? (Theme Song) ?
? Jesus is worthy ?
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? oh yes, he's worthy
? ? worthy of all... ?
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(Music) PB:
Stealing is universal.
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Regardless of geography,
regardless of culture,
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everybody knows
something about thievery.
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Do I have a
witness in this place?
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And unfortunately, at some
point or another in our lives
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all of us have
been guilty of stealing.
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Now I know someone says,
Pastor Byrd, I've never done
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anything illegally
to land me behind bars.
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I've never committed
theft, I've never committed
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embezzlement,
larceny or grand larceny.
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For, usually when we
think of thievery and robbery,
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we think of it in those
grand terms of bank robbery
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or some other kind of
malicious act of taking
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from someone else.
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But all of us--let me say that
again, all of us can ourselves
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some heartache by just
agreeing that we all at some
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point or another have
broken this commandment.
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So, okay, if someone is still
saying tonight, Pastor Byrd,
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no, I haven't. I haven't.
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Well, let's see.
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You're a child of God.
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You're a Christian.
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You're blood washed, Holy
Ghost sealed, laying on hands,
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lifting hands, saying
Amen, you have the whole,
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charismatic,
theological package.
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And yet, when you go to your
office to work, you borrow a
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piece of paper that's not yours.
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You pocket ink pens
that belong to your company.
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You make long distance
phone calls, charge it to
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the work place.
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Or better yet, you
cheat on your taxes so you can
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get a bigger tax return.
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Understand, when this
commandment was given,
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remember the children
of Israel are only 90 days
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into their freedom.
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Now, they didn't have much
property, so you would almost
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assume that there was no need
for this kind of commandment,
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or love letter, or words that
God would give to his people.
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But yet they
had enough property.
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They had silver and gold.
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They had personal wares.
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They had stuff.
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And so even with the little
things that they had, there
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was still that uncanny
temptation on the part of a
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neighbor to take from a
neighbor that which did not
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belong to them.
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And there's something about
thievery that no only robs the
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one that is being robbed of
dignity, but it robs yourself
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of dignity, that it takes
something out of your being
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and away from your character.
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And that's why I
believe tonight that this
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commandment was given.
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Thou shalt not steal.
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Thou shall not take
what does not belong to you.
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But then we begin to
ask another question.
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What is the cause of it?
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Why do we steal anyway?
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I mean, after all, all
of us are guilty of it.
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What makes us steal?
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For instance, some people
say, well, I'm not a thief,
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I'm just a borrower.
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You have borrowed something,
but you borrowed it with no
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intention of giving it back.
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Do I have a
witness in this place?
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Ah, come on, tell the truth.
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Can I borrow that shirt?
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Can I borrow that dress?
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Can I borrow those shoes?
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And you just assume that if
enough time, enough distance
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and enough space go by that
you can later claim it to be
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yours, that the other person
will just forget about it and
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claim it to be yours as well.
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You borrow it with
no intention to return,
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thou shalt not steal.
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Let me call the roll tonight.
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What about borrowing
with no intention to repay?
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Do I have a
witness in this place?
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You're late on a bill.
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I need to pay my car note.
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I need to pay my light bill.
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Can I borrow some money?
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I promise I'll pay you
back as soon as I get paid.
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Weeks go by, months go by,
years go by, and you borrow
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with no intention to repay.
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Thou shalt not
what, everybody? Steal.
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Or better yet, you use the
credit card to make a purchase
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and you have the
purchase in your possession.
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In fact, some of
you are wearing that
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purchase right now.
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You have paid for it
by credit and you have no
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intention to pay it back.
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Thou shalt not what?
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Steal.
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Or maybe you're
living somewhere, you won't
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pay the mortgage.
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So you say, I can't pay the
mortgage, don't have mortgage
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money, so what I'll do
is break something in this
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apartment or house, and if I
keep doing that, that'll make
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the landlord continue to have
to fix something and I won't
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have to pay.
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Thou shalt not steal.
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You see, it's the line
we cross that we don't often
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see and all of us
become guilty of it.
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Now, we are aware that there
will be some people who will
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live life with less
than what others live with.
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And there are some people
in life who will get more than
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what other people get.
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There are some people who
have a propensity to make money,
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and then there are those
people who just seemingly and
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barely make it past
the minimum of life.
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And yet, all of what we have,
it is enough for us to live on
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earth, at least in the
parameters to which we have
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been called.
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Because remember,
God never said he would
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supply our wants.
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God said that he
would supply our needs.
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Jesus, he seems to explain
this when he talks about how
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he distributes
talents to certain people.
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To some he gives five talents,
to some he gives two talents,
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to some he gives one talent.
