not going to be peace in the Middle East until Christ comes. And I know what he says here in verse 5, looking verse 5, which in other ages was not made known. In other words, these are truths that was not known. They didn’t know this. The Old Testament says he’s never heard anything like this. They were never told this stuff. God revealed these truths to the apostle Paul concerned in the church.

That’s us. It’s a mystery, a truth that’s finally revealed, but nobody knew about before. God knew about it. There are hints about it in the Old Testament, but the real kernel of the truth was never revealed. So he says here in verse five, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. So it’s being revealed. Something new. What is this something new? That’s talking about him. First, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, fellow heirs, fellow heirs with who?

The Jew. So God’s going to take a Gentile and God’s going to take a Jew, put them together, make something totally new. You see, God in the Old Testament dealt with the nation of Israel, not the Gentiles. God wanted the nation of Israel to be a light to the Gentiles, but they rejected the light. So God says, I’ll take those Jews and those Gentiles who will believe on me, and I’ll put them together and form a church. So the Bible says that he broke down the middle wall of partition between the Jew and the Gentile, not only that wall, but here’s the holy of holies.

And in that holy of holy was the ark, and there was this great big veil, and nobody could go into that holy of holy, except the high priest once a year. with an offering for himself and for the sins of the people. He said, how do you know if he accepted him? If he come out alive, God accepted it. I’ll be like that. And God says that this wall, this veil, that nobody could come into the holy of holies except that high priest.

It means that people didn’t have access to God except through those priests. So God said, I’m gonna make something totally new and different. When Christ came, his body, which housed God, was a type of the veil that housed the presence of God inside the veil, the arc of the covenant. So the Bible says that when Christ was on the cross and when he died, that the veil in the temple was rent from top to bottom. And when the veil was rent from top to bottom, it opened up the way for you and I to have Exist to God because of the veil that was torn, because of the death of Jesus Christ, you and I can go straight to the Father because of Jesus.

He makes this statement here. Verse six, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirsascade with the Jews of the same body. And partakers of his promising Christ by the gospel, will have I am a minister. In verse eight, unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given that I should preach Among the Gentiles, the unsearchable riches of Christ. Unsearchable riches are these truths that were hidden in times past, but now reveal for the first time.

And this is rich knowledge. This is the greatest knowledge in all the world to know these things that were hidden in times past, but now reveal. And you and I can know them. And many of God’s people don’t know it. Don’t understand it. They don’t understand what’s going on in this world. And it affects how you live. But you’re looking forward to. Look what he says there in chapter two, Ephesians chapter two, and look in verse 14. For he refers to Christ.

His power is our peace, who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, hath abolished in his flesh the enmity even the law of commandments contained in ordinances for to make in himself of two one new man making peace. And that he hath reconciled both unto God in one body by the cross, hath enslaved the enmity thereby, and came and preached peace to you who were far off Gentiles, and to them that were not Jews.

For through him we both Jews and Gentiles have access by one Spirit unto who? Under the Father. In other words what Christ did, He opened up the way where the individual believing Jew and the individual believing Gentile both are saved exactly the same way by faith alone and can access unto the Father by the Holy Spirit that lives within us. So you see, we have advantages that they never had in the Old Testament. We know things that they never knew.

You and I are rich indeed. And yet these are things that you and I would not know if they had them. See, this is why there’s a church. A church is called out people from the world. you form a body of believers. And doesn’t matter whether you’re red, yellow, pink, white, polka dot, pinstripe, zip face, it don’t matter. You, regardless of how tall or short or good looking or ugly, if you believe on Jesus Christ, anybody in the whole world, God says he’s not a respecter for him, can become part of his body.

Because God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever, believe it to Him, should not perish but have everlasting life. The message is for everybody. And look in verse 9. Verse 9 says, and to make all men see. Because all men don’t see but we still work at it. We try. All men see what is the fellowship of the mystery from which the beginning of the world have been hidden God who created all things by Jesus Christ to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the Manifold wisdom of God God wants the church to know the Manifold wisdom of God to understand anything do you know the biggest way to solve peace in the Middle East is get the Jews to trust Christ the Savior and get the Arabs to trust

Christ the Savior and if both of them trust Christ the Savior, they got one God, one belief, and they’ll have peace. They happen all the way. Look in verse 11, according to the endurothe underlyingness in your Bible, everything that’s happening in the world, everything that’s happening in your life, day by day, everything that happens is according to the eternal purpose of God. We have a certain quality of life that we’d loved enjoy. In spite of all of that, God in heaven has an eternal purpose too.

And His purpose and Your purpose for living make clash. And when they clash, something has to give. It’s Your will against His will. And anytime you see that you conflict with God, you should always surrender. Always submit to the will of God. And the more you know about the word of God and the will of God, bring yourself in harmony with God. And you’ll have more peace, enjoy and happiness. And you will believe that all things work together for good to those who love the Lord, to those who’ll call according to His purpose.

Not your purpose, His purpose. And you know that and you’ll believe that. First Corinthians turned to you left just a few pages. Truths that have not been known. So you can’t understand the new without the old or the old without the new. You need them both. Verse 51, Behold I show you a mystery. This means a truth that has been hidden in times past will now be revealed for the first time. This has never been revealed before. That’s why when you read Matthew where it says, one was taken and one was left.

One was taken and one was left. That’s not talking about the rapture. Why? That truth hadn’t been revealed yet. Those scriptures is talking about when Christ comes to the earth and one taken, they’re taken to the battle of Armageddon. Has nothing to do with Rapture. Now there’s types in the Old Testament where Enoch was, and Enoch was not. He was gone before the flood upon the earth. You say, well, that’s a type. Before the tribulation period. And that’s what the rapture who would have ever believed that there would be a generation of people living that will never physically ever die.

If it hadn’t been revealed in the Bible nobody would have come up with it. You wouldn’t have come up with it. It shows a man of a wisdom of God that God was going to have his son come back in the air, not to the earth, in the air, and then all those people all over the world. Whoever there may be, wherever there may be, Obedient, disobedient. Ready or not? Here I come. And all of a sudden to be changed in a moment, the twinkling of an eye, and caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

That truth had never been revealed before. And God revealed it to the Apostle Paul. And look what he says. Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all be asleep, but we shall all be chained in a moment in the twinkling of an eye. How fast is that? How fast can you twinkle? You ever sit outside and twinkle, twinkle, little star? Oh, I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky.

You ever saw another song? Twinkle, twinkle. I don’t know how fast a twinkle is, but I can tell you this. It’s like that. It means that you disappear here and you appear there. And it makes this statement that he’s coming back and he says this corruptible must put on in corruption and the Mortal must put on immortality mortal means those who are living and subject to death, but will not die So there’s a generation of people living that will never physically ever die But see if the Bible had to reveal that you wouldn’t know about it.

Why does God want you to know this? Why would God want you to know that you may not physically die? Who is it referring to? How long down the line? People have been waiting for this thing to happen in their lifetime for 2,000 years. We don’t know when it’s going to happen, but everybody lives with the idea that it could happen soon. It might be me. It might be after I’m dead. But whenever the rapture takes place, there will be people who will be caught up to meet the Lord and the air.

And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Look up here. This hand represent you and me and the wallet represent sin. We all have sin on us now God says he loves us You and I have sinned against God. We do things wrong God knows every one of them knows how many there’s a whole bunch Things you forgot about God still knows but God says he loves us He hates your sin and the Bible says to pay for that sin is eternal separation from the Lord in a place called hell Now God loves us and wants us to go to heaven and go to heaven.

We have to be perfect as righteous as God and none of us are perfect. None of us are righteous. We’re all sinners. And God says to pay for the sins, eternal separation from the Lord. This sin represents Jesus Christ. He’s God in the flesh. He’s came into the world because He loves us. Man cannot save himself. He can be saved, but he cannot save himself. He can even help himself to be saved. All he has to do is believe that when Christ took his sins, he paid for them on the cross.

back from the dead. God says if we would believe He did it for us, He would take and save us, put this payment to our account and our sins are paid. He would give us His righteousness. We would go to heaven on what He did for us. So when God sees me, He sees the righteousness of Christ. I go there on His, not mine. So when Christ came and lived a perfect life, obeyed the law, did everything perfect. He defeated the devil, he defeated sin, he defeated the world, he defeated everything.

His victory put to my count like I won. I did all of that through my substitute. And God put that payment to my count. I go to heaven on what he did for him. Let’s push out. 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 toll-free 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage. If you’re 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 going to our church website, Calvary of Tampa.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, 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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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.

Take your Bible and turn to the book of Acts in chapter two. In the Christian realm, there’s many prophetic words that you will hear. And so prophetic survey is a tremendous tool that God gives to us because He says He planned the ages in the book of Hebrews in chapter 11. So if He planned the ages means He outlined the different periods of time, different dispensations, in which God deals with man. Now all of the Word of God is for us, but not all of the Word of God is to us.

Many of the things that are written in the New Testament are written to us. And so we can study the Old Testament because the Bible says there’s admonition that we can have for ourselves. We can learn from it. You have first of all the death, burial and resurrection of Christ because everything starts with history. History is history. So we always go back to Christ. Every time you write a check you put His date on it. His history is the history of what God has done and what God is doing.

All of this has to do with what God is doing with man, what God did with the angels, what God is going to do with the earth. Whether it’s the tribulation period is what God’s going to do to this earth and the people, the thousand year reign, that’s what God’s going to do. Everything deals with what God is going to do. Now God has told us things to do and if we don’t obey their consequences, so at the end of each one of these is a judgment.

In other words, how God judges mankind. So if you and I are wise, we’re supposed to learn from these things. But to start with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, that is what makes the gospel possible. In other words, the gospel is good news. But you see a lot of people, a lot of religions believe in the death of the Berlin resurrection of Christ, but they don’t have the good news. Many people say, well, the death of the Berlin resurrection, that is the gospel.

Now that’s what makes the gospel possible because without the death of the Berlin resurrection, there would not be a good news. The good news is he did that for me. He did it, but if I don’t don’t know he did it for me so that I don’t have to try to earn my salvation, then I don’t see it as good news. That’s just a historical fact. He did that. But does it mean you’re going to heaven because you believe he did that?

You must personally believe he did it for you that he paid for your sins and you’re trusting him and him alone as your only hope of going to heaven. And once you do, you have eternal life. Now, here in the book of Acts in chapter 2 and verse 1, and when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Pentecost means 50 days, 50 days from the resurrection of Christ. So Christ came back from the dead, ascended into heaven, and then the Bible says that there was a time limit.

There was also a time limit from the time that He actually ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives. But see, Pentecost means 50 days, and when that day was fully come, something happened on that day. That’s the day the Holy Spirit came. Remember this, When Jesus was here preaching, He told him, He says, that I’m going to baptize you with the Holy Spirit. But the people didn’t understand everything that was said. John the Baptist says, I baptize you with water, but He that cometh after me, He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

But during Christ’s lifetime, He never baptized anybody with the Holy Spirit. It hadn’t taken place yet. So on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came, the Bible says, and clothing tongues is a fire, the Bible says, those believers were baptized, they were already believers. They were baptized into the body of Christ. This is the beginning of the church. It is the birth of the church. This one, the church began. And Christ said, I will build my church.

And so the church is made up a body of believers. So when you trusted Christ as your Savior, the Holy Spirit places you and I into the body of Christ. That’s the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is not a feeling that you have. You never had an experience, so as you can recall, that that’s when it happened. The very moment you trusted Christ as your Savior, you were born spiritually. You were placed into the body of Christ spiritually.

It’s not something you saw or felt, but it’s something that happened because God said so. That’s when the church began. The church age goes from pinty cost until the rapture. That is the period of time that you and I live in. So we are now waiting for the rapture to take place. Now, turning your Bible to 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4. 1 Thessalonians and chapter 4. 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4, the Bible tells us, love ones are going to die. It means they will not be here when the rapture take place.

So some of the people that were there, When Christ was there who believed all of this began to die and so as people began to die the question came up well Where are they and the longer Jesus Christ? Terries the more people are going to die So he has tarried for almost 2000 years and because of that many people have died Well, what happens to those people? The Bible says that if you were to die, you will be absentmouse the body present with the Lord.

So when you die, you are present with the Lord in heaven. Your body goes to the grave. rongh the Lord says that when He comes back, He’s going to bring those people who have already died with Him. So He brings them with Him and the Bible says the bodies are in the graves are going to be resurrected and they will be a reunion and we that are alive at this time will be caught up, to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

Now look Bundy Package says in verse 13, but I would not have you to be ignorant brethren because there are so many ignorant brethren. It doesn’t want you to be ignorant. He says this, concerning them which are asleep, those who have already died, that you sorrow not even as others which have no hope. In other words, you can’t see the389 it. We don’t sorrow like those who have no hope. We know we are going to see them again. We know where they are.

To be absent from the body. President Lord God says they’re with Him. So don’t you worry about it. We know somebody who’s on the other side and he’s told us everything we need to know. All you and I need to know he’s told us. You don’t need to know anything if it’s not revealed in the book. But what you do need to know and understand it’s in there, understand and know what God did say and don’t worry about anything he did not reveal.

Look at verse 14, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring what? With him he’s going to bring them with him. He can’t bring them with him if they’re not with him, but they are. Then he says this in verse 15, for this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep or go before them which are asleep.

The Lord says he’s going to come back. So there’s going to be some people who have died, some people who are going to be alive when it takes place. And the Lord says that we are going to be alive when he returns and then the Bible says something is going to take place. In verse 16, for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with a voice of the Archangel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first.

that’s the bodies that are in the graves. Verse 17, then we which are alive and remain when he comes back shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord where? In the air. So shall we ever be with the Lord. It means we that are alive when this takes place won’t die. We will not all die. In the book of 1 Corinthians in chapter 15 says we shall not all die. This is a mystery, but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye for the corruptible must put on in corruption and mortal subject to die.

Those are still alive. We’ll put on immortality. So this moment is coming. You go to the Judgement Seed of Christ. Now I want you to look at these verses. These are very important verses. Look there in the book of Romans and chapter 14. Romans and chapter 14. This is what the Lord’s Word says, see I can’t make anybody clean up their life. I can’t make you serve the Lord. I can’t make you want to honor Him or please Him.

I wish I could, but I can’t. All I’m supposed to do is tell you what the book says. You can do it whatever you want because you can’t make me serve God and I can’t make you. I can’t make you faithful. You can’t make me faithful. But truth, the Bible says we’ll set you free. Free to serve God. But if you don’t know the truth, you’re not going to be free to serve him. Now, I know what he says here in the book of Romans in chapter 14.

Look there in verse 10. But why does thou judge thy brother? Oh, why does thou set it not thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, as I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Is that true? That is true. The judgment see to Christ is what takes place the moment the raptured happens and we’re caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

The Bible says we will disappear here and we will appear at the judgment see to Christ. The judgment see to Christ is a rewarding stand. That is where God is going to reward you for what you have done for Him. If you don’t do anything for him, you will still be there. You’ll be ashamed before him at his coming. And your whole life that you got to live can be a total waste. You could have used your life and done nothing more than bring forth briars and thorns and weeds.

Or you could have invested your life for the Lord. That’s why down here, so you can brag about your money you make and where you work and all the possessions that you have, all of that is zero there. Here God’s only going to reward you, not for the amount of possessions you were able to accumulate. What did you do for Him? What did you do for the Lord? That’s what God is going to reward you for. That’s why God is watching every decision you make, every deed that you have done, every thought, every word.

And God is going to reward you when you get at the judgment, seat of Christ. Now look there in 1 Corinthians chapter 3. Just turn to your right, a couple pages, 1 Corinthians and chapter 3. 1 Corinthians chapter 3, look there in verse 8, in verse 8. Now he that planet and he that waterth are one and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. One of the things that you need to understand down here is that life isn’t fair.

Have you found that out yet? Life is not fair, right? But God said that he’s going to reward every man according to his own work. So that means that whatever you do for the Lord, it will be fair, it will be right. Because he is the righteous judge. He knows every sacrifice you made, everything that you’ve given up, everything that you’ve done. And if you did it for him, you can’t lose. But if you did it for people, oh yeah, they may not appreciate anything you do.

You can do all the right you know to do and nobody appreciated it. You’re done. You can go out in the garden and eat worms. No. Because if you did it for God, He ain’t lost anything. So you don’t put your hopes in people, they’re not gonna be your judge. The Lord is. Now look what He says there in verse 12. Now if any man build upon this foundation which is Christ, gold, silver, precious stones, would, hey and stubble two different kinds.

Every man’s work shall be made manifest. For the day, the jump into the Christ, shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. Whether it’s gold, silver and precious stones or would, hey and stubble. If any man’s work abide, which he had built there upon, he shall receive what? Reward, remember this, look up here. Rewards are earned. Salvation is free. Salvation and rewards are not the same thing.

Going to heaven is free, that’s a gift. That’s what he did for us. He paid our way. So I’m going to heaven because of what Christ did for me. What I have when I get to heaven, Rewards are earned. That’s why I want to study the Bible to find everything I’m supposed to do and try to eliminate all the things I’m not supposed to do because I want, when I stand there, I want God to bless me. I want him to reward me.

I don’t know what they all might be. It doesn’t matter. God said it will be worth it all. Didn’t somebody just sing a song about that? It will be worth it all when we see Christ. Now look what he says here in verse 15. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer lost, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.” Now look up here. Some people tell you this. You get saved, and if you don’t live right, well, you’re going to hell.

That’s not true. You can get saved and not live right. You can live like a dirty bird. You can live like the devil. Still be a child of God. You’ll stand at the judgments of the Christ, and God says, your works are going to be burned up. And what you could have had, you won’t get. God wanted to reward you, but He couldn’t reward you. But He Himself shall be saved, but He’s lost reward that He could have had.

So you see, it’s up to you. Nobody can make you do this. But if you decide to serve a Lord and be faithful, nobody can stop you. Isn’t that great to know? It’s all an individual thing. That’s why I try to tell people what the Word of God says. I can’t make people respond to it. I can’t make people be a soul winner. I can’t make you carry a track. I can’t make you come to Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, Sunday night.

I can’t make anybody do anything. But if you really want that and you believe that’s the most important thing in your life, because that’s where we’re headed. And if you really believe it will be worth it, you’ll sacrifice everything down here to put God first and get your priorities straight and do what you know you need to do, why you can. But if you don’t think that’s important, devil fool with your mind. I got a lot of time. I’ll serve God when I’m old.

Oh great. When you’re 90 years old and one foot’s in the grave, one’s on the banana peel, oh I’m gonna serve the Lord. You know how much you’re gonna get done now? Serve the Lord in the days of life. Youth. Why you young? That’s when you reveal how wise you are. You’re not wise because you know you should serve God. You’re wise if you do. You’re a fool if you don’t. This is the decision every individual has to make for themselves.

Now 2 Corinthians chapter 5, look at it very quickly, 2 Corinthians. chapter 5. And notice they’re in verse 10. Second Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 10. This is a very important verse for you to see. And verse 10, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Remember, this isn’t in order to bring up all of our sins that we’ve done. Now this is a rewarding stand. They call it a beam of seat. It’s kind of like the Olympics after you’ve done running the races and you stand up there and you get your crowns.

God says we’re going to stand the judgments of the Christ and be rewarded. Now look what He says that everyone may receive the things done in His body. In other words, done in His body means during your lifetime. While you’re in this body, it means the decisions that you make today, the things that you do tomorrow, the places you go, the profanity that you use, the filth that you want, everything about you is affecting eternity like it or not.

So what I didn’t ask to be born, nobody did. That’s the way it is though. That’s the truth. Now you can let this knowledge affect your life and you can control yourself if you choose to do so or you can live like the devil. That’s a personal decision nobody can make you do anything. Now look what he says, according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad means truthful or unfruitful. You’re going to stand at the Judgement City of Christ.

True, true. Is it the Bible? It’s the Bible. It’s coming. It’s going to happen and you’re going to appear there and appear there means you’ll disappear here. Change in a moment twitting of it not gone. Meet the Lord in the air and phew, we’re going to the Judgement City of Christ. An awesome period of time. Take your Bible look in the book of 2 Corinthians and chapter 11. 2 Corinthians and chapter 11. One of the things that the Apostle Paul wanted to do with the people that he’d won the Christ, the various churches scattered throughout Macedonia and all the places in the Galatians, and Listeron, Derby and so on, he says in 2nd, 2nd, chapter 11, look in verse 1, he said, would the God ye could bear with me a little in my folly?

And indeed bear with me, he says, this is how I feel. For I am jealous over you with Godly jealousy. For I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chase virgin to Christ.” In other words, in the Old Testament time, when a man says he wanted to marry a woman and a woman says she wants to marry a man, well, they would have about a year. And during that year, she had to prove her faithfulness and he had to prove his faithfulness.

They were considered looked upon as though they were husband and wife, but he can’t touch her until she’s actually his. This is the same story that happened with Joseph and with Mary. In the word, because he was going to put her away. Well, he hadn’t even married her yet, but he was a spouse to her. In other words, it would look upon as that’s his wife. Because he found out she was going to have a child. And according to the law, he has to put her away.

He has to squeal on her, but he didn’t want to do nothing. He just got to just walk away from this thing. And the angel had to come in and say, don’t be afraid to take on the Mary thy wife. So they had about a year-long engagement period. And during that time she was to prove her faithfulness to her husband, to be. With Christ, the body was born on this day, the birth of the church. The body has been building for 2,000 years.

You and I are part of the body. We are going to be the bride of Christ. So he says, I want to espouse you in a sense that whenever you meet the Savior, you’re a virgin. a virgin. And not, I don’t think too many people even today know what a virgin is anymore. Never been touched. And to be presented to the Lord so that God wants to take all of us as believers and we’re going to stand there and we’re going to be rewarded and our attire that all of us as individuals are going to wear.

To the wedding, the Bible says they are dressed in the righteous acts of the saints. It means that the righteous acts that we do in the body we are rewarded for and we are going to wear. Our honor, our glory, our crowns, our rewards, whatever it is, God says that we are going to be dressed in the righteous acts of the saints. And the bride had made herself ready for the marriage. That’s where we’re going. Look there in verse 2.

For I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chase virgin to Christ. So we are the bride of Christ. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of Revelation chapter 19. Revelation and chapter 19. Now look in verse 7, in verse 7. This is on page 1348 in the old scopher reference Bible. Let us be glad and rejoice because the day is arrived. Give honor to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come, the Lamb is Christ and Christ is going to get married.

Look up here very quickly. God the Father Jehovah took a woman Israel as his wife. So when you read the Old Testament, God, Jehovah, and Israel were like married. Well, they had a child. They had a child. Their child was the son Jesus Christ who came into the world. He was rejected by the mom. The mom rejected her child. But what the Father has been doing is finding a bride for his son. And so the son is one day going to get married.

But the Father finds the bride for the son. And that’s why all that the Father gives me shall come to me. So that’s in the book of John chapter 6. It means that all those who go to the Father, through the Son, the Father gives all of those to the Son as the bride. And we become the bride of Christ. He went to the cross and died there in order to bring many sons into glory so that we could have eternal life and be with God.

See, God, being God, is a God of love. God wanted somebody to love him back. So God allowed everything that happened, the way that it has, with all the sin, the devil, the hell, everything that’s ever taken place that you and I might learn to love God. And God says, you have no idea what I’m gonna do for all those that love me. If you would only learn, love the Lord with all thine heart because God says, see God doesn’t wanna be alone.

He’s God, he can create all the angels, he can create the earth, he can create all the world. But one thing he wants more than anything else is he wants you and I to love him. And some of that desire he placed within you, that’s why you like to be loved. That’s why you even wanted to get married one day because you love somebody and love can make you do the strangest thing, the craziest thing. Have you ever heard love is blind?

I get married, it’s what you wake up. Look at your eyesight back. But notice what he says here and down in verse eight. And to her was granted that she should be a raid in fine linen, clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. In other words, this is not the righteousness of God that He gave to us to get to heaven on. The righteousness of the saints is the works that you have done for the Lord while in the body.

Now the Bible says in verse nine, and He said unto me, right, blessed are they, which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. Now the marriage supper of the Lamb, we are going to be the bride, but I believe it’s the Old Testament saints are going to be the guest at the wedding. And you’ll read that in the book of Matthew in chapter 25 when it talks about the 10 virgins, Five wise and five foolish, some days go back and read that.

Some ready and some not ready, some get to go to their wedding. Now look up here. This is the great white throne judgment. You and I are not gonna stand there and be judged. This is a judgment for all the people who have never trusted Christ as their savior. You see, you and I don’t stand there because you see, Christ took our judgment for our sins. This is not a judgment in the sense it is a rewarding stand where God rewards you for what you’ve done.

We then will go to the marriage feast of the Lamb. And then as the bride, we come back to this earth and power and great glory, and we will rule and reign with Christ over the earth for 1,000 years. Then there will be the great white throne judgment for all the people that have rejected Jesus Christ as their Savior. And the Bible says they will be cast into the lake of fire. This is the final helm. Someday we’ll get into all of that.

You’ll notice, the word pre-ational position. It means look up here. Pre-tribulation means pre-before. It means that we believe that Jesus Christ is comingrecy back before the tribulation. If we say mid-trib position, that means that we believe Christ is coming back in the middle of the tribulation. If we say post-trib means we believe that Christ is coming back at the end of the tribulation. But for you and I, He is coming back pre-trib. for his saints. He’s coming for us before the tribulation so that we don’t go into the tribulation period upon the earth.

If you believe it’s mid-trib then you believe you’re going into parts of it. And if you believe that he comes back for us here then you believe you go through the whole seven years of it. You see the difference? But the Lord says he’s coming back to deliver us from the wrath to come. You and I will not be here during the tribulation period upon the earth talking about this great worldwide tribulation the worst time that the world has ever known.

Now when we talk about pre-millennial and post-millennial and all-millennial we say what do the living mean? All right, look at that. When you say pre-millennial means you believe Christ is coming back to the earth to rule and reign with His saints. Here He comes for us, here He comes with us and pre-millennial means He is coming back before the millennium, thousand years. Premillennial is when Christ comes back before the millennium, which is what I believe, and I believe the Bible teaches that.

That is the correct position. Postmillennial is the wrong position. Then there’s those who believe a millennial. A is the A before a word in the Greek means no. So there’s no millennial, no millennium. This hand represents you and me and the wallet represents sin. We all have sin upon us. God loves us, hates our sin. And for you and me to pay for this sin is eternal separation from God in hell. Now God loves us and wants us to go to heaven and to go to heaven we have to be as righteous as God.

We have to be perfect and none of us are perfect. And so the Bible says you cannot save yourself. You cannot earn eternal life. We need a Savior. This hand represents Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. He came into the world because he loves us, he hates our sin, because our sin separates us from the Lord. So Christ paid for our sins on the cross, came back from the dead. Said if we would believe that what he did was for us, he would save us, save us from hell, give us eternal life, and we’d go to heaven on what he did for us.

That’s the gospel, that’s the good news. You can have eternal life, you can go to heaven, it’s free. You don’t have to promise God anything, you don’t have to stop anything, you don’t have to join anything, because going to heaven is what he did for us. He made it free. So all you have to do is trust Christ as your Savior. Once you trust Christ as your Savior, your God’s child. Now as a child of God, you may be obedient, you may be disobedient, but you’re still his child.

I found out long time ago, life is a lot more fun, a lot easier, serve in the Lord, do in right. And I want you to do the same thing. Let’s pray, shall we? 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 toll free 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage. If you’re 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 1030 and at six o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Arden. Friend, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Hot up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.

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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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.

If you will, take your Bible and turn to the book of Philippians and chapter 2, Philippians chapter 2 and verse 9. I want to speak to you this morning on the subject of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We do not make Christ the Lord. He is the Lord. You don’t make Him the Savior. He is the Savior. You can choose whether or not He will be your Savior and you can choose whether you will let Him be your Lord.

But that’s still who He is. He is the Savior of the world and nobody can be saved without Him. He is the Lord. That means He is master. I wrote several things down here. One of them found there in the book of Luke. We’ll read here in the book of Philippians 2 in just a moment. But when 7 Christ was born, it says, Behold unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord.

That’s who He is. That’s who He was. Not going to be the Lord. He was the Lord. And if you’ll notice there in the book of Philippians in chapter 2 verse 9 says, Wherefore God also had highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven things in earth and things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father.

That is who He is. every person one day will admit to that fact. You can do it now or you can do it later. If you do it later, it will be too late. But every knee will bow and admit Jesus Christ, He was God, He was the Lord. He has the ultimate power, ultimate power. There is no power above God. Jesus Christ is God. Even in these verses, when he makes a statement six, who in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God.

See Jesus Christ is the revelation of the invisible God. And that’s why in the Gospel of John it says in the beginning was the Word and the word was with God and the word was God. But the word reveals the invisible thought. Like you can think but nobody can see it. But when you speak it reveals what you think. And so every time you speak your mind is on parade. Well the word is the revelation of the invisible God.

So God manifests Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God. He is the ultimate power, He is final authority. So whatever He says, that’s final. You watch the millionaire, they come on here and say, is that your final answer? This is the final authority. He is the source of power, the source of life, and the source of all law. Now we live in a world that we consider to be natural laws, laws of nature. Well nature didn’t produce the laws.

There is a God of laws that produce the world and the world runs off of the laws of the divine God. And so when we talk about natural laws, we’re talking about the laws as we see them, is a scientific fact that we say this is a law. It is scientific. This is what’s going to happen. And there are many laws, but there is a God behind those laws. So whenever we talk about a miracle, we’re talking about someone who can suspend natural law.

That would be a miracle. Last week I… Took something and held it out and I let it go. And the law of gravity pulls it down. That’s a law. But if I let it go and it stayed there, there has to be a law greater than the law of gravity that kept that from falling. And if it did, you and I would call that a miracle. And God, in His Word, has produced miracles in order to reveal Himself to us.

Now, look at the statement there in the bold print, the following demonstration of miracles revealed His power to suspend all natural laws. So when you read some of the miracles in the Bible, and especially in the Gospels, they’re not all exactly the same becauseCompat is the power of the things that we consider to be natural law. I want you to look there in Romans 10 and verse 9. Romans 10 and verse 9. I had my father-in-law read this verse to me the night that I trusted Christ as my Savior.

And I’ve read it to a lot of people since then that have accepted Christ as their Savior. Romans chapter 10 and look there in verse 9, that if thou shall confess with thy mouth, the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shall be saved. You would be saved if you’ll believe that God raised up Jesus from the dead, that thou shall confess with thy mouth Jesus, he is the Lord. He is God.

Do you believe that? And that God the Father raised up God the Son from the dead. And words tell us here that what He means by believing on Him is that salvation is by grace alone. Look there in verse 2. Paul said that His desire for Israel is that they would be saved. He says my prayer desire for Israel is that they might be saved. So He then in verse 2, for I bear them record that they have zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

For they, being ignorant of God’s righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. So whenever you’re talking about being saved and confessing that Jesus Christ died on the cross and He paid for my sin, you are declaring that you believe that He will give you His righteousness and you’re not going to try to earn your righteousness by your And so he says that there are a lot of people who are ignorant of God’s righteousness and are going about seeking to establish their own righteousness, what they think it takes to be saved.

Now God is ultimate authority. He is the Lord Himself. He is ultimate power. There is no other. He made up a plan of salvation and man can only be saved the way he says that a man can be saved. It’s not left up for you and I to design a method of which we can save ourselves and God will approve it. God says it’s only one way and he designed it. Now in the book of John chapter 1 and verse 12 it says and as many as received him Christ to them gave he power to become the sons of God.

So he has the power to make anybody who comes to him a a saved individual, a child of God. So he says that if we simply come to him, he will save us, give us eternal life. He has the power to do that. You do not have the power to save yourself. You don’t have the power to keep yourself safe, so you need a Savior. When the question was asked in Acts chapter 16 and verse 31 by the Philippian jailer, the Bible says that he asked what must I do to be saved.

They said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thine house. else if thine house believes. So if you believe, you can be saved. Who designed that? Who made it so simple that anybody can understand it? God did. Now if it’s left into the hands of man, then man gets it all messed up. And he says there’s all kinds of things that you have to do. Well, God is the ultimate authority. He is the Lord.

He is the master. He is God. And he says how it’s supposed to be, and it will be his way or no way. The second thing I want you to look at, he is Lord over the demon world. There is a world in which you and I cannot see. There are fallen angels. There is a devil that you and I have never laid eyes on. It’s not your wife, it’s not your mother-in-law. There is a real devil, a realjriwal.

And the Bible says that he is a spirit, he is an angel, but he is fallen. and there are demons, demons are fallen angels that used to be in heaven with God. And so there is another world that you and I have never seen with our physical eyes. He was a great teacher and he was a great teacher and he was a great teacher. God does not permit. So if there are demons and there are as they devil and they are doing their thing and going throughout the world seeking whom they may devour, it’s only with the permission of God himself.

So he is not unlimited. He has limitations put upon the devil and upon the demons and they can only do so much. And God uses it. uses them to accomplish his purpose. And they will tempt you and deceive you. God will allow that to happen because you will not believe the truth that you may be delivered. So here in the demon world, there’s things that always keep in mind. I want you to take your Bible looking Colossians in chapter 1.

Colossians and chapter 1. In the very beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Here in the book of Colossians 1 and verse 15, it makes this statement. This is on page 1262 in an old Schofield reference Bible. Verse 15 says, who, referring to Christ, is the image of the invisible God. Now you and I know God is invisible. You cannot see Him. You cannot behold the face of God Himself. But the Bible says Jesus Christ coming into the world is the visible God.

He is the image of the invisible God. The Lord also tells us that Jesus Christ made the world. It says in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made. He was in the world and the world was made by Him, but the world knew Him not. So God, the Father, made the world by God the Son.

So Jesus Christ is the one that created the heavens and the earth. He is the chief, He is the foremost, He is the architect of the beginning of creation. That’s why when He says He is the firstborn. The firstborn doesn’t mean He’s born first because there were many people that’s been born. He was the only one that was born by God. But the Bible says here in verse 15, the first born of every creature or creation, he is the architect of creation.

He says also in verse 16, for by Him, read friend of Christ, were all things created. So all those things that I just said is verified by what it says right there. Jesus Christ did not begin the day that Mary gave birth to a little baby that says that, behold, there’s born unto you this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. He already existed and He is the creator of heaven and earth. And it says, for by Him we’re all things created that are in heaven, that are in the earth visible and invisible.

Whether they they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created by him and for him. You say, why was I made for him? Thy pleasure, thou art and work created. In other words, you were created by God for his pleasure. You were created to please him. That’s why you are not happy in life. You don’t have true blessings in life unless you’re pleasing the one that created you for the purpose of pleasing him. So the word of God is given so that you and I could study it to to find out how do we please God?

What does God want? First of all, God wants you to trust him and save you. After you trust Christ as your Savior, God wants you to serve him. That would please God. But many of God’s people don’t want to please God. They only want to do what they think pleases them. What makes them happy? So he makes a statement here in verse 17, and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. If he is before all things.