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The reality tonight is that
he gives to all people what they
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are able and capable to handle.
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That some people, the reality
is, could not manage five
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talents with
one-talent mentality.
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It would destroy them, and
so they have to live in the
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limitations of their existence.
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God knows us.
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God knows that some of us,
if we had all the money we could
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have in the world, our noses
would be so high in the air
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that if it rained we'd drown.
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And so some of us, we begin
to wonder why we don't have
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certain things that we wished
we had and it might be that
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we're trying to over load
our capacity to manage things
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that we just can't handle.
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And if we're honest with
this, then we begin to really
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appreciate that whatever we
have in life is just enough.
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I'm grateful tonight that I
serve a God, Jehovah Jireh, my
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provider, that he is
more than enough for me.
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For those that it's not
enough, greed usually becomes
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the motivation for thievery.
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We look, we see
and we must have.
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What's yours is mine
is our philosophy in life.
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And this is not just opinion
being scattered from this
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pulpit tonight,
but this is God's word.
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Do you remember in the book of
Kings, a story of a king named
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Ahab and his wife, Jezebel.
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Anybody know
about Ahab and Jezebel?
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They looked out one day from
their palace and they saw this
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beautiful, lush vineyard
that they wanted to possess.
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But the vineyard belonged
to a man by the name of Naboth.
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In order to get Naboth's
property they killed him
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to take his property.
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Do you remember that one day
a man was passing through a town
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in the book of Samuel,
the king, David--you know King
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David--and he had just gotten
himself into a mess with a
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woman by the name of Bathsheba.
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Rumors were
circulating around the kingdom.
00:08:16.90\00:08:20.10
The place was in a uproar,
unrest and disconcertion was
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the order of the day, and this
prophet by the name of Nathan
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walked right up to King David
and he knew not to speak out
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of turn because the
king had the position to take
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his life if he wanted.
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So, Nathan said, King, we
have a problem in the kingdom.
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David said, talk,
prophet, what's the problem?
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King, there's a man in your
kingdom who has thousands of
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sheep, but the other day a
stranger was coming through
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town and he was hungry
and this wealthy man who had
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thousands of sheep prepared
a meal, but the only problem is
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he didn't take out of his
livestock, he didn't take out
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of his sheep, but he took a
lamb from this poor man in the
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country, in the valley, cooked
it, prepared it and served it,
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they ate it and feasted on it.
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He went to bed
and rested that night.
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What do you think we
are to do with him, King?
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David said, kill him.
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Nathan, trembling, his lips
said, King, you are the man.
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You stole what you already had.
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But this type of
stealing, property and human
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possessions, is not
limited to the Old Testament.
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Jesus himself strikes very
hard at the issue of stealing.
00:09:49.10\00:09:53.13
In Luke 19 we're told of
the story of a man who was about
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four feet tall, by
the name of Zacchaeus.
00:09:56.96\00:09:59.26
Zacchaeus worked on the inside
of the Roman IRS, if you will,
00:09:59.26\00:10:02.36
against his own people.
00:10:02.36\00:10:03.50
And they always need to
find somebody who would fight
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against their own, so
they would go find Zacchaeus.
00:10:06.36\00:10:08.80
So what Zacchaeus was not in
height, Zacchaeus made up for
00:10:08.80\00:10:12.16
in power and influence.
00:10:12.16\00:10:14.50
Zacchaeus was small in
stature, but Zacchaeus, if you
00:10:14.50\00:10:17.93
will, was a big wheel.
00:10:17.93\00:10:19.53
Big wheel making big deals.
00:10:19.53\00:10:22.00
And he learned that there
was one who could come and
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rearrange life's order.
00:10:26.00\00:10:28.16
For some reason he got
impressed by this, because
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they came from the same lineage.
00:10:30.60\00:10:32.80
He wants to run and see him,
but his stature prohibits him
00:10:32.80\00:10:35.03
from seeing him clearly.
00:10:35.03\00:10:36.00
So the Bible says he climbs
up in a sycamore tree and he
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wants to take a panoramic
view and he sees the crowd of
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people pressing and gathering
into the town and he looks out
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and sees this one who's coming
and folk have all surrounded
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him and they're crying,
hosanna, hosanna to him, and
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they're giving homage to him.
00:10:55.56\00:10:56.86
And while they're giving
homage to him, the one who is
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being honored looks up and
says, Zacchaeus, come down.
00:10:59.56\00:11:03.70
And when Zacchaeus comes down
out of the tree, Jesus simply
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tells him, today salvation
has come to your house.
00:11:07.73\00:11:13.16
Let me break that down for
somebody, because you don't
00:11:13.16\00:11:15.20
understand that.