That means there was nothing before God. You know what a question is that many people asked me? I walked into a store the other day and three people says, can I talk to you? I know you’re a preacher. Says, um, where did God come from? Who made God? Isn’t that a good question? Who made God? I said, well, I did. And she would know that would be a what? A lie. If I said somebody else made God, that would be a lie.

Cause whoever made God would be God. So there is no such thing as somebody making God. God has always been self-sufficient, eternal. He has always been, just like you and I will always be. He is the Lord over the demon world, the invisible world that you cannot see. God did that. He created the world. The third thing I want you to look at there in your paper is he is Lord over disease. Many of us are going to die of some kind of disease.

Something’s going to stop working. Everybody wants to live and everybody wants to go to heaven. If I was that, how many of you like to go to heaven? Everybody wants to go to heaven. But nobody wants to leave here to get there. Because to leave here to get there, what do you got to do? And nobody wants to do that. Most people don’t want to die. Well, every one of us know that we do have moments that we get sick.

The body is susceptible to the diseases. Well, if God is God, and Jesus Christ was God, and He came into this world, then if He really is God, and somebody was sick, well, if you are God, you should be able to make a person that’s sick. Well, right? He did. And if there were demons that were inside of people’s bodies, bodies and if he is the Lord, real Lord, an ultimate power, he ought to be able to cast those demons out of those people’s bodies, right?

He did. Whatever he was supposed to do if he was God, he did. He did everything just like he would do if he was God. Jesus had a time proven to people. He was God when they said, we know your mother and father. We know your brothers and sisters. We know where you came from. not God. And they said, you’re guilty of blasphemy. So that means claiming to be something that they were not and blaspheming God’s and I’m the son of God.

That’s the same as saying, I’m like God. I’m better than the rest of y’all. He was. He was. When the Lord healed and the disciples healed in the Bible and the apostles, real divine healing was universal as to time. That means they could healed in the daytime and the nighttime and at any hour. A real divine healing could be done at any place, anywhere the need existed. It also could be universal as to the disease, whether it was inherited or whether it was acquired.

In other words, if Jesus was God and he really had power, there would be no limit on what kind of healing he could do and were upon what individual? If he’s God, he can do it all. And when he gave power to his disciples that they could go and do the very same thing, they could do what he did. And they did. What you see today is not of God. That is not of God.

Also, that he real divine healing was universal as the person, whether it was believer or a stranger. They were instantaneous except John chapter 9, it was assigned to Israel because they could see only in part. And a man was healed from his blindness, but first of all he saw people walking like they were upside down. And then when they were like trees, and then you could see clear. They were instantaneous. They were complete and they were made whole. The main were made whole.

All missing parts were restored. They don’t do that today. You don’t see it done. It’s not being done. Guys like this, Hintheller is a joke. And people that follow it and give them money, that is not of God. The reason they can’t convince me of those things is because of one reason. I know the truth. I know what the book teaches. I know every verse on healing. Every verse on tongue. Every verse. I know what’s above it and what’s below it.

They can’t deceive me. But they can deceive the people who don’t know the word of God. And that’s why so many people are so deceived. And they follow all that junk. And I had a person tell me what I’m, you shouldn’t blaspheme the Holy Ghost like you’re doing. I said, I’m not blaspheming the Holy Ghost. What I’m saying is true. If it’s not according to this book, it is a lie. It’s not the truth. There were no finances involved and no music being played by the choir when Jesus healed or the apostles healed.

No money was ever involved. But today’s healing lines, you need to sow your seed, your seed of faith. And if you want to demonstrate you’ve got a lot of faith, you’ve got to give a lot of money. But no money, no faith. And no faith, no healing. Therefore, you didn’t believe hard enough. You don’t find that in the Bible. Jesus never said, give me your money. That’s not in there. Shisters who prey upon the minds of people that don’t know any better.

And most of these healing meetings and the tongues movement… It’s because of the women that are in them. You take the women out of them, it die. Women, listen to me, I’m not against women. Don’t you ever dare say that. But they’re easily deceived. They won’t think according to truth. They go by emotions, emotions. Instead of what does God’s words say and go by it? Those that were healed were told not to tell. There were no failures. He never failed to heal anybody.

Today, it’s always they got healed from something you couldn’t see. You couldn’t see what they were getting healed from. And then, bang, did you feel that? I don’t feel that. Lay your hand on that radio for a feeling, a point of contact. You want a point of contact, stick it in the back of that radio. Give you charge. that could heal could also raise the dead. If they could heal, they could raise the dead. And these people today, there’s not one man walking around or one woman that they’ve ever raised from the dead.

They’re liars, they’re jokesters, they’re deceivers, and they’re not of God. And I’ll tell them face to face eyeball to eyeballs, nose to nose exactly what I’m telling you right now. And if they don’t like it, show me chapter and verse. Prove it with the book. Just the books, sir. Just the book. No one went into the healing business. I mean Peter didn’t go into the healing business with his shadow. Paul didn’t go into the healing business with his handkerchief and wipe off his virtue and sell it over to the radio.

So if you want I’m not virtue, you just call in. Well, I’ll hurt you. Come on up. My sweat ought to be just as good as their sweat. There is no record of reoccurrences. None of these things are evidenced by these so-called divine healers of today. Don’t you send them one penny. You ever do that and help spread that garbage, this health and wealth philosophy. The only wealth there is is the wealth they get from naive people who listen to them.

Am I clear? Number four, he is the Lord over the elements, means that if he is God, he ought to be able to take some bread, and he ought to be able to take a couple of fish and multiply them. Guess what? He did. He is Lord over nature. Means that the fig tree withered. Why? Because he said so. He looked for some fruit, there was no fruit. He calls a fig tree to wither. That takes power. He’s in charge.

He’s God. He can do all these things. He is Lord over the animal world. He can tell them where the fish were. He told them to cast their net on the other side. Well, how did he know? He made the fish and he can cause them to jump in the boat. He can do anything. He’s God. He can do it. Why could He walk on the water? Because He’s God. He defied the very laws that you and I call natural.

So if He can reverse the laws, we call it supernatural, the supernatural power of God. And that’s who saved me and gave me eternal life. He is the Lord over death. It means that if He is God, then He ought to be able to bring people from the dead back to life. Well, did he do it? Yes, he did. And there’s people today that say they’ve got this healing power. Well, let’s just all get with one of them. Go down here to the cemetery and see them raise somebody from the day.

Why don’t they do it? If I had that power, I’d do it in a minute. I’d go down to the hospital and walk down a hallway. Hey, get out of the bed. Take a fight bed and walk. Those beds are pretty heavy. But I would go in the house, I’d rake get everybody out of the bed. Why don’t they do stuff like that? They’re not doing that. And you said, oh, did you see that? Oh, get the checkbook there.

We want to have a part. We want to sow some seed and we brought our ship to come in. Yeah, his ship’s coming in. He tells you how to do all that and raise all that money. And while at the same time, why don’t he do it and get his own money? He gets his money from all of you. Don’t you ever do that. Anybody in this church you want to support something like that? If I find out about it, I’m going to tell everybody on you.

I’m going to tell them. I don’t know how naive you are. Number eight, he is the Lord over life. He is eternal life. He is the true God and eternal life. And that’s why he can give eternal life to whosoever believes on him. Why? Because he’s God. He doesn’t have to answer to anybody. He can do anything he wants. And he says that he is the Lord. Lord. First John 513 says, anybody know it? These things have written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

Who said the Lord says that? You can know you have eternal life by trusting Christ as your Savior. John 647, barely, barely, I send you, he that believeth on me. Half, present tense right now, half, what everlasting life. So if you trust Christ as your Savior God, who is the ultimate authority, he is the source of all life, all power, all law. He’s God and he says he can save in the body by his power. There’s no limit to what God can do except the limits that he places upon himself.

And he says it’s impossible for a man to save himself, therefore it would be a supernatural thing for a man to be saved. So being saved is not anything that can be done by the natural man. You can’t save yourself. It is impossible. That’s why you can’t walk on water. That’s why you can’t do miracles. You’re a natural man. So to be saved takes a supernatural thing. And that’s why being born again is being born born by the Spirit of God.

It’s His power. That’s what He does. He’s God. I’ve trusted Christ as my Savior. I have eternal life and I’m going to heaven when I die. That’s the best news in all over the world. I want you to look up here. This is you and me. This is sin. We all have sinned. God loves me and you. He loves us. He hates our sin because our sin separates us from God. To go to heaven, we have to be perfect as righteous as God and None of us are perfect, we’re all sinners.

And the Bible says there is a real literal hell, and we’re going there to pay for sin. But God loves us and wants us to go to heaven, but we can’t save ourselves. It would take something supernatural. This, see, if going to church could save you, then that would be something you could do. If given money could save you, well then that’s something you can do. And if living a good life is something that would save you, then that’s something that you could do.

But then you saved yourself. You did it. I finally did it. God says, it’s not by your words. Okay, that takes out that. Now what? The sin represents Jesus Christ. He’s God in the flesh. He came into the world because He loves us. Hates our sin. Our sin separates us from God, but He took our sins, paid for them on the cross. God said if we would believe that He did it for us, He’d give us as a free gift everlasting life.

And we would go to heaven or what He did for us. I’ve trusted Christ as my Savior. And I know most of you in here have. But if you haven’t trusted Christ as your Savior, if you die without trust in the Lord, you will spend an eternity separated from God in a literal hell because God that created the heaven of the earth said so and he’s ultimate authority. But he has the power to save. Anyone who will believe in you, I pray that you have.

If you haven’t, I pray that you will. Let’s pray, shall we? You’ve been listening to Bibleline, the 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 toll free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re 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 going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Arne.

Friend, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Hot up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and everyday. Believing that the Lord is coming soon, 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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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.

Here in chapter two of 1 Corinthians, I want you to notice there in verse 9, but as it is written, I have not seen or ear heard. Neither has entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. The reason I want you to serve the Lord and to win people to Christ is because I have not seen and ear have not heard all the things that God has prepared for them that love him.

And if you love the Lord, he says, then obey my command. He says, if you will obey me, then I will honor you. So God wants you to discern him. He says, herein is my Father glorified that you bear much fruit. God wants every one of us to bear fruit. We may not go to the foreign fields, but we can help. And that’s why it’s so important for you to learn, to sacrifice and to give. If you love God, you won’t mind it.

But if you don’t love God, you’re not going to want to witness. You don’t want to go to church. You’re not going to want to pray like you should or witness like you should when you’re not right with the Lord. But if you love Him, He says, then serve me. And so we prove our love and loyalty to Jesus Christ by living for him, by putting him first in our life. And every man has to make that decision for himself because no one can do it for anyone else.

I want you to notice that in verse 14, verse 14 tells us that the natural man, that’s the lost man, received if not the things of the Spirit of God, for their foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. things of God are spiritually discerned. And the lost man does not have the Holy Spirit in dwelling him. And if the Holy Spirit doesn’t indwell him, then he cannot know the things that are freely given of God.

So you and I have a responsibility to first of all give to a lost man only that which it takes to open up his eyes so that he can see. You see, In the book of 2 Corinthians in chapter 4, the Bible tells us that the gospel is the light that illuminates a person’s mind, that the Holy Spirit can take the truths of the gospel, which is the light of the knowledge of God and opens a man’s mind so he can see.

And once a man has his mind open and can see, he’s trusty Christ, he’s a Savior, he’s boarding him, then he can see other things, other truths in the Word of God. That’s why we do not try to get people in such deep Bible studies and teach them so many different things about the Bible until they’ve trusted the Lord. Because see, they cannot understand all the things. And God says they’re spiritually discerned. Look at your notes there. God wants the unsaved to trust Christ as their Savior and will help them understand the verses on the plan of salvation.

Wait until the person is saved before you start talking about service or any so-called deeper truths. Now, the Word of God is deep. I know sometimes some preachers go down so deep and stay down so long and come up so dry. I was always told if you don’t strike all in 20 minutes, stop boring. So I’m not a long-winded preacher. You may think So, but I’m not. There are some preachers who talk for hours and say nothing. I would rather talk for about a half an hour, 35 minutes, 40, 45 or 50, and say something that will help you, that when you leave, it’ll make you more productive for the week.

So, what I’m trying to teach you right now is something to help you in your Christian walk. I want you to take your Bible look into the book of John chapter 16, the Gospel of John and chapter 16. John 16 tells us that concerning the Holy Spirit, there is a ministry that he has. When you accepted Christ as your Savior, the Holy Spirit indwells you that very moment forever. And you cannot lead the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit cannot leave you.

But the Bible says, well, we can grieve the Holy Spirit. We grieve Him by not yielding to Him because the Holy Spirit within you is to lead you, to guide you, to teach you. Well, the Holy Spirit teaches you the Word of God. But if you don’t open the Word of God, or if you don’t go to church or Sunday school where you don’t learn the Word of God, the Holy Spirit doesn’t teach you. And you can pray all you want for the Holy Spirit to lead God and direct you.

But He does not lead God or direct you, contrary to the scriptures and without the knowledge of the scriptures. That’s why you need to know the Bible. So you as a child of God, you may live all your Christian life and never have allowed the Holy Spirit to guide you. You guided yourself. You trusted the Lord and you lived your life the way you want to. You do whatever you want, whenever you want to do it and you don’t consider what God wants.

you can do that, understand that. And nobody can change you on that. Only the Lord. Now He may chasten you, make you wish you had served Him, but no individual can make another person serve God. All we can do is try to set a right example before others. We can challenge, we can rebuke, we endovate, but there’s no way to force a man to love God. It cannot be done. We are supposed to love God because of what He has already done for us.

And what He did for you wasn’t good enough for you to serve Him, then you don’t have a good reason for serving Him. Because nothing else is going to work. I don’t serve the Lord because I’m going to get rewarded in heaven. I’m going to get rewarded, but that’s not my motive. I serve the Lord and I know that God promised that He’d blessed my life, but that’s not the reason that I serve the Lord. I serve Him because He died on the cross and paid for my sins and He kept me from going to hell.

He saved me because of that I have what I need to motivate me for the rest of my life. Now not everybody feels the same way. They can take the free gift of eternal life and never darken the doors of a church, never open the Bible, never pray, never do anything. That’s their choice. I hope you’re different. Look in verse 7, Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is expedient for you that I go away. If I go not away, the comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, will not come unto you.

But if I depart, I’ll send him unto you. When he has come, he will reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment, of sin because they believe not on me, of righteousness because I go to my Father and you shall see me no more. Of judgment because the prince of this world is judged. In other words, the purpose of the Holy Spirit living within you as you go into the world, he uses the message of the gospel to reveal to individuals that they’re unbelievers and that they need to be righteous and that they’re going to be judged.

So this message that we take to people is so very important. And every one of us heading in this room that no crisis or Savior can be a soul and it means you can win a person to the Lord. Now I’m not talking about you just living a life in front of them. There’s people who call it the lifestyle of Angela. In other words, I’m just gonna live in front of people so holy that they’ll want what I have.

How long has it been since somebody came up to you because you live so holy and they want it to live like you? Now very few, if ever, and you can live your whole life and nobody will ever ask you. That way you get all the on and all the glory because you’re so holy but they don’t know why you’re doing it unless you open your mouth. You’ll end up knowing what the Lord means to you. And you can be used of the Lord.

So that’s why these verses are important. Do things in order. The Bible says be disciplined. Do all things decently and in order. As you explain the plan of salvation to someone, you need to be sensitive to notice which areas you need to deal with at length. In other words, once you’ve convinced Amanda, he’s a sinner, move on. It should be the easiest thing in the world to convince a person that they are a sinner, but it’s not really that easy.

Let me relate to you in incident. I’ve done it before, but I’ll share it to you again. I was in Colorado and I was getting on the plane to go to Tampa, Florida. I sat down on the plane and there was an open seat right beside me. And I was hoping that somebody would sit there that I could witness to. And so I waited and lo and behold, the last person to come down the aisle was this woman dressed in silk and wrapped from head to toe, all over.

You could see her face. And she walked down the aisle and I wondered, wonder where she’s gonna sit and guess where she’s at? Right beside me. And I thought a victim. I mean, where can she go? She can’t run away. And anyway, plain took off, we’re flying along and I’m gonna strike up a conversation. I said, where are you from? She says, pay Rue. I says, where? She says, pay Rue. I says, you mean, Peru? Yeah, pay Rue. And I asked her, I says, what was you doing in Denver?

She says, my hereg. I said, what? She says, my hereg. I said, what do you mean my Hiraji? She says, me worship my Hiraji. I said, oh. I said, where are you going to go with your dies? She says, I’m going to heaven. How do you know you’re going to heaven? She says, me perfect. She says, me perfect. I said, no, nobody’s perfect. Only God perfect. Nobody perfect. She says, ah, me perfect. I had never met a perfect person before.

Never. And here setting beside me was a perfect individual. Because she said so. I says, no, nobody’s perfect. Everybody does things wrong. No, no, no, no, me perfect. I thought, can’t get them saved until you get them lost. I can’t get this woman lost. And so I couldn’t think. I was thinking for a minute. And she was writing something and she would tell me something in her language and she was explaining a word and she would do write some more stuff and then she’d write some more and then she’d erase a little bit and she’d write something.

And not the one I thought, I thought, hey. I said, you know perfect. She said, yeah, me perfect. I said, no, you know, you know perfect. I said, see, you write something? then you turn the pencil over and then you erase. I said, the reason you erase because you make a mistake and on the plane, she goes, Hey, and here come the stewardesses are running up down the aisle. They thought I’d go rape in this woman beside me. She never spoke to me.

Another word, the rest of the trip. It blew her mind and all I had to do was and sugar. She thought she was perfect. I was witnessing to one man one day at a truck stop. And he says, I like you to know I haven’t sinned in 40 years. I ain’t sinned in 40 years. I says, you’re lying. He said, no, I ain’t sinned in 40 years. Well, I thought I’m going to keep on until I see that he does.

And I did. I got him so mad at me, he wanted to choke me. He came after me. I had happened in a church one time, two in the back of a church. It was the preacher of the church. He ain’t sinned in about 30 years. Well, when I got through with him, he did. I made him so mad. He came after me in the deacons had to get ahold of him to keep him from getting on me. I said, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah.

You just lost your religion. I said, 30 years. And I blew it all for you in one minute. I mean, one day. You see, you shouldn’t do that. Well, I know that now. But back then, I didn’t care. Here’s a smart, out person that I ain’t send in 40 years. The Bible says, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in. I say, you’re lying. Anyway, there’s a whole story on it, but we won’t have time for that right now.

You are a center. Everybody’s a center. Look at number one. I want you to believe this and know how to present it to an individual. Don’t do it the way that I have done it. I tell you that because some people are like I used to be. very unkind, very rude. You may be right, but the way you’re doing it, you’re not gonna win nobody. I convinced them, well, I don’t know if I ever convinced them or not, well, I convinced where they were centers.

But on how to get saved, they wouldn’t listen. Everyone is a sinner. Less perfect than God means you’re not perfect. You’re not like God. There’s only one that’s perfect and that’s the Lord. If you compare your life with that of those around you, you might feel you are a good person. But when you compare even your best qualities with those of the Almighty God, you will see that you are not as perfect as God. Nobody is. One word God uses when he says we sin is harmatano in the Greek and means to miss the mark.

We miss the mark of God’s perfection. Now the verse that’s wrote down here for you, Romans chapter three and verse 23. Look what he says here in your notes. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The Bible teaches all, That means all have sinned. Whatever sin is, yep, you done it. Whatever it is, you’re guilty of it. I’m not interested in listing what kind of sins you committed because everybody has sinned. And the Bible says for all have sin and comes short of the glory of God, short of God’s perfection.

It means that we have missed the mark as a man would take a bow and arrow and shoot the arrow and it missed the mark. Doesn’t matter how close you got, you missed the mark of perfection. So everybody, the Bible says, born into the world is a sinner, has missed the mark of perfection. We have people today that believe that the Virgin Mary never sinned. That’s not true. She was born into this world. She was a sinner. That’s why she even said unto Christ concerning my Savior.

You see, you don’t need a Savior if you’re perfect. So Mary was a sinner. She had an old sinful nature just like you and just like me. She was guilty of sinful thoughts, harboring those things in her heart, just like you and just like me. You see, what about the Pope? He even got his name down to him. The Pope is supposed to be infallible. No, he is not. How can somebody who was born a sinner, he lives a sinner, he dies a sinner, he is a sinner.

the Pope is a sinner. No better than anyone else in the whole world. It doesn’t matter how many people believe their religion and if he puts on a royal robe and a high-pointed crown and people bend down and kiss his toe. His toe is no better than my toe. You ought to see my toe. I’ve got a pretty toe And after the service this morning, I’m going to take off my shoe and my sock and I want all the people in here to come down and bow and kiss my toe.

Would you do it? Why in the world would they do it to that man? Worship in some man, bow into some man. That’s hypocrisy. That’s idol worship. That’s sin against God. All men, all women, all people, your mama is a sinner. This one guy says, I’ve only heard about one person in this world. That was perfect. I said, who’s that? My wife’s ex-husband. The pope, your minister, your mother, you and I, we are all sinners. You need to understand, believe it, because everybody in the whole world needs a savior.

guy at the bank, the president of the bank, the doctor, the lawyer, the football player, all everybody needs a savior. You say, well, I don’t know how to talk to a doctor. I wouldn’t know how to talk to a lawyer or a judge. Why? You talk to them the way you would anybody else. I believe it or not was 23, 24 years old down in Florida going to Bible college and somehow it worked out where I wound up witnessing to football players.

I didn’t even know what a quarterback was. I thought it was a refund. I never played football. I didn’t know how many guys was on a team. Didn’t even know. I’m 24 years old. I could care less. I didn’t know what a fallback was and a quarterback was and a halfback was. They all look the same size to me. But I didn’t know the various positions. I didn’t know what they did. And here I am given devotions for football players.

And they became the national champs. How did you get to work with those football players? I didn’t understand football. I didn’t talk to them about football. I didn’t try to talk to them about it. Now let me tell you how to run. If you give me the ball, if they come after me, you can have the ball. Don’t give Yankee to ball, but you see, you witness to a person in something that you’re a specialist in, the gospel. Going to all the way and preach the gospel.

And you don’t have to know all this other stuff, but to explain how a person can be saved. Ecclesiastes 7, 20, says, for there is not a just man that doeth good and sinners, there isn’t one. three, but we all as an unclean thing and all our righteousness. Now you ought to underline that in your notes, all our righteousness, not all our sins. Did you understand all our righteousness are as filthy rags in God’s eyes? Not the bad that you do, the best that you can do.

Did you know that going to church and reading your Bible and praying and all these good things that you do is a sin when you’re doing it to get to heaven, all the good deeds you do, and you trust in those good deeds that you do to get you to heaven, that’s a sin. That’s wickedness. Those are works of iniquity. God says your righteousness, the best you have, is as filthy rags, stinks in the nozzles of God. That’s why you don’t try to get people to live a good life to go to heaven because that doesn’t get you to heaven.

You can’t live good enough to get to heaven on your works. We’re all sinners. Look at the presentation. Be careful how you point out a person is a sinner. First of all, you should always admit that you are. You know, I used to be a sinner. I got news for you. You still are. Sometimes there’s a song we sing. I was once a sinner, but I… Are you still a sinner? I was once a sinner, but you still are.

You still are a sinner. Now we can sing the song, but the thing is the truth. You need to understand your mind is that you still sin. Now God no longer sees you as that. that He sees you as a saint. Not Bernard. But now notice, admit you are and He will be willing to admit He is. An effective statement is God says, everyone is a sinner. I am, you are, we all are. See that means that you’re not trying to put yourself above somebody else.

Don’t go around looking down your long, fair, silky nose and thinking you’re like Kellogg’s corn flakes just a little bit better. You’re not better. You are a sinner. We’re all sinners. And God says, there isot difference. He says, well, I know I’m better than so and so in whose eyes. Now, you may morally live better than somebody else, but whether you are a a sinner or not, you are.

Remember this, a man that’s 99% saved and 1% lost is 100% lost. You’re 100% lost. Well, he’s so close, he’s so close. It doesn’t matter how close you are, you’re either saved or lost. I’ve talked to people and said, well, no, I’m not saved right now, but I’m working on it. You can’t work on it. I’ll get saved when I can live it. When can you live it? Only after you’ve got it. If you happen to know that the person is very moral, compliment him.

That’s nice. That’s fine. But are you perfect, sir? Well, nobody’s perfect. You got that right. I’m not either. Don’t ever put yourself as though you’re better than somebody else. And you’re going to heaven because you’re so good. you are not that good. You’re only going to heaven because Christ died and paid for your sins and you’re going to heaven because you’ve accepted him as your Savior. That’s the only reason that you and I will go to heaven. Number two, never act like or imply that we are holy because of personal righteousness.

Neither is it wise to go to the other extreme. Don’t tell him your past sins. In other words, going to all those old bad things that you’ve done over this and gloating it. Boy, I really was bad. You want to see what I did? No. You may hint that you’ve done some things wrong and some things, but you don’t teach to do that. I’ve told people that whenever I got married, we run away and got married. But I’m not suggesting that everybody who wants to get married run away and get married.

Don’t use phrases like, I used to be a sinner, but now I’m saved. You still are a sinner, but you’re a safe sinner. You’re saved. You’re going to heaven. The reason these words are so important because there’s people in this world that think Christians think they’re too high in mighty and you’re better than I am. And you think that I’ve got to live like you to get to heaven. And most people think Christians are not the hypocrites anyway. True.

And all you want to do is be honest. You say, well, what do you, I am a sinner. Number three, sometimes that person will feel he is too great a sinner for Christ to save. An effective statement is God cannot save a good person. Romans 3, 12 says, there is none good, no not one. If God can save the chief, he can save the Indians. In 1 Timothy chapter 1 verse 15 it says, moreover, it makes this statement, Jesus Christ can save anybody, anybody.

And that Paul says, I am a sinner. I am the chief of sinners. And if God can save the chief or the worst, well then he can save all the rest of the Indians. So it doesn’t matter how many things a man has done. Doesn’t matter how bad he’s been, or what you’ve done, God can save you and give eternal life. It doesn’t matter how many good deeds you’ve done.

If you’ll trust Christ, he’ll still save you anyway. But no man is saved by his works. You don’t go to hell because you did bad things, and you don’t go to heaven because you did good things. It’s not true. The Bible says that our sins have already been paid, but a person rejects the payment that Christ made on the cross for him. You always keep the issue between the Bible and that individual. In other words, you don’t go around talking to them about, you know, in my opinion is, as you’ve heard, opinions are like armpits.

Everybody got them, they all stink. So does yours. So does mine. But always keep it between God and the person. The Bible says, you know, the Bible says blah, blah, blah, blah. You know, the Bible says we’ve all sinned. You know, the Bible says Christ died and paid for our sins. You know, God says that none of us are good. Always the God said, the Bible says, and as much as possible show them what the Bible actually teaches. Look up here just a moment.

This hand representing you and me and the wall of represents sin. Now, when I’m doing this, I’m taking you so winning with me. If we were sitting in a house, this is what I would do, and I want you to watch me because I want you to do this. I want you to learn how to do this and be effective at it. I think if I do it a couple of times, you kind of catch up on it. So I only do it maybe once every Sunday morning.

By me doing that, you’re going to learn it. Maybe this is you and me, and this is sin. We all have sin on us. God loves us, hates our sin. You want the person to know God loves them. He hates the sin. He loves the person. And the Bible says the wages of sin is death and for us to pay for that sin is eternal separation from God in a place called hell. But he loves us and wants us to go to heaven.

They go to heaven we have to be perfect as righteous as God. Nobody is perfect. Nobody can save themselves. It’s not by your works. This isn’t representing Jesus Christ, he is the Lord. God in the flesh. He came into the world. Because He loves us, hates our sin because our sin separates us from Him. See that’s why God hates sin because it separates us from Him. I always remember that. So what Christ did because He loves us so much and sin separates us, He took care of the sin because you couldn’t.

Paid for it on the cross came back from the dead and says, now there’s nothing to keep you and me apart except your choice. He did that because He took the initiative. He wants you so bad. That’s why he’s also placed within you a desire to want to know God. And now you have that chance. If you’ve never trusted Christ’s Savior, there’s nothing to keep you from Him except your own will. He’s already made the payment for the sin.

And if you accept Him as your Savior, say, He’s willing to accept you. When you accept Him, the Bible says a union takes place. And He gives to you His life. And He’ll never separate Himself from you. He’ll never cast you out. You are united with Him for how long, forever. Sin can never separate you from God, never again. You’re His child. You’ll go to heaven whenever you die. And God said He gives you eternal life. You’ll go to heaven on what He did for you.

That’s the best news in the world. A lot of people don’t know that. You do. And God wants you to share it with others. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. 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 toll-free 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s These are any previous Bibleline program. Go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage. If you’re 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 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvary oftampa.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, and now a closing thought from Pastor Art. Friend, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Hot up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep looking up.

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. can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made through the Bible-lined website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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.

A one-time this guy was driving on a road and he heard a bunch of commotion on the side and there was a river and they were having a baptismal service down here. And so he stopped and they got to hold this one big old dude and they were putting them under the water. They put them under the water and brought them up and says, do you believe? He said, I believe. They looked at each other and said, you know, he’s been pretty bad.

We better put them down one more time. So they put them down one more time, held them down just a little longer. Brought them up and says, what do you believe? And he says, I believe y’all trying to drown me. It is important and very, very important. What do you believe? Why do you believe it? He says in verse 42, what thank ye of Christ? Whose son is he? So he’s asking the Pharisees, okay, about the Messiah. Whose son is the Messiah?

And they said, the son of David. He is the son of David. So Christ says in verse 43, how then doth David, by the Holy Spirit, in the Spirit, call him Lord? How can David, who lived a thousand years before, call the Messiah that comes after Him? How is David going to call his Son Lord? Lord means Supreme. Lord means Master. Why is David going to call his Son the Lord? And look at the answer. In verse 44 he quotes the verse, the Lord said unto my Lord.

This is what David had written in Old Testament behavi Holy Spirit. David, he says in verse 4, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstom. If David then called him Lord the Messiah, that’s going to be born, how is he his son? And they couldn’t answer it. And yet they had it right that the Messiah that was going to be born would be the son of David. But how could David call his son that was going to be born a thousand years on his own his lord?

And he couldn’t call him his lord unless he existed at that time. He had to be before him. In other words, if it was only humanity, he couldn’t. Unless the one that was going to be born of David was going to be divine. If he’s divine, he can call him lord. And so they divine God is going to come through the line of David. And so therefore that child that was born was the son of God. He could also be called the son of David.

If he’s called the son of David, he has to be the Messiah because he has to also be divine. It’s awesome. I want you to take your Bible looking Matthew chapter 12, the book of Matthew chapter 12 verse 1. At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the corn, cornfield, and his disciples were hungry and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day.

In other words, Jesus, you all are breaking the law. You’re breaking the law. Now remember this. Jesus, who is the Lord, He is God. He is the law giver. He gave the law. And they said, you are breaking the law. But of course, they didn’t believe that he was God. And they were getting concerned about keeping their job because the common people were hearing them gladly. And they were convincing them that Jesus was the Messiah. Well the Pharisees didn’t believe he was the Messiah and were trying to put him down.

So they were always looking for false mistakes, either he or his disciples were making so they could use that to show ha ha, say you break the law. Therefore you must not be. And they wanted to use that against them. So what did Jesus do? Verse 3, he said in the them, Jesus, have ye not read what David did when he was hungry? And they that were with him? How he entered into the house of God and did eat the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests.

You remember when David did that? Yeah, he wasn’t right either. He says beside that in verse 5, or have ye not read in the law? How that on the Sabbath days, the priests of the temple profaned the same? and are blameless, he’s like, can you explain that? See, Jesus was the epitome in being able to ask penetrating questions that they could not answer. He could debate wits with anybody. You read the whole 12th chapter and it’s awesome in his wisdom and how he could take the questions and in the Bible it says he could read their thoughts and he would answer the questions before they ask the questions.

Wouldn’t you like to be able to do that? Jesus was the Lord. He knew the Word, he knew every story, every illustration. He could quote all of it. He was the Word. Is it important for you to know who Jesus is? Yes. You must believe that Jesus is not just a man. He was divine. Now we make a lot to do about his birth. And the whole world loves Christmas. I don’t hear too many people who hate it, but they don’t really understand that if you don’t accept this baby that was born as the Messiah, as the true Son of God, and that He died on the cross and paid for sins.

Their eternal consequences for not believing that. And it’s very, very important. But anyway, He was showing them that they are judgment. Their judgment wasn’t so good. So He makes a statement here in verse six. He says, you’re concerned about the temple. You’re concerned about147 keeping the law. He says, don’t you understand that this temple, regardless of how great it was, and David came, and the priest defiled, I am greater than the temple. That’s what Jesus said. He says, I’m greater than the temple.

A greater than the temple is here. I wonder who he could be referring to. He says in verse 7, but I say unto you that in this place is one greater than the temple. I’m better than that. Also, I just throw this in there. Look over there in verse 41, 41, same chapter, where he makes the statement, the men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment against this generation and condemn it, because they repent at the preaching of Jonah, but hold a greater than Jonah is here.

Somebody greater than Jonah is here. Well, who is it? Who do you think he’s referring to? Himself. But you see, if you see him only as a man, You don’t really see him. Jesus Christ is not the first and last name like Ralph Arnold. Jesus Christ, Jesus is the same Jehovah in the Old Testament. Christ is the anointed one, and in the Old Testament means Messiah. Jesus Christ is Jehovah the Messiah. He’s God. And unless you see that and understand that, then you will never appreciate all the scriptures that it talks about Christ.

This is God. If you say, well, I’d love to know God. Okay, then you can’t know God except through Jesus Christ. Only through Him. He reveals God. Look in verse 42. The queen of the South shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it. For she came from the uttermost part of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Behold, a greater than Solomon is here. You know that little baby that’s born? That little baby grew up.

Now many people worship the baby in the manger, but they forget this little child grew up. He didn’t come just to be born. came to die and you must believe that he is who he claims to be or you don’t go to heaven. The only way you can go to heaven, you must believe that is the Son of God. God’s sacrifice for the world. I want you to see this because it is so very important. In Matthew chapter 12, I want you to see there in verse 22, verse 22, then was brought unto him one possessed with the devil blind and dumb.

And he healed him, and so much that the blind and dumb both spake and salt. All the people were amazed and they said, now here’s the thing. The Pharisees couldn’t deny that a miracle had been done. So since they couldn’t deny a miracle had been done, unless they, because they feared the people, they had to tell that he didn’t come from God. He came from the devil. God didn’t do it, the devil did it. And instead of saying that Jesus did it by the power of God, they said he did it by the power of be yells above.

In other words, the Prince of Demons. In other words, it wasn’t God that did this miracle. It was the devil that did this miracle. See there in verse 23, because to believe that these miracles were of God, they would have to believe that this man, this man, was the Son of God, look in verse 23. And all the people were amazed and said, is not this the Son of who? Son of David. Whenever he had asked him that question, Matthew chapter 22, who do you say that Christ is?