00:11:15.20\00:11:16.13
Jesus is saying to somebody
tonight that salvation has
00:11:16.13\00:11:21.16
come to your house.
00:11:21.16\00:11:23.26
The sad thing is oftentimes
salvation can come to your
00:11:23.26\00:11:27.10
house and you don't even
know salvation is at your house.
00:11:27.10\00:11:31.23
At no time do you become more
generous than when you give of
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what you have to somebody else.
00:11:34.83\00:11:36.83
A lot of preaching is going
on right now in our world, all
00:11:36.83\00:11:39.73
these prosperity preachers.
00:11:39.73\00:11:41.33
Lot of preaching going on in
this world talking about get,
00:11:41.33\00:11:45.83
get, get and get.
00:11:45.83\00:11:47.40
But I'm here to tell
you, if you want to get more,
00:11:47.40\00:11:50.10
you've got to give more.
00:11:50.10\00:11:51.30
You've got to give something
away and the more you give,
00:11:51.30\00:11:56.26
the more the Lord
will give back to you.
00:11:56.26\00:11:59.93
Jesus said, give and it
shall be given unto you.
00:11:59.93\00:12:03.00
Good mesure.
00:12:03.00\00:12:04.80
Pressed down, shaken
together, running over.
00:12:04.80\00:12:08.36
The Lord will make a way.
00:12:08.36\00:12:09.53
Thou shalt not steal.
00:12:09.53\00:12:10.50
But I can't understand
preachers who preach from
00:12:10.50\00:12:14.03
these pulpits and they're
getting richer and richer and
00:12:14.03\00:12:17.43
their members who come
and support are getting
00:12:17.43\00:12:21.30
poorer and poorer.
00:12:21.30\00:12:22.83
In the Christian
community there's a whole lot of
00:12:22.83\00:12:26.33
thievery going on.
00:12:26.33\00:12:28.70
In the Christian community.
00:12:28.70\00:12:30.13
And then we want to wonder
why our lives are so empty
00:12:30.13\00:12:34.60
and meaningless.
00:12:34.60\00:12:35.80
No kind of joy to it.
00:12:35.80\00:12:37.43
Riding around in a new
Mercedes Benz but miserable.
00:12:37.43\00:12:41.33
Living in a 10,000 square
foot house, but miserable.
00:12:41.33\00:12:45.33
Got custom clothes on
your back, but miserable.
00:12:45.33\00:12:49.96
Because thievery
is the way you live.
00:12:49.96\00:12:53.53
You never live more than when
you give what you have away.
00:12:53.53\00:12:56.93
Do I have a
witness in this place?
00:12:56.93\00:12:59.63
Thou shalt not
what, everybody? Steal.
00:12:59.63\00:13:03.43
It could be that we are just
as guilty of thievery when we
00:13:03.43\00:13:07.96
withhold what we have
and we refuse what we have to
00:13:07.96\00:13:11.76
somebody else.
00:13:11.76\00:13:14.16
We rob others.
00:13:14.16\00:13:15.40
We rob ourselves, and
we sure enough rob God.
00:13:15.40\00:13:20.90
Oh preaching, Pastor
Byrd, I'm doing the best I can.
00:13:20.90\00:13:23.83
I know you don't want to say
Amen, but you're robbing God.
00:13:23.83\00:13:26.40
What do I mean? Malachi 3:8-10.
00:13:26.40\00:13:27.46
"Will a man rob God?
00:13:27.46\00:13:29.70
But you say,
wherein have we robbed thee?
00:13:29.70\00:13:32.20
In tithes and in offerings."
00:13:32.20\00:13:33.50
From my Christian community.
00:13:33.50\00:13:35.13
And so God says, "You
are cursed with a curse.
00:13:35.13\00:13:37.66
For you have robbed me even
this whole nation." "Bring ye
00:13:37.66\00:13:40.80
all the tithes into the
storehouse, that there may be
00:13:40.80\00:13:44.03
meat in mine house, and
prove me now herewith, saith the
00:13:44.03\00:13:46.56
Lord of hosts, if I will
not open you the windows of
00:13:46.56\00:13:52.40
heaven, and pour you out a
blessing, that there shall not
00:13:52.40\00:13:54.73
be room enough to receive it."
00:13:54.73\00:13:56.53
You know, it's funny, because
some of us rob God, but yet we
00:13:56.53\00:13:59.10
always want something.
00:13:59.10\00:14:00.90
God says, trust me with what
you do have and I'll give more
00:14:00.90\00:14:04.36
back to you than
what you gave to me.
00:14:04.36\00:14:06.90
Can't no man bless you.
00:14:06.90\00:14:09.66
God is the blesser.