They said the Son of David. So they know that if they have to admit that he’s the son of David, they’re in trouble because they taught against the law and they were teaching against Christ. Jesus Christ was the Messiah. And the people said, is not this the Messiah? Look what he’s doing. Only the Messiah’s supposed to be able to do what he’s doing. And I said, well, in verse 24, but when the Pharisees heard it, they said, this fellow death not cast out devils, but by beels above the prince of the devils.

Jesus knew their thought, and this is what he said. He said, every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation. And every city or house divided against itself shall not stand. If Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself. And how shall his kingdom stand? In other words, if Satan goes around casting the devil out of people, then how is he going to build a kingdom? He’s defeated himself. He’s destroying his own works. God says, no. He says, and if I buy Beelzebub cast out devils by whom do your children cast them out?

He says, you got people going around trying to cast out devils too. He says, are they doing it by the power of God or power of the devil? He says, they’ll be your own judges. Then he says here in verse 28, but if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come unto you. In other words, if what I am doing is by the power of God and these miracles are the proof of the Messiah, then the kingdom of God has come.

And when I talk about worshiping Jesus Christ, He deserves to be worshiped. He is God, otherwise you worship just a man. He’s not just the man, he’s not just a prophet, not just a good teacher. He’s not just a trailblazer, he’s on a Daniel, Bowman and David Crockett. He’s God and you must worship him as such. Are you guilty of committing the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost? You’d be surprised what I’ve heard preachers say in regard to this.

Look in verse 31, wherefore I say unto you all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men, and whosoever speak the word against the Son of man it shall be forgiven him, but Whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come. But he says, in verse 31, I say, all manner of sin, and blaspheme shall be forgiven unto men.

But this one, there’s one sin that cares an eternal damnation with it. It’d be nice to know that you haven’t done that, wouldn’t it? Now take your Bible and turn to the book of Mark chapter 3. Mark and chapter 3 verse 28. Verily I say unto you, all sins shall be forgiven under the sons of men and blasphemies where with so ever they shall blaspheme. But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy goes, never forgiveness. Hat, you’ll have to line those three words, hat, never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation bound by an eternal sin.

Never forgiveness. What in the world could it mean? Verse 30 says that he made this statement because they said he had an unclean spirit. In other words, he said that he did what he did by the power of the Holy Spirit. They said he did it by the power of an unholy spirit. So they said he had an unclean spirit or unholy spirit, which was the prince of the devil. Is that a difference in opinion? I mean, is it the truth or is it a lie?

Either he is God, or he did what he did by the power of the devil. Can’t be both ways. How does this affect us? Well, I want you to know this is in verse 28. Verily I send you all sins shall be forgiven. How are all sins forgiven? Let’s say we take all these sins but that one. How are all these sins forgiven. Remember in the book of Luke in chapter 24 believe, it says that when Christ came back from the dead, He said He commanded His disciples to go into all the world and preach their repentance and the forgiveness of sins.

So by the preaching… Of the gospel, something that they heard was supposed to let them know how they can have their sins forgiven. So the forgiveness of sins is because you heard something that somebody did for your sins. True. Now hold your place here and turn all the way over to the book of Acts chapter 13. the book of Acts in chapter 13. It all boils down to belief and unbelief. Some believed he was the Son of God, some did not believe.

Some believed he did what he did by the power of the Holy Spirit and some did not believe. What was the result of those who would not believe this? They were in danger of eternal hellfire, eternal damnation, because they did not believe. Here in the book of Acts in chapter 13, look there in verse 38, verse 38, be it known unto you, therefore men and brethren, that through this man, this man refers to Christ, is preached unto you, and what’s those words?

The forgiveness of sins. Why did Christ come into the world so so that you could have forgiveness of your sins. Think of all the bad things that you and I have done. We do deserve to go to hell. People say, what about all those innocent people in hell? There’s not one innocent person in hell. They all deserve to go. And every person that went to heaven deserved to go to hell. But the only reason you were forgiven, in other words, is though you never did it because you believe that the payment Christ made, that was for you.

And when you believe that, God puts that payment Christ made to your account and you go free because of what He did. Look what He says here in verse 38. Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by Him Christ, all that believe are justified from how many things. All things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. There is no the unpardonable sin mentioned here. when you accept His forgiveness, you have a payment for how many of your sins.

All sin. All sin. There’s only one sin that condemns a man to hell. It’s not his smoking, it’s not drinking, it’s not running around on his wife. It’s not because you ate too much or because you did something or you think something or because you murdered somebody, you robbed a bank or you named the sin. That’s not why you’re going to hell. You’re only going to go to hell because of one reason, the sin of unbelief. You did not believe.

And the sin of unbelief is never forgiven in this world, nor in the world to come. It’ll never be forgiven. The sin of unbelief. It is an unpardonable sin. God will not pardon that sin. In other words, if you reject Jesus Christ as your savior, You have no forgiveness in this world nor the world to come. So how is a man to do away with the sin of unbelief by believing? So when you believe on Jesus Christ, you did not commit the sin of blasphemy because you believed.

And when you believe on Christ, no Christian can ever be guilty of the sin of blasphemy, can never. Because how can a Christian go to hell? He can’t. And there’s only one thing that God tells us in a whole word, in all the word of God is just simply believe on Jesus Christ. So what is the consequences if a man doesn’t? Hell, eternal fire. Danger of it. See why you’re living, you’re in danger of it. Why you’re living, you still got a chance to trust the Lord, to believe.

Repent means to change your mind. So these people that he talked to, these Pharisees, they could change their mind. he says, God commended every man everywhere to repent. Change your mind. So if they were an unbeliever, what could they do? Change their mind and believe. I want you to go back there to Mark in chapter 3. I notice what he says in verse 29 one more time, but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost have never forgiveness but is in danger of eternal damnation, eternal damnation.

I want you to take your Bible and look now in the book of Luke chapter 11. Luke chapter 11. Look there in verse 20. But if I, with the finger of God, now in the other scripture it says, if I, by the power of God, or by the Holy Spirit. But remember, if you ever go back and you read the book of Isaiah chapter 53, when he says, and who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

The arm of the Lord is Jesus Christ. It’s the power of God. And as mentioned in chapter 53 how that he will grow up before him as a tender plant, but he is the arm of God. And then it references toward the Holy Spirit as the finger of God, that through the, by the finger of God that this can be done and that can be done by the power of God. But I want you to see this in verse one.

But if I would the finger of God cast out devils in these two words, you ought to underline it. No doubt. No doubt. You see, whenever you are an unbeliever is because you doubt. But what Christ is saying, I’m giving you reasons to believe and there’s no justification for your doubt. True? That’s what he’s saying. There’s no reason for a man to say, I don’t know the truth because I can’t know the truth. That’s a lie. Anybody who wants to know truth can know truth.

And I believe that God in heaven will reveal truth to any man who really wants to know truth. If you want to know it, you want to know truth, God will reveal it to you. But you see, God’s the one that knows whether you really want to know it or not. It’s the same thing that after you trusted Christ is your Savior and has God’s child. Did you know that if you are willing to do the will of God.

God will reveal the will of God to you. But we have people who want God to reveal His will and then you want to take it like a menu and see if you want to do it or not. No. Got it all backwards. God reveals truth, John chapter 7, to those who are willing to obey the truth. You’re not willing to obey it. God closes up your mind. You can come to church for 20 years. Never learn anything. Never learn anything.

Because see, you’re not willing to grow with the knowledge that you learn. So God will let you hear, but not hear. He’ll let you see, but not really see. You won’t understand. You say, who’s false at yours? Yours. And don’t deny what some of us know to be true, because we experience it all our life. Awesome. Awesome. Then he says, No doubt. And you may have doubts, but I want to close with these. Look in John chapter 3, the Gospel of John in chapter 3.

And you’ll notice what Jesus says. Very simple. Very clearly. It all boils down to belief and not belief. In John chapter 3, I want you to see there in verse 16. You’ve probably never seen this first before in your whole life. Verse 16 says, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, who so ever believeth in him should not perish but have temporary life, everlasting life. I’m going to correct that quickly. Okay? Looking for 17.

For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world. Remember Christ didn’t come down here to live a good life so he can, now this is how you’re supposed to do it. He lived a good life, now you just follow my good of example and that’s the last thing I needed because you can’t live like he lived. You’ll never come close to living like he lived. He was perfect. He didn’t have a sinful nature to deal with like you and I.

In verse 17, God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved. So now that tell us why Christ was born but only those in the world that believe He did it for them can be saved. Just how do you know that? Well, I’m glad you asked. Look at verse 18, He, the individual in the world, the He, He that believeth on Him is what? Not condemned. And then He says, but He that believeth not is condemned when?

Already. So you’re not waiting to be condemned in the future. Well, when I stand before God and He puts my good works on this side and my bad works on this side, then I’ll find out where I’m going. No. I know. I really tell you where you’re going. If you haven’t trusted Christ as your Savior, you’re going to hell. That’s where you’re going. That’s where you’re going. He says, he that believeth on him is not condemned. But he that believeth not is condemned already because why?

Because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. So if you believe it, you go to heaven and you don’t believe it, you go to Hell, Christ said that -> launc that little baby that was born. That’s what he said. Look there in verse 36. He that believe it on the Son hath ever lasting life. If you believe on Him, what are you going to believe? That’s the Son of God. That’s Jesus Christ.

He died on that cross and He paid for my sins. See, you may believe He did it for the sins of the world, but that doesn’t get you to heaven. That doesn’t save you because, well, I’ve heard that all my life. You have to apply that to you. You must believe He did it for you. for you. God’s the one that knows whether or not you believe it or not. So don’t try to fool people. Who cares? That’s the biggest deception joke in the world because you fool somebody in the thinking you’re a Christian.

When you die, you go to hell. Now, who got burned? No pun intended. Jesus Christ died and if you believe He did it for you, He saves you, gives you eternal life. If you don’t believe it, you’re an unbeliever. God says you’re already condemned. You’re just waiting for the day of execution. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the Son of God shall not see life, but the wrath of God abided upon Him.

So the wrath of God abided upon unbelievers. And these are the people who have committed the sin of blasphemy. They refuse to believe. It is not forgiven in this world and nor in the world to come. Or as it says in the eternal ages to come, can never be forgiven. In other words, once you’re in hell, you’re what? You’re always in hell. No escape. Never be undone. Now, is it critical to know who Jesus is? And to believe who He really is, He is the Son of God.

He has God in the flesh. Look up here. This hand represents you and me and this wall of represents sin. We’re all sinners. God loves us. Now He hates our sin, But he loves us. I always try to get people to see this. I always repeat it two or three time I’m talking to people God loves us, but he hates our sin, but God loves us God loves you and to pay for that sin is eternal separation from the Lord in a place called hell, but God loves us Doesn’t want us to go to hell wants us to go to heaven to go to heaven We have to be perfect as righteous as God and nobody’s perfect.

We’re all sinners and God says you cannot save yourself Now buy you works This hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord. He got in the flesh came into the world because he loves us See again, I always do that. He loves us. How many times I said I don’t have no idea But our sin separates us from the Lord But Jesus Christ took the sin paid for it on the cross came back from the dead and God said that who’s so ever in the world He did it for the world But only those in the world that believe that he did it for them Those are the only ones who are saved there the only ones who go to heaven all the unbelievers We’ll spend an eternity separated from God.

Now, little fire burning bell, who said that? God said that. 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 toll-free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our home page.

If you’re 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 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Life broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Art. friend one day it will happen the trumpet will sound and we will be changed caught up to meet the Lord in the air so live today and every day believing that the Lord is coming soon just keep looking up

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’t wait to be here. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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 to encourage you this morning. I want to help you. You’re fighting the battle of your life. But what I want you to do is keep in mind you are not going to quit serving the Lord. Now you don’t have to serve the Lord to go to heaven because going to heaven is free. You know that. But now that you have eternal life and you are God’s child, if you want to serve him and honor him and be blessed here and rewarded there, you’re going to have to fight.

Don’t stop serving God. stop being faithful. Don’t you stop serving God because say God has it wronged you. Now it’s one thing if God wrongs you, you can blame God but see you can’t find fault with God. You can find fault with people and if you use people as an excuse not to be faithful or experiences in life, circumstances as a reason not to be faithful, you really are a weak Christian because God hasn’t failed you. He never fails you.

And you’re looking at the wrong thing when you allow other people to so disappoint and so discourage you that you stop serving God. Here in in the book of Acts in chapter 20 I want you to look in verse 22 verse 22 verse 22 says and now behold I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem not knowing the things that shall be followed me there I want you to understand this in serving Lord, there’s going to be a lot of things.

You’re not going to know what’s going to happen to you. You don’t know what’s coming tomorrow or the next day. You don’t know about your finances down the road and you don’t know about your health down the road and you don’t know about people down the road and you don’t know all the circumstances down the road. It doesn’t matter. You don’t have to know it. All you need to know is that this day, this moment, my God is sufficient for me.

That’s all you need to know. Look at those. Verse 23. Say that the Holy Ghost witnesses in every city saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. One thing you do know that is coming down the road is problems. Look what he says in verse 24. But none of these things move me. Neither count I my life dear unto myself so that I might, and I want you to underline this in your Bible, finish my course with joy. just finish your course, but with joy.

You’re here for a reason. If God was interested only in just how it affects you, it could just take you on out of here. But He left you here because there’s something He wants you to do and influence in the lives of other people that I want to show you in just a moment. But the last part of the verse 24, so that I might finish my course with joy. That’s awesome. Second Timothy in chapter 4. I want you to look at verse seven.

This is what he said at the end of his life. At the end of his life is that I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. True. You know what he said? Pass it. I have finished my course. See at the beginning, I’m going to. At the end of it, I did it. I did it. I finished my course. I have kept the faith. I kept the faith. But doing the midst of all of this something was trying their best to get them to quit.

I was sitting at a restaurant one day, rang me a good old hot cup of coffee, and I sat down with a pen and I started writing so I wrote this pot three or four years ago. I don’t think I’d ever read it to you, but I’m going to read it to you right now, okay? Call sin and the sinner. Sin and the sinner. Sin should be magnified but not glorified. Sin should be simplified but not deified. Sin should be clarified but not justified.

Sin has a song to sing, to lull to sleep before the sting. To destroy your soul is Satan’s reason. He offers pleasure for a season. Blinded minds and wounded hearts are caused by Satan’s fiery darts. Sin from the heart corrupts the mind, defiles the man, and steals his time. For the heart of man is a deceitful thing. It destroys a man while declaring him king. For the wages of sin or death in hell, the rights to his soul he cannot sell, the flames of hell he didFirstly, will he blame God himself or me?

You and I are here to make a difference to the man that’s lost in sin that’s blinded on his way to hell. You and I are here for very important work. You need to always understand that and believe that. You may have got the talking part done. I want to serve the Lord. There’s the old devil. He says, no you’re not. No you’re not. You say I’m going to be faithful and the devil says no you’re not. No you’re not.

And the devil says I’ll prove it to you. I’m going to make it so hard on you. I’m going to fight you at every turn. I’m going to get you so disappointed and so discouraged and so filled with despair. You’re quick. You’ll think it’s not worth it. And he has got one goal and that is to destroy your faith in God. Have you ever heard of a verse that says, for we know that all things work together for good to those who love the Lord, to those who are called according to His purpose.

How’s Satan doing on you? Are you down and discouraged? Is Satan doing a pretty good job on you so far? Are you about ready to quit? Or maybe you dedicated your life to the Lord years ago and you stopped serving God. You no longer do what you used to do with the same desire, the same further that you used to. And you know that God wanted to do something special, in particular. You refused. You said no. Or because of what people did, you just got so you just quit.

And now you come to church only as a token just to keep God off your back, only because you know well I should. But down deep inside you know you’re messing up. You blew it. I want you to see this because it’s so important. Look in verse one, therefore the apostle Paul says, seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not. We faint not means we don’t quit. Do you think you’re the only one that has hard times?

I’ve had hard times. I’m always having hard times. You say, what’s your hard time? I’m trying to get Christians to serve the Lord. That’s the hardest thing in the world I’ve ever done in my life. I don’t worry about money, I don’t worry about health, I don’t worry about a lot of things, but my biggest job is trying to motivate Christians to do right, be faithful. If I could just get people to be faithful, that’s what I work toward more than anything else in the world.

Do you think my job is difficult? Because I can’t make you be faithful. I can only try to figure out things to say, using different scriptures to try to use that, hoping that the Holy Spirit will take that and ring your bell outside of that I have absolutely no power. I can’t make anybody do anything and tell me that that ain’t a job. That’s why so many preachers quit the ministry because after a while they say, it ain’t worth it because people don’t respond.

They just don’t respond. They’re in their own world and they don’t take it seriously. I want you to see this. Look there in verse eight, verse eight. The Apostle Paul says, we are troubled on every side. Do you ever feel that way? That it’s coming in from every direction. I don’t care. It seems like everything hits all at the same time from every direction. It’s every side. Just hold your place right here, but turn there into the book of 2 Corinthians 1.

Look in chapter 1 and look in verse 8. This verse 8 is also awesome. This is what the Apostle Paul says. Because for we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia. In other words, did they have trouble? Did they have trouble? They had trouble. You got trouble? I got trouble. All God’s shilling got troubles. We all got woes. We can all have our own pity parties, can’t we? You remember why I told you I don’t have pity parties anymore?

Nobody would come. So I’ll stop having them. Look what he says here. He says, for we would not brethren have you ignorant of our trouble, which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life. This is great apostle Paul. This is the head huncho. And he says, I was ready to quit. Despaired life. No more sometimes you get to work. Oh, we say, what’s that? dead. Have you ever said, man, I hope the rapture happens soon so he can get me out of this mess?

You wouldn’t say something like that, would you? That wouldn’t be your reason for wanting the Lord to come to get you out of here. It’s because you love him and you want to see him, right? It’s not because of the hard times you’ve got. Well, in verse 9, but we had the sentence of death in ourselves. Look at verse 10, who delivered us from so great a death and death deliver in home we trust that he will yet deliver.

In other words, he delivered us and he doth deliver and he will deliver. That’s why we can’t quit. We can’t quit serving God because if we quit, what are they going to be the results? What are the consequences? And there are some. So he says we are troubled on every side yet not distressed. See what does that mean? Well, kind of like you’ve ever done any to wrestling, college-style wrestling, or they can get you pressed, but not get you pinned.

Got you down, but can’t pin you. You got to get both those elbows, I’m those shoulder blades down, can’t pin you. You can be in a struggle and the devil can get you down, but you fight, you struggle. Look at the next part of verse 8, we are perplexed but not in despair. We are perplexed but not in despair. It’s kind of like a person believing that if a fullback has the ball and he’s to run into the line and he’s to run toward a certain hole and he’s to run in that direction before the hole is made.

He’s to run with all the power, all the force that he has believing that when he gets there, those linemen are going to make a hole for him. That’s faith. Because if he waits till there’s a hole there, it’s going to be too late. It’ll be too late. He has to run believing and trusting that the Lord is going to make a way. You see, if you wait till God saws all of your problems before you serve him, how long will you have to wait?

Forever. So when should you serve the Lord? I’ve had people Well, you know, when I get these my bills caught up and I get my self-squared away, I preach I’ll be back in church. They don’t get it. In other words, when I get my problem solved, I’ll come back to church. Do they get it? If they don’t understand it. When will they get all their problems solved? Never. You’re always going from one to the other. You’re solving problems. You’re in the midst of problems.

And when you get out of this problem, you got another one waiting on you. When do you solve them all? Is any man here who can stand up and say, I don’t have any problems? I have nothing, I have no pressure, nothing whatsoever of any kind? That person’s dead. It’s kind of like doing his football game, the guy threw the ball in, defense hit him, and broke his leg, had run out there with a stretcher and carried the man off.

Coach says, tell him to give that ball to Bryson. went out there and they handed off to another guy. He ran into the line and they slaughtered him, broke his arms, had taken him off. The coach says, give the ball to Bryson. Next play, he threw another pass, tied in, got creamed. The coach says, I said, give the ball to Bryson. He said, but coach, Bryson don’t want the ball. Okay. Move the ball. That’s Bryson sitting right down here.

There’s some people that say, well hey, I didn’t watch too many people getting beat up. The devil’s really working on him. I don’t want the ball. I don’t want the ball. Yeah, you’ve got to get in the game. It’s a lot more fun. Yeah, you get beat up. But there’s a lot of Christians, see, they sit in the stands and they’re that Monday morning quarterback that tried to tell how they should have done things. That’s so easy. what the coach should have done, and what the quarterback should have done.

Boy, if I’d have been there, yes, but that’s just the problem. You weren’t. You were up here where it was nice and safe and you didn’t do anything. So shut up. And there’s Christians who are always wanting to point their finger at the people who are doing the work and criticizing, finding fault, with the ones that are doing the job. And if it wasn’t for those, there wouldn’t be anybody. A lot of people sit on the sidelines and all they do is criticize.

They find fault with everything in everybody, but you can’t depend on them. Do you know you can’t build a work without faithfulness? Faithfulness is the most important thing you can ever have. I like to be an example of what does it mean to be faithful. I try to always be there. Always try to be the same way. Faithful to the book. I want you to be able to, you can depend on me. When I say something, I try to do what I say.

I try to live according to what I teach. I try to prove what faithfulness is. Does that mean if I do this, and that’s my goal, that I should be exempt from problems. So even in the midst of problems that I’ve had, still try to seek to be faithful. Never stop. You don’t quit. Always stay at it. Look at the next statement in verse 9 persecuted, but not forsaken, cast down, not destroyed. In other words, you can be knocked down while you’re not knocked out.

And some of God’s people see all these are termed that deals with the Olympics. Because this is Corinth, this is in Greece, this is what the Apostle Paul knew that people would understand. And a lot of that terminology is used in the Word of God. And talking about running the race and the course and the crown and all that stuff, all that stuff that they caught because of the Olympics, that’s where it came from. Now look down here in verse 13.

We have in the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believe. Therefore have I spoken. I want you to look at this verse. Look there in 116th Psalm. Turn in your Old Testament to the hundred and 16th Psalm. You’ll find out that he’s quoting an Old Testament scripture. And look in verse 9. Remember while ago I mentioned to you that we are living in the land of the living. This is where we We are. We were born into the land of the living.

We’re here for a short period of time and we’re going to be leading. So what’s the purpose of my living while I’m here? If it’s just for yourself, you missed it. The one that created you put you here has a purpose for your life. And makes a statement in verse 9, I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. Then in verse 2, I want you to see this going backwards just a tad, but in verse 2, because he hath inclined his ear in the me, therefore will I call upon the Lord as long as I what?

So as long as I am alive in the land of the living, I want to walk with the Lord. But not without a fight. The devil is going to do anything he can to get you to quit. And he does that by disappointing you, discouraging you. People will let you down. They’ll fail you. Some by you’ll say just the wrong thing and that’s all you need to key off on to use that as justification for you being mad or angry and upset and all men, all the stuff it can go on in your life.

Now look at verse 10. Verse 10 is the verse that the Apostle Paul is using in the new time. He says, having this ministry. In other words, this is what God wants me to do in the land of the living. I have a course that’s set before me. Therefore, I can’t quit. Why can’t you quit? Because, because I’ve got a reason why I can’t quit. And I’ll show you that just a second. He said, I believe therefore have I spoken I was greatly What’s that word?

afflicted You’re going to have afflictions things are not always going to go your way people gonna misunderstand Then he says here in verse 12 what? Shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits? What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? And then in verse 14, I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people, in the presence of all his people. I want you to know that when you finally die, look at verse 15, because in the land of the living, one day you’re going to die.

Well, look what he says in verse 15, precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his wife. Now, see, you look at that and think that’s a terrible thing. That’s so, so, so, I died. I know we’re going to miss them, but that’s not the worst thing in the world. The worst thing in the world is to live and not serve God. There’s nothing wrong in dying. That’s going to happen to all of us. It’s not something we should fear.

I would be afraid to live and not serve God. That would be enough to fear. But serve the Lord. Look forward to death. Look forward to the day you’re going to heaven. Look what he says. In verse 16, oh Lord truly I am thy servant. I am thy servant. That’s what I am. And because I’m a servant of the Lord, in verse 17, I will offer. A servant of God should offer God something. But like the apostle Paul, he made the statement.

He says, neither count I my life dear unto myself, but I might finish. my course with joy. Because you see, if life becomes more important to you, then you don’t look forward to the next life. This is the only one you are in love with. This is the one you think about. So while you’re here, you think it all revolves around you, what you want, what you want to be.

And you’ve lost your vision. You’ve lost your goal. And therefore, you’re in for a great disappointment. And the greatest is going to be when you finally stand before the Lord and you realize you lived your whole life for you You didn’t live it for him if you live your life for him He says if a man’s not willing to lose his life for my sake. He loses his life The way you gain your life is to live it for the Lord So when you get to heaven God says this look what I got for you look what I got for you now See it was worth it.

It was worth it and the last part of verse 18 said I will pay my vows on the Lord now And you are on the line, present of all his people. Serving God is serving God in the presence of God’s people. You see, before each other, this is where we prove our faithfulness to God, concerning our time, our talents, and our treasures. Now go back there to the book of 2 Corinthians in chapter 4.

When he makes a statement in verse 14, knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise us up also by Jesus and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes. In other words, the reason I’m serving the Lord is for your sake. You know why I want to serve the Lord? For your sake. I want to encourage you to serve the Lord. I want to teach you the Word of God. I want to be an example of the believer for you.

is what servant Lord is about. Servant Lord is not all about just you and what you want. It’s about the influence you can have upon other people. In other words, why should you go to church for that person sitting beside you, for that person that’s sitting in front of you, for their sake? You want to be faithful for them. Why should you give? Because you want to teach others to give. You want to be faithful because you want to teach others to be faithful because for their sake Paul says for me to live his Christ and to die is gain.

He says I am in a twix between to a desire to depart and be with the Lord which is far better but is more needful that I stay here in the flesh in the body for you. That’s what Paul says. In other words, whyRepublicans want to livefilename life? Because other people needjri. They need 0004 to do it. There’s people who watch you. You’re influencing people. So you need to be faithful. And God will bless you for doing so. Let me give you this in closing.

Look there in verse 16. For which cause we faint, in other words we don’t quit. see what a person faints, they usually pass out, right? They fainted. If a person who’s fainted and passed out, you can’t depend on them for anything, can you? What do you depend upon a person who’s fainted for? Nothing. And there’s a lot of Christians see, they’ll come to church, but I can’t depend on them for anything. I can’t count on them. I don’t know if they’re going to be here or not be here.

I can’t depend on them to get involved. I can’t depend on some people for anything. Then there’s other people I can depend on them and because of that we can build a work. We build it on the backs of the faithfulness of those you can depend on. But there’s some people don’t count on me, don’t count on me. What can you do that? Don’t count on me. What they’re saying is they can’t be counted on and most people are not faithful.

They’re not dependable. Are you faithful? Are you dependable? I want you to be for your sake. He says for which Because we think that we don’t quit, but though our outward man perish. That means these bodies of ours, they’re going to get old. But the inward man, spiritually, you can become stronger and stronger and stronger every day that you live in the Lord. Looking for 17, remember the time of life that God’s given to us. He says, for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, this moment is the length of your life.

The length of your life is but for a moment. You know, the Bible describes your life as a vapor. It appears for a little while and then it’s gone. Paper smoke. Here today gone tomorrow. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, work it for us. In other words, this little time that you have to live. This little light affliction that you have to go through every day. That the Lord has promised to give you the strength and the grace to bear whatever it is, whatever problem you have.

Greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world. And He can sustain you and His grace is sufficient for you. And it says it works for us a far more exceeding and eternal way to glory. So you’re comparing a moment with eternity. And this little bit of problems that you have to go through, this light affliction, is working for you. These are opportunities to buy eternal weights of glory. Can you see the difference? Why should you quit serving God?

Look what you’re going to get. If you do, just finish the course. Finish the course. Some of you’ve been faithful for 10, 15, 20, 30 years. Don’t stop now. Don’t get weak now. Don’t lose vision. Now, stay at it. Since I’ve been here, I’ve buried a lot of our members. I don’t want to live forever. I just want to live long enough to bury all the rest of you and then I’m ready to go.” Looking verse 18, while we look not at the things which are seen but the things which are not seen.

For the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal. And we are working for eternal things and the Course has been set before us. Let us run the race and pressing toward the mark that is set before us and let us finish the course. Agree? This is you and me. This is sin. The Bible says we all have sin on us. He loves us, but He says we’ve all committed sin. And the pay for that sin is eternal separation from God in a place called hell.

Now God loves us. Once it’s to go to heaven, go to heaven, we have to be perfect, as righteous as God. Are you perfect? Are you righteous? No. We’re all sinners. We cannot earn eternal life. By our good works will never be good enough to go to heaven. This hand represents Jesus Christ, God in the flesh came into the world because He loves us. Hates our sin because our sins He separates us from the Lord. So what Christ did, He took our sin, paid from on the cross, came back in the dead.

God said, if you and I, if we’ll believe He did it for us, the Christ paid for our sins, He would give us eternal life. And we would go to heaven at what He did for us. He says, anybody who believes this, they can know they have eternal life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you made. Know that you have eternal life. 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 toll free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re 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 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Life broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Arden. Friends, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound, and we will be changed. Hot up to meet the Lord in the air.

So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon. 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 years. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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 Matthew, the book of Matthew in chapter 24. But here in the book of Matthew, I want you to notice in verse 4, and Jesus answered and said unto them, take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, say, and I am Christ, shall deceive many. You shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you be not troubled. For all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

So the Lord tells us there’s going to be wars and rumors of wars until the very end of time. We’re not going to get where there’s actually going to be, you know, peace upon this earth without Jesus Christ. And I do admire our president wanting to stamp out terrorism and hopefully we can get all the nations together and we can have peace because all of this deals with the desire that people have for peace and freedom. But the Bible says it’s not going to be a reality.

It’s not going to happen. There’s a lot of things that can be done, and some enemies will be defeated, but America and all the other countries are not going to probably ever again have the sense of security that we have already enjoyed by the very fact of what’s happened. And we know that we live at a time where anybody in our country, if they choose to do so because of the policies that we have and the freedom of being able to move around and go wherever we want from whatever state to another can do a lot of damage if somebody chooses to do so.

But the Bible says here in verse 7, for nations shall rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines and pestilence that are of quays and diverse places and all these are the beginning of sorrows. word pestilence means a plague. It’s any contagious or infectious disease that is epidemic and mortal. They are afraid that there are terrorists that will be very willing to use biochemical warfare, germ warfare. That whether they put it in the air or in the water or wherever they decide that there’s a possibility of widespread epidemic.

The Bible calls it pestilence, but the pestilence, the word in an 1828 Webster dictionary is the definition that I had just given to you. Jesus is the one that said in the last days before he comes back, he says that’s one of the things that people are going to have to watch out for. He says it’s coming and he warns about it. Also, take your Bible look in the book of Luke, the Matthew Mark, Luke, the book of Luke, and notice in chapter 21, Luke chapter 21.

And look there in verse 11, Jesus said this, and great earthquakes shall be in diverse places, 21, 11, and famines and pestilence. Fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.” Then notice what he says there in verse 25, a reference that I used last week. And there shall be signs in the sun and the moon and the stars and upon the earth distress of nations. We are only beginning to have distress of nations. When they find out that these pestilence that is epidemic that the Bible talks about, that it’s worldwide, and that multitudes of people are going to be wiped out by such a thing.

It’ll instill a lot of fear and a lot of people. But the Bible says in the last days, it will be fear. It will be terror that will strike them to the heart, not just a few people here in America. It’s going to be worldwide. It’s only beginning. But perhaps people will listen. It says in verse 26, men’s hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth. In other words, they’re afraid of what they see coming.

And the Lord says that, pestilence is coming. It means plagues, epidemics that has failed. I want you to take your Bible and look there in the book of Leviticus chapter 3. All the way over the Old Testament, the Bible says that if Israel would obey God, when He took them from the nation of Egypt and put them into their land, He says, if you’ll serve me and obey my laws, and there’s many laws God had given to them, even dietary laws.

He says, there’s medical laws. He says, if you’ll listen to me, and obey me, he said, I will not put any of the diseases of the Egyptians upon you. In other words, you won’t have to worry about that. All you got to do is trust me and do right. Obeyed me, and God says, I will protect you. Well, Israel didn’t always listen. They didn’t always obey. The verse that’s on the top of your notes here in John 17 verse 17, where he makes the statements sanctify them through thy word, thy word is truth, thy word is truth.

If the word of God is true, then whatever the word of God says and whatever it touches upon, it will be true. The Bible may not be a book on scientific facts, but whatever scientific facts are in the Bible, it will be true. And whatever it says about the medical condition or dietary law, all these law, whatever God says, it will be truth. Whenever it says things about prophecy, it will be true because the word of God is truth.

Here in Leviticus chapter three and verse 17, I just want to read this verse to you just to see something that God told him a long time ago. But well, we may not like and agree with all of this, but look at it anyway. In verse 17, it shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings that you eat, neither what? Fat nor blood. Did you know that medically they tell you the same thing today? That’s still one of the biggest things to try to keep people from doing.

Many of the things you buy today is low fat. Come on, they know you’re not supposed to have fat. You say, well, there’s some kind of fat now. The Bible doesn’t say anything against cooking with fat and things like that. There are some things you could do. But he says not to eat the fat and not to drink blood or eat blood. So we don’t want anybody around here making Belichick pudding. So just leave that alone. Look also there in Leviticus 17.

Leviticus chapter 17. Now many times when I’m speaking on the blood of Christ and the payment for our sins and And why he had to die is because if Christ’s going to give his life for us,jriwal he has to shed his blood because the life of the flesh is in the blood. And if you’ll notice there in 1711 he says, for the life of the flesh is in the blood haha I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls for the life of the flesh is in the blood.

You’ll see that in verse 17. So the life of the flesh is in the blood. That’s even true today and medically people are doctors. They know that’s true. But see these are statements that was made 3500 years ago before they had all the technology that they had today. But how did they know this? Because there’s a God in heaven that made the body. And God that made the world and God knows what works and what doesn’t work. And so God told his people what to do that would make them better and healthier and live longer and stronger and how to bless them economically and all these things.

God did all of this for his people Israel, but Israel wouldn’t obey his laws. They wouldn’t obey him. So they paid a great price. Also notice there in chapter 17, look in verse 13, chapter 17 verse 13. And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel or of the strangers that sojourn among you which hunteth and catcheth any beast or file that may be eaten he may even pour out the blood thereof and cover it with dust. I have been hunting many years.

I’ve killed rabbits and I’ve killed squirrels and I’ve killed bambi, I mean deers and I’ve killed elk. One of the first things you do as soon as you bring down an animal is, and you want them to bleed as much all the blood out of them as you possibly can. This is what the Bible says. We know that that’s the way it is done. It’s the way it’s done today. You say, well, that’s gross. Listen, read the Old Testament and see what they had to do.