00:14:09.66\00:14:11.96
No man can make
prosperity rain on you.
00:14:11.96\00:14:15.36
It's God who opens up
the windows of heaven.
00:14:15.36\00:14:18.46
It's God who pours you out a
blessing that there shall not
00:14:18.46\00:14:21.63
be room enough to receive it.
00:14:21.63\00:14:23.16
All things come of
thee, O Lord, and of thy own
00:14:23.16\00:14:26.26
hand we freely give.
00:14:26.26\00:14:27.26
God requires
tithes and offerings.
00:14:27.26\00:14:29.96
God says, I'll bless you
and God says, for those that rob
00:14:29.96\00:14:35.10
me, they're under a curse.
00:14:35.10\00:14:37.30
You don't have to
believe me, all you've got to do
00:14:37.30\00:14:39.83
is look at your life.
00:14:39.83\00:14:41.03
For God says, if you would
just give me what you've got,
00:14:41.03\00:14:43.86
I'll rebuke your foes,
I'll devour your enemies, I'll
00:14:43.86\00:14:48.80
restore your fruitfulness.
00:14:48.80\00:14:51.53
Thou shalt not what? Steal.
00:14:51.53\00:14:54.76
We are to return, a
tithe and give an offering.
00:14:54.76\00:14:57.43
A tithe is our obedience.
00:14:57.43\00:14:59.33
Let me be clear.
00:14:59.33\00:15:01.23
It's not up for
discussion and debate.
00:15:01.23\00:15:03.33
A tithe is our obedience.
00:15:03.33\00:15:04.70
A tithe is what, everybody?
00:15:04.70\00:15:06.26
Go with me to the third
book of the Bible, the book of
00:15:06.26\00:15:08.53
Leviticus. What book, everybody?
00:15:08.53\00:15:10.90
Go with me to the
book of Leviticus.
00:15:10.90\00:15:12.66
Leviticus 27:30.
00:15:12.66\00:15:16.06
God says, "Thou shalt not
steal." The Word of God says,
00:15:16.06\00:15:30.43
"And all the tithe of the
land, whether of the seed of
00:15:30.43\00:15:35.46
the land or of the fruit
of the tree, is the Lord's:
00:15:35.46\00:15:40.30
it is holy onto the Lord.
00:15:40.30\00:15:45.33
Come on, it is what unto him?
00:15:45.33\00:15:47.10
It is holy unto the Lord."
00:15:47.10\00:15:47.93
Verse 32, "And concerning
the tithe of the herd, or of the
00:15:47.93\00:15:50.03
flock, even of whatsoever
passeth under the rod, the
00:15:50.03\00:15:52.53
tenth shall be holy
unto the Lord." Now, I met
00:15:52.53\00:16:01.03
Renee tonight.
00:16:01.03\00:16:04.03
This is her first night here.
00:16:04.03\00:16:04.96
Praise God for Renee.
00:16:04.96\00:16:05.90
Everybody give
Renee a round of applause.
00:16:05.90\00:16:10.26
Now, if I give Renee this
dollar--I'm not going to make
00:16:10.26\00:16:13.56
you get up--if I give Renee
this dollar, and I give it to
00:16:13.56\00:16:16.76
her, this is one dollar
more than what she had when
00:16:16.76\00:16:20.76
she came in here.
00:16:20.76\00:16:22.23
Are we clear, everybody?
00:16:22.23\00:16:24.10
All right, if I give
Renee this dollar, this is one
00:16:24.10\00:16:26.96
dollar more than what
she had when she came here.
00:16:26.96\00:16:30.70
She is one dollar richer
now than she was when she walked
00:16:30.70\00:16:34.50
in here. All right?
00:16:34.50\00:16:36.60
Now, if I give Renee
this dollar, how much of this
00:16:36.60\00:16:40.10
is God's?
00:16:40.10\00:16:41.26
If I give this to Renee,
how much of this is God's?
00:16:41.26\00:16:48.43
Ten percent?
00:16:48.43\00:16:49.26
All those who say 10%, let
me see your hand. All right.
00:16:49.26\00:16:52.56
All those who say 50%
let me see your hands.
00:16:52.56\00:16:54.86
All those who say all of
it, let me see your hand.
00:16:54.86\00:16:57.40
Let's be clear.
00:16:57.40\00:16:59.13
All of this is God's.
00:16:59.13\00:17:01.83
Now, if I give this to her,
yes, I'm giving it to her as a
00:17:01.83\00:17:04.53
gift, but all of
this dollar is God's.
00:17:04.53\00:17:07.80
But the Bible says
that a tenth of it is holy
00:17:07.80\00:17:12.20
unto the Lord.
00:17:12.20\00:17:14.00
Are you hearing what I'm saying?
00:17:14.00\00:17:15.90
God is saying, when you
get that dollar, you get that
00:17:15.90\00:17:18.30
increase, 10% of it is holy,
which is what you are supposed
00:17:18.30\00:17:22.50
to return back to me.
00:17:22.50\00:17:24.00
Now, somebody may say,
well, Pastor Byrd, I heard you
00:17:24.00\00:17:28.40
saying you're going
to give Renee one dollar.
00:17:28.40\00:17:31.73
If I give Renee five dollars,
how much of this is God's?
00:17:31.73\00:17:36.06
All of it.
00:17:36.06\00:17:37.36
All right, we're clear on that.
00:17:37.36\00:17:38.80
All of this is God's. Amen.
00:17:38.80\00:17:40.16
But how much is
holy unto the Lord?
00:17:40.16\00:17:43.63
Ten percent, which is how much?
00:17:43.63\00:17:46.43
How much, everybody?
00:17:46.43\00:17:47.60
Fifty cents. Now,
Renee, this Renee can say,
00:17:47.60\00:17:53.93
I'm giving 10% back to
the Lord because it's holy.
00:17:53.93\00:17:58.03
That Renee, Renee Glover, can
say, I'm giving 30 cents back
00:17:58.03\00:18:02.46
to the Lord of this $5.
00:18:02.46\00:18:03.73
Now, the 30 cents that Renee
Glover gives back to the Lord
00:18:03.73\00:18:07.60
is more than the 10
cents that this Renee gives
00:18:07.60\00:18:12.03
back to the Lord.
00:18:12.03\00:18:13.06
But let me tell you, God's
going to bless this Renee over
00:18:13.06\00:18:16.90
this Renee even
though this Renee gave
00:18:16.90\00:18:22.26
more than this Renee.
00:18:22.26\00:18:23.43
This Renee gave
God what God asked for.
00:18:23.43\00:18:28.83
All the tithe of the land
the Bible says, whether of the
00:18:28.83\00:18:33.30
seed of the land or the
fruit of the tree is the Lord's.
00:18:33.30\00:18:37.40
It is holy unto the
what, everybody? Lord.
00:18:37.40\00:18:41.40
And that's why we talk
about giving what God asked for,
00:18:41.40\00:18:44.63
talk about
giving out of obedience.
00:18:44.63\00:18:47.00
That's why people can
make more than you but
00:18:47.00\00:18:49.73
have less than you.
00:18:49.73\00:18:51.66
People can make more than you
but have less than you because
00:18:51.66\00:18:55.83
they aren't receiving
the blessings of God on their
00:18:55.83\00:18:58.50
increase because they're not
giving God what God asked for.
00:18:58.50\00:19:02.50
I have seen people in life
make much less but have much
00:19:02.50\00:19:05.66
more because God has opened
up the windows of heaven and
00:19:05.66\00:19:10.16
poured out blessings, that
there shall not be room enough
00:19:10.16\00:19:14.86
to receive.
00:19:14.86\00:19:15.86
I mean, really.
00:19:15.86\00:19:16.83
I'm not a millionaire at all
and I don't think we have any
00:19:16.83\00:19:20.63
millionaires in here.
00:19:20.63\00:19:21.63
Do I have a
witness in this place?
00:19:21.63\00:19:24.00
But let's be clear, how is
it that we can watch television,
00:19:24.00\00:19:25.76
watch the news, follow
the Internet, and millionaires
00:19:25.76\00:19:28.96
going bankrupt.
00:19:28.96\00:19:30.60
Filing bankruptcy. Why?
00:19:30.60\00:19:32.33
Because their increase has
not been blessed by God because
00:19:32.33\00:19:37.26
they're not giving God
what is rightfully his.
00:19:37.26\00:19:40.96
God is a God of specifics.
00:19:40.96\00:19:42.33
God told Adam and Eve don't
eat of the fruit of the tree
00:19:42.33\00:19:45.70
of knowledge of good and evil.
00:19:45.70\00:19:46.96
If you eat of it,
you're going to what? Die.
00:19:46.96\00:19:49.53
God told Cain and Abel, if you
give me a sacrifice, it might
00:19:49.53\00:19:53.10
be a sacrifice with
the shedding of what?
00:19:53.10\00:19:55.63
Blood. Cain gave fruits and
vegetables, Abel gave a lamb,
00:19:55.63\00:19:58.63
God blessed Abel because
Abel gave God what God wanted.
00:19:58.63\00:20:02.26
God said, remember the
Sabbath day to keep it what?
00:20:02.26\00:20:05.23
Holy.