And these Bible says, and they put their hands upon the head of the animal, and then they slit their throat and drain their blood. That was what they did. But God says, you don’t drink blood and you don’t eat the blood. That’s scriptural. Also, I want you to take your Bible now and turn to the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 23. Deuteronomy chapter 23. Now, some Some of you may be, may understand not everybody in the world has indoor plumbing.

There are some people who have grown up in years past and they all they had was an outhouse. But one of the greatest inventions of the last century was the flushing toilet. It’s the greatest invention of mankind. If you don’t think so, go back to your outside toilet and you’ll be glad that you have a fleshing toilet. You see, well, now, is this in the Bible? Well, there’s things that God tells us in His Word. Remember, Moses had over two and a half million people in the desert.

They didn’t have running water. They didn’t have the commodes. They didn’t even have our houses. Said this, this, this would have been interesting. And you know the most natural thing of man, as the Bible says, is to ease himself. Look there in chapter 23, and look in verse 12, look at verse 12. Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, that means on the outside of the camp, the thou shalt go forth abroad, and thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon, and it shall be, when thou will ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee.”

I’m not going to go into detail as what this means. I’m hopeful that you as adults know what this is talking about. This was to keep down germs. This is to protect the health of God’s people. But God’s Word would tell them everything they should do. And we know that this is the safest thing if you’ve never been hunting. You don’t know what this is about. Because when you go, you don’t carry a port of John with you, brother.

Some of you girls back here laughing and say, what’s he talking about? I’ll talk to you later. Is it in the Bible? Yes it is. Is it a way of carrying and taking care of something? Yes it is. And is to be covered. That is the book. I want you to take your Bible and turn to Luke chapter two and verse 21. Luke chapter two and verse 21. Remember this. It is still done even today. Not long ago I had a grandson that was born into this world.

And a couple of days He was circumcised. That is a practice that still carried on today. And there are some doctors who are thinking, well, it doesn’t necessarily need to be done. Or we don’t have to do it on the eighth day, they can do it on the third day or whatever day they name OK. But the Bible says that the children of Israel were to be circumcised on the eighth day. And there’s many hospitals right now do it on the 8th day and there is a reason for that.

The 8th day after birth, vitamin K, necessary for blood clotting rises to a peak and then subsides. It’s the best day in which to circumcise a child. Now this was mentioned in the book of Genesis chapter 17 when Abraham was told by God this is one of the things he wanted all the male children of the nation of Israel, they were to be circumcised. How did they know to do that? See, God’s the one that tells people things that are good and that’s best.

You see, I remember when I was growing up when you had the measles or the mumps or the chicken pox, you had to stay home and your whole home was quarantined. Did anybody remember that? Now people who get AIDS, what should you do with them? quarantine them. If it’s something that somebody can get from you and it’s deadly… You should be quarantined. Verse 21 said, and when eight days were accomplished for the circumcised of the child, his name was called Jesus.

And the Bible says that this was done because it was the law. And God had given to them almost 3500 years ago. And they still do that very same thing today. Look at number three there in your Bible. Number three, Job chapter 26 and verse 7. The verse simply makes a statement and includes both of these statements. statement that there is an empty place in the north and concerning the earth, he says, I have hung it upon nothing. The Bible says that the earth is spherical like a ball in the book of Isaiah in chapter 40, you get your notes there.

And the Bible says that he hung it upon another and there’s an empty place in the north. And they say that in true north there is an empty place. It’s like there’s no stars there. It’s like a vacuum. Well, this written in the book of Job in chapter 38. There were people a few hundred years ago that believed that the earth was that it was flat and that it was on the back of an elephant and the elephants on the back of a turtle and a turtle was swimming in the cosmic sea and so that’s what they thought and the mountains were on the edge you keep the water from rolling off.

Well we know that that was almost but see that teaching of the philosophers was not in the Bible. It’s not in the Bible. Some thought that was on the back of a great big old straw man named Atlas, kind of built like myself. Well, lo and behold, we’ve been all around the world and we ain’t found this Atlas yet. So that’s not true. But that’s what people taught. But see, the religions of the world are not in the Bible.

Truth is in the Bible, the way it really is. And that’s why it’s so important. I want you to see this one though. Jeremiah chapter 10. Look in Jeremiah chapter 10. talking about matter being created out of energy. Where did matter come from? All matter is created out of energy. Einstein was supposed to be so brilliant because he knew that. Why don’t you give credit to the one who said it first? Jeremiah said that before that. In Jeremiah 10, look there in verse Look in verse 12, He hath made the earth by His power.

He made matter by power, energy. You see, that’s in the Bible. See, of course, you have to know how to read the Bible, but it’s all in here. And I gave you several verses in chapter 32 and verse 17, says pretty much the same thing about how that God made the heavens and the earth by His power, matter being created out of energy. Also, the Bible tells us the stars cannot be numbered in number seven. Number eight, life of the flesh is in the blood, which is Leviticus 17, which we’ve already looked at.

Number nine, all flesh is not the same flesh. The Bible says there’s a flesh of people, there’s a flesh of animals, there’s a flesh of fish, there’s a flesh of birds, everything has different flesh. Well, that was true then, it’s still true today. And the Bible also in number 10, their species reproduce after their own kind. Have you ever read the book of Genesis where it says, and everything reproduce after its own kind, and the trees reproduce after their own kind, and everything in the oceans reproduce after their own kind, and people reproduce after their own kind.

Everything reproduces after its own kind, there are no intermediates. There is no cold man, young high bird man, pith a cantapaceurrectus man, also to look at the kind man. There are known on these missing links, the whole stupid chain is gone, evolution is not true. You see the very first man that was ever on this earth was the smartest man that’s ever lived out of Solomon. He was wise. Bible says that Adam named everything there was. What do you think he got his name from?

Adam didn’t live on a cave. He lived in a perfect environment. And the Bible says that the ones that came from him, they built cities and they were workers and brass and organs and all kind of different things. They were not a bunch of dumb, dumb sitting around some campfire trying to figure out how to create fire. No, that’s where you get from your evolutionary teaching that don’t believe the truth. You see, don’t you believe in evolution? Not one myota.

Evolution is a lie. It’s a lie. It’s not the truth. My ancestors may have hung by the neck, but they didn’t swing by the tail. The elements can crack apart with a fervent heat. This is so important to see this. Look in 2 Peter and 3. 2 Peter and 3. But I do want you to see this in verse 10. 2 Peter, chapter 3, verse 10 says, but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the element shall melt with fervent heat.

The earth also in the works that are therein shall be burned up, and many preachers along with this one, believe this is the splitting of the atom. This is what the atom bomb is all about. The noise, the cracking of part of the elements and the fervent heat, this is all what’s in here. And the fire, the burning up, every bit of it’s right here in the book. And it says in verse 11, Seeing them that all these things shall be dissolved.

What men are persons ought you to be in all holy behavior and godliness. Because the Lord is coming back. And the Bible says that there’s a day coming that this is going to happen. I want you to see this other one here in Zechariah chapter 14. So turn to your left in Zechariah in chapter 14. And notice that in the last days, the Bible says that the Lord is going to gather all nations against Jerusalem. This is a battle that has not yet taken place, but will very soon.

You’ll notice that in verse 2 of Zechariah chapter 14, he says, I’ll gather all nations against Jerusalem. He said, I’ll bring them together. And then that’s when the Lord’s going to come back and fight for his people and Israel will be delivered. But what I want you to see there in Zechariah chapter 14, look in verse 12. Verse 12 says, and this shall be the plague. This is a plague. And it’s not only a plague where it’s like a pestilence of diseases, but it produces the same results because it’s radiation upon the human body.

And this shall be the plague where with the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem, their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet and their eyes shall consume away in their holes and their tongues shall consume away in their mouth while they stand upon their feet all of a sudden their skin just starts coming off and their eyes come out of their eyes like it. Have you ever heard of anything like that ever happening?

Not until they drop the bombs on Hiroshima, Nagasaki. You never heard about it. But we know what it’s talking about now. But this was written almost 2,500 years ago, 500 years before Christ was ever born, describing a battle that is yet to take place in the future. Is there going to be a nuclear war? Yes, there’s going to be a nuclear war. When you read Revelation, it says one-third of the earth is going to be killed at one time and all the green grass, the green trees, all it’s going to be burned all up, says the things in the oceans are going to die.

What kind of a… What’s going to happen? And the The Bible says that the whole earth itself, why people are on it, the Bible says in the book of Isaiah that the earth will rock back and forth like a drunk man as it goes in our circuit. And the Bible says all the islands and the seas, he says all these mountains, everything’s gonna be moved and shifted around. It’s gonna be a terrible time to be upon the face of the earth.

And the Bible says people trying to find death and death will flee from them, hiding in the rocks and the hills and the caves, trying to get away from the wrath of the Lamb. Actually, it’s talking about the plagues that are coming up on the earth. God’s gonna have two of His witnesses here that are gonna be bringing plagues of all kinds for three and a half years, for 42 months. We’re living at some very exciting days, but see, the thing is, is right before all this really takes place, we’re taking out.

We’re not gonna be here for this worth period of time called the tribulation period. but exactly how much we can suffer, I do not know. There’s no guarantee that other cities won’t be totally wiped out. We don’t have any idea. Our security is not because our president is gonna deliver us, or our military’s gonna deliver us. There’s more to it than just that. Your confidence better be in the Lord, and you ought to serve the Lord why you can, but what you have, and the first people that you know that you need to reach, you ought to be reaching them, and not playing games.

I had a man come here to the house the other day and had a few questions about some things. And of course, I always like to use people’s problems to get him to the Lord. And so I brought him over here and took him in the room. And I said, if you died right now, where would you go? He says, I don’t know. I said, if you could know it, wouldn’t you like to know? He said, well, yes, I would.

So I said, let’s just forget about your problem right now. Let’s talk about this one, because I think this is a bigger problem. I explained to gospel to him how he could have eternal life and I know he could go to heaven by simply trusting Christ as a Savior. And he had heard that Christ died, but when Christ died he paid for all of his sins and all he had to do was accept the payment Christ made for him and God would save him, give me eternal life and he’d go to heaven when he dies.

Well he trusted Christ as Savior. And then we talked about his problem and took care of that a little bit. And I had a man call me up last week and And he says, I listened to you on the radio and I sure would like to have you come by and talk to me and my wife. I said, I’d love to do that. And so I thought I’ll drop by on them. So yesterday I went by their house. And so I says, ma’am, I says, do you know you’re going to go to heaven?

She says, no, I don’t know. And I asked the boy, I says, do you know? No, I don’t know. I asked the dad, no, he didn’t know either. And I says, can I explain this to her? I got some blood news for you. And so I went ahead and explained the gospel. All three of them trusted Christ with their Savior, and I had a word of prayer with them. You know, while everything else goes on, what is still the most important thing that you could ever do for anybody is when I’m the Christ?

So when it is still the number one thing, be about your Father’s business. So what will I do with all that be about your father’s business? This is temporary. We’re not gonna live here forever. Don’t worry about it. Don’t be afraid it Don’t gonna mount a hill of beans. He’s well, what if it wipes us all out then where did you go? You went to heaven if you know the Lord Like Hezekiah He prayed that God would extend his life because he didn’t want to die.

He said oh Lord. I don’t want to die So the Lord extended his life for 15 years. He got another 15 years to live. And he showed the people from Bible and everything that he had. And I just told him, says, what you did was wicked. He says, God is going to take and let the enemy come in here and take everything that you’ve got, and your sons are going to be taken into captivity. He says, as long as it don’t happen in my time, letting this hen represent you and me and the wallet represents sin.

sin. Now we all have sin. God loves us, but He hates our sin. The pay for that sin is eternal separation from God in a place called hell. And because we’ve all sinned, we’re all condemned. But the Lord loves us and wants us to go to heaven. To go to heaven, we have to be perfect as righteous as God and nobody’s perfect. We’re all sinners. God says, you cannot save yourself. If you ever want to know how do you talk to somebody about the Lord, I’m showing you how to do it by you watching me tell you what I do because this is what I do.

If anybody goes with me so when they say this is exactly what I do because it works. And you explain this to them. If you’ve got a better illustration use it but this is the one that I use because it makes it clear. This is Jesus Christ. He’s God in the flesh. He loves us. Hates our sin because our sin separates us from him. Christ took the sin, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead. And God said that if you and I, if we would believe He did it for us, He puts that payment to our account, we go to heaven on what He did for us.

There’s no tricks to it, there’s no gimmicks to it. The only thing you have to do to go to heaven is to believe that He did this for you and this payment that is put to your account, not put to your account until you believe it. I pray that you’ll trust Christ as your Savior. If I believe it, He puts it to my account. David believed it puts it to his account. If K doesn’t believe it is not put to her account.

I mean him go to heaven and she doesn’t. That’s how simple it is. Every individual and nobody can do it for you. So I want to, I’ll accept it for me and for my family. No. Every individual has to do it. And I hope that you have. 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 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. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org. and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our home page. If you’re 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 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arden. Friend, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Hot up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep looking up.

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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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.

Every Christian is compelled by the scriptures to discern right and wrong. That means you’re to judge whether, is that right or is that wrong? Is that honor to God or is that dishonor to God? So you’re making decisions all day long. And the reason for studying the Bible is so that you’ll learn how God sees things. True discernment is from God’s viewpoint. So that you have not just a human perspective but a divine perspective. You say, thank you at God’s season.

In verse eight, give not that which is holy onto the dogs. So you got to know what’s holy, you got to know what a dog is. Neither casting your pearls before it swine. So you got to know what pearls are and you got to know what a swine is. And so you’ve got to be able to make the sermon. You don’t take the pearls and cast them before swine. Take your Bible and turn to the book of 2 Corinthians and chapter 6.

There are many, many scriptures in the Bible that talks about us making decisions, to decide because you reveal your wisdom by the quality of the decisions that you make. You make three foolish decisions, you might be considered a foolish man. You make three wise decisions, you might be considered a wise man. But look what it says there in verse 14, written to those who know Christ is Savior, be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. If you know Christ as your Savior, where it says, how can two walk together unless they be agreed?

And so when you’re talking about individuals, this is why it’s so difficult for teenagers to understand spiritual things because they’re so caught up in the fleshly thing. Boy sees girl, girl sees boy, I like you, you like me, let’s get married. They don’t think down the road about what about kids and what about church, what about this and that and the other. They don’t think about it. The only thing about it is now. And it’s supposed to be just, you know, happiness from now on.

And they wake up and find out that it’s this is daylight and diapers and where the honeymoon go. But they’re making decisions but not thinking about consequences on down the road. So what God is telling us that we got to think things through. He says, looking verse 14, being not unequally yoked together. I was talking to a married couple one time. And I told the couple, I says, do you realize that part of the problem is that opposites attract and then attack?

And I says, one of you is like a racehorse and the other one is like a jackass. It wasn’t the best illustration at the moment. And I says, if you put a yoke upon a mule or a jackass and the other part of the yoke is a racehorse. Now what does a racehorse like to do? Go fast. What does that jackass want to do? Go slow or not at all. So the racehorse wants to pull along this jackass and the jackass don’t want to go and they’re just struggling against each other.

They’re not equally yoked. So here is two people. Two people are supposed to think the same way. It’s easier when you are living for the same reason. like here’s the Lord and here’s the man and here’s the woman and the closer the man and the woman get to God the closer they get to each other and so the closer they get to the Lord the closer they get to each other than the greater harmony that is going to be but how can two walk together unless they be agreed you got to go in the same direction so the Lord is the one who has designed this thing and he says do not become an equally yoked together.

He says, what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness or what communion hath light with darkness? Light and darkness won’t keep walk together. And that which is wrong can’t walk together. This is why it’s important for people to believe the same thing going in the same direction so that you can make greater decision, greater judgment. Looking first John chapter four, first John and chapter four. What is taught at home should be what is taught at church and what is taught at church.

and home should be taught in the school. The school should never teach anything contrary to what is taught at home and what is taught in church. Our public school should teach what is taught at home and what is taught in church. It should honor those. If it dishonors the home and dishonor the church, it ought not be taught there. Otherwise the children will not get the quality education that they should have because kids are not to be subjected to learning that which is dishonoring to the Lord.

The reason for learning how to read and write is so they can honor God with their life. Today education is designed for people to learn how to make a living and not learn how to live life. Now look there in verse one. He says, Beloved, believe not every spirit. If it says, believe not means that you’re supposed to be able to discern something that is right, something that is wrong. You cannot discern air unless you know truth. So as you study the Bible, you study truth.

And when you study the truth, then the truth is the light that lets you see the dirt in the world or the air. And if you don’t know the truth, you will not know the air. There are some fundamentals that a person needs to keep in mind. When we talk about making good decisions, always try to keep the fundamentals, the basics, the essentials clear in your mind. I have a 1992 Mercury Marquis. I don’t know how many miles on it.

It broke a long time ago, but it seems to run fairly good right now. But now this car, it has got a radio in it, but that radio is not essential for this car to run. I could take that radio out and my car will still run. My car has an air conditioner in it and I love my air conditioner but that air conditioner is not essential for that car to run. I can take it out. I don’t really need that car to run.

And as you go through there’s certain things in the car that well I’ve got an ashtray. I don’t need an ashtray. That’s not an essential for this car to run. It’s got a car but I don’t need the carpet in there. I got a floor mat. I don’t need that. I got arm rate, I don’t need that. Those are not essential. They are a luxury. It’s nice to have but that’s not necessary for the car to run But I do have a motor in the car That’s essential because if you don’t have a motor, it’s not gonna go tires.

That’s essential because if I don’t have tires It’s not gonna go nowhere. I gotta have a battery. That’s essential So you begin to see there’s certain things that were essential Well, when it comes to the Lord, the Bible has essentials, fundamentals. That’s why I consider myself, I am a fundamentals. It means I have the basic fundamentals, the essential belief that are what I need. And though you may not be able to see my basic fundamental principles that I have, and it may seem to be invisible, it’s the framework that builds my judgment.

I make my decisions based upon this framework, this knowledge that I have the Bible done. When it comes to the Bible, there are certain essentials that we need to know and believe that the Bible is the Word of God, that it is divinely inspired. That is a fundamental, that is an essential, that is essential for my Christian life. if I believe that this book was just written by a man, that I’m not going to read it or study it and look at it as though it came to me from a divine perspective.

This book was given to me by God and he is responsible for every word written in this book. And I believe every word in the the Bible. That is essential to my Christianity and therefore that framework, that basic belief, that fundamental truth helps me formulate judgment in many other areas. I have already declared in my mind, know the book and all the libraries compared to this book. Man wrote them, God wrote this, this is the word of God, this This means something to me.

This is essential to my Christian life. Now, I believe very strongly that when you take the truth of Jesus Christ coming into the world to make a payment for our sins, the virgin birth is crucial. It is an essential. It’s not something on the side. I don’t have to believe that. I believe that if Jesus Christ was born like everybody else was born, then Jesus Christ is no different than everybody else. He is different because he was born different.

He did not have an earthly life. hunger. Therefore, he did not have a sinful nature. One of the fundamentals that we say of the faith is the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. Because I believe that he was virgin-born, I look at him differently. I don’t look at him like a regular man, a normal man. I really believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, God in the flesh. And because of that basic Bible belief that I have, it forms a set of opinions in my mind that I roll out all other religious leaders.

Nobody is important to me like Jesus Christ. No man is to me what Jesus Christ is to me. So therefore there are many things in the Bible that we may disagree on because they’re not that essential for my Christian life. Their stories that I might not ever hear or tell read study, but if I don’t have the basics down of certain things, I won’t go to heaven. I won’t live the Christian life. But there are certain things that are basic.

I believe that we have to believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God born of a virgin, went to the cross, died on the cross, paid for all my sins, all the sins of the world. To me, that is a basic Bible belief that I must believe that Jesus Christ paid for all of my sins. And because I discerned this and I reasoned this thing through. That if He paid for all of my sins, then all my sins are paid.

That all that I have to do, all that I can do is accept the payment that He made on the cross for me and God gives to me as a free gift everlasting life. Would Would you think that is an essential belief? That is crucial. That is a fundamental. That we believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross paid for all the sin of all the world. You must believe that. There’s a lot of things. I don’t care whether you believe it or not.

But these are things you must believe because they are fundamental. This is why I am considering I am a fundamentalist, not a fundamentalist, but I am a fundamentalist. I am a biblicist. I believe the Bible. I believe in certain things that are fundamental to understanding life, the Christian life, eternal life, and only through these certain basic things that you have to understand and to believe. I believe that you must understand and believe that Jesus Christ not only died on the cross all the sins of the world, but you must believe it is a fundamental truth.

Christ came back from the dead. He rose again. If he did not come back from the dead, he is still dead, and if he’s still dead, he cannot save anybody. But if he came back from the dead, he had sinned it into heaven, and I believe that. And therefore, because I believe that Jesus Christ did all of this for me. And I believe since left this world and came up from the grave. I have a great hope and confidence that I’m not going to have to worry about some grave.

My body will be there, but I will be absent from the body present with the Lord. I’m going to heaven. See, that is a fundamental belief. If Jesus Christ did not come back from the dead, he cannot save anybody. Our faith is in vain. Our preaching is in vain, your belief is in vain, and we are of all men most miserable because there would be no hope for anybody. So that is a fundamental Bible belief that everybody must believe.

If we believe that Jesus Christ left this earth, we must believe that He is what? Coming back again. He says every man that hath this hope in him purify himself. So if I believe Jesus Christ is coming back again, but I don’t know when. Then I want to serve the Lord now with all my heart and the decisions that I make in my life is based upon what I believe. So what I believe is so important. Since I believe Jesus Christ is coming back at any time, I want to be ready.

I’m ready to go to heaven. But I don’t want to be ashamed before Him at His coming. I don’t want to be doing something I shouldn’t be doing when the Lord comes. And I don’t want to be saying something that I shouldn’t be saying when the Lord comes. And I don’t want to be someplace I shouldn’t be when the Lord comes. Do you think that knowledge, that set of beliefs helps me in making decisions in my life? Yes. So you see, when you know your goal in life, then you make all of these in relationship to where you’re going.

What do I want? Prepare to meet thy God. All of life is you and I getting ready to meet God for all eternity. And God’s given us a few years in life to get ready. One day it’s all going to be over. Are you ready? Can you actually say that your desire, your heart’s desire is Lord, not my will, but your will be done? Did you know if you really believe that it’s solved all kinds of problems in your life?

And say you have, if I got marriage or problems, but I want God’s will, not mine, then I might have to forgive. I might have to do a lot of things. I might have to say I’m sorry, but you’re willing to correct whatever you need to because I want God’s will, not mine. If it’s just my will, it’s going to be my way or my highway, my way, no other way. That’s all there is. Nothing else matters. you want God’s way and you seek that and God will bless you for doing so.

The last thing I think is very important is this though we believe very strongly in the Bible being divinely inspired born of a virgin Christ died on the cross for all the sins of the world died on the cross and coming back again from the dead coming back in the air for us. All of that is to no avail if you miss out on the doctrine, the teaching of eternal security. That means that God who loves the world made a promise to the people in the world that if anybody in the world would trust Christ of their Savior he would give to them as a free gift what?

eternal life. He that believe us on the half present is half right now eternal life. If it’s not eternal you don’t have anything. A man cannot earn his way to heaven. Now while we’re here in first John I look there in first John chapter 5, look in verse 13. So these things have I written unto you that keep the tent commandments and obey the golden rule. Doesn’t say that does it. No, it says these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God.

So this is written to those who believe on the Son of God. That’s Christ that you may know that you have eternal life. So can you know you have eternal life? Yes, you can know that you have eternal life. Can you know it before you die? Well of course that’s why it was written. Look there in your Bible to Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 8 and verse 9. These are two of my favorite verses in the Bible and they’re verses that every person ought to read ought to hear these two verses.

I never heard these verses until I was 18 years old. That though you may believe in the birth and birth the Bible has inspired Christ came into the world died on the cross paid for sense came back from the dead coming again and you You still not know where you go on when you die. It’s Paul to no avail. He did all that so you’ll believe what he says. And this is what he says, looking verse eight, for by grace are you saved through faith.

And that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God and not of works lest any man should boast. You know, Dr. Hudson one time told the story about his his boy and his boy had found this old dog and brought him home. And when Dr. Hudson came into town and he saw that dog and his boy was hugging all over this dog, he says it looked like it had a bat and grease so they had sores all over the dog and covered with fleas from one end to the other.

And Tony’s just over there just a hugging on this dog. Hugging all over the belt. He says, Tony, get away from that dog. It’s got sores, it’s got grease all over it, it’s an ugly mutt, it’s got fleas all over it. And Tony says, but dead. His tail wags. The dog was wagging his tail. And you know what, to a little boy, that’s all that matters. You see, that little boy, he didn’t see. what some people see. And whenever you look at people, you may not see people the way you ought to see people.

God sees me and you see me. You see all my faults but God does too but God sees something in me that’s lovable. I don’t know what but Listen, if you were going to send somebody out to look over the fields, you know the land, the terrain, the surrounding area, what would you send up? A buzzer? A buzzer will come back and tell you what he saw. He saw a dead cow with maggot scent. Why? Because that’s that’s what buzzards do.

That’s what buzzards see. When you look at me, you might see a lot of stuff that you don’t like, but I might be wondering, I wonder what kind of an eye you look at me with? Or you like the Curtis Hudson that saw the fleas and saw the maggots? Or you see the grease or wagon is tail. See, some people find something good in everybody. body. And then there’s some people find something bad with everybody. They’re always complaining about something.

They’re never happy in the Lord. Well the best news in all the world, God says everybody in the world, there’s no difference. We’re all sinners. They mean that we’ve all come short of God’s perfection. But the wonderful thing of it is, is that God sees something in us that he loves. And I don’t know what it is. Maybe it was because we were made in his image and he gave us life and he didn’t like losing us. But all we like sheep have gone astray like a bunch of sheep.

We’ve turned everyone to his own way and the Lord had played upon him the iniquity of the soul. Let me show you an illustration. This represents you and me. This wall represents sin. We all have sin upon us. God says that He loves us, but He hates our sin. We committed the sin, we ought to pay for it. The payment is death and hell. But God says that He doesn’t want us to pay for sin and go to hell.

God wants us to go to heaven. Now to go to heaven, we have to be perfect as righteous as God. No sin. But nobody’s perfect. We’ve all got sin on us. And God won’t let us into heaven because see heaven is perfect and God is perfect and we have to be perfect to get there So how are we gonna get there God says you can’t go Now unless you’re perfect well that eliminates the whole human race and God says by your good deeds You can’t take away you said you can’t get rid of your sin because he sins on the inside.

It’s our sinful nature We sin naturally we may want to do right all of our life, but we can’t do right you may want to live perfectly But you can’t we fail This hand represents Jesus Christ. He is the Lord. He is God and the flesh. He came into this world because He loves us. He hates our sin because it separates us from Him. So Jesus Christ who had no sin didn’t have to die. But when He took our sin, God the Father had to kill His own Son.

He was smitten of God. So Christ died on the cross and paid for all the sins of the world. So all the sins of the world have been paid for 2000 years ago. Well, what do I have to do to get to heaven? What does this do for me? All that you have to do, all that you can do, you have to believe that Christ did that for you. So you may have heard that He did it for the world.

You can believe that, but you have to believe He did this for When you believe that He did it for you, God puts that payment, death payment, to your account. All your sins are paid. So if all of your sins are paid, then where would you go when you die? You go to heaven. God says, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten. Son, that whosoever, they leave it in Him, should not. Perry’s but have everlasting life.

If I offered you my wallet and you accepted, what would you have? Empty wallet. If I offered you my Bible and you accepted, what would you have? Well, a Bible. Well, if Jesus Christ walked in here and offered you eternal life and you accepted, what would you have? Eternal life. If it’s eternal life, how long would it last? Forever. Well, if it lasts forever and all you sins are paid, where would you go when you die? It’d go to heaven.

So can you know you’re going to heaven before you die? Yes. I’ve known it for 45 years. best news in all the world. I hope that this helps you a little bit. Don’t be the wrong kind of critic. Learn the word so you can discern. Be thankful to the Lord that He gave you a discerned spiritual eye so you can make wiser decisions. But there’s a certain basic core that you have to have just like with my car. There’s some things I have to have that are essential.

There’s some things I don’t have to have. The same thing in living life. Many people have waited their lives down with non-essential things, things they don’t really need. And they get in debt over things they really didn’t need. Trying to keep up with the Joneses, you don’t have to keep up with the Joneses, just wait and catch them on their way back. Figure out what are the essentials of life, the priorities. Put God first in everything that you do.

You put everything in God’s hands, it won’t be long before you’ll see God’s hand and everything that you do. The Bible is truly the inspired Word of God. It is perfect. It is true. Let me read something to you that was written by somebody who’s anonymous. And yet it’s awesome. The holy Bible must have been inspired of God and not of men. I could not, if I would, believe that good men wrote it to deceive. And bad men would not, if they could, Proceed to write a book so good, and certainly no crazy man could air conceive its wondrous plan and pray what other kinds of men then do these three groups comprehend.

Hence it must be that God inspired the word which souls of prophets fired. That’s awesome. Bad men wouldn’t erode the Bible and good men can’t write the Bible because they said there’s no such thing as good men. That would have made them liars has to come from God. And I believe that. Let’s pray, shall we? But head by nice clothes and no one looking around. I’m not going to have you forward. Not going to embarrass you. But right where you’re sitting, I want you to just to talk to the Lord and say something simple like this.

Lord, I know I’m a sinner and I believe that Jesus Christ died on that cross paid for my sins and I’m going to trust him right now as my Savior. Trust him to take me to heaven whenever I die. And then if you’ll make that decision, God said he would save you and give eternal life. If you’ve never done it before, do it right now. If you will make that decision, I’m asking you to raise your hand, just so that I know I like to have prayer for you in closing.

Not to point you out, not to opinion against the wall, not to embarrass you. These are even all before we close. So yes, I’ll trust Christ as my Savior tonight. And I want to be certain I have eternal life and know that I’m going to heaven when I die in care. And I like you to pray for Him. Which is just to be in a very quick and right right now, as in what it is all. 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 toll-free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re 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 going to our church website, Calvary of Tampa dot org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Arden. Friend, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound. We will be changed.

caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.

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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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 believe very strongly that we here in America are losing our freedom. We are slowly devolving into a state of slavery. Economically, we’re becoming slaves. The book of Galatians in chapter five, it says, stand faster for in the liberty where with Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Maintain your freedom. Do not become entangled with the yoke of bondage. But here he’s not talking about maybe civil government. Now what is he talking about?

Is it church rule? I believe in its primary application we’re talking here about the individual. An individual person being able to maintain freedom from himself. If you look there in verse 19 it talks about the works of the flesh. Now we have civil law that is supposed to curtella the works of the flesh. In other words, make laws that punish works of the flesh that harm other people that do them wrong. And it mentions things that you are not supposed to do.

He talks about the fruit of the Spirit says there’s no law against them. There’s no law against loving one another, being kind to one another, forgiving to one another. There’s no law against that. But there is a law against bringing forth the works of the flesh. And as the Bible says here in verse 19, now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these adultery. That’s wrong. Murders drunkenness reveling such life. All these are things by which we should have laws preventing because these sins are crimes against society.

And so it is right for society to have laws that condemn a crime on society. These crimes are what the Bible calls sins. But we have people today that don’t believe in sins and there is no absolutes, no right and wrong. So therefore, how can you legislate the way people live. How is a man supposed to if he’s been made free by Christ because he believed the truth? How is he to curb the lust of the flesh? The Bible does not say you curb the lust of the flesh by the civil law.

It will punish those who break the law and will not constrain themselves, but there’s There’s got to be something on the inside of a]), that keeps the man from bringing forth to the flesh. There’s only one thing that the Bible tells us will work. And that is in verse 16. This I say then walk into spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. If the way to cure the problem of crying in society is to cure the sin in society.

That is by having a power over the sin in the person. You understand my reasoning, my thinking. We have given to us by God, a systematic way of dealing with the lust of the flesh. If this is true in a society to curb the crime, you have to curb the sin produced by the individual. And there’s only one thing that will work for the individual. and that is salvation. Knowing Christ is Savior, and then by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, convict a man of sin, righteousness and judgment.

So the key is that we must educate every person born in our society, teaching them the truth about where they came from, what they’re doing, where they’re going, the sinful nature, how to have eternal life, and why they should serve the Lord. So that becomes the main goal and purpose of education. Teaching the children about God, so that they know Christ as Savior. God has given to us that which will work. A couple of things that I wanted to share with you.

A man by the name of Samuel Chase appointed to the Supreme Court by George Washington. He says he was appointed to the Supreme Court by George Washington. He also was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, 1799, just as Chase in the case, Rungo versus Winsmiller, wrote, by our form of government, the Christian religion is the established religion, and all sects and denominations of Christians are placed on the same equal footing and are equally entitled to protect protection in their religious liberty.

By our form of government, the Christian religion is the established religion. Dr. Epperson-Mine, Constitution State, Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof. So we have that in our Constitution. What Congress cannot do. Understand, the Christian religion founded a government, but the government cannot found a religion. Just understand the difference. The Christian people are forefathers, the founding fathers, the Christians founded a government on Christian principles and then stated that the government has no power to found a religion so you can’t have a national religion by government.

You understand the difference? There’s politicians that don’t understand this. Do I understand it? Our founding father also knew that freedom could only exist if men chose to restrain themselves from within. This is their own work. This is what I’m talking about in the book of Galatians. All the walls in the world will not make a man godly. But it can make him think twice before he does the works of the flesh if there’s a penalty for the crime. But see what we’ve done today is we’re saying that the sins are not crimes against society.

And they are. and therefore they’re against the law. That’s why we cannot say, well, you have the right to have this club in the school. Homosexuality, sodomy, you can’t have that in our public school, why? Because it’s not right. It’s a crime on society. It is a sin. It is a work of the flesh. It is not to be. John Adams was the second president of the United States. In an address to the military delivered on October 11, 1798, This is what he said.

We have no government armed with power capable of content and with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. He’s an ambition, revenge, or gallantry would break the strongest core of our Constitution as a whale goes to a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. James Madison, known as the chief architect of our Constitution became the first President of the United States before studying law he prepared for the ministry and this is what he said.

We have state the whole future of American civilization not upon the power of government far from it. We have state the future of all political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government. In other words, our government will stand. Our Constitution will stand if the people can govern themselves. This is why all these institutions that were started was for the purpose of educating people in the Christian morality, the principles of Christianity, because it was the only hope that we can have in defending our freedoms.

Because if you don’t stand fast in freedom, you won’t have freedom, and then you have the works of the flesh, and the works of the flesh, you have to create more laws and more laws and more laws. And this is where all the bureaucracy comes from. a whole new way of life. This was in today’s paper, but it’s where we’re headed. This is written by the executive editor of the Athens banner, Harold Jason Winders. He says, honestly, you have got the handed to Senator Ralph Hudgens.