00:20:05.23\00:20:06.16
He said you must
keep my Sabbath day.
00:20:06.16\00:20:08.46
God is a God of specifics.
00:20:08.46\00:20:10.00
God has also said, you
must return unto me a tithe.
00:20:10.00\00:20:12.83
Well, I can't afford
to give God anything.
00:20:12.83\00:20:16.86
You can't afford not to
give God what is rightfully his.
00:20:16.86\00:20:22.30
I know it's getting quiet here.
00:20:22.30\00:20:24.33
I'm going to preach it anyhow.
00:20:24.33\00:20:25.53
Come on, say Amen.
00:20:25.53\00:20:26.53
Go with me to the book
of Deuteronomy, chapter 16.
00:20:26.53\00:20:30.26
Now, the Bible
said in Malachi 3:8-10,
00:20:30.26\00:20:36.16
because we're talking
about the house of God,
00:20:36.16\00:20:38.36
the Bible said, "Bring ye
all the tithes and offerings
00:20:38.36\00:20:43.26
into the storehouse.
00:20:43.26\00:20:44.53
Will a man rob God,
yet you have robbed me.
00:20:44.53\00:20:46.46
You say when have I robbed you?
00:20:46.46\00:20:47.30
In tithes and in offerings."
00:20:47.30\00:20:49.86
Go to Deuteronomy 16:17.
00:20:49.86\00:20:53.56
When we're talking about
offering, the Word of God
00:20:53.56\00:21:01.10
says, "Every man shall give
as he is able, according to the
00:21:01.10\00:21:06.80
blessing of the Lord thy
God which he hath what given
00:21:06.80\00:21:10.10
thee." Now, let's be clear.
00:21:10.10\00:21:12.36
Tithe is not up for discussion.
00:21:12.36\00:21:14.73
That's not up for discussion,
that is out of our obedience.
00:21:14.73\00:21:17.56
That is out of our
what, everybody? Obedience.
00:21:17.56\00:21:20.30
When we give an offering,
that is out of our love for God,
00:21:20.30\00:21:23.33
according to the
blessings of God on our lives.
00:21:23.33\00:21:24.70
Now, God has been sure enough
good to me and if I can return
00:21:24.70\00:21:27.26
10% out of my obedience, I
can sure return another 10%
00:21:27.26\00:21:33.36
out of my love.
00:21:33.36\00:21:34.03
Are you hearing what I'm saying?
00:21:34.03\00:21:35.30
Now, somebody maybe will say,
I may not be able to do a 10%
00:21:35.30\00:21:37.66
and another 10%.
00:21:37.66\00:21:38.53
The 10% first is
not up for discussion.
00:21:38.53\00:21:40.90
That's tithe.
00:21:40.90\00:21:41.46
But your offering, according
to as God has blessed you,
00:21:41.46\00:21:44.46
you are to return to God.
00:21:44.46\00:21:45.60
So you know what?
00:21:45.60\00:21:46.40
I'm not trying
to cap my blessing.
00:21:46.40\00:21:49.83
I'm not trying to put a
ceiling on my blessings.
00:21:49.83\00:21:52.66
Are you hearing what I'm saying?
00:21:52.66\00:21:53.66
I'm not trying to get to
the point in my Christian
00:21:53.66\00:21:55.70
experience that I say I'm
going to give a 10% tithe and
00:21:55.70\00:21:58.26
I'm going to get
maxed out at 10% offering.
00:21:58.26\00:22:01.10
God keeps blessing me.
00:22:01.10\00:22:03.16
God keeps making a way for me.
00:22:03.16\00:22:05.53
Every day is a
day of thanksgiving.
00:22:05.53\00:22:08.66
I'm seeking to grow my
offering from 10% to 11% to
00:22:08.66\00:22:13.90
12%, 13, and keep growing it
because I believe that when I
00:22:13.90\00:22:18.26
honor God, God will honor me,
that God rewards thankfulness.
00:22:18.26\00:22:24.16
Give according to the measure
where he has blessed you.
00:22:24.16\00:22:29.73
Thou shalt not what?
00:22:29.73\00:22:31.03
Steal.
00:22:31.03\00:22:32.03
But we all want to steal
is I'm going into a store
00:22:32.03\00:22:34.33
and I'm taking this.
00:22:34.33\00:22:35.36
I've got sticky fingers.
00:22:35.36\00:22:37.96
I asked one person one time,
they had some nice piece of
00:22:37.96\00:22:40.36
cloth, oh, that's nice.
00:22:40.36\00:22:41.66
How'd you get that?
00:22:41.66\00:22:42.40
Well, I got a
five-finger discount.