Ralph Hudgens has been in our church. He’s a good man. He’s a godly man. He’s a good representative. He said, I mean this Comer Republican doesn’t, certainly doesn’t need a poker face when he starts playing the gay card. From my perspective, he told this newspaper last week, homosexuality is a perversion. That’s what Ralph Hudgens said. Well, if he asked me, I’d say the same thing. And this man gets taken the task in the local paper. He says also, now, Hudgens remark, and recent hissy was sparked when 60 or so students at Madison County High School formed a gay straight alliance last month.

And the good senator feels these kids simply don’t understand what they are doing. Hit the way hissy. Is this mocking a good man? Because of what he believed? Is this guy saying anybody who believes like this, is somebody that’s off the wall and they mock, this is mockery. This is mockery to every church, every preacher that believes the truth, that believes the Bible, that believes homosexuality is wrong. He says to stop that, he plans to get his sights, set his sights on introducing his parental notification bill in the sentence, next session.

If past this bill will require all students to seek and receive a parents permission to join any club, school club, and or activity. Are you telling me you don’t think you ought to know what clubs your kids belong to or get permission from the parents? I don’t see anything wrong with that. So he’s knocking and really killing. Then he makes the statement. He says, cheers to the Board of Education for refusing to shut down the club, branding that move discriminatory.

They showed more spine. They showed spine. Boy, they stood up to those Christians. A hundred of them shows up and they stood up to them. Think something’s wrong with this picture. He says, Hudgens told this newspaper what everyone already understands. He hopes the bill discourages membership and gay straight clubs by alerting parents to their children’s participation. It’s a bigoted move, period. Bigoted. He’s doing hissy. He’s bigoted. And in any, he has a statement here, shame on hudges. Why he wants to stop some sodomites from teaching others how to be a sodomite and gets ridiculed for it.

The Bible says, stand for that which is right. Justice Brewer said this in 1892, our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embodied the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise. in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institution are emphatically Christians. Benjamin Franklin, I read this to you but only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters Benjamin Franklin.

Now these are our founding fathers, this is what they said in the beginning of the kind. Then if this all of this was unconstitutional, but wait a minute, what about the one that made the Constitution, thought for our right to have it, and this is what they said. They said this is a Christian nation because they understood that you cannot have a strong republic any other way. Groove Cleveland made this statement. He said, I will not be a party to stealing money from one group of citizens to give to another group of citizens, no matter what the need or apparent justification.

Once the coffers of the federal government are open to the public, there will be no shutting them again. It is the responsibility of the citizens to support their government. It is not the responsibility of the government to support its citizens. Do you understand what I just said? Is this where we have people standing today? People today are educated in the philosophy that government owes you a living. It’s government responsibility to take care of you. Listen to them hollering in the gosh.

It’s government’s responsibility to provide protection, security, not provision. Coral Marks, a communist, the father of communism, a democracy is not a form of government to survive. democracy can’t survive. For it will succeed until its citizens discover they can vote themselves money from the treasury and then they’ll keep on until they bankrupt. You see anything going on like that around. This is what’s happening in our country. America is on the verge of bankruptcy. Not just the bank, not just the farmer up there, not just people who have to file for bankruptcy.

Our Social Security is on the verge of bankruptcy and Medicare and government, military, we’re on the verge of total collapse, this country. Because the people that found out they can vote themselves money out of the treasury. And the politicians will keep giving it as long as they keep voting for them. They’re buying votes. And yet there used to be a philosophy among the gentlemen in Congress. You don’t take one dime of this money and give it to anybody. There’s 18 things that are a lot of two in the Constitution.

That’s all you have the right to do. And some understood that. Today the federal government routinely confiscates money from one group of citizens and transfers the money to another. Let me read something to you. This will knock your socks off. I just felt like knocking some socks off this morning. John O’Donnell and Jim Hainer recently authored a detailed account of how far some people go this nation to get their share of taxpayers expense. I believe you joined the military and you’re in the service.

I believe you have right because you gave something or willing to give your life. Therefore, that is a close issue. There’s other things that the government is doing that people have no right to. He makes a statement. He says, the focus of the article appeared on our family in Lake Providence, Louisiana, how they tapped into it a little known welfare program run by the Social Security Administration called the Supplemental Security Income, SSI. You ever heard of that? SSI. Oh, I’ve heard it.

It was originally established by Congress in 1974 for the purpose of providing life’s necessities for poor adults who were too old, ill, or handicapped to work. 1995, 6.3 million recipients included drug addicts, the mentally ill and the excessively obese. Do you believe that if a person just sits down and keeps eating and eating and eating and eating and eating and eating now he can’t work? Now he’s qualified, he’s a disabled. And the government has to take care of it.

What about that scripture says if a man don’t working on the what? Over 900,000 children who receive over $25 billion and the 25 billion. Where did they get all this money? President Grover Cleveland, upon vetoing a bill appropriating money to aid drought-stricken farmers in Texas, said, I find no warrant for such an appropriation in the Constitution, and I do not believe that the power and the duty of the general government ought to be extended to the relief of individual suffering which is in no manner properly related to the public service or benefit.

In other words, it’s not the government’s job to bail people out. It’s not the government’s job for student loans, housing. Jimmy Carter wants to do it, let him be on all the houses he wants, but don’t you use one government dying for it. That’s not the purpose of government. The purpose of government, the general welfare, and then it lists the 18 thing by which you’re to pay taxes for. Do you realize your taxes would only be a pittance to take care of our federal government?

All the rest of the things they’ve done are unconstitutional. They’re not in there. That’s why you have to donate. Voluntarily, donate most of your income, that the 50% of them to pay for the thing that are not in the Constitution. And we saw about standing for freedom in 1854 after vetoing a popular appropriation to assist the mentally ill President Franklin Pierce said, I cannot find any authority in the Constitution for public charity. To approve such spending, argued Pierce, would be contrary to the letter and the spirit of the Constitution and subversive to the whole theory upon which the union of these states is founded.

I cannot find any authority in the Constitution for public charity. See, there ought not be one law that makes you pay for anybody else. Bad luck. But there ought not be one law that prohibits you from helping anybody you want to help. And I think it’s great when the people of America are out of compassion and they’re in a charitable way and help, that’s great. Government, you just protect our right to do that. But you cannot force through taxation as thievery.

And this is why it takes two parents to work today because they’re having the work for those people who want work. Does it bother me? Yes, it bothers me. In 1796, Representative William Gals of Virginia condemned a relief measure for fire victims, saying that Congress didn’t have a right to attend to what generosity and humanity require. but to what the Constitution and their duty require. A couple of years earlier, James Madison, the father of our Constitution was irate. Over a $15,000 congressional appropriation to assist some French refugees said, I cannot undertake to lay my finger upon the article in the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.

And he’s the founder of it. He says, I can’t lay my finger upon that article and says you’ve got the right to do that. Now, if they don’t have a right to do that, why are we participating in it? There ought to be a rebellion among God’s people and the people of this country saying, enough is enough. But they won’t. They just keep on until it’s too late. But I wish that everybody could hear what I’m saying and understand what I’m saying.

Some people might say, aha, they forgot about the Constitution’s general welfare clause. Here’s what James Madison said about that general welfare. This is where those two words are the words that they use in order to justify all the giveaway programs and all the giveaway programs by the federal government is to buy boats. Don’t give up to people because all that money people could have done it without government and do a better job. costless.” He said, with respect to the two words, general welfare, I have always regarded them as qualified by the details of powers connected with them.

To take them in a literal and unlimited sense would be a metamorphosis of the Constitution into a keratrum where there is a host of proofs was not contemplated by its creators. That’s not what they said and that’s not what they meant and they are not. They don’t have any constitutional right to do the things that they’re doing. They’re stealing and American people are voting in a bunch of thieves that don’t understand and we’re a little by little we’re losing our country.

We’re losing our freedoms because we’re losing our kids. We’ve lost the right to educate. And now when you have somebody like a man like Ralph Hudgens that will stand up and say that’s wrong. And then the The papers take them to task and ridicule and mock them. But that’s also not just to him. That’s every person that believes that what Ralph Hudgin said was right. Look what they’ve said about them. This is what he said about you. This is what he said about me and every preacher throughout this state that believes it.

That’s wrong. It doesn’t belong in a public school. It’s a crime. sexual act is a sin against each other and it’s a sin against society because if we don’t judge it God will judge us. So let me say it doesn’t bother you. It does bother me. Not to bother everybody. Anyway these are my humble opinions. Now look in verse 22 in your Bible and he said but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, maintenance, temperance against such there is no law.

There’s no law against walking in the spirit. There are laws and should be laws against walking in the flesh. When it mentions the words to the flesh, did it mention drunkenness? Yes. I’ll be a law against that. What about fornication? I’ll be a law against that. Daltry, there’ll be a law against that. And then he makes a statement there in chapter 6 and verse 7, be not deceived. God is not mocked. What’s our man sought? That shall he also reap.

We reap what we sow. And in America we’re gonna reap what we sow. Remember I said this, save man, lost man, both go outside. It rains, which one gets wet? It rains upon the just and the unjust. And as a nation, it’s not that God is concerned only about His children, Obeying Him. God destroyed Sodom Yomara. Not because they were Christians disobeying, but because they were people that still have a responsibility to do right by God, just for physical survival.

And why did he bring in the flood? Because of the wickedness of the people. Why was he going to destroy Nineveh? Because of the wickedness of the people. And great tribulation coming because of the wickedness of the people. You see, it doesn’t matter what you’re saved or you’re lost. God expects lost people to obey His law. Saved or not? Or God will still destroy. God will still chase Him. A saved man, a lost man. Neither one can live as He pleases, He gets away with it.

That’d be like saying, well, if you’re lost, you can live like you can get away with, it doesn’t matter. when I read the book, saved, lost, both responsible. Only that when you died, this one goes to heaven, that one done. I’m still responsible to do right. The lost man, he’s still responsible to do right. Well, they like it or not. Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not lie, thou shalt not commit murder. That’s still a law, not just for the saved, for people upon the earth, physical life.

Otherwise God can take us home. Look up here. This is you and me and this is sin. We all have sin upon us. God loves us, hates our sin, and for us to pay for sin is eternal separation from God in a place called hell. God loves us, wants us to go to heaven. We committed the sin, we have to die. We are eternally separated from the Lord. To go to heaven we have to be perfect as righteous is God and none of us are perfect, none of us are righteous.

We have all sin and come short of the perfection of God. We can’t go to heaven because God won’t let sin into heaven. Since we can’t get rid of sin, we can’t go. So this hand represents Jesus Christ, he’s the Lord God in the flesh. He came into this world because he loved this. He hates our sin because it separates us from it. So Christ took the sin, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead, instead of we weapived it for us, he’d put that payment to our account we get to go to heaven on what Jesus Christ did for us.

Eternal life is a free get. We’re the stand for this truth, not to tell her anything that comes close to compromising it, mudding up the message. Once you know Christ is your Savior, it is our responsibility living in this world to stand for that which we believe is the right thing. And yes, just like Ralph Hudgens to get mocked and really cool for it. I don’t think he likes somebody writing that about him, But I admire him and I’m going to write in my letter telling him so for taking a stand.

Let’s pray shy. Every head bowed and every eye closed, no one looking around. If you have never trusted Christ as your Savior, I want to write now just Lord, I know I’m a center of a blade. Christ died, paid for my sin, and I’m going to trust Him to take me to heaven whenever I die. I don’t see anybody new. Chances are all of you here have trusted Christ as Savior, but just in case you haven’t. Would you trust the Lord right now?

If you will, I’d like to have prayer for you. you slip your hand very quickly and put it right back down and you won’t at all before we close. You that no Christ is your Savior stand for that which is right. Be not afraid to speak up and say the truth. Our Father we ask Your blessings upon our church, our families, our children, our grandchildren and Father we pray that they’ll do right. And Father we also pray for our nation that we could have great men that believe Your Word, take a strong stand and do what’s right.

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 toll-free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re 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 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Arne.

Friend, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound, and we will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.

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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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.

A lot of interesting stories in the Bible about sheep, lost sheep. And I want you to look at one there in the book of Isaiah 53, the book of Isaiah, in chapter 53. The Bible teaches that you and I, in his eyes, are looked upon as sheep. Sheep are not the most brilliant animals in the world. But the Bible does say that we are all led by our own will to do whatever we want. And so very few people really want to follow the Lord.

They don’t really hear His voice. Many don’t know His word. But notice something here in the book of Isaiah 53. Look there in verse 3. This is a reference to Jesus Christ. He says, He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. Think of how He must have felt. Jesus Christ who made the world came into this world. He says, and He made the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not.

He came into His own and His own received Him not. To realize who He was, God that created the heavens and the earth, and yet came into a world that did not want him, did not know him, did not love him, did not appreciate him for what he was and what he had done. And the Bible says that toward the end whenever he came to present himself to Jerusalem as the king of Israel, well the Bible says that he was despised and he was rejected.

Maybe sometimes you feel a little bit like that. He says, a man of sorrows. I don’t think Jesus Christ walked around all day long with a happy face. I believe He was a man of sorrows. He carried a lot of sorrows, carried a lot of grief. Just think about you and I. We can sit here this morning, we can be grieved about a lot of things. We can carry a lot of sorrows. We look at the world and we don’t like the direction that is going, but realize this.

If we see what we see, I’ll understand a little bit with our little finite minds. Think of what God must see. Think of how He must feel. Not only the lost people that don’t ever trust Him and will spend any eternity in hell, but think what it must be like for Him to have saved an individual, to give them eternal life, make them His child, and then give them the freedom to serve Him. And so many of His sheep won’t follow Him.

Don’t want to hear His voice. Go astray. See there’s I guess a lot of similarity between a lost sheep and a sheep that goes astray. But we often say a sheep that goes astray was one that was lost and is found and then chooses to go astray. Just wanders away. But here he makes the statement in verse 3, he says, we hid as it were our faces from him. He was despised and we esteemed him not. Surely he had borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.

You say, why do we have so much grief? Why do we have sorrows? Well he was barren hours. If there’s anybody who knows how you think and how you feel, it’s the Lord. And he makes this statement, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. In other words, we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God. In other words, like in our own mind, will he deserve it? Because see, if Jesus Christ was here today, majority of people would crucify him all over again.

If Jesus Christ walked into our service this morning, most of you have nothing to do with him. You have nothing to do with him. If he wanted to go to your house this afternoon, he wouldn’t want him to come. Because there might be things in your home that you’d have to correct. You may not feel too comfortable to bend in this presence, because there may be things in your life that you tolerate that you know shouldn’t, and he would be a rebuke to you.

You’d be surprised at how many of God’s people don’t love the Lord and don’t walk with him. He makes a statement here in verse 5, but he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for ironiquities. the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes were healed. All we like sheep, verse 6 you ought to underline it and you’re biling it, it’s not underlined. It says, all we like sheep have gone astray. Didn’t say most of us or some of us know it says all of us.

All we like sheep have gone astray. That means everybody wants to go their own way. Nobody likes being told what to do. Nobody wants to really follow the Lord wholeheartedly. I would say that the majority of Christians today serve God if it’s a convenient for them. If it’s convenient, then you do it. If it’s not convenient, you won’t do it. Some people attend church, if it’s convenient, if it’s not convenient, they don’t. They give it, if it’s convenient. If it doesn’t hurt them too much, it doesn’t really have to sacrifice.

They’ll give out of some of the, that they have, but majority of Christians don’t give till it hurts. They really don’t care. It’s just enough to give to God so that he’ll stay off my back and leave me alone. Just so that I can maybe go as far as I can and I’ve drawn a line and I’m not going past it. But he says here in verse six, all we like sheep have gone astray, we’ve turned everyone to his own way.

That’s what it means to go astray. What does it mean to go astray? To turn to go your own way. It makes you don’t follow the Lord. It’s surprising to see how many of God’s people say, well, you serve, you serve God your way and I’ll serve God my way. Well, say, I don’t serve God my way and you don’t serve God your way. we have to serve God God’s way and we don’t serve God. This is the same word of God.

It’s the same for you as it is for me. Whatever it tells me to do, it tells you to do. It’s the same book. We don’t have 10 different Bibles. We don’t have 1,000 Bibles. We got one Bible that says, this is the will of God for his people. So as we read the word of God, we should be in agreement of what salvation is, what service is, what does God want us to do, how faithful should I be?

And the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of a song. So he was like a sheep that was led to the slaughter and get this in verse seven. He was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mom. He has brought as a lamb to the slaughter as a sheep before his shears is done. He opened not his mouth. He was also as a sheep and he was a lamb and he opened not his mouth. And the Bible says God just took this innocent little lamb and laid all of our sins upon this lamb and this lamb died for us.

Take your Bible look in the book of Matthew chapter 18 Matthew and Chapter 18 I’ve had a little bit of a heavy heart this week. I I don’t like it when I see people that I love hurting and suffering and I know that there’s I don’t have a magic wand. I can’t really leave all the pressures and problems that people have and so many people are hurting so many got things upon their minds and And here in Matthew chapter 18, I want you to look down there in verse 10.

Look at verse 10. This is a thought, an attitude that we ought to have toward the little ones, the little children. It says in verse 10, take heed that you despise not one of these little ones. For I say unto you that in heaven there angels do always behold the face of my Father, which is in heaven. It means that there are guardian angels. It means that they have someone in heaven that is looking out for them. And that there are angels in the presence of God that oversee and watch after little children.

As you read this, that’s a very interesting story. It has to deal with adults who are kind of jealous of each other, envious of each other. Some want to be greater than other individuals. The Bible says some wants to be greater in the kingdom of heaven than other individuals. And he says, if you want to be great, then I want you to reach down and clear the way for the little ones so that they can see and hear and understand.

He says, if you put a stumbling block in the way of little ones, he says it would be better for you if they took a millstone hanging about your neck and you were thrown into the deepest sea. In other words, don’t offend little children. If adults really knew that and really believed that, then adults would walk right. The reason we have so many wicked adults who don’t care how they live, don’t care about their language, don’t care where they go because they don’t love children.

You see if you love children, then as an adult you try to be the best example for children that you can be. You find some adult who wastes their life and ruins their own life and don’t do right Mother why for their husband? They don’t love children. And the Bible says they become a stumbling block to children. You see, you should not in any way say or do something before children that causes them to stumble, cause them to fall.

So he says they’re in verse six, but whosoever shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck that he were drowned in the depths of the seas. See, I didn’t make that up. That’s what Jesus said. Look down in the verse 11. And then he uses an illustration as you compare a shepherd and a sheep. He says in verse 11, for the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

How thank ye? If a man have a hundred sheep and one of them be gone astray, that they not leave the ninety and nine and goeth into the mountains and seek of that which is gone astray. Maybe talking about seeking that little one that’s gone astray because some adult let a child astray by their own actions, by something they say or do. But whatever it is, God says if a man have a hundred sheep, that they not lead the ninety and nine and go after that one sheep.

In other words, that one sheep must be very important one person. Sometimes we know we can’t win the world. But what about just one, just one person? Somebody says that they were walking along the beach and for some reason or the other there was a bunch of little fish that had gotten up on the thing and the water went out and they were all going to die. And there were thousands upon the beach. And so this one little kid he picked up one little fish and walked over to the edge of the ocean and threw the thing as far as he could.

And the guy told him and says, you know, that’s just a waste of time. There’s thousands of little fish. He says, they ain’t going to make a bit of difference. And the little boy says it did to that one. He did to that one. Made a difference. And you might think, Well, I can’t make a difference. Well, you might just to one person one sheep Do you know you may know Christ is your Savior? Oh you’ve been found you’re part of the fold You’re one of his flock But you’ve gone astray means you’ve gone your own way and you’re not serving God the way you should Do you know that the Lord says that he goes after the the sheep even that goes astray?

That’s why the Bible says that God God uses people to try to help people. Because I believe this, I’ve done my dead level best, that people who have maybe wrong me over the years or even people who fall, I want to try to help as many as I possibly can in whatever way possible. Because you know that if that person gets right with the Lord, God is so pleased and God is so happy. You see, we can’t change maybe the world, but wouldn’t it be great if God could use you to help change the course of just one person, one little individual, finding one sheep.

I can’t reach everybody that’s upon the rocky steeps that’s fallen into some crevice. Every one of us are in different places and each one of us can reach out and help some little sheep that needs help. And sometimes it’s an adult, sometimes a teenager, sometimes a little But he makes a statement there in verse 13, and if so be that he find it, Verily I send you, he rejoices more of that sheep than of the 99 which went not astray.

See some of us will probably gloat and be so proud that boy, I’ve been serving the Lord ever since I trusted Christ as my say, I’ve never gone astray and we pat ourselves on the back and ain’t I wonderful, but somebody else they go astray, they weren’t as strong as you. And because of that, they’ve scarred themselves and maybe find themselves a sheep in the mud. And there’s some people who delight and point out all the mud in somebody else’s life.

But then there’s somebody else that knows that pig belonging to mud but not the sheep and go and get a sheep and try to help them and get them cleaned up. That God rejoices more of the one that went astray and comes back, then the 99 who never went astray. He said, well, which one would you rather be? I’d rather be the one that never went astray than those who go astray and so many never come back. See, once you know Christ is saving your His child, you’ll go to heaven when you’re dying, but you’re sure you’re going to make a mess out of your life.

You’re going to ruin your testimony and you’re not going to have the peace and the joy that you ought to have. But the Lord says this in verse 14, He says, even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. In other words, talking about even of little children, it’s not the will of God that one child perish. God wants all of them to know the Lord. Look in Luke chapter 15, the book of Luke, Gospel of Luke, in chapter 15.

It’s another scripture deals a little bit with the same issue, but worded just a little bit differently because the question came up is why does Jesus, why does he eat with sinners? Why does he eat with sinners? And some people pride themselves and been so righteous and so holy that they don’t even want to get around anybody that’s lost. And so they become like a hermit. They protect themselves. They make sure that they don’t go around where there’s lost people because they’re so holy and they always point out all the ills of everybody else.

But you see, you can’t reach people if you don’t go where they are. He makes a statement here in Luke chapter 15 and verse 1, Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. The publicans refer to tax collectors. These were the down and outers. These were people that you would say this most of the majority. But the Pharisees and the scribes were these, the religious people, these were the government officials. These are the upper crust.

And is a murmured saying, this man receiveth sinners and eateth with them. at that. This man received his sinners and ate it with them. So then Jesus, knowing how they thought he told them a parable, told them a little story. But look at the story. In verse 3, and he spake this parable into them, saying, What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loosed one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness and go after that which is lost until he find it, goes after that which is lost how long until he finds it.

He knows it got one and it’s lost. It’s somewhere and it goes until he finds it. And when he had found it, he lay it on his shoulder, rejoicing. And when he come at home, he call up together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep, which was lost. I found my sheep, which was lost. I hold your place right here, but look in the 119th song, the hundred And 19th Psalm, I want you to see this verse.

And look there in verse 176. And you may all to underline this verse. It might refer to you. See if you’re not walking with the Lord, going God’s way, then you’re going astray. Everyone here, you’re either on your way with the Lord or you’re going astray. Even though you said here, you can be going astray in your heart. He says in verse 176, I have gone astray like a lost sheep. I’ve gone astray like a lost sheep. He says, seek thy servant.

Seek thy servant. I’ve gone away. I’ve gone astray like a lost sheep. Seek thy servant. In other words, your greatest desire should be is I want somebody to care enough about me that if I go astray, somebody will come after me. Somebody will come after me because somebody cares for me. You know a lot of people would go astray because they don’t think people really care about them. Maybe people come to church, but they don’t think people really care about them.

Or people where you work, but they know you’re a Christian, but you never talked to them about their soul. So you must not really care about them. Wouldn’t it be a shame to get to heaven and find out all the people that you could have reached, but you didn’t because you really didn’t care about them? David says that no man cares for my soul, no man cares for me. Whether I live or I die, He says, my life as far as I go, he says, there’s just one step between me and death, one step.

Some of us, it’s just one heartbeat. We have no idea how long we’re going to live and when we’ll be snatched out into eternity. But I’m a sheep that’s gone astray. I’m like a sheep that was lost. Go back there to Luke chapter 15 and look in verse seven. Where he made the statement, rejoice with me for I have found my sheep, which was lost, I say unto you that likewise, joy shall be in where? In heaven, over one center of that repentant, more than over 90 and nine just persons which need no repentance.

In other words, if you have already trusted Christ as your Savior and you’re going to heaven when you die, well, the Lord is excited about that and you ought to be too. But you know, there’s one person that’s not saved, And that person does trust the Lord. The Bible says there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels over one person that trusts Christ’s Savior, just one person. So there must be something in heaven that’s wonderful and great to know.

And that is that when somebody on the earth trusts the Lord, there’s rejoicing in heaven because of it. You say why? Because it was a sheep that was lost and now is found. That causes rejoicing in heaven. Over one person that trusts the Lord. So what if you would lead a lot of people to Christ? You’re the one that determined whether or not do you ever? Have you ever, in your whole Christian life, have you ever sought a lost sheep?

Have you ever tried to get one sheep to come to the Lord? To try to get them to trust Christ with their Savior? Think of how much rejoicing there could have been. Do you know that the Bible makes a statement in the book of Thessalonians? and he says, ye are my crown of rejoicing. In other words, when Christ comes and we’re in heaven, he says to the people that he had won the Lord, he says, you, you, you are my crown of rejoicing.

You’re why I’m gonna rejoice when I get to heaven because I’ve led you to Christ. There’s nothing greater than wedding people to Christ. Do you know the biggest critics in a ministry are the people who generally have nothing to do? The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the good shepherd. He’s the great shepherd. But he is the good shepherd, as it says. He makes the statement in verse seven, then says, Jesus unto them again, very, very, I send you.

I am the door of the sheep. I’m the door of the sheep. In other words, I’m the way that the sheep get into my fold. In other words, he says, I have a fold that you know not of. I have a flock that you don’t know about. He says, and only those who come into this door, he says, are part of my flock. He says, and I’m the way. I am the way. I’m the truth on the life. He says, in the last part of verse 10, I am calm that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.

See, people live, they exist, but they don’t have abundant life. Whenever you trust Christ as Savior and you realize the importance of serving the Lord, yes, you’ll have grief and you’ll have sorrow, But there’s something that you’ll also have that’s greater than anything else in the world Kind of like the Apostle Paul says he says I have continual heaviness in my heart Continual and yet he talked about rejoice in the Lord always. It’s like a paradox You rejoice because there’s people who trust the Lord and once they trust the Lord They can never be lost again.

You never have to worry about them losing their salvation. They can never be lost You know, it’s done once. It’s a done deal But you also, you hurt because of how many people don’t know the Lord. And you want to reach as many as you possibly can. But he makes a statement here in verse 11, I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd, giveth his life for the sheep, the good shepherd. Look in verse 14, I am the good shepherd, know my sheep, and am known of mine.

I know them, they know me. Those are my sheep. I am glad that God knows me. I’m also glad that I know Him. I know the Lord. He knows me. We know each other. He also says concerning Him and the Father in verse 15 as the Father knoweth me even so I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. He says I know God and God knows me. I know the Father. The Father knows the Son.

Well, I know the Son. The Son knows me. We know each other. And one day we’re going to be in heaven, but only those who have accepted Christ as their Savior. He made the statement, I have the power to lay down my life and I can take it up again. But then I want you to look very quickly down in verse 25, verse 25 of chapter 10. And Jesus answered them, I told you because they said, well, if you are the real Messiah, why don’t you tell us plainly?

Just come right out and say it. Jesus says, I have many times. It’s just that you don’t want to believe it. You won’t believe me. He says, I told you and you believe not. The works that I do in my father’s name, they bear witness of me. Look what I’m doing. Have you seen anybody else walk on water? Have you seen anybody else feed to 5,000? Have you seen anybody else raised the dead? If I’m guilty of a sin, name it.

He says, no man can cast a stone at me for sins or for blasphemy. He says, I am God. I am the father of one. Look what he says there because they said, well, why don’t you tell us plainly? He says, I did tell you. So look there in verse 31, when he said, look, look in verse 30, I and my father are what? One. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone them. They said, well, tell us plainly, who are you?

I and the father are one. Well, now what are they going to do to him? Stone him. Did they believe or not? No, he told him he was. He told him. I am God. I am God in the flesh. I’m God. And they did not believe him. So in verse 25, he says, I told you and you believe not. Verse 26, but you believe not because you’re not of my sheep as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice.

I know them and they follow me. That word they follow me is in reference up there to verse 14. I know my sheep and am known of mine. I know him. In the words I did not choose Buddha to save me. I didn’t choose. Mohammed to save me. I didn’t choose. some Hindu religion to save me, I chose Jesus Christ to save me. I follow Him. Following does not mean I’m going to serve Him the rest of my life.

It’s a different kind of word altogether. I know Him and He knows me. And He makes a statement here in verse 28. Look what He says in verse 28. And I give unto them. I give Christ says I give unto them. Who? His sheep. Those who do believe. There’s on who won’t. He said, I give unto them what? Eternal life. And they shall, that means in the future, means tomorrow, the next day, next year, next 100 years, next 1000 years, next million years, they shall never what?

Never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My father which gave them me is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my father’s hand. In other words, it sounds like you’re pretty secure, doesn’t that once you’re his sheep, you’re his sheep forever. Now turn to the 23rd Psalm. 23rd Psalm. Many people use the 23rd Psalm as though it’s just the Psalm to use when somebody passes away. Now it is that.

It is a tremendous Psalm. It’s a very comforting Psalm, but I want you to look at this from the standpoint of a shepherd and a sheep, a shepherd and a sheep. He says in verse 1 of Psalms 23, the Lord is my shepherd, not the church, not a program, not the pastor, the Lord is my shepherd. He’s my shepherd. He says, I shall not want. Want for what if the Lord is your shepherd? He make of me to lie down that’s rest in green pastures that’s beneath me.

He leadeth me beside the still waters that’s for refreshment. He restored my soul. He leadeth me in the path of righteousness for his name’s sake. See if he’s my shepherd and he leads me then he’ll always be in the path of righteousness. So a sheet that goes astray is not going to follow the path of righteousness. It’s going to be a path of unrighteousness. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, or living in this life under the threat of death, I will fear no evil.

You see, you and I in this life, we should not be afraid of anything because we have a shepherd who promises to watch after us, to take care of us, to provide for us, to refresh us, and meet every one of our names. And no, we don’t even have to fear death itself. He said, I’ll never leave you and never forsake you. 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 toll free 1-800-576-3771. 771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re 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 going to our church website, Calvary of Tampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Art. friend one day it will happen the trumpet will sound we will be changed hot up to meet the Lord in the air so live today and every day believe in that the Lord is coming soon just keep looking up

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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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.

There’s a song I heard in 1964, And I heard the man that wrote it sing it. He was 92 years of age. I didn’t know there was a little booklet on it that had to be written many, many, many years ago. I read it and I wanted to read a portion of it to you. Because many times, some of the most beautiful songs comes when people have gone through a dark period in their life. Seems like there’s always something that takes you sound so low.

And when you’re down in total despair, God seems to find a way to talk to you. Because sometimes you get quiet and you’re listening and you’re looking for explanations asking God why. Says, perhaps Mr. Weigel, his best known song is entitled, No One Ever Cared For Me, Like Jesus. Says, it is true that much of the world’s best music and verses have been transposed from the size of disillusioned hearts. For such experiences affect creative lives as nothing else. and often from this disharmony, harmony is born.

Mr. Weigel is a graduate of the School of Sorrow, and only graduates of this school know the intensity of God’s love for his wayward children. Those who hear him sing, realize that he had been close to the disappointments of life, as well as close to the heart of God. During his evangelistic ministry, there came a time of trial and testing. Tragedy had begun toISION undermine his home. soType tragedy that steals in (?, and wrecks men’s dreams and destroys the hopes and ideals that have bloomed and shed their fragrance in the quiet moments of their joy and anticipation.

Later, however, there came a time of hopefulness. Mr. Wigle moved his family from California to Florida in an attempt to strangle the monster that was devouring his happiness. But there the great temptation relentlessly followed and struck again only deeper and deeper. One night during a mass meeting, Mr. Weigel and H. C. Morrison, the great Methodist preachers, were seated on the platform as guest speakers when a message was delivered to his hand, tragedy had struck again. Remorse and pain sprang into his soul at this.

Having delivered his message, he left the platform, retired to his tent house, falling face downward upon the floor. And as the tears began to flow, a great agony seized upon his heart, as if it would ring the blood from it. Later after the service was over, Mr. Morrison realized that something was wrong, came to the sight of Mr. Weigel and fell lengthwise beside him on the floor and web in Kindred Sorrow. After a considerable length of time, they rose to their knees and cast their care upon the Lord.

Put in his arm about the trembling shoulder of Mr. Weigel, Mr. Morrison said, Charlie, you may not think you can bear this, but you will, for time is a great healer, and Jesus will bring you through. These words were great comfort to Mr. Weigel’s heart and bore him through that siege of sorrow. In a few months, however, the inedible hour came. One day while Mr. Weigel was home in Florida, Mrs. Weigel faced him and says, I’m leaving, Charlie. I don’t want to live the life you’re living.

I want to go the other way to the bright lights. The only child a daughter gave consent to her mother’s decision by accompanying her. That night Mr. Weigel saw them off on a train which was going to California. She walked the streets all evening and then finally made his way to the end of the pier on Biscayne Bay, and they’re set in lonely solitude till midnight, watching the tides go out and in. And it seemed that their cold wet fingers were pulling his very heart and soul from them.

Some eight months later, Mr. Weigel met his estranged wife on the streets of Los Angeles, she boasted of her sins in cruel mockery. After this, Mr. Weigler saw that reconciliation was absolutely hopeless, and after much prayer in counsel with friends and fellow labors, he decided to test the decision he had been pondering in his heart for a long time. Few years later, a bride of his youth died with a heart filled with remorse and pain. the reward of her fatal blunder.

As she lay on her deathbed, in the last reflective moments, her thoughts were turned back to the better days. She whispered to her daughter, who, along with by her side, if you know where your father is, please ask him to pray for me, and see if God can forgive such a sinner as I. Many times after this tragic occurrence, the memory of the past experience came to mind again and again. God gave him victory over despondency that leads to the depths of despair, and there was never any hatred or bitterness in his heart for what had happened, only pity.

About five years after he began to write songs again and one even just at sunset, as he was sitting at the piano in the living room at home with no thought of writing a new song, his fingers began to play idly over the keys of the piano. As his mind drifted back over the past years, there came thoughts of God’s goodness in sustaining grace that saw him through those dark days. word sprang to his lips, no one ever cared for me, like Jesus.

The thought of God’s care brought tears to his eyes, and the words repeated themselves over and over. As his fingers fell upon the keys, they were resting in the proper place to synchronize this new melody with the words. The words continued to flow uninterrupted, and the melody flowed the same way until the course was completed. He played it over again and again, and reached for a pen and paper the first words of this great song was written. After the course the verse came to him as if it were recited them to someone in the room.

The words of the verse flowed on and on and in thirty minutes. The entire song was completed, word for word, note for note, which is unusual in songwriting. He re-transferred it to the regular manuscript paper and had it ready for the publishers within a week. The first prints were returned just as he was about to leave re-in-appellist to attend the annual conference of Evangelist in the Kedel tabernacle. The first night of that convention he was sitting on the platform with a number of gospel singers of national reputation.

They were over 8,000 people in the audience. Mr. Homer, wrote heaver, was directing the music when a spectacular thing happened. He suddenly turned and looked toward Mr. Weigel and said, Mr. Weigel, come to the mic, sing a verse of something for us. As he rose to his feet, all he could think of were the sheets of music in his pocket. He gave one to the organist and faced the large audience sing in one verse in the chorus and was amazed at the effect it had on them in such a short time.

Many people were in tears when he returned to his seat he was stopped by three evangelistic singers who deliberately took every copy of the music he had. One excitingly said, Wigle, this is the song we have been looking for. And those three men began to broadcast, no one ever cared for me like Jesus from ocean to ocean. That was in 1932. Since that time it has gone around the world and has been published in some 30 different languages. This This song has been sung more than any other of the great number written by Mr.

Weigel, and has been used of God to draw many to himself. March 1, 1962, he married again, and she went to be with the Lord after a brief illness in Sebring, Florida. The life of Charles Weigel is a strong testimony to the keeping power of God. Despite of his past sorrows and disappointments, the years have smiled upon him, and each one has drawn him closer to God. Time has left no rankers in his cup of joy. His spirit has not fallen through the seer in yellow leaf.

He is still the gracious gentleman of the evangelistic days and a lover of men’s souls. There is a spirit about him that lodges in one’s heart, and it cannot be dismissed with ease. At the invitation of Dr. Lee Robertson in 1951, Dr. Weigel came to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Later he moved into the Prophets Chamber on the campus of Tennessee Temple Schools. It is now his permanent resident. From the day that Dr. Charles Weigel came to Tennessee Temple Schools, he has been a blessing inspiration to the hundreds of students who have attended the schools.

Dr. Weigel will have an apartment in the New Charles Weigel Music Center when the building is completed and I was there for that dedication. This man was 92 years old and he got up here and he sang that song and it was the first time I ever heard the song but I loved the song and I thought the song means more when you know who wrote it, you know where it’s coming from and the hardships that some people have gone through.

Your darkest days sometimes can be that which can bring out of you the true test of your character that shows you what you’re made out of. So instead of cursing the dark, light a candle and see what God can do for you. So I want to try to sing this song and listen to the words of it because they’re awesome words written by a man who had lost everything but the Lord.

They would love to tell you what I think of Jesus. I found in him a friend so strong and true. I would tell you how he changed my life completely. He did something that no other friend could do. Care for me, there’s no other friend, so has he. No one else could take the sin and darkness from me. Oh how much he cared for me. All my life was full of sin when Jesus died. but was full of misery.

Jesus placed his strong and loving arms above me, and he led me in the way I ought to go. No one ever cared for me like Jesus. There’s no other prince of kindness me. No one else could take the sin and darkness would be. Oh how much he cared for me Every day he comes to me with new assurance For and more I understand his words of love But I’ll never know just why he came to save me He’ll say Hill someday I see His blessed face of her care for me, like Jesus.

There’s no other friend so kind as He. No one else could take a sin and darkness Oh how much he cared for me Turn to Turn to the book of Philippians, the book of Philippians. Some of you know and have been praying for me for a long time. And this is the first week that I have gone five days without a pain pill. And I’ve had to take pain pills for almost six months. And I realize how close I came to leaving this whole world.

But I have learned that his grace is sufficient. And I’ve also learned that it doesn’t matter what you have to go through. You can endure anything for a short period of time. Some things get rough one day at a time. And God says, I’ll give you the grace sufficient for one day. And then when the next day comes, then he’ll give you the grace that you need to bear that one. But here in the book of Philippians, talks an awful lot about the love that you have for others.

In Philippians in chapter two, I want you to see there in verse 30. I do my dead level best trying to prepare you to do that which I believe you’re supposed to do, to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. So I teach in such a way or preaching such a way because I’m trying to get you to do what God wants you to do. I am not a TV set entertaining couch potatoes. Look at me, I’m not a TV set to entertain couch potatoes.

I’m trying to get people to serve the Lord and I want you to serve Him with all your heart. So what I try to tell you is things that you’re supposed to do. And I want you to do that. I’m always trying to produce soul winners. Many times you’ll be like the people you listen to. It bet his dad was very fearful of me going to Bible school. He said, Yank, if you go to Bible school, you’re gonna lose your fire.

And I greatly concerned him. He’s so he tried to talk me out of going to Bible school. And I said, but I got to go. I got to learn more. I have the fire, but I don’t have any wood to burn. And I’m afraid the fire is going to go out. And every verse in the Bible is like putting a log on the fire. And so when you get enough of these logs, you can keep burning for a long time.

But every one of us should learn to serve a Lord because we want to serve Him. He says in verse 30, because for the work of Christ, He was nigh unto death, not regarding His life to supply your lack of service toward me. So Paul writing from prison was writing to Christians because of their lack of service. Not because they gave too much or served too much because they’re lack. Do all of God’s children serve the Lord equally? No.

And so therefore each one of us, I have to determine what God means to us. If you can just get people to fall in love with the Lord, then serving God takes care of itself. Loving others takes care of itself. Loving your wife, loving your husband, loving your kids, loving whatever you’re supposed to do. Obedience is so easy when you love the one you’re serving. In Philippians 1, look in verse 16, Philippians 1 verse 16. The Apostle Paul in writing to the Philippians had talked to them about their love, their fellowship, and even their afflictions.

But he says up here in verse 16 because he was writing from prison. He says, the one preached Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds. Do you imagine what that must made the Apostle Paul feel like? That he had one people to Christ and now he’s sitting in prison. And it says that there’s people that are mimicking him preaching, thinking that it’s He’s going to add affliction to his bonds. After all what the man has already done, suffered and what he’s gone through.

And you talk about when you read the book of Corinthians in chapter 11, it kind of tells you some of the things that Paul went through for the gospel’s sake. Wouldn’t it be great if God could just let all of us, just all of a sudden, just go to heaven for about five or ten minutes even, and just to see it all, just know it’s there, just touch it. You know, receive it with the eyes and then come back.

Why would that we’d be different people? Or what if God could take and open up the doors of hell and that’s just kind of get good glimpse? And watch the people that are burning in literal fire burning hell. For all eternity knowing they’ll never get out. If we could just really catch a close glimpse of that. Would it make us different people? Would it make us care more? Would it burn in our hearts? And the Apostle Paul, because of what he’d seen, willing to go through and and he was not afraid of death, not afraid to die.

Look what he says over in verse 30. He says, having, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now here to be in me, the conflict. He says in the verse right before it, he says, it’s not just for us to believe on Christ, have eternal life go to heaven. But you see, God says the sufferings of this world are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall follow. But God also was called upon us as his children to suffer for him.

So in this life, we’re going to suffer. You’re going to suffer a lot of ways that you never imagined. And the longer you live, the more suffering you’re going to do. And he says, having the same conflict. In other words, you suffer, so do I. Sometimes we think, well, certain Lord ought to make it easy upon us and everything will work out great and everything will be wonderful. Yes, sometimes it does, but we can’t pick and choose the things that sometimes going to happen.

Because see God gives us personalized attention. He knows what he’s trying to accomplish in every individual life and he’s going to give you exactly what you need. Now I’ve mentioned this before but let me just mention to you again. A preacher may preach a sermon on many things and sometimes we can have our three points outline sermons and I’ve given out many outlines. But those are outlines to help me to stay on track, to say, I make sure I cover this.

Now make sure I cover that. Make sure I cover this. And these are little points underneath it. But see, that’s that’s to help me deliver it. But the Holy Spirit that lives inside of you, he’s going to take a portion of that and say, now, you need this. And then the Holy Spirit’s going going to take apart because he knows what you need and you need that. And it’s the Holy Spirit that’s going to feed you from that sermon.

And have you ever seen somebody try to feed a little child? He’d try this. He’d just taste it. And you’d think you could just taste it. They like it. Try to put someone in your finger and you’re sticking their little babies now. Mm. Oh, that’s not so bad after all. Well, the Lord says, taste and see that the Lord is good. That’s another way of saying taste and see that the word is good. The word taste and see that the word is good.

And sometimes you have Christians and the Holy Spirit says, now you need it. Mm. I like that. And sometimes the Lord has to go, I said, take it. Oh, you know, I’m going to go. And then you begin to feed and grow a little bit. But the Lord also does something more than that. You see why He feeds you the word, He also is feeding you experiences in life. And today He might give one of y’all this experience. God says, I know what everybody needs.

You see, we can’t change all the stuff that happens. And God’s not interested in changing things and eliminating all of our problems. God uses these things in order to teach us something. And to use that to see, will you still love Him just as much, though it appears that God doesn’t love you? Have you ever thought this that if God really loves me, He wouldn’t let me suffer so? We’d like sometimes wish we could pick and choose all the experiences that we’d like to have.

Don’t we sometimes have dreams of where we’d like to be this or be that or live here and live there and have this money and all of that? Have you lived long enough to find out that you don’t get everything you want out of life and you didn’t get to be everything that you wanted to be? And that most of you, if you look in the mirror, you don’t get to stay young like you wished you could, that you got more wrinkles than you wanted and that you got more weight than you wanted.

You see, everything changes down here. But isn’t it nice to know that you can be anchored to that which does not change? And the Bible talks about our anchor goes beyond the veil. You see, Jesus Christ went to the veil and He made a sacrifice upon the mercy seat. And our faith is in Him and our anchor does not fail. The Word of God will not fail. And even though you may not need what I’m saying right now, I would guarantee tomorrow, tomorrow, the next day, or the next week, or the next year, you’re going to need to understand that there’s things that you cannot control.

They’re out of your power. I told them in Ranch One Night, I said, suppose you’re a lost kid. Aren’t you glad you didn’t die yesterday? Why? Because if you die yesterday, where would you be today? And they all aren’t you glad you didn’t die yesterday? But let’s just say, for example, you’re going to die tomorrow. going to die tomorrow. And if tomorrow, you’re just like you are today, where will you be tomorrow?

So between yesterday and tomorrow, you have today. What’s going to be your decision today? You can’t change what’s happened yesterday, and you can’t change what might come tomorrow, But you can do something about today. Can you trust the Lord today? This hour, this moment, and you put your confidence in your trust in the Lord. Knowing that He is gonna take care of everything, and you can be at peace. You don’t have to worry. Because the God that created the heavens and the earth is my Father.

And my Father loves me. And my Father said that He’ll not withhold any good thing from me. Aren’t you glad that God has never withheld any good thing from you. And even though you didn’t see it as good. And God does things like this because, see, He’s the one that said, you need a little dose of this, and you need a little dose of this, and sometimes we need a little dose of humility, and so sometimes we need a little of this.

But God knows what He’s doing, because He knows what He’s trying to make out of our lives. So He says, if there be any consolation, it’s if any comfort of love, If any fellowship of the spirit, these are things that he says, and if you get some because you want the fellowship from the people and you want the love from each other, this is why y’all caring about each other is so important because everybody’s having a rough time. In verse two, fulfill ye my joy that ye be, and here’s a nice word, like-minded, having the same love in one accordion, one mind, and then I want to jump down here to verse five.

He says, and let this mind be in you. See a person be like minded and then he said, let this mind be. In other words, think this way. Let me tell you how to think. Because Satan’s always playing with our minds, always working on our minds. And he injects thoughts into our minds and calls you to think things that’s not even true sometimes, but you think them. And then when you think it, it’s almost It feels like real. And so you got to be careful.

That’s why whenever Peter messed up, remember he denied him three times when Christ came to him, Christ didn’t ask him about anything. He just said, do you love me? Remember he asked me, do you love me? There’s the problem. You see, your problem and my problem with all the sin that we were making is because we don’t love God the way we should. If you love God, then you don’t want to hurt him. When you love God, you want to please him.

So you try to find out what pleases God. So he says, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, making him obedient under death, even the death of the crop. And then he says, wherefore in verse nine, God had highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Our moment of glory and next saltation is not in this life. Right now we’re to be humble servants. And servants means serving people. Humble servants. And then someday when we get to heaven, God says He’s going to highly exalt us. And then He’s going to give you, He says, every man shall receive his praise, his honor, and his glory. But you’ve got to wait till then to get it. You see, for the Christian, it’s not payday yet. It’s not payday yet.

You see, in this life, this is the worst that you and I will ever have. To the man that’s lost, this is the best it’ll ever get. You ever hear those commercials that doesn’t get any better than this? Maybe not for you. If you’re lost and you go to hell, it won’t get any better than this. But you see, for the Christian, you can’t get any worse than this. Only gets better for us. Look up here. This man represents you and me and the wall of represents sin.

See, we all have sin upon us. But God loves us. And he says, for God to love the world, that’s everybody in the world. And the Bible says that we committed sin and the payment for sin is eternal separation from God in a place called hell. But God loves us and wants us to go to go to heaven. To go to heaven we have to be perfect as righteous. God, none of us are perfect, none of us are righteous.

So we cannot save ourselves. There’s nothing we can do. Salvation is not of works lest any man should boast. So we need a Savior. This sin represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord. He came into this world because He loves us but He didn’t have any sin. But He hates our sin because our sin separates us from Him. So Christ took the sin, paid for it on the cross and came back from the dead and said if we would believe he did it for us that he would put that payment our account, we would go to heaven on what he did for us.

God says the moment you do this, he puts this payment to your account and you go to heaven on what Jesus Christ did for you. See this is free, it’s a gift. If offered you my wallet and you accept it, you’d have a wallet and if offered you my Bible and you accept that you’d have a Bible and if Christ walked in here and offered you eternal life and you accept that you’d have eternal life. We’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 Bible 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. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re 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 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, Calvary of Tampa dot org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Art. Friends, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. We will be changed.

Hot up to meet the Lord in the air. and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon, 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 today. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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 take your Bible and turn there to the book of Haggii. The book of Haggii in chapter two, But I want you to notice there in these scriptures, something that’s very interesting, if you’ll notice in verse three. In verse three. You’ll notice that there is a comparison with people who can remember way back. Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? In other words, they were there looking at the temple that had been rebuilt out of the rubble.

And some were old enough, but see, they had been taken into captivity in 70 years has passed. So you’re talking about some old people, but they were there and they had seen the Solomon’s temple. They saw it in all of its glory. They were there. They saw that temple. In comparison to that temple, what they have now isn’t anything compared to that. Look what he said. And how do you see it now? Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing, as you compare itDavis, it’s nothing compared to what you used to have.

This is nothing. But he also wants them to understand this. Down there in verse 9, the glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former saith the Lord of hosts. And in this place will I give peace. In other words, there is going to come a time where there’s going to be in the future another temple that’s going to be built. And that one will look like nothing. Solomon’s will look like nothing compared to the temple that God’s going to.

In other words, you’re comparing this to that. You ought to compare that to that, the one that God’s going to build. Now, you sometimes think, boy, look what I’ve got, compared to who? And as you look back and sometimes you’ll see how God is blessed and you have more now than you had before before and you always are comparing. And you say, boy, I wish I had that house instead of my house, and I wish I had that car instead of this car.

And God says, be content with what you have and wait a minute. He says, regardless down here of how you compare yourself with others or what you have, the material things of the world, he says, compared to what you’re going to have when you get to heaven, this is nothing, this is nothing. Don’t put your desires in the things that will fade away. As though this is all there is to it, that this is all of your hopes and all of your dreams because you can lose it all.

Then what happens to your hopes and your dreams? And that deep burn and desire, see God placed within me a deep burn and desire, a desire to want to serve the Lord because I know that according to the Word of God, God says lay up treasure in heaven so that you can’t lose it. These can’t get it. It won’t rust. It won’t decay. Nothing happens to it. It’s saved. In other words, everything I have ever done for the Lord lays up treasure in heaven.

I’m not interested in laying up treasure on the earth, just heaven, laying it up there so that when you get there, you have something. Let that be your great desire. The Lord says it another way in this word in the book of Colossians and also in Philippians, set your affections on things that are wired. In my other word, set your affections on things that are above, not on things of the earth because the things of the earth God says He’s going to shake it one of these days.

Now you’ll notice as He goes down through here, down in verse 6, looking verse 6, for thus saith the Lord of hosts, yet once it is a little while and And I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land.” That’s the verse we just read in the book of Hebrews in chapter 12. That verse, over there, to the Christians is to wake us up to help us to realize, like the 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews, all these Old Testament saints, everything was lost in this world.

And many lived their whole life and never saw the fulfillment of the promise in their lifetime upon the earth. But you see, God says, like Abraham, He looked for a city whose builder and maker was God. Talk about when I get to heaven. there’s going to be a day when there’s going to be a kingdom upon the earth, something that’s rock-sotted that will not change. God says, I want you to understand this heaven and this earth will pass away and the works therein will pass away.

But he that doeth the will of God shall last for eternity shall last forever in the book of 1 John in chapter 2. Now notice what he said, I will shake the heavens and so on. Then down in verse 7 he said, I will shake also all nations. Shaking the earth is one thing. You know the visible things of the material wealth of the world. You know the land and the sea and the mountains and the Bible says the whole earth will reel to and fro like a drunk man.

But when you talk about shaking the nations it means that the people in the nations upon the world won’t have the answers about what to do and how to solve the world’s problem. You know what’s interesting? The Bible, now I’m not saying that this is the start of it, I’m not saying the Bible predicts after two days, I believe 2000 years, that there is going to be massive chaos in the world and great economic problems in the world, that the nations of the world will be so shaken as the people because they’re perplexed by not knowing what to do about the things they see coming upon the earth and no solutions.

Now the Bible talks about that in the book of Luke, chapter 21. If all these things are true and God shakes the world, He said, don’t put your hope in men of the world or don’t put your hope in the White House. Don’t put your hope in the legislators. You’re supposed to put your hope in God. Trust in the Lord. Some things you can’t change. You don’t have to worry about changing them. All you gotta do is have enough faith for yourself that you can know how to live while the rest of the world is falling apart.

Notice what it says there in verse 7. And I will shake all nations and get this, you ought to underline it. And the desire of all nations shall come. The word desire refers, I believe, to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of all people’s hopes and dreams and desires. Whatever I want. One day, maybe not all here. One day I will be totally satisfied with all my desires when I get to heaven. I won’t want anything that I won’t have.

I’ll have everything that I need for all eternity. I’ll be forever loved. Never be cast out, never forsaken, never worry. None of the things that down here causes you all of those things. And the Lord says, put your hope and your trust in the Lord. One day he says after he shakes the earth, and I believe during the tribulation period toward the end of it, the desire of all nations will come, Jesus Christ, and they are going to accept him as their Messiah.

Now when that takes place, he will set up his kingdom upon the earth, and he will rule, and nations will be blessed, people will be happy, there will be peace on earth, there will be good news for all people and joy for all people. And the Bible says to him that thousand year reign and children will play in the streets and the lions and so forth will play with the children and nobody will be harmed because Christ will be here and he will rule with a lot of iron.

Wonderful thing that the Lord says is going to take place. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of Luke in the Bible. The book of Luke, this is in the new Ted, we got Matthew, Mark, Luke in John, but in the book of Luke and chapter 2. And it’s a story of Jesus Christ being born. He is the desire of all nations. And it makes the statement there in verse 10 as we read a little bit earlier.

And the angel said unto them, fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which I’ll be to all people. Listen, it doesn’t matter who the person is, doesn’t matter who where they are, what year they were born, what century does it matter? For all people of all time got some good news for you. He says unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord. Best news that anybody ever heard.

Because man cannot deliver man. Man can’t change man. Man cannot fulfill the dreams and hopes and aspirations of man. Because the only thing we can do is all temporary. Have you ever been happy? Yes. Have you ever been sad? Have you ever had something wipe away your smile? In other words, it never lasts. It’s always temporary. Well, one day it’ll be forever. Eternal joy, eternal happiness, peace on earth, goodwill toward men. But you see, they rejected the king. They rejected the babe.

And can you believe this? Can you believe that there was a government upon the earth at that time, a government that wanted to kill a little baby? Can you believe that a government wanted to kill a poor, helpless, little baby? They did. And the Bible says the government killed a whole bunch of little babies. Lout it to be done. Little babies were killed. Innocent little babies. Is there a government today that does the same thing. Abortion is murder. Abortion?

Murder. The Bible says here in verse 13, and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace goodwill toward men. And like I said earlier, if all men of all nations on the whole earth would give glory to God in the highest because of the Son that He gave, then there would be peace on earth and goodwill toward all men. But today we don’t have people who want goodwill for everybody.

There’s people who get mad enough that want to take their life. Mad enough to do physical harm. Mad enough for revenge in their heart. You see, we don’t wish goodwill to all men. we wish goodwill to those that treat you right. Those that do us wrong, we want to punish. But the Bible says that we’re supposed to them. But why isn’t there peace that rules? Now remember this, when Jesus Christ came to rule upon the earth, He was rejected and crucified.

So the king was rejected. The kingdom was postponed. Well, then the ruler is gone. The king is gone. How can he rule? And yet the Bible says the kingdom of God is among you. Then he says the kingdom of God is within you. And it means that the king of heaven, God himself, can steal rule. When you read the book of Colossians in chapter 3, it says, and let the peace of God rule in your heart. You see, the world doesn’t have to have this peace.

It doesn’t have to accept Christ. They can reject it. They can be as mean as they want to be for those who do. But personally, every individual can allow the peace of God to rule in their own individual heart. You, as an individual, you can choose to be as happy as you want to be. You can choose to have as much peace as you want to have. You can choose to have as but joy as you want to have.

Or you can be as miserable as you so desire, but it’ll be your own personal choice. Nobody can do it to you. Nobody can rob you of that. You have to surrender it. Nobody can make you mad. You have to choose to get mad, choose to get angry, but those are all individual choices that you and I make. Or you can allow the peace of God to rule in your own individual heart because you see after you trust Christ as your Savior, there is still somebody on the throne who still wants to rule in your life.

And he should rule in your life. Now he doesn’t rule over me to get me to heaven. I trusted Christ as my Savior. I became his child, he became my Savior. I am going to heaven when I die. That was by grace and grace alone, something I do not earn, I do not work for, I don’t deserve it. But God loved me and He did that for me. And as a child of God, I have decided that I would rather have God that created the heavens and the earth who put everything in its orbit, the perfect God to know how to rule.

Let Him guide my life. Let Him tell me how to live. Let Him tell me how to think. I have loved his decisions, loved his choices. I could not have planned a better design for my life than the one he has given to me. I wouldn’t swap it for anybody or anything, not in this world. God’s been good to me. You see, God wants to rule in every individual heart. One day he’s gonna take us out of here, and the world is really gonna get dark.

And then it will become the desire of all nations for this so-called peace. You know why they’re going to rally around this anti-Christ, this last one-world government? Because they put in their hope into somebody hoping that they will be able to produce peace upon the earth. Because that’s what people want. And they’re going to accept a mark upon their hand, upon their forehead. And they’re going to become worshipers of this last one-world government, the mark of the beast. They’ll accept it.

Because they want the economy to prosper. They want to be happy. They want to have things. But they’re putting all their hope in the wrong thing. I want you to take your Bible, not your Bible, but your songbook. Take your songbook out and turn the page 429. And I want you to look at the words of a song that we sung just a few moments ago. Look in the first verse. It says, Hark the herald angels sing. Glory to the newborn king.

Think of the words of what this thing is saying. Glory to the newborn king. He was born king. Peace on earth and mercy mild. God and sinners reconciled. Listen, God says there is enmity between him and man. Christ came that he might reconcile man back to God. So that they could be peace between between God and man. That’s why in the book of Romans in chapter five, verse one says, therefore we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have peace with God. You see, I’m not at war with God. God’s not mad at me because of all my sins. He’s not gonna condemn me to hell because of all my sins. I made peace through Christ. God said, if I accepted him as my savior, what he did would be put to my account as though I did it and God is satisfied with that. And so we had a mediator. There’s only one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.

One mediator. If you accept that man Christ Jesus as your mediator, then you could haveMythical with VIDEOS. Look what he says. Joyful, all ye nations rise. Join the triumph of the skies. With angelic hosts proclaim, Christ is born occas in Bethlehem. One of those wonderful words, but we just sing the songs. Don’t think about what they’re saying. Look in verse 2. Christ by highest heaven adored. Christ the everlasting Lord. Everlasting. Late in time behold Him come off spring of a virgin’s womb.

They olden flesh the Godhead see. Held the incarnate deity. It means that God, God, God in flesh. God is in the flesh. That’s why he says, and the word was made flesh. And we beheld his glory, the glory is of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. And the same was in the beginning with God and all things were made by Him.

And without Him was not anything made that was made. He was in the world, the world was made by Him. All things were made by the Lord. And He is the light of the world. You see, this is what God became, God becoming flesh. That’s who that person was. It was born 2000 years ago. Now notice what else he says here. veiled in flesh that God had seen. Then pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel. What’s the word Emmanuel mean?

Emmanuel is an untranslated Hebrew word, which means God with a, Jesus was God in the flesh. Now you can’t believe he was just, oh he was a good man. He was a good teacher, oh he’s a good prophet. Jesus Christ is God. He is God in the flesh. That’s who he is. I’m not interested in dedicating my life to some man, to have some man rule over me. But I’ll yield to God. There’s only one true and living God.

In verse 3, hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace. Hail the Son of righteousness. The Son of righteousness is a phrase that’s taken out of the book of Malachi. Malachi. Light and life to all he brings. Listen with healing in his wings. Mile, he lay his glory by. Born that man, no more may die. The Bible’s in the book of Hebrews, I mean, in the book of Philippians in chapter two. And the Bible says he became as a man, even unto death.

And that he even rose again from the dead. So that every person would one day bow and confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father. Mile, he lay his glory by man. Born that man no more may die, born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth. Second birth. You see, I was born to the world once, but I got another birth. When I trusted Christ as my Savior, I would see day second birth.

And verse four, come, and here’s those words. You ought to underline them even in your book. Well, it belongs to the church. Unline it carefully. Desire of nations come, come, desire of nations come. Fix in us thy humble home. Now though he was rejected by the nations, you as an individual don’t have to reject him. You can still accept him and Christ will entwail you and yes, your body, your little body becomes the home of God himself. And you can let God, who created a heavens on the earth, ruled over everything, rule in your own heart.

And he can give you the power that you need to live the way God wants you to live. It’s awesome when you think about it. about this. Fixing us thy humble home, rise the woman’s conquering seed, bruise in us the serpent’s head. In other words, every one of us has a little devil within us. And that little devil within us is an old sinful nature. But in the book of Genesis in chapter 3 and verse 15, there is a reference made there about the seed of the woman, the seed of the serpent.

And at one day, the seed of the woman, a man child will come and bruise the head of the serpent. And if I took my heel and stomped the head of the serpent, I bruised my heel, but I crushed the head of the serpent. That’s what he did. The guy that wrote this song had a little Bible knowledge. Today we have people that write songs that have no knowledge of the Bible. There’s no doctrine, no teaching in them. These are, this is awesome.

Notice what he says, Adam’s likeness now a face. That means to destroy, to destroy the likeness of our physical birth or our flesh birth and stamp on me the image of Him, the image of Christ. Look at the last part of that. Stamp a thine image in its place. In other words, to make you like Christ, second Adam from above, reinstate us in thy love. I think it’s an awesome song. I love it. Not all songs has as much to say, but then you stop and you think about the other song we sung a while ago, the first song, joy to the world, joy to the world.

Think of how exciting that is. Think of how many people all over the world are going to be singing that song at this time of year. Do you really think that most of the people who sing that song know what that song is even talking about? Joy to the world. The Lord is come. That’s why we have joy. Now, I have a lot of things that I ain’t going to be able to change. Some things I don’t, I won’t spend my time on.

But I do know that I believe Christ is coming back. And my hope is in some things that will never change. Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. See, I’m gonna shake this world. I’m gonna shake it. So that you’ll know you can’t trust anything in this world. I’m gonna burn this world up by fire. He said, but my words, what I say to you are rock solid. My promises are good. You and I are to hang on to that.

Do you believe that if you cast all of your cares upon him, he’ll care for you? Do you believe that all things work together for good to those who love the Lord, to those who are called according to his purpose? Do you believe that? Do you believe that my God shall supply all of your needs according to his riches in Christ Jesus? Do you believe that? Or are they just words? What’s words? I’d rather hang on to those and all the promises of the White House or the legislature in Georgia anybody else.

God promised me that if I served him, he’d take care of me. Now, him taking care of me is his business. I ain’t interested in how he’s going to do it. I don’t care how he’s going to do it. I just know that God promised to take care of me. And so far so good. Look up here. This hand representing you and me and this represents sin. We all have sin upon us because of sin. Sin destroys the fulfillment of our desires.

Because there’s so many things we want. Most people want a happy marriage between a husband and a wife and look how many homes have been wrecked. What happened to the dream? We always want all of our children to turn out right. And then when it don’t happen, what does it do to you? When you hope for that job or that certain raise and you got it and then something else happened to take it away or you finally couldn’t wait till And when you finally retired, your health went and you couldn’t enjoy anything after that.

I mean, I’ve not seen that happen. But you are living in a world that changes. Your desires change. It’s always rocked by some tragedy somewhere along the line. To rob you of the peace and the joy that you would have had. But God says, He loves us. He loves us. He knows the desires that we have. He lets us have the desire, but he says, now don’t fulfill the desires with the things of the world. He says, put your hope in something that’s better.

You see, if you didn’t have desires, you wouldn’t want to be saved. If you didn’t have desire, you wouldn’t want to live in heaven. If you didn’t have any desire, you wouldn’t want to have a new body. If you didn’t have any desire, you’d say, God gave you these. And they’re to be used correctly. But God loves you, hates your sin. And for us to pay for this sin, the eternal separation from God in a place called hell. Now God loves us once to go to heaven.

To go to heaven, you have to be perfect just as righteous as God. And nobody’s perfect. Nobody’s righteous. We’re all sinners. That’s why we need a Savior. everybody in the world of all nations of all time. Everybody needs a Savior. We’re all in the same boat. Nobody can save themselves and nobody can save another. Everybody’s lost. There’s only one that can save us the desire of all nations. Here he is. Somebody that can deliver us Christ. He came into the world because he loves us, hates our sins.

So he took the sin, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead. said, now, all we have to do is to believe He did it for us. And He puts His payment to our account, and we go to heaven. Now, if at this moment, right now, if you could all be placed in heaven, all of your desires will be fulfilled. Forever. They’ll all be fulfilled forever. You see, it’s not over yet. God hasn’t broke His Word.

He hasn’t broke any of His promises. Never. He doesn’t change. He says, the heavens and the earth, oh, they’ll pass away, but my words will never pass away. You can believe that. And though some things are going to be shaken and the faith of a lot of people are going to be shaken, God’s Word doesn’t tremble. You’re placed upon the solid rock. You may tremble on the rock, but the rock will never tremble under you. Let’s pray, shall we?

Every headbound, every act closed, no one looking around. If you’re here this morning and if you have not trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, talk to the Lord right now. Say something simple like this. Say, Lord, I know that I’m a sinner because friend we all are. But Lord, I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross and that He paid for my sins. And right now I will trust Him to take me to heaven whenever I die. Now friend, if you’ll do that right where you are, God said He would save you, give you eternal life.

And if it’s eternal life, it lasts forever. Never cast you out, never lose you. But if you’ve never done so, would you do it? Would you trust him right now? And if you will, I’d like to have prayer for you. If you know Christ is your Savior, I hope you understand that He is the desire of all nations. And I hope you understand that when you sing that song next time, it’ll mean just a little bit more to you.

Our Father, we thank You so much for Your bless the stores. We’re thankful for your word you give us. We pray Lord that one day yes there will be peace on it, that we’re all men in Christ and we pray. 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 toll free 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage. If you’re 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 going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.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. We will be changed. Hot up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep looking up.

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$$. 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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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.

The webinar of mass destruction, I think I’ve found it. But first of all, in John chapter 14, I want you to look there in verse one. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me, in my father’s house or many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. In other words, what he’s saying is I’m telling you the truth. See down in verse six, he says, I am the way, the truth and the life.

So what he’s saying up here has to be the truth or he is a liar. Jesus Christ is either who he claims to be or he is a liar. And the things he talks about concerning the thing that we cannot see. either it’s true or it’s a lie. It is Jesus who told the story about, you know, Lazarus and the rich man, and the rich man going to hell, and been in torment. And he says he saw Abraham afar off in Lazarus, and he cried, Father Abraham sent Lazarus, he may come and dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame.

And whenever he talks about heaven, he’s the one that says there is a heaven, so it must be true. If he says, how you get there, didn’t he must be telling the truth also? because he is truth. It says here in verse three, and if I go and prepare a place for you, place not state of mind, it’s a literal place. I will come again. That’s a promise. That must be the truth. He will come again and receive you unto myself.

I’m going to be with him. So that means that I am going to be with the Lord, God in the flesh or all eternity. That’s what he promised. And where I am, there you may be also. I’m going to be where he is. And whether I go, you know, and the way you know.” And Thomas said to him, Lord, we know not whether thou goest. In other words, I don’t know where you’re going. And how are we going to know the way?

He says, I am the way. In other words, he’s the only way to get to heaven. Now, if Jesus did not tell the truth, he told a lie. But if he told the truth, everything else in the world that says contrary to this is a lie. Either this is true or this is a lie. Now, there’s a multitude of religions and everybody’s trying to give their particular brand of religion. But he says, I am the way, I’m the truth, I am the life.

I’m the way to have eternal life. I’m the truth. He says, no man, last part of verse 6, get this, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me, there is nobody else. There’s no substitutes. There is not to be any other religion. God did not make up all these religions in the world and there’s a multitude of them and everybody’s claiming to be right and got some kind of special divine revelation. Well, the Bible goes all the way back to the very beginning.

You know what the book does. The Bible is an awesome book. The Bible not only tells us what has happened, the Bible tells us what is going to happen. And because of that, we can see what’s coming on the horizon. It’s a great time to live. We live at a very exciting time. I wanted to tell you that if this is the truth, this is the weapon for mass deliverance Sword. See the truth is what makes you free. Then it is a lie that enslaves.

So if you know the truth you can live free. So it is the weapon of mass deliverance but it’s alsosudo the weapon that can be used to set a man free individually, free, free from the fear of death and of sin, the power of sin. So it is a tremendous weapon against the evils of this world. Truth is the way we fight the devil. Truth is the way we keep ourselves clean and pure in our lives. It’s the truth That sets us free.

Well, if the truth does all that, it would be great for the individual, it would be great for the home, it would be great for the church, great for the nation, great for the whole world. But the world doesn’t seem to want the truth, and many nations don’t want the truth. Our nation seems to be rebelling against the truth. There’s people who go to church that don’t want the truth. They want the preacher to tickle their ears so they can sit there and just enjoy something and just talk about the love of God.