00:22:42.40\00:22:45.93
You know what a five-finger
discount is, you know.
00:22:45.93\00:22:48.13
God can't bless you.
00:22:48.13\00:22:52.16
Go take that back.
00:22:52.16\00:22:53.20
Are you hearing what I'm saying?
00:22:53.20\00:22:54.73
But we have to give to God and
some people are saying, well,
00:22:54.73\00:22:59.23
we just think you're talking
about stealing here at the
00:22:59.23\00:23:02.00
store and stealing there.
00:23:02.00\00:23:02.93
Too many people in the
Christian community are
00:23:02.93\00:23:04.83
robbing God and I'm here
tonight to tell you, you're
00:23:04.83\00:23:07.70
cutting off your blessing.
00:23:07.70\00:23:11.63
You're cutting
off your blessings.
00:23:11.63\00:23:13.20
You are cursed with a what?
00:23:13.20\00:23:15.23
Curse.
00:23:15.23\00:23:17.13
You're cutting
off your blessing.
00:23:17.13\00:23:19.50
Pastor Byrd, but
I only have this.
00:23:19.50\00:23:21.06
I can only do this.
00:23:21.06\00:23:21.66
You're cutting
off your blessing.
00:23:21.66\00:23:26.50
Thou shalt not what? Steal.
00:23:26.50\00:23:27.50
Go to 2nd Corinthians.
00:23:27.50\00:23:30.16
Let's get some New
Testament. 2 Corinthians 9:7.
00:23:30.16\00:23:35.53
The word of God says to us
tonight in 2 Corinthians 9:7,
00:23:35.53\00:23:41.56
"Every man according as he
purposeth in his heart, so let
00:23:41.56\00:23:47.70
him give; not grudgingly, or
of necessity: for God loveth a
00:23:47.70\00:23:55.30
cheerful giver."
00:23:55.30\00:23:58.26
Let me be clear.
00:23:58.26\00:23:58.93
God does not need your money.
00:23:58.93\00:24:00.66
God does not need your money
to accomplish his purposes.
00:24:00.66\00:24:03.33
God can do God's
work without you.
00:24:03.33\00:24:05.66
I wish I had a
witness in this place.
00:24:05.66\00:24:07.03
But God loves us so much
that God allows and extends the
00:24:07.03\00:24:11.20
privilege to us to
worship him through our giving.
00:24:11.20\00:24:14.33
God wants to see
if we truly love him.
00:24:14.33\00:24:16.33
He wants to see if we
truly are going to obey him.
00:24:16.33\00:24:18.66
But don't you get tight
lipped, don't you get rocks
00:24:18.66\00:24:22.03
in your jowls.
00:24:22.03\00:24:23.23
Don't you think that you
can do and God needs you to do
00:24:23.23\00:24:25.83
God's work.
00:24:25.83\00:24:26.70
God is sovereign.
00:24:26.70\00:24:27.53
God can do whatever God wants
to do, when God wants, where
00:24:27.53\00:24:31.93
God wants, how God wants,
and God doesn't have to ask you
00:24:31.93\00:24:34.60
permission to do what he wants.
00:24:34.60\00:24:35.96
God said in Psalm 50:10, "For
every beast of the forest is
00:24:35.96\00:24:40.50
mine, and the cattle
upon a thousand hills.
00:24:40.50\00:24:43.20
I know all the fowls of the
mountains: and the wild beasts
00:24:43.20\00:24:46.56
of the field are mine.
00:24:46.56\00:24:47.56
If I were hungry, I would not
even tell thee: for the world
00:24:47.56\00:24:59.06
is mine, and the
fulness thereof." The earth
00:24:59.06\00:25:01.76
is the Lord's.
00:25:01.76\00:25:03.06
The fulness thereof.
00:25:03.06\00:25:04.20
They and them and
all that dwell therein.
00:25:04.20\00:25:06.10
So I may be like Peter and
I may have to say, silver and
00:25:06.10\00:25:08.03
gold have I none.
00:25:08.03\00:25:09.40
I don't have silver and gold,
but I can also say that my God
00:25:09.40\00:25:12.33
said, the silver is
mine, the gold is mine.
00:25:12.33\00:25:18.63
God says I own everything.
00:25:18.63\00:25:21.33
I spoketh and it was so and
if I giveth to you, it is so,
00:25:21.33\00:25:26.90
but thou shalt not steal.
00:25:26.90\00:25:29.63
God says, stop stealing.
00:25:29.63\00:25:31.66
Everybody say, stop stealing.
00:25:31.66\00:25:33.06
Ephesians 4:28 says, "Let
him who stole steal no more." So
00:25:33.06\00:25:40.16
those of you who
have been stealing, stop.