Don’t want to hear this about hell. I don’t want to hear about the wrath of God. I don’t want to hear what God hates. I don’t want to hear about sin. And there are churches that are promised of people that they won’t talk about those things. And they’re thriving. They’re thriving. People are just packing them out. I want you to look there in John 8. Look in John 8. In John 8, the Bible tells us in verse 44, Jesus Christ speaking here.

He also spoke in John chapter 14 and here in verse 44, he says, ye are of your Father the devil. Why did he say that? Why did he say that? Well, because of verse 43. He says in verse 43, why do you not understand my speech? Because you cannot hear my words. You don’t hear what I’m saying. Jesus Christ was God in the flesh. He says, you want the word and you talk about the word that Moses gave, he says, but if you believe the word, he said you to believe me.

He says, Moses wrote a lot of me. He said, if you say you believe the word, he says, search the scriptures for they are the ones that testify about me. In Isaiah in chapter 48 verse 3 of the 5, it talks about, he says, you are stiff-necked, hard-headed. This is God’s description of nation of Israel. He says, you don’t listen. You don’t hear. So he makes the statement here in verse 44, ye are of your father, the devil, the lust of your father, ye will do.

He was a murderer from the beginning, both not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speak of the lie, he speak of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it. Many believe this verse has several things mentioned in it, that he is a liar and the father of the lion. You see the antichrist that’s coming upon the earth is going to be the liar, the lion. He comes because like when God the father sent his son, he’s the truth.

The devil is going to have his son, the seed of Satan against the seed of God. And these seeds have children and here you’re talking about Christ and the anti-Christ and one is the truth and one is the lie and they’re going to have their moment in the sun. The day is coming and he is a liar and the father of him. This, believe it or not, is a weapon of mass destruction. If there’s anything that will destroy you, it is to believe a lie.

Did you know the only way you can go to heaven is to believe the truth. If you believe the lie and don’t trust Christ as your Savior, that is a weapon of destruction. It will destroy your soul in hell. God says, don’t worry about those who can take your life in Matthew 10. Those that can kill the body, that’s not the main thing. It’s what can destroy the soul of a man. And that will be the lie that a person believes that will damn his soul to eternity.

Now if it can destroy an individual believe in a lie it can destroy the family and if it can destroy family can destroy church believe in a lie and it can destroy our nation and it can destroy the nations of the world and the only reason that we’re headed in such a chaotic state in our world is because of the individuals and their families and their nations believe in the lies because they rebel against the truth and the tribulation is going to be a judgment not only upon the nation of Israel it’s going to be upon the whole world the whole world because they rebelled against the truth take your Bible look in 2nd Thessalonians in chapter 2 2nd Thessalonians in chapter 2.

The Bible says the Antichrist that’s coming upon the scene is going to deceive the world. How can you deceive the world unless they believe a lie? You believe the truth you’re not deceived. You believe a lie you’re being deceived. So people in the world day by day when you rebel against the Bible, even Christians, you rebel against the truth of the word of God and you believe lies. It affects your life, it affects your home, it affects your church, it affects the country, it affects everything.

Why? Believe in lies. So in 2 Thessalonians in chapter 2, I want you to look there in verse 2, excuse me, verse 9. Talking about when Christ comes back, even Him, verse 9, whose coming is after the working of Satan. Christ is going to come back to the earth after the seven year tribulation period where Satan will be working. with all power, signs and lying wonders, lying one other words, things that are going to happen that’s gonna deceive the people.

I’ve had people say, well I went to this here, healing me, and I saw a man healed. I saw a gourner on his neck totally disappeared, and therefore they know that has to be of God. That does not mean that’s of God. Satan can do a lot of things. Deceap people with wonders and signs, miraculous things. Remember when Moses went down to see the children of Israel and he was able to throw his rod down there and it became a snake.

You remember the magicians did the same thing. There’s wasn’t of God. There’s was of the devil. The devil can imitate. Mark. So when Christ came into the world, he claimed to be God. The anti-Christ is also going to claim to be God. Christ had a three and a half year ministry and the anti-Christ is going to have a three and a half year ministry. Christ came back from the dead. The end of Christ was supposed to be killed and come back from the dead.

similarities, copycat, but he is deceptive and he rules the world and people are not going to believe the truth. Look what he says in verse 10, and with all the sea-able-ness of unrighteousness in them that perish, now get this, you’re underlying this in your Bible, because they received not the love of the what’s that word, the truth that they might be saved. For this cause God shall send in strong delusions that they should believe of what? They’ll believe the lie.

They’re not going to let them believe the lie. Why? Because they wouldn’t believe the truth. See, you either accept the truth or you believe lies. Truth sets you free, lies enslaved. And it’s very destructive, whether it’s to an individual or to the family or to the nation or to the nations of the world. So he says these things are going to happen. Look in verse 1, that they all might be damned who believed not the truth. Christ is I am the way, the truth and the life.

So every person who does not go to the Father through the Son can’t go. And now all the religions of the world that teach contrary to this, they’re liars. And those that teach it are lying. Having said those wonderful things that I have just said, I want to share a couple things with you. This war on terrorism. We must be truthful as to what and who is the enemy and how they will strike. The enemy has brought their weapons into the United States.

I’ve seen them and I’m going to show you that in just a second. This is an article that I got, but listen to what it says. Because these are things that are making the newspapers. It’s on the evening news. How many of you in here got a chance to watch the Republican convention? Rudolph Gulliani at the Republican Convention praised George Bush response to the 9-11 attacks declared and I heard him when he said it. We stood face to face with those people and forces who hijacked not only airplanes but a religion turned it into a creed of terrorism dedicated to eradicating us in our way of life.

That’s what he said. But is that true? Now listen, This is where we’re headed. We’re headed into the area called the tribulation period. The rapture is gonna take place before it actually happens. But we have no guarantee that America will stay free until the rapture. I pray that it does, but we have no guarantee. We’re living in an exciting world and yesterday all it was talking about. And surely if you listen to any of the news, what is happening around the world?

This was in just the paper yesterday. It says, we’ve learned a lot in the aftermath of those attacks from the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. Some of it, the hard way. So has the rest of the world. Spain has been hit by a murderous pre-election attack on its rail system. And Spain yielded. They compromised. They yielded to terrorism. They listened to blackmail. The terrorists are blackmailers. They’re forcing people to do what they want done. Because see, they’re willing to die for what they believe.

Because see, they get 70 burdens when they die. You don’t get one. So therefore, they have a great motivation. Here it says, a bomb in Indonesia, night club killed more than 200 innocent people, many of them tourists from Australia. Why? Because they had some of their people there in Iraq. They were one of our coalition partners. Russia has suffered a series of terror attacks, the most recently a hideously cold-blooded power to get salt on an elementary school that has shook that nation’s soul as September 11 shook ours.

Saudi Arabia, the home of 15 of a 19 hijacker who attacked September 11, has also suffered repeated attacks. As many have pointed out, this is not a war on terror. Terror is only a tactic. We can and must take steps to counter that tactic, making terror more difficult to carry out. We’ve had some success in doing so. But the core challenge is to attack and eliminate those who employed the tactics of terror. And in each of these atrocities listed above, the perpetrators have been members of a bizarre, cultish strain of Islamic fundamentalism.

It’s only a strain of the Islamic fundamentalism. I differ with their characterization these terrorists have not hijacked a religion they have not hijacked a religion I wrote this down Mohammed the founder of the religion of Islam was a terrorist He was a warmongrel himself. I’ve read his story. I’ve read the Koran every word of it He was a tears and the Koran was his war manual to convince his followers that murder was justified in the eyes of His man-made God Allah and if he is a tears and he wrote a war manual this Koran is a is a weapon of mass destruction.

And where is this Quran found today? The weapon of mass destruction is already in every nation under the Sun. The Quran was not believed. None of this would be taken place. It’s because they believe a lie of a man in 780 who wrote most of the Quran. It is a weapon of mass destruction because a person that believed the Quran is not going to believe the truth. Now I’m not saying that we shouldn’t win them try to get them to trust Christ to save it because I believe that’s their only hope that they are in darkness.

They believe a lie and all these things that are happening is not because they are an extremist group. Have you noticed that wherever the Muslims are all over the world, they will do what they’re doing right now. They don’t have to have a leader. It’s the Quran is their leader. It’s not Osama bin Laden and it’s not Saddam Hussein. It’s every person who believes, truly believes the Quran. They are peaceful until they can control and they will intimidate until they conquer.

The reason for all this stuff over in Chitna is for the Sub-Aruzim their Muslims that want their own nation. How do you think they got all these other nations of about 60 nations that they’ve taken over so far? What do you think is happening in Sudan? One million have left their homes. Remember two years ago I told you that I was over in Egypt and there’s all these here, Ethiopian’s, and these Sudanese that they come across the border up into Egypt, fleeing for their lives?

And the reason is because the Koran is their justification. It doesn’t bother them to do what they’re doing because they believe that this order is God. Mohamad is His prophet and the Quran is the Word. And what they have done, they will do. And the only way to stop it, I don’t believe the Quran ought to be allowed in America. It is a book on how to overthrow our government and take away our freedom. And wherever they are, it doesn’t matter.

They’re doing this to every nation. And the Bible says that in the end time disrupt the whole world and everybody, all nations of the world are afraid today of Muslim terrorists. Yes or no? And they don’t even have to have a leader because it can happen in any moment, at any time, because of a person that believes in Quran. And this is what God wants them to do and they’re going to do it. Let me read this to you.

No one can declare that something is true Islam and something else isn’t and have his decision accepted by the Islamic world. Therefore it is not enough for Gullyanit and others to tell Americans that terrorists don’t represent true Islam. True moderate Muslims need to convince other Muslims that the terrorists are heretics, but instead the radicals wear the mantle of Islamic purity virtually unchallenged. Why don’t these nations come out against all this stuff? They are afraid of the ones that are in their own nation, uprising against themselves.

And even if they try to help America or help us over in Iraq or in Afghanistan. They turn on the very people who have anything to do with Israel or America. See, they’re willing to die for what they believe. Are we willing to die for what we believe? It was on the news last night, box news, and they’re talking about how they were justified in killing all those babies, all those children. Because if all of this is okay, it’s okay.

All I said is not it’s not not Okay, well what did all I say? Well, if all of this is okay, it’s okay. We’ll answer the question. I wanted to hit the TV If Islamic teachings really sanctioned violence against unbelievers that needs to be addressed by all Muslims and non-Muslims who claim to oppose terrorist activity only that will lead to concrete measure to deal with the situation You either got to defend yourself against the teaching but listen What is the danger in America?

So we can fight it 3,000 miles, 8,000 miles anywhere else in any other country, as long as they don’t come in our shore. But they have brought in the teaching that produced the terrorist. The teaching is already in America. I read this. This is in America. This is not over in some other country. This is right here in America. U.S. Muslims stress the importance of the vote. Do you believe right off the bat that Muslims before Israel or against Israel?

They are against Israel. What is Israel done to the Muslims in America? Nothing. It is they have a Koran that says that you have to kill the Jew. You must kill Christians. And anybody who is at infidel, that means if you’re not a Muslim, that’s the religion of these. That’s not a God-honoring religion. That’s not a wonderful belief system. No, it’s wicked. It’s a lie. That’s nothing to do with God. So you’re attacking other people’s religion. That’s not a religion of honoring.

Let me read this to you. Rosemont, Illinois, America’s Muslims open their largest annual gathering Friday emphasizing the importance of voting as the Muslim community struggles for political recognition. More than 30,000 people were expected to attend the three-day meeting organized by the Islamic Society of North America. The whole two registration booths will be set up and American Muslims who have been elected to public office will discuss their chemobut you think that a Muslim politician running for office and let’s say we get a whole bunch of men are congress do you believe those muslims gonna try to protect our country or turn us into a muslim country do you think there are laws that become power into their muslim belief and detrimental to the christian belief there won’t be many pictures that will tell you what i’m telling you right now and you’re not going to hear all this on the news

they said we are this nation This is the chairman of the Council of Islamic Organization of Greater Chicago. We are this nation. The conference is the third for the Islamic society since the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks. And it says, presentations will be made on defending Islam against prejudice, against ties with leaders of other faith, and preserve Muslim civil rights during the domestic war on terrorism. Then another statement. and urges U.S. Muslims to build relations with other face as a model of tolerance for fellow Muslims overseas.

That sounds great. We want to show you how wonderful and peaceful we are. As an example of those people over there and how they can get along. But why are they doing that now? Is it because they want me to accept their belief or is it because they want to accept my belief? Which way do you think it is? They want me to accept their belief as okay. It is not okay. We’re not in the same business. What I teach and what they teach is not the same.

Even the Bible is true and Christ says, I am the way, the truth and the light. No man comes in the Father except through Christ or it’s a lie. And Christ made this statement over in the book of Matthew in chapter 23. He says to those Pharisees, he He says, you hypocrites, you blind leaders of the blind. He says you’ll cross heaven and earth in order to take and make one proselyte and make him twofold a child of hell.

In other words, you ain’t going. And you’re teaching something that keeps them from going. This is what Christ said. He says they’re liars. He says they’re hypocrites. He says you’re blind. He says you’re full. Christ said that. He also makes the statement Muslims have sizable populations in swing states such as Ohio, Michigan, and Florida and hope this will help them gain visibility in the tight presidential race. Do you think they’re here to affect our politics? Yes they are. They say so.

They’re rallying. And whenever they find out that they can terrorize America, they’re going to terrorize America. I’m making this up. I’m just trying to inform you. Listen, the Moscow as a collection of rag-tacks separatists fighting for independence. They’re fighting for their independence. No, they’re trying to make it a Muslim state, what they’re after. This is even Russia was trying to stop them from doing that. But this is what’s coming. And it says, but the armed gang that brought deadly havoc to hundreds of men, women and school children in the southern Russian city of Velslin, earlier this month, demonstrated that the Czech movement has shifted from an open rebellion to shadowy terrorism that targets innocent.

We need to stop talking about them as freedom fighters and independence and terrorists. Muslims. That’s all. They believe the Quran. They’re not the extremists. They’re the norm. And those that are quiet have to be quiet or they will kill him, but they have to abide their time. And when they can, they’re going to do the damage. Checkedins are Muslims and ethnically distinct from Russians. There’s a difference. Yes, it’s a religion against religions. All wars are religious wars. All wars are religious wars and it’s going to get worse and worse and worse.

But I think that we need to understand the Quran itself is direct and a mass destruction. Everywhere it’s gone it has destroyed the individual. It destroys the family it destroys the nation. They don’t have the freedom. Some don’t even understand what the Koran teaches. Now having said all that I don’t want you all to think that I’m a man of hate. I believe that God loves every Muslim. God loves everybody. God loves the homosexual. God loves every person regardless of the sin.

God loves them. Now when I’m talking to an individual one-on-one I’m gonna do everything I possibly can to get that person to trust Christ’s Savior. But That’s because I’m a citizen of heaven as a Christian. This is what I do. As a citizen of this country, then I believe our country has a responsibility and I have responsibilities as an American. But as an individual, I want them to know, look God loves you. God hates your sin. And God says to pay for this sins, eternal separation from God in a place called hell.

And to go to heaven, we have to be perfect because righteous is God and nobody’s perfect. Nobody’s righteous. We’re all sinners. So Jesus Christ came into this world because He loves us, every person. H.R. sin. He called us, separated from us. So Christ took the sin, paid for them, the cross came back from the dead. Said, it will believe He did it for us. He put that payment to our account and we get to go to heaven. Oh, Christ, you’re pushing me.

See, the Bible says, Christmas, love your enemies. Let’s pray, shall we? 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 toll free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re 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 1030 and at six o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen Bye. Going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Art. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Hot up to meet the Lord in the air.

So live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.

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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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.

Genesis chapter 12 and verse one. Says, now the Lord had said on the Abram, get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred, from thy father’s house unto a land that I will show thee, and I will make thee a great nation, I will bless thee, make thy name great, thou shall be a blessing, and I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curses thee. And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed, I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curses thee.

This is the division of the world. all deals with the nation of Israel. Those who bless Israel, God says, I will bless. And those who curse Israel, God says, I will curse. And that’s the way it’s been down through time. And that is exactly what is going on in the world today. God has blessed Israel and Great Britain with the great freedoms away if enjoyed because of our stand in protection of the little nation of Israel. That’s what I believe because it’s in the Bible.

And there’s many nation that have chosen to hate Israel and America, and they’re going to be chasing because of it. But how did it all start? How did all this begin? I want you to look there in chapter 16 concerning the birth of Ishmael. He says in verse 11, And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child. Now he’s talking to Hagar. Hagar is an Egyptian bond woman a slave thou will have a child and shall call his name ishmael because the Lord had heard by affliction he will be a wild man his hand will be against every man and every man’s hand against him and this is exactly the way it is today in the world and it says there in verse 15 and Hagar bear Abram a son and Abram called his son’s name which Hagar bear ishmael.

God’s the one that says it will be a son. Call him ishmael. You see here’s Abraham. He had a wife, Sarai, but she was old and she could not have a child. God had promised Abraham that he was going to have a child by which the Messiah would come into the world and all the families of the earth would be blessed, receiving salvation by grace because the one that would be born would make a payment for the sins of the whole world.

Abraham didn’t have this son yet and so impatience caused them to think differently. So Sarah at that time called Sarah, she told Abraham since I can’t have a child. Why don’t you take Hagar the bond slave and have a child by hurt and maybe this is the way God wanted to do it. No, God means what He said. But Abraham took the slave woman, the Egyptian woman, and had a child by her. And this child was Ishmael. Well, now look there in verse 15 of chapter 17.

And God said unto Abraham, as for Sarai thy wife, thou the thou shalt not call her Sarai, but Sarai shall her name be. I will bless her and give thee a A son also of her. Yay, I will bless her and she shall be a mother of nations. Kings of people shall be of her. The neighbor of him fell upon his face and laughed and said in his heart, shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old and shall share that is 90 years old bear.

And Abraham said unto God, oh that ishmael might live before thee. So he says, why not, why not ishmael? And God said in verse 19, “‘Sera thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed, and thou shalt call his name Isaac, and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant and with his seed after him.'” So it says here in verse 20, as for Ishmael, I have… I have heard thee. Behold, I have blessed him and I will make him fruitful and I will multiply him exceedingly.

12 princes shall he beget and I will make him a great nation. But he says the covenant that I made with you concerning I will bless him and he shall be great and he will be the one through whom all the families of the earth shall be blessed because there’s going to be seed coming down the line which would be Jesus Christ himself. be through Isaac, not Ishmael. So you have a man, Abraham, who has fathered to children. One is Ishmael, who’s about 13, 14 years older than Isaac.

And as time goes on, both of these sons get married, have children, and produce great numbers of people. And as you read the Scriptures, it begins to reveal that these two wore all the time. And God says that He’s using them as an allegory, a story to teach a great truth. Now this happened, you’re talking about almost 4,000 years ago. And isn’t it amazing that the children who came from these two children are still fighting over the very same land.

All your Arabs, all these Arabs, they came from Ishmael. Later on, yes, there was Esau and Esau took the wife of one of the daughters that came from Ishmael and yet there’s many Arabs all over the world and they have greatly multiplied. And the Bible says that there are so many more that are the children of the bondwoman than of the free woman and he uses that to show us something. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of Galatians, Galatians in chapter 4.

Look there in verse 19. The days in which we live are revealing to us the same hatred that Esau had for Jacob. And here you’re talking about the hatred that is embedded within them and that you can’t get this hatred out, except through a new birth through Jesus Christ. I said this earlier, but just to re-emphasize it one more time. Sodom Hussein and Mohammed, who wrote in the seventh century, when he founded this religion, are two peas in the same pod.

They both were exactly the same way. Sodom Hussein and Mohammed did exactly the same thing as far as their own people, and forcing people and terrorizing people, and dictatorial. I’ve read many things concerning Mohammed in the way he was and all the wives that he had and all the things that he promises people that they would fight and die in jihad. It’s all in there. Most of it you can read it in the Koran, which is a war manual that is not a holy book, not a divine book.

Some have been lauding or thought of Hussein could have wrote the Quran. It is not a very well-written book. There’s nothing exciting to bot the whole thing. I’ve read every word of it. I know where I speak. There’s no comparison between that book and this divinely inspired book. Now here in the book of Galatians in chapter 4 and verse 19, in writing to the Galatian Christians, he says, my little children of whom I prevail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.

It’s one thing to win somebody to Christ. When in a person to the Lord sometimes it’s a very easy thing. The hardest part is raising a child. It’s very easy to have children, isn’t it? You can have a child. But raising a child to be a godly individual is very difficult. Takes a lot of time, a lot of years. And he says, I travail again until Christ be formed in you, until you have within you the principles, the disciplines, the Christian character that separates you from the world.

Otherwise, if you don’t let Christ be formed within you, according to his character, you’ll look no different at, no different top, no different be no different than the world. But there’s something that God wants more from you and I to realize that we live only by the grace of God in our lives are like walking on eggshells. And yet… God gives us opportunities to live. I want to honor him as much as I possibly can. I’m not afraid. I think about it every time I come out of the radio station, whether somebody’s going to be waiting across the street and put a bullet in me.

Or whenever I open my car door, whether it’s going to explode with a bomb. Or every time I walk into the partially over there, whether or not it’s going to be rigged or something’s going to happen. I think about it all the time. I think about even while I’m up here talking one day, somebody’s going to be in the car. going to walk in that door and maybe do dammies to somebody. Personally, I have absolute no concern about whether I live or I die.

It doesn’t bother me. I fear for other people whose faith is not strong. I don’t want something happening to you. I would hate for something to happen to you. And I know that there may be people who are scared to come to Northside because of the way I say things on the radio and stuff. I do not wish to live my life in fear. I believe that it’s God’s will that Christ be formed in me. I don’t believe Christ lived his life in fear.

I believe he lived totally dependent upon his heavenly Father to totally take care of him. But there are some people who never grow strong in the Lord. They are afraid of what’s coming. They’re afraid of the future. They’re afraid of their life. They’re afraid of growing old. They live in fear. Well that’s mainly because they have not allowed Christ to be formed in them to where they can totally trust the Lord. He says, I desire to be present with you now and to change my voice before I stand in doubt of you.

I’m not sure whether or not he’s saying I questioned your salvation because once you trusted Christ to save you, you have eternal life. But he says in chapter one and verse eight, he says, I marvel that you’re so soon removed from him. They called you into the grace of Christ into another gospel because they’d now believed a different message than what he had delivered to them. And if they believed that, or did they ever really believe the truth or you that no Christ is your Savior and you won’t grow in the Lord and you wonder whether or not will they ever mature will they ever grow up.

Some Christians are so caught up in every little bitty thing that goes on. Let nothing ever come between you and the Lord. Always stay faithful to God. Always stay at it. When I die when I die and I’m going to one day of God should teary. I don’t want it to be that Lord I was in I stop going to church or I stop reading the Bible I stop praying I stop being concerned I stop supporting mission I stop I don’t want to stop anything.

If there’s anything I want to do, I want to do more than what I’ve ever done for God. And as long as I can draw breath, I believe God’s got a purpose in my life. It’s not how long you live, who’d you live for the time that you did have. But he makes a statement here in verse 22, he says, for it is written, now he tells a story here that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bond made and the other by a free woman.

Remember, look up here. Here’s Hagar and here’s Sarah, and she had a son and she had a son. She was a slave, so her son was a slave. Sarah was a free woman. Her son was free. This is a type or child of the flesh, and this is a type of the Spirit. You see, God produced a miracle. He took an old man, an old woman and produced a child by faith because God said so. There was nothing physically that they could have done that could have produced this child if God had not intervened.

This was a miracle child, a faith child, a child that was promised by God. And because they believe God this child was born. You see you and I when we’re born into the world which came first our flesh or our spirit or flesh over here. Hey Gar she was a slave and so she gives birth to a slave and a slave has no rights and you and I when we were born into this world we were born from a slave.

We are slaves ourselves. We have a sinful nature and we are a slave to sin. We’re a slave to death. We’re a slave to fear. We’re in bondage. We cannot free ourselves. Impossible. Ishmael and all the Arab people represent the flesh. Look at it today, still flesh the hatred that’s there. For anybody, that’s a child of the promise. If you are a Christian or you came from the nation of Israel, the flesh. Lust against the spirit. The spirit lust against the flesh.

And this is a battle that’s been going on for 4,000 years. And it is coming to a peak in our lifetime. Because God says something is about to happen. And it’s going to happen, I believe, very, very soon. The world is choosing sides. And if you read the book of Ezekiel 38 and 39, it mentions about Russia and Germany. And I ran and I ran. It names these countries and are they not the allies today? Just like it says in the Bible?

Yes. Coincidence? No. Now look what he says here in verse 23. But he who was of the bond woman was born after the what? See, I didn’t make that up. That’s in the Bible. But he of the free woman was by promise, flesh, promise. When you were born into this world, you are a child of the flesh. You are a slave. You cannot free yourself. And when you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for you, and you believe that promise that if you trust him you’ll be born again, born from above a faith child, miracle child, the new birth born of God, spiritual birth.

He makes this statement in verse 24, which things are an allegory for these are the two covenants, the one from the Mount Sinai, which is the law and gender of Kabbandh which is Heigar, look up here. The flesh to control the flesh, God gave the law. The flesh is under the law. The spirit not under the law. That’s why he says when you were lost you were under the law but no longer we are under the law be that we are under grace.

We don’t want by sight, flesh, we walk by faith. What God says, the child of God is born by faith, he lives by faith, he walks by faith. What God said and believes that. How shall a Christian live in this world when it seemed like the world is falling apart? The world is like one gigantic insane asylum. And we’ve got a you nuts running it. But look what he says down. Verse 25, for this Hagar is Mount Sinai, law in Arabia, an answer to Jerusalem, which is in Israel.

Now look at this. This was written over 2,000 years ago. And what’s it talking about? Arabs? Israel. Yes or no? It’s right there in the Bible. In 2,000 years ago, this was the problem and is it still the problem? This war is being fought because of the Jews and the Arabs. If it wasn’t for America, what would happen to Israel? Did not in the 60 war, 1967, what did they try to do? They tried to destroy Israel? Did they do it?

No. Now look at verse 25, for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and answer to Jerusalem, which now is, and is in bondage with her children. So here you have the children of Ishmael. And now they’re in about every country in the world. And many more are the children of bondage than the children of promise. Matthew 7 says the same thing. Broad is the road that leads to destruction. Many few. And there’s many more Arabs than there are Jews.

Yes or no? The Bible said that 2,000 years ago. Had the wars that have been fought, mainly been fought to annihilate the Arabs or to annihilate the Jew, to annihilate the Jews. Remember, we hear about Hitler doing Second World War, tried to murder six million Jews, but the total number of all the people was about 30 million people that died. about 30 million people that died. When you think about some of the battles that they have fought, whether it’s the Second World War or the Korean War, Vietnam War, one out of every five people were killed.

Look what he says here in verse 26, but Jerusalem, which is above, is free, which is the mother of a psalm. Now look up here, the flesh is of the world. The new birth born again, born from above. So when you trust Christ, you’re saved, you’re born. From a ball, miracle child, spirit, and the flesh hates the spirit. What have we done for them to hate us so? It’s the nature of the flesh. That’s the nature of the flesh.

The Koran was written to fire them up against the spirit, confir the word of God against the nation of Israel. All this has to deal with Jesus Christ. The Koran was actually written and states in it. We do not believe that God had a son. What is that in there for? To rebuke the word of God, the truth. Written 700 years after Christ came. Then he says here in verse 27, “‘For it is written, rejoice, thou barren, that bareth not, break forth in cry, thou that travaileth not.

For the desolate hath many more children than she which hath a husband look up here.” many more children than she which hath a husband. You see, Sarah was the real wife and Abram was her husband and she didn’t have as many. There’s not as many Jews as there are Arabs. Arabs control about 51 countries in the world. You know one of the things that even France is afraid of today, they’ve got too many Muslims living in their country. He makes a statement here in verse 28.

Now we brethren, as Isaac was, or the children of promise, but as then he that was born after the flesh, did what? Persecuted him that was born after the spirit. So it is now. What did the spirit do to the flesh? Nothing. What did we ever really do to the Arab nations? Nothing. Well, it’s because we don’t know how to negotiate with them. Yes, we do. You either constrain them, control them, but buddy, you don’t let them in your nation to destroy your nation.

I said this, and I mean exactly what I’m saying. Bush didn’t call me up and ask me my opinion on this, but I believe every Muslim in America. If they swear they’re loyalty and they’re old to the Koran, they ought not be permitted in America, and very nicely and sweetly we should have helped them get back to whatever country they wanted to go to. You see, well, there’s a Muslim that are really nice. And they’re, yes, okay, okay. Then they’re not a good Muslim.

Because a good Muslim must obey the Quran. Just like don’t we expect good Christians to obey the Bible? Do we have some Christians that don’t obey the Bible? Yes. I’m not being cruel. I’m not being mean and ugly. And he says here in verse 29, as then he that was born after the flesh You did him that was born after the Spirit. When you trusted Christ says you’re saved it, you were born again. That’s that second birth that you have.

Inside of you, inside of you, you have this flesh, this old nature. But I’m talking about you have within you something that hates your new birth. Inside of you, you have the lust of the flesh that’s trying to destroy your life. Doesn’t want you to grow spirits. It doesn’t want Christ to be formed in your life. Doesn’t want you to mature. You see, that’s where your fear comes from. Fear does not come from the new birth. It says, Christ has not given us the spirit of fear, but of love, power, and what?

A sound mind. Fear didn’t come from God. Came from that old nature that you have. And this is why the next chapter really explains that, but we’re not going to get it, but looking verse 30. the less what saith the scripture cast out the bondwoman and her son for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman. They can’t be heirs together because they see the slave, the first birth has no claims to the riches of the son of promise.

But he wants them and tries to steal into rob. You have within you an old sinful nature that’s going to do everything possible to ruin you as a Christian to rob your peace and your joy and your happiness because he hates you. You don’t have to worry about your neighbor. You don’t have to worry about your wife or your children or the people in the world. Inside of you is somebody who lives that’s identical to Sodom Hussein. Sodom Hussein lives inside of you just as wicked.

Just it. Osama bin Laden, you got one of those guys living in He’s a terrorist living inside of you. So in verse 31, so then brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman. We’re not slaves to the flesh. You don’t have to be a slave to sin. You’re a flesh birth. Well, that was your first birth. And now he says, you’ve been set free. You have a new birth. Serve God. Serv them with all your heart. And don’t let him put you in bondage.

That’s why, and I want you to get this, look in verse 1 of chapter 5. Don’t let that little Osama bin Laden or that little Osama Hussein who lives inside of you put you in bondage and cause you to live your life in fear. That’s what they’re trying to do physically in the world. But I’m talking about spiritually or Christ will not be formed in you and you’ll not be strong enough to defeat that little Sodom Hussein that lives there.

And so he makes a statement, verse one. Stand fast therefore in the liberty where with Christ has made us what? Free. And be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Don’t you allow Sodom Hussein to cause you to live your life in fear. Don’t let him terrorize you. Cause see, I have already died. I’m already a dead man. I died long time ago. His death was put to my account and I’m a dead man. You don’t have to be afraid no more.

What can the world do to me? They can kill you. I don’t have to live in fear. Somebody wrote this and his author’s unknown says, I got your bang. I’m a small and precious child. My dad seems I’ve been sent to fight. The only place I’ll see his face in my dreams at night. He will be gone too many days for my young mind to keep track. I may be sad, but I am proud. My daddy’s got your back.

I am a caring mother. My son has gone to war. My mind is filled with worries that I have never known before. Every day I try to keep my thoughts from turning black. I may be scared, but I am proud. My son has got your back. I’m a strong and loving wife with a husband soon to go. There are times I’m terrified in a way most never known. I bite my lip and force a smile as I watch my husband pack.

My heart may break, but I am proud. My husband’s got your back. I am a soldier serving proudly, standing tall. I fight for freedom, yours and mine by answering this call. I do my job while knowing the thanks it’s sometimes lack. Say a prayer that I’ll come home. It’s me who’s got your back, author unknown. Isn’t that good? And even then I write, they don’t hate us because of what we’re doing. What we’re doing is not going to cause terrorism around the world.

It’s mainly because of what we are. It’s who we are. It’s because you see, the Quran been a war manual. They hate Christians and Jews, and they teach that to their children. You notice the children that were paraded around on TV that’s in Palestine and the Gaza. And you’ll see that they teach their children this hatred. America didn’t teach them to hate. It’s their parents who teach them to hate. It’s the emons of their mosques that teach them to hate.

They’re only responding to what they’re been taught. And So it’s not because of what we’ve done, but if America does not contain them, they will destroy us. 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 Bible 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. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage. If you’re 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 going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Art. Friend, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Hot up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.

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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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.

This is Jesus speaking to His disciples. He said, let not your heart be troubled. He believed in God, believe also in me. And my father’s house are many mansions, but we’re not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a state of mind for you. So what it says? I go to prepare a place for you. Heaven, mansion, whatever it is, it’s not a state of mind, it’s a literal place. Now Jesus was literally here. Jesus literally taught, and He said many wonderful things.

The Bible says that he was perfect means he can make no mistakes. Whatever he spoke would have to be the truth. He makes this statement and you ought to underline this there in verse 2. If it were not so, I would have told you if it wasn’t true I ought to told you. So what he does teach us, we are supposed to believe it is true. Jesus is the truth. And so the Bible is true. The teachings concerning heaven, they’re true.

He says, I go to prepare a place for you that where I am, there you may be also. And you have to know and understand and believe this is talking about another life. It’s talking about someplace other than the earth. It’s just talking about after you’re dead. I go to prepare a place for you. Now, the thing I want you to dwell upon as I go through some things this morning is the statement that he made. If it were not true, I would have told you if it wasn’t true.

Take your Bible and turn to the book of Revelation in chapter 22, the book of Revelation in chapter 22. Because we cannot see past this life. If it wasn’t for the Bible, there’s so much that you and I would not know. We wouldn’t really know what happens to a loved one when they die. You really don’t know if it wasn’t for the Bible. You can imagine, you can guess, but you can’t prove anything. Because you can’t go to the other side and come back.

You don’t know what happens. That’s why a lot of people because they can’t see. They just simply say the grave ends it all. Where you going to die to the grave? They’re going to put me six feet under and that’s all there is to it. Boy, how many times I’ve Bei. How many times I’ve heard? I’m telling Notwithstanding, I said, how do you know that’s true? Have you ever done it before? I said, Smarty. As one guy said, where are you going to go in your diet?

He says that’s where he’s going to be buried. I mean, after you leave the body, where are you going to go? He said, I don’t believe I’m going anywhere. He says, that’s all there is to it. Because you can’t see any further. You can’t see God. You can’t see heaven. can’t see hell. And yet you and I are asked to live our whole lives down here as though it’s true. Wouldn’t you want some proof of something? I mean, prove it?

Well, see, that’s what Christ did. Him being here, just the person being here, is the proof that the world needed, that everything He said was true. It was all prophesied, written about in advance, And he comes as a man and was born at the right place, at the right time, lived the right way, and died. Everything about him, all written in advance. Can you do that? Did you determine where you were going to be born and how you’re going to be born?

And you can’t determine anything. But all this was written about him before he ever showed up. And then the prophecies concerning things that are yet going to happen. And isn’t it amazing that of all the nations in the world it describes the one nation, the only nation that’s ever been cast out of their land and gone away for 2,000 years and come back and become established. There ain’t no other nation done it, but this nation did Israel. Coincidence, call of that if you want.

The Bible makes so many statements and it’s true. Look there in chapter 22. Chapter 22 and look in verse 11. In verse 11, says, He that is unjust, let Him be unjust still. You say, for how long, eternity? He, which is filthy, let Him be filthy still, for how long, eternity? He that is righteous, let Him be righteous still, for how long, eternity? He that is holy, let Him be holy still, for how long, eternity? at the end of life.

When you die, how you die saved or lost, you will be for eternity. If you die lost, you’ll be lost for how long? Eternity. If you die saved, you’ll be saved for how long? Eternity. However you die, that’s how you’re going to be from now on. And the Lord says that in verse 12, behold, I come quickly and my reward is with me. He’s going to reward those who have trusted Him as Savior and decided to serve Him because you’re rewarded according to your work.

See there in last part of verse 12? To give every man according as his work shall be. See salvation going to heaven that’s free. That’s because of what he did. That’s his work. It gives us eternal life as a gift. But he’s going to reward you according to your work. You say, well I ain’t working for the Lord. Okay, and then no rewards. But you don’t know until you get to heaven to see what it has really cost you.

That’s why he says, if it weren’t true, I’d have told you. But this is true and you’re supposed to believe it. You know what I wish I could do, but I can’t do. I wish I could make people believe. I wish I could make people believe. I can’t make people believe. I can’t make people see. I can’t make people hear. I can only proclaim and then it’s up to the individual to do whatever they want with that knowledge. I don’t try to make anybody do anything.

I like the sign, the sign that I saw about catching fish, you know. Concerned to learn. You catch him and he’ll clean him. I don’t mind catching the fish. I’ll let the Lord clean the fish. I don’t try to clean up people’s lives. You can clean up your life and nobody can stop you. And you can decide to live as ungodly as you want and nobody can stop you. At least not me. I’m not going to try to stop any person from living ungodly like you live as young God as you want to.

I’ll try to talk to you do it the best again, but physically I’m not going to do anything to you. I’m not going to take a nail you down and handcuff you and whoop you and all that. No, I ain’t going to do nothing to you. That’s God’s job and I believe he’ll do a pretty good job. Now look in Revelation 21. Revelation chapter 21 I want to look in verse 8 and notice what he says. If it weren’t true, it shouldn’t have been put in the Bible.

Think for a moment. If it wasn’t for the Bible, what would you know about hell? Would you know that there is even a place called hell, not without the Bible? It’s the book that tells you that there’s a hell. Now, if it wasn’t true, he shouldn’t have said so. True? There is no hell he should have said. There is no hell. Can you find one verse in the Bible that says there is no hell? But you can find a lot of verses in the Bible that says there is.

So the Jehovah’s Witnesses that teach there is no hell, they’re a joke. They’re not speaking the truth. They’re not quoting the Bible correctly. It’s because they personally, they don’t want to believe there’s a hell. There’s a lot of people don’t want to believe that there is a hell. They don’t want to face the issue. I got news for you. There is one. If it wasn’t so, he would have said so. the one that planted those truths in the Word, put those thoughts in our minds.

And it makes the statement of verse 8, but the fearful and unbelievable murders, hormones, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with what? Fire and brimstone. Now does the Bible teach that unbelievers and liars and murders and hormones and all the… that’s hit. lake of fire. But remember, all this that’s mentioned in verse 8, those are all the references to the flesh, the first birth. But sometimes people don’t understand if it just said flesh, but let them list those sins.

In other words, if you have sinned, you are in danger of eternal hell fire. So how many people are in danger of eternal hell fire? Everybody, until they What? The deal they trust Christ is their Savior. And a person who trusts Christ as Savior, then he doesn’t have to worry about that. He’s not going to go there. Only those who have been born the first time without the second birth. See, if you’re born twice, you only die once, but if you’re born once, you die twice.

The second death means that you’re separated from your body. That’s the first death. And to be separated from God, that’s the second death. That’s why this is called the second death. Eternal separation from God. from God. If your wife was to die right now, that’s one death. She has been separated from her body. Second death is when she’s separated from God, if she hasn’t trusted Christ. So a person who’s been born twice can only die once. But a person that’s been born once will die twice.

You can think about that for a while. Look at her also in Revelation chapter 20. Look at their inverse 10. I’m going backwards just a little bit, but I want you to understand If it wasn’t so, He would have told you. If it wasn’t true, He would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. If it wasn’t so, I would have told you. It is so. It is true. And what He has told us is the truth.

There is a hell. and says in verse 20, and the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire, a lake of fire. I want you to think for a moment. How many in this room have ever experienced pain? Let me see here. You’ve experienced pain. Now, if there is a wonderful kind loving God, would He allow you to experience pain? There’s Jehovah’s witnesses knock at your door if God really loved you. He wouldn’t allow you to suffer pain and hell.

Well if this wonderful kind love in God wouldn’t let you suffer in hell for eternity. Why does He let you suffer pain temporarily? The difference between Christianity and the religion of Islam is if we don’t believe what they teach, their God told them to kill us. Christianity tells us that if they don’t believe what we teach, we’re to love them. Is there a difference? There’s a difference. We’re to love them anyway. Looking at the last part of verse 10, where the beasts and the false prophet are and shall be tormented day and night for how long?

Forever and ever. There’s people who won’t believe that. Also look there in verse 15. Verse 15 of Revelation chapter 20, just look at this and whosoever was not found written in the book of life, cast into the lake of fire. Cast into what? A lake of fire. Whose name was not written the book of life. Now look up here just a moment. This is what I believe. When you’re born into the world the first time, at first birth there is the flesh birth.

When you trust Christ as your Savior there’s a spiritual birth to a different birth. This one, the flesh birth, your first birth is the book of the living. And you can be cast out of the book of the living. But whatever you do as a person in the first birth is recorded in a book. And you’re going to be rewarded according to your works, the works of the flesh and God’s going to render to every man according to his works.

You trust Christ as your Savior’s, your name’s written in the Lamb’s book of life. The Lamb’s book of life is the second birth and as you as a Christian serve the Lord, when you stand before the Lord, He’s going to reward you according to your works as a believer. This one is a lost, saved. Two different books. When you read there in verse 12 and I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God and the books were open and another book was open, which is the book of life.

The dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works. So you have books that were open and everybody in verse 15, a 15 that was not in the lands book of life or the book of life was cast to the lake of fire. See, when man died it’s lost. If he hasn’t trusted Christ as his Savior, his name is not recorded in the book of life, because he never trusts the Lord.

So whosoever’s name is not recorded in the Lamb’s book of life is cast where? Into the lake of fire. That burn it with fire and brimstone. Eternal torment forever and ever. You need to understand it. Believe that. Don’t get so caught up with the affairs of life that you lose sight of them. See Jesus said this, if it wasn’t so, I told you. But since He did teach this… And he spoke more on hell than he ever spoke on heaven.

It must be true. It must be true. Look in Revelation chapter 14. Revelation in chapter 14 verse 11. Now notice this in verse 11 and the smoke of their torment ascended up forever and ever have no rest day nor night. Now we’re not talking about smoke. We’re talking about the people. And it says, and they have no rest day nor night who worship the beast and his image and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name, because this is talking about doing the tribulation period that’s coming up on the earth.

And people are going to receive a mark of the last world government, whether on the forehead or on the back of their hand. And he says that these people, and we’re talking about people that they are going to have no rest day or night for how long? Forever. Now look there in verse 10, verse 10. The same shall drink of the wind of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation, and he shall be tormented, tormented with fire and brimstone.

In other words like hot, molten lava. You say, whenever you get the hell, you know, we’ll all see each other down there, you know, the lost people. They’ll see each other. Hey, there’s John over there. Hey, there’s Susie over there. Hey, how y’all done? Why don’t we take up them off from their air-condition this place? The Bible says it’s a lonely place. The Bible says there is no light there, no light. The Bible says there is like wandering stars in the midst of blackness forever.

Total blackness, no light, see nothing, no more, no light.” See, where does it say that? I knew you’d ask that. Look at Jude, we’ll be back there in a minute. And notice what he says here. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the Holy Angel and the presence of the Lamb, smoke of their tormented, send it up forever and forever. I read this to a man one day and I said, this is a picture of hell.

He says, it is not. There is no hell. I said, what is it? He says, it’s just a picture. I said, a picture of what? It’s just a picture. I said, a picture of what? Is it in your Bible? If you, when you opened your Bible, did you find Luke chapter 16? Is it in your Bible? Look there in verse 19, see if it’s in your Bible. There was a certain rich man which was clothed in purple and fine linen, fared sumptuously every day.

There was a certain beggar named Yankee which was laid as a gate full of sores. No name Lazarus. So we’re talking a story here about a rich man and a poor man. So we know that rich people go to hell and poor people go to heaven, right? No, that’s not the point of the story. In verse 21, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table, more over the dog. That was the name of the dog, more over the dog.

He came in and licked his sword. So we know that he was a poor man. He laid at the rich man’s gate. He had swords, all over his body, and the dogs would come and lick his source. How would you like to be Lazarus? You wouldn’t like to be Lazarus? You know, would you rather be the rich man? Come on now. You don’t want to be the rich man. You don’t want to be the poor man. Which man do you want to be?

Lazarus, though he was poor, for food, sores on his body, probably had nothing, but he was a saved man. He was a saved man. Why would God let a saved man be like this? You know I read a verse one time in the book of Psalms and it kind of made me feel good for a moment where David made the statement, I have not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed. begging bread, and I thought, well, David might not have saw it, but Lazarus did.

Lazarus was a saved man, begging for bread. And did God see him? Did God see this man begging bread? Did God see him with the sores? Did God know that the dogs were licking his sores? God know that this man had nothing and was begging outside of or Richmond did God see all of that and let it happen anyway, didn’t he? But he always knows it’s temporary. And now this man dies. The rich man both died. One saved, one lost.

Who is telling this story? Jesus is. Jesus is telling the story. And now, now if it’s not real, if it’s not true, he should have what? He should have told us. But he says a certain man, that’s not a parable. When he gives the name, that’s not a parable. You see, I read a lot of the parables. in the Bible. And it talks about the kingdom of heaven is as a man that does this and so forth, and they’re parables in the description.

That’s a parable. Now you read this and see if you found the word parable mentioned, not a parable. This is true. He said, well it’s just a picture, okay, if it’s just a picture, what is it a picture of? Of two people who died and went somewhere. true. And one was in total comfort, total bliss, and the other one was in torment. And look what he says there. In verse 23, and after waiting in the ground for centuries and centuries and a state of soul sleep, is that what he said?

No. And in hell, he lift up his, I know it’s a very moment, He died. Vermon, you die. You’re another place. And let me tell you this. Anybody who dies, if you died, means you left your body. A doctor may revive an individual that thinks dead, but once you leave your body, no doctor, nobody can bring you back. You’re gone. They can only revive a person because the person’s not gone yet. But when you’ve really died, you’re no longer there.

No doctor can reach out into space and get ahold of your spirit and put it back into your body. Well, I know this person was dead for 15 minutes. No, there was somebody they thought was dead for 15 minutes and they revived them. And there’s people they drug out of a water and they pump their stomach out and they revive. What? Dead. When you’re dead, you’re dead. No doctors bringing you back. So how do you know that? Go about a book.

Don’t go about nothing else. Trust the Bible. You’ll be so safe. But it makes the statement here in verse 23 and in hell, he lift up his eyes being and what? Now, who’s telling the story in Jesus? He’s telling a story about a man who died and is in No, wait a minute. If that’s not true, he should have said so, or would have been better off not to said it at all if it ain’t true. Why would he tell this story to make us think something that wasn’t true?

Well, unless it is true, unless it’s true. Aren’t you glad you trusted Christ as your Savior and you have eternal life and you’re going to heaven and you’re going to heaven and you’re going to, aren’t you glad? You know there’s a lot of other people who love me just as glad as you. I just talk to them. You get one here and you get one there, but talk to them. But he makes a statement and he says, Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom.

He cried and says, Father, Abraham, have mercy on me. And send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am. What’s those words? Torminate. Tormented in this flame. And this isn’t even the permanent hell. This is just a temporary holding tank until they have the great white throne judgment, then they’re cashing to the lake of fire, to the final Gahina. Take your Bible and look in the book of Jude, the book of Jude, right before the book of Revelation.

And notice this very quickly. He makes the statement here in verse 20, but ye belevered, building up yourselves on your most holy faith. Pray and end the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God. That means serving God in the center of his will because that’s what God would love for you to do. And it says in verse 22, and of some have compassion making a difference. And others save with fear. There’s two motives mentioned there, compassion of love and fear, pulling them out of the fire.

Now this is also mentioned the last part of verse 7 where he talks about suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Here he’s talking about pulling them out of the fire. In other words, as you look at the world, remember this and look at it this way, everybody’s on their way to hell. Everybody’s going to hell because all have sinned. All going to die. They’re all one to hell. And every person you win the Christ, you are pulled that person out of hell.

Everybody’s on their way to hell. And everyone that you win the Christ is like pulling them out of the fire. Pull them out of the fire. This is how I envision it and I picture this for the last 40 years. That’s why I like giving the gospel because I think, well, some man may walk in here, some woman, some little teenage or whatever, and I’ll give the gospel and I’m pulling that person out of the fire. And I care.

And that’s why I want to make the gospel as simple as clear as I can because I’m not interested in impressing some grown-up adult. I’m interested in the person who can just simply understand the basic knowledge that I’m interested in. of a truth because if it wasn’t so he should have said so. I believe that there is a hell and I want to make a difference. That’s why I want you to give the mission so we can support missionaries so that they can make a difference.

I want you to make a difference on your job. I want you to make a difference with your relatives. You may be the only link between somebody that’s going to hell. You say well I’m afraid of chasing my way. Where are they going if you don’t. We’re going to chase them too. Well, I’m afraid of chasing them away. They’re already on the way to hell. Where else are you going to chase them to? A poor presentation of the gospel is better than no presentation of the gospel.

Let God use you to reach people and look for opportunities. This hand, hand represents Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. He came into the world because He loves us. He hates our sin because our sin separates us from him. So Christ took the sin, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead. And God said that if we would believe that He did it for us, He would give us as a free gift. Everlasting life we will go to heaven on what He did for us.

Now if you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, I urge you to do so. You cannot earn eternal life. You can’t work for it. This Celtch can’t save you. This preacher can’t save you. But Jesus Christ can. Let’s pray, shall we? With every head bowed and every eye closed, no one looking around. If you have not accepted Christ as your Savior, believe this, God does love you. He wants you to have eternal life. He wants you to go to heaven.

But He doesn’t force you. He will let you make that decision. He’ll let you suffer the consequences of the wrong decision and allow you to enjoy the wonderful bliss of making the right decision. I can’t make it for you, no one else can, but I pray that you will be wise enough to realize there’s no tricks to this, there’s no gimmicks. I’m not going to have you forward, not going to embarrass you, but right where you’re sitting. So yes, I’ll trust Christ as my Savior, and preach I like you to pray for me.

Would you just slip your hand very quickly and put it right back down? If you’ve never done it before, we’d do it right now. So yes, I’ll trust Christ as my Savior, and I like you to pray for me. Our Father, we do thank You so much for Your blessings to us. I pray Lord for wisdom and the things that are said and helped me to warn as I should. And Father, to have a balance in the things that are taught to be wise.

Help me be a blessing in Christ name I 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 Bible 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. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re 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 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Life broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arden. Friend, one day it will happen, the trumpet will sound, and we will be changed. Hot up to meet the Lord in the air.

So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon, 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 through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. 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.

So here in the Bible, I want you to look there in the book of 2 Corinthians in chapter 12. Look there in verse 13. I want you to know that the devil is alive and he is working. And believe it or not, he has a message that he wants you to hear. The devil, the devil has a message he wants you to hear. Now we know that Christ when he was here says, going to all world priests to the gospel.

Well the devil goes into all the world and he preaches a message too. And he’s got everything that the Lord’s got. He doesn’t have the power of God but there is the power of the devil. And so he’s working on your minds. little that you may understand that you may wind up believing just like the devil. In 2 Corinthians in chapter 11 verse 13 says, for such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. Now notice certain thing here.

There’s the word apostles and workers transformed lives. All wonderful things? No, but this is of the devil. The devil has people that he has transformed, transformed in such a way that you can’t tell the difference to deceive you. He says, and no more before Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers, Satan’s ministers, also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness whose inshale be according to their works. So the point number one is I want to know that the devil does have a message and the message of the devil is man’s righteousness.

They are ministers of righteousness. See the devil doesn’t always want you to do bad things. He wants you to do good things. The devil wants you to do good things to go to heaven. After you have trusted Christ as your Savior, he wants you to do bad things because that really messes up your life. That causes people to call you a hypocrite. You say you’re going to heaven, but he’ll get you to live like the devil so that people won’t listen to what you have to say.

ButDenver, you can be smarter than the devil. And the only way you can be smarter than the devil is you listen to what God says about the devil so you can discern. This is the devil’s method. In verse 3 says, “‘But I fear less by any means as the servant beguile eat through his subtlety so your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Did you know that going to heaven is simple? And even serving the Lord after your trusted Christ is Savior, it’s simple.

The Christian life isn’t hard and complicated. The devil tells you it is. The devil tells you that it’s so hard to get to heaven and that you have to live right and do right all your life. And it’s so hard. And you have trials and temptations and testings of all kind and it’s so hard to be faithful. So it’s so hard. Well, why do it? Just quit and give up. And so you do. And many people do. They say it’s just been a hypocrite.

And if I’m going to go to hell, I might as well have me a ball before I get down there. Well, I agree with them. Because see the devil’s message is a false message. He always tell you how hard it is. Well, the Lord says it’s simple, but he has a goal by any means to corrupt your minds from the simplicity that’s in Christ. But did you know that this verse is not written to the lost people? This verse is written to believers.

This verse is written to those who already know the Lord because Paul said, I fear less the devil. Get ahold of your mind and corrupt your minds. You see, if you and I who know Christ is our Savior, we allow the devil to deceive us to corrupt our minds, then And we won’t live the way we should live. We won’t give the clear gospel message because our minds will be corrupted from the simplicity and we think there’s more to it than there really is.

The next statement I want you to look there is the devil’s method, the devil’s man. Second Peter chapter 2, I want you to turn there and look at this verse. This is awesome when you really begin to see what the Lord is saying. And he warns us, in the words you’re not supposed to believe everything you hear. And you need to believe what you believe because it’s the book and it’s right. And you check it with your Bible because you’re going to have to give an account someday for the things that you heard and what you’ve done as a result of what you heard.

2 Peter 2, look in verse 1. Verse 1, he says, but there were false teachers or false prophets also among the people. The Lord tells you that they’re there. He doesn’t remove them all, but he says, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privately shall bring in, and here’s that word, dandevo doctrines, dandevo heresies. In the words heresies that condemn your soul. It’s a terrible thing. Or even for a believer, teachings that will bring judgment upon you for not obeying God.

Now, for example, I’ve trusted Christ as my Savior. Satan cannot get my soul and send me to hell. I can’t go to hell. I have eternal life. I’m God’s child. But since he can’t get my soul, he wants to get my life. And he hasn’t cared what he has to do as long as he ruins my life, ruin my testimony. He don’t care how He destroys you, your home, your kids, the church, the country, the devil wants to destroy.

Look what else He says there in verse 2. Many shall follow their pernicious ways by reasons of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoke of many. Many people are going to listen to false teaching, so understand that. It’s the truth. But they don’t know that it’s the devil they’re listening to. They don’t know it’s the false teachers and false prophets. They just think it sounds reasonable, sounds logical. It makes sense to me. And so they lose everything.

They quit serving God and justify it. They can quit their wife or their husband, justify it. Do everything you want. You can always justify anything that you really want to do, even if it’s wrong. But now I want you to understand there is a consequence, a penalty has to be paid. But first of all, look in verse 3, through covetousness shall they with vain words make merchandise of you whose judgment now a long time, lender if not, and their damn nation slumber if not.

So then he uses an illustration. In verse four, God didn’t spare the angels that sand against him, he judged them. And then down in verse five, he didn’t spare the old world, the world that was there. When Noah was there, God judged those people, but he saved Noah and Mrs. Noah and three sons and their wives, but he brought judgment. There was Sodom and Gomorrah, looked on there in verse six, turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example onto those that should afterwards live ungodly.

So that you know homosexuality. That’s wicked. God said so. It’s wicked, it’s ungod. That’s not like God. That’s not how God wants it to be. Sex between two men or sex between two women, that is sinful, that is wrong, that is wicked. Sex outside of marriage is wrong. You cannot justify it. Don’t do it. If you’re guilty, stop. Clean up, stop. It’s wrong. I’ve had a man tell me, well, I love her. I said, if you love her, marry her.

Marior, give her your name. Make your promise and keep your word. But stop bad hopping. That ain’t right. That’s wicked. That’s sinful. He says down here in verse seven, and delivered just slot vexed with the filthy behavior of the wicked. That’s what God calls it. And for that righteous man dwil it among them and seeing and hearing Bex’s right to soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds. You can’t make it lawful just because people pass laws and say, well, it’s okay.

I think a marriage is between man and a woman, and that’s the way the home ought to be. I just believe that. I don’t believe God made him in the very beginning, Adam and Steve. Was Adam and Eve? In verse 9, the Lord knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust onto the day of judgment to be what? They are going to be punished whether we like it or not. Whether they like to hear it or not that doesn’t matter.

The book is true and not to believe what God says is a wrong thing. That means they’re believing some teaching that didn’t come from God. So Satan’s job is to make sure that people don’t believe what God says. So they teach a different message and and causes people to believe it. The devil believes there’s one God, and it trembles. Some people don’t believe any more than what the devil believes. You believe there’s one God? Well, so does the devil.

The devil can quote scripture. Maybe you can. The devil believes Jesus, son of God. The devil believes in a future judgment. The devil believes Jesus cast out demons. Does that mean the devil is going to heaven? No. It’s the devil saved. No. But the devil believed all this. Yes. You might believe just like the devil and as lost as you can be. Now look at this. In that little statement, if you believe only what the devil believes, you have no more faith than the devil.

The next statement, the devil’s delusion. He desaves people. Number one, I know I’m saved. Now, these statements that I’ve mentioned here are statements. Believe it or not, people have given to me. Because sometimes I’d ask them. says, have you been saved? Yes. Well, tell me about it. I was driving my car and was going to wreck and I cried out, God saved me and He did. So therefore I know I’m saved. Now is that your definition of what it means to be saved?

No. That’s not salvation. But I had a person tell me I know I’m saved because see I cried and God heard and He saved me from being wrecked. Well, he might have kept you from wrecking, but that doesn’t mean that you’re saved from hell. Next statement, I was sick in the hospital and I thought I was going to die. So I prayed and God saved me. He healed me. Therefore I’ve been saved. That’s not what the Bible is talking about being saved from hell.

That doesn’t get you into heaven. That doesn’t get you a little pinkies one inch close to the pearly gates. The next statement, I went to war. I must be saved to survive a war. And because I went over and I was in the foxholes and it was shooting into people dying all around. I had to be saved for God to take care of me like that. Does that mean you’re saved because of that? No. That they don’t get it.

But they think I’m saved. No. Save means I’m not going to hell. Save means that I’m going to heaven. Save means that I’m now God’s child and I have eternal life. That’s being saved means. The love you say, well, I’ve been saved. They don’t know where they go and they die. Didn’t they don’t understand it? They’ve overlied you. Look at the little statement that’s next there. Number two, I know I’m saved because God has been so good to me.

Look there, I want you to see this verse in the book of Romans in chapter 2. The book of Romans and chapter 2. God is a good God. He is good to his creation. He’s met all of our needs before we were ever born. He met our needs before we were ever saved. If whoever trusts the Lord, our needs have been met. But look what he says here. I think it’s very important to see this. Here in the book of Romans in chapter two, let’s just start to first of all in verse two.

But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth. Verse three, thank you, style this, oh man, that judges them which do such things and do it the same, that thou shall escape the judgment of God. Is there anybody in here that thinks you are going to escape the judgment of God after all the bad things you’ve done and you’re going to escape his judgment. There’s only one way to escape it. If you haven’t done that one thing, you cannot escape.

You will not escape. Look at the next statement in verse 4, or despises thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-term, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth the to repentance. The goodness of God is not repentance, but the goodness of God leadeth the man the changes mind and trust the Lord. In other words, God is good to all of us. God was good to me before I ever trusted him as my Savior. God gave me a good body before I ever knew the Lord.

He gave me air, debris, he gave me food, he ate, I closed my back, my knees were me. God was good to me. God is good to all of us. The goodness of God is what causes a man to rethink his position. When you hear the gospel and you hear how good God has been, God has done wonderful things for us. And it’s the goodness of God that should motivate a man to understand I want to be with that good God for all eternity.

But lo and behold, if you make God mad, you don’t want to make God mad. One year I preached a sermon on don’t make Melanie mad. Some of y’all may remember. Don’t make Melanie mad. She’s my little granddaughter. She was about four years old. And lo and behold, Michael, one day he made her mad. And it was not in Pueblo. And I was over there at the house. and they were over at the church and they were riding the bicycles and she had on this little bicycle and she had a foot kept slipping off and she’s running out of the ride and she got mad.

She got so mad she took that bike and she threw a thing on the ground and she let out some words. I will stand across the road and I said, Melanie what did you say? And Michael who was right there, he said, she said, I really didn’t want him to repeat it. So I fresh the message one day on don’t make Melanie mad. Well better than that is don’t make God mad because he’s the judge and he’s going to punish.

He’s going to punish wickedness, ungodliness. So if you do not accept Christ as your Savior from that judgment, there is no escape from that judgment. He gave us food to eat. He gave us water to drink. He gave us clothes to wear. The goodness of God is to lead us to salvation, but the goodness of God is not salvation. You’re not saved just because God is good. There’s also the wrath of God. There’s the love of God. But if you don’t accept the love of God, of God, you will receive the wrath of God.”

The next statement, I know I’m saved because look what I’ve done. Boy, look what I’ve done. He’s saying nobody’s going to say that. They know that they can’t get to heaven by the good worth. Let me show you what he says. Turn in your Bible all the way over there to the welcome Matthew, chapter 7, Matthew and chapter 7. There are several things that are mentioned here that’s very important for you to see. more important to see what he said instead of look what I’ve done.

When people leave this world, the Bible says Jesus is the authority and Jesus said many will say unto me something that is going to ring their bell is going to be a chakra. Here in the first note, not everyone is is going to be saved. Not everyone’s going to be saved. So that you know right now God who created the heavens in the earth, he made heaven, made hell, made the world, created us, he says not everyone’s going to be saved.

You see what I mean? Not everybody is going to escape hell. Not everybody’s going to escape. Look in verse 13 and 14. Enter ye in at the straight gate for why does the gate brought us the way that lead to destruction and many there be which go in there at. So there is a place and some are going there. Look at verse 14, because straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

So there’s some going to one place and there’s some going to another place, yes or no? Yes. But not everybody is going to the same place. Not everyone is going to be lost. So not everybody is going to be lost, some will go to heaven. Not everybody is going to be saved, but some will. More people will be lost and saved. You say, how do you know more people are gonna be lost and saved? what didn’t he just say right there?

Many in verse 13, many there be which go in there at many will go in their way of destruction. Many is gonna be lost. Many expecting to be saved will be lost. Many that are expecting to be saved will be lost. Look in verse 21. Not everyone, 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. And when he says, not everyone means that some will, but some won’t.

Some will say, Lord, Lord, and they will get in, but not everyone. So some will and some won’t. Well, what’s he gonna use as the criteria? Don’t you think you ought to know? Don’t you think this is important? This is very important. How do you know that you’re not one of those? He says, you ain’t going. Well, what I thought I was, I thought I’ve been a Christian all my life. Well, maybe you’re not. Because he said a lot of people can say Lord Lord, you hear a lot of people say, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, wonderful Lord, Jesus.

And all these wonderful things about Jesus, that means just because they say that, they’re going to heaven, no, no. I need you to see this in verse 22. Many, many, many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, Then they named them many cast out devils, and then they named them many wonderful works. The ones that don’t get to go, he says, not all, let’s say Lord, Lord, we’ll go. And here’s why.

Many will say this. And these many that are saying this are saying, look what we have done. Look what we did. We cast out devils in your name. We prophesy in your name. We done many wonderful work. many wonderful work in your name, he says, they’re not going. He says, well, why? Because, see, they’re trusting their works for salvation. They’re trusting in their good, look what we have done. Nobody gets to heaven because of what they’ve done. You do not go to heaven because you joined a church, you were baptized in water, or because you promised to live right, and because you quit all of your sins, and you promise to live for the Lord only, you can make all the promises and pledges in the world.

You’re not safe because of that. You don’t go to heaven because you promise God you’re gonna quit some bad deeds in your life and because you promise that you’re gonna start living better and go to church and give money and pray and all these wonderful things, God doesn’t save anybody because of that. He doesn’t save anybody who’s trying to save themselves or it depends upon their changed life. Your works have absolute zero in this matter. You cannot save yourself.

And so he says, they’re those who are trying to do just that. Look at the next statement. Let her eat, no one will be saved after death. No one will be saved after death. Is you a how do you know that? because of what he said. He says that you’re going to stand before him one day and and Minnie’s going to say Lord Lord and he’s going to say no no and he also says something else in verse 23.

There’s two statements that he makes. When he makes the statement I never knew you. Look at this whole verse verse 23 and then will I on to them. You see, they professed but didn’t possess. He said, I’m going to profess something. What I say, I never knew you. What do they mean? It means they were never saved. I never knew them. Not they were saved and then they lost their salvation. If a man gets saved and then can lose their salvation, then he can’t say I never knew yet.

He said, well, I knew you once, but then you lost your salvation And so that cost you. He said, I never knew you. There is no such thing in the Bible as anybody ever getting saved twice. Nobody’s ever been saved twice. You cannot get saved today, lose it the next day and get saved the next day. Can’t do it. Because when you get saved once, you’re saved for how long? Forever. And if it’s forever, you can never get lost.

He can never tell a true child of God, I never knew you. So these people that are talking about their works, he says, I never knew you, means they were never saved. But then he makes this statement, depart from me. Well, he doesn’t do that in your life. He does it at death. When you die and leave this world, depart from me, ye that work iniquity, you workers of iniquity, depart from me. What does that mean? Means that in the future you never will be saved.

You never have been, you never will be. Isn’t that a very difficult thing to have to accept as a fact? I never have been and I never will be. But you know he was talking to people that were alive at this moment. Means right now you can be. But if you wait till then, you will never be. One thing to say, I know the Lord. It’s another thing for God to say, I know you. And once you trust Him as your Savior, God’s as you’re born into His family, He is your Father.

He knows every child He fathered. I am God’s child, He fat. This moment could be your last opportunity to be saved. Christ was speaking to people who were still alive and still had a chance to be saved. This was a warning to them. Many people are finding the broad way because they listen to the wrong message. There is few that find the truth. And what’s the difference between true Christianity and all the religions of the world? it’s by Christ alone, it’s grace.

If you have anything to do with it, it works. And God says, for by grace Christ are you saved, and that not of yourselves, that would be works. It is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast. So any person who depends upon themselves can always lose their salvation. Check it out. Anybody who teaches you can lose it is because their salvation depends upon their works. That’s them. That’s works. If I depend upon Him, that’s grace.

I’m saved by grace. Christ. You don’t earn it. You don’t work for it. For by grace are you saved through faith that none of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast. Salvation is the gift of God. He makes a statement, but he that doeth the will of my Father. What’s the will of the Father? The will of the Father is mentioned in the book of John when he says, this is the Father’s will that you believe on®, whom He hath sent.

You must trust Jesus Christ whom He hath sent. If you accept Him, God will save you, give you eternal life, and you’ll go to heaven on what He did for you. Now look up here. This hand represents you and me and the walla represents sin. Now God says that He loves us but He hates our sin but we’ve all sinned. So we’re all sinners. Everybody’s the same in God’s eyes. Now we look at people and we think people are better than others and so forth, and so we kind of make some judgments based upon how they live and so forth.

But in God’s eyes, he goes by perfection and missing perfection. Perfection and coming short of perfection. He says, all we have sinned and comes short of the glory of God’s short of God’s perfection. So we’re all sinners. And the wages of sin that we’ve done is death. So that’s why I’m not a sin. everybody dies because everybody sins. And the wages and the eternal separation from God in hell. So God wants us to go to heaven 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’re all sinners. But God loves us, wants us to go to heaven. But He says, you cannot save yourself. There’s nothing you need to do. It’s impossible, impossible for a man to save himself. But with God, all things are possible. It’s possible only this way. This is Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. He came into the world because He loves you and me, but He hates our sin.

He didn’t have any. He didn’t have to die. So He took our sins because they separated from them. So He took the sins of the whole world, paid for them on the cross, came back from the dead. So the only way that any of us in this whole world can ever get to heaven is that we must except Him and Him only, Him alone, is our only hope of getting to heaven. God says that if you try to earn it, you can’t have it.

If you try to earn it, you can’t have it. I don’t care how sincere you may be. You can promise God that you’re gonna live for Him, you can promise Him that I’m gonna commit my life to Christ, I’m gonna make Him the Lord and master of my life. That’s a joke. That’s not the Bible. Preachers that teach that are false teachers. There’s nothing that you have to do. No promises you have to make about how you’re going to live.

There’s no sin that you have to promise God, you will stop. Not a one, not one. You don’t turn from sin to be saved. You don’t promise how you’re gonna live to be saved. You simply, Lord, I am a sinner. I cannot save myself. I deserve to go to hell. This is what I’ve done. I’ve earned these wages. And Jesus Christ, who loves you, paid for all of your sins. If you accept what he did for you, He gives you as a free gift, eternal life, and you go to heaven on what He did.

You did nothing. And God saves you, gives you eternal life, and you go to heaven on what He did for you. And you can know that you’re going to heaven whenever you die. Best news in all the world. For God so loved the world. That He gave His only begotten Son. Whosoever, believe it in Him, believe that He paid for their sins. You believe He did it to you. He puts this payment to your account, and you shall not perish, means you can’t go to heaven.

But have everlasting life you go to heaven, you go to heaven on what he did for you. 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 toll-free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re 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 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Life broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Art. Friends, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Hot up to meet the Lord in the air.

So live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.