00:25:40.16\00:25:41.96
"But rather let him labour,
working with his hands the
00:25:41.96\00:25:48.23
thing which is good, that
he may have to give to him that
00:25:48.23\00:25:53.46
needeth." Oh, that's a
word for somebody right now.
00:25:53.46\00:25:56.93
God says, stop stealing.
00:25:56.93\00:25:58.16
God says, what, everybody?
00:25:58.16\00:25:59.30
And then after God says
stop stealing, God says,
00:25:59.30\00:26:01.43
go to work.
00:26:01.43\00:26:03.63
PB: My name is Dr. Carlton T.
00:26:03.63\00:26:05.00
Byrd and I'm the senior
pastor of the Berean Seventh-Day
00:26:05.00\00:26:08.30
Adventist Church
here in Atlanta, Georgia.
00:26:08.30\00:26:10.93
I'm also privileged to be the
speaker director of the Breath
00:26:10.93\00:26:13.96
of Life television ministry.
00:26:13.96\00:26:15.56
So when you see the Berean
church, you're also seeing
00:26:15.56\00:26:18.66
Breath of Life
television because we are one
00:26:18.66\00:26:21.20
and the same.
00:26:21.20\00:26:23.33
While in the Atlanta area
we invite you to come and visit
00:26:23.33\00:26:26.23
us as we worship
the Lord together.
00:26:26.23\00:26:28.40
Our midweek worship
service is on Wednesday evening
00:26:28.40\00:26:31.10
at 7:00 p.m.
00:26:31.10\00:26:32.46
and then we have two
worship experiences on
00:26:32.46\00:26:35.53
Saturday morning.
00:26:35.53\00:26:36.43
The first worship
experience begins at 8:45 a.m.
00:26:36.43\00:26:39.73
and the second
worship experience begins at
00:26:39.73\00:26:42.96
11:30 a.m. So, visit us.
00:26:42.96\00:26:45.73
We're located at 291
Hamilton E. Holmes Drive,
00:26:45.73\00:26:49.50
here in the city of Atlanta.
00:26:49.50\00:26:51.30
Also, you may feel free
to log on to our web site,
00:26:51.30\00:26:54.30
www.atlantabereansda.org,
or www.breathoflife.tv.
00:26:54.30\00:27:01.23
May God continue to bless you.
00:27:01.23\00:27:02.83
>: The Breath of Life gift
offer this week is the book,
00:27:02.83\00:27:05.93
"The Ten Commandments Under
Attack." God's law has stirred
00:27:05.93\00:27:08.96
controversy in recent years,
so are the 10 commandments
00:27:08.96\00:27:12.10
out of date? Offensive?
00:27:12.10\00:27:13.80
Find out how the Ten
Commandments lay a solid
00:27:13.80\00:27:16.63
foundation for society
and how each commandment is so
00:27:16.63\00:27:20.10
important to us every day.
00:27:20.10\00:27:21.66
Contributing authors
include Dwight Nelson, Clifford
00:27:21.66\00:27:25.10
Goldstein and Mike Tucker.
00:27:25.10\00:27:26.06
There's also an
introduction by Mark Finley.
00:27:26.06\00:27:28.46
Living by the Ten Commandments
will bring blessings to us,
00:27:28.46\00:27:31.43
our families and our country.
00:27:31.43\00:27:33.83
"The Ten Commandments
Under Attack" is yours for
00:27:33.83\00:27:36.33
a gift of $5 or more.
00:27:36.33\00:27:37.46
Just call our
toll-free number, 877-BOL-OFFER.
00:27:37.46\00:27:42.16
That's 877-265-6333.
00:27:42.16\00:27:46.70
Please have your credit
card ready when you call.
00:27:46.70\00:27:49.66
Or you may write us
to request your copy.
00:27:49.66\00:27:51.66
Just send your
check to: Breath of Life,
00:27:51.66\00:27:53.60
P.O. Box 340,
Newbury Park, CA 91319.
00:27:53.60\00:27:59.23
Get your copy of "The Ten
Commandments Under Attack"
00:27:59.23\00:28:02.10
today.
00:28:02.10\00:28:04.16
PB: God never said he
would supply our wants.
00:28:04.16\00:28:06.10
God said that he
would supply our needs.
00:28:06.10\00:28:11.10
When I honor God,
God will honor me.
00:28:11.10\00:28:15.10
God rewards faithfulness.
00:28:15.10\00:28:21.33
There used to be a time
when we had pretty women and
00:28:21.33\00:28:23.53
hardworking men.
00:28:23.53\00:28:25.00
But now we've got pretty
men and hardworking women.
00:28:25.00\00:28:29.83