Participants: Carlton P. Byrd
Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000041
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00:00 (Music) PB: Hello, my
01:02 name is Dr. Carlton Byrd and I'm the speaker director 01:04 of Breath of Life television ministry. 01:07 Right now I'm standing on the beautiful island of Bermuda. 01:10 That's right, Breath of Life is in the country of Bermuda, 01:14 this wonderful island nation of 20 miles long, pink sand, 01:19 beautiful beaches, palm trees, it's just paradise on earth. 01:24 But when I think about how beautiful it is, I say to 01:28 myself, God must have something even that much 01:31 better for us because the Word of God says, eyes have not 01:34 seen, neither have ears heard the things that God hath 01:38 prepared for them that love him. 01:41 Heaven is going to be that much better than this, 01:44 and while I can come here and vacation, I can come 01:47 here and swim and jet ski, we've come, Breath of Life 01:50 has, to preach the Word of God. 01:52 That's right, we're here for their camp meeting and we're 01:56 preaching that Jesus Christ loves us and he 01:58 is soon to return. 02:00 May God bless you as you watch as we minister to you to tell 02:05 a dying world that Jesus saves. 02:10 ♪ (Theme Song) ♪ ♪ Jesus is worthy ♪ 02:21 ♪ oh yes, he's worthy ♪ ♪ worthy of all... ♪ 02:27 ♪ (Music) ♪ PB: Our motivation for keeping 02:32 God's law should be a love relationship, not solely 02:35 religion, and this, my friends, is where the 02:39 Pharisees had it all wrong. 02:41 The Bible says this man was a Pharisee and it was 02:46 appropriate that if Jesus was a man of God, it is 02:50 appropriate that Jesus should be seen with a Pharisee in his 02:54 house, but not with a lady of the night. 03:00 But what I want to know is this, when I study the text, 03:03 if the Pharisee if supposed to be so holy and if she's a 03:08 prostitute, how did this woman get in the house anyway? 03:15 Why is she even knocking on the door? 03:21 What's she doing in this house? 03:24 She's not holy, she's not righteous, she's not pure, 03:29 she's been around the block, she's messed up so bad that 03:34 even church folk knew who she was and what she was about. 03:38 People knew her by what she did and not by her name. 03:42 Where and what did she leave to come there 03:47 in the first place? 03:49 How dare she mess up our nice, clean, holy church with her 03:56 mess, her ankle bracelets, her rings, her tattoos, 04:03 her urban, seductive disposition? 04:07 Who is she to walk up in our church looking like that? 04:14 How dare she set foot in our church? 04:19 See, I have learned, some people like the idea of 04:22 evangelism, they like the concept of evangelism, they 04:27 like to give money to support evangelism, send money to 04:31 foreign missions to help people who are in trouble, but 04:34 don't mess up our nice, pretty church 04:37 with your peculiar ways. 04:41 And that's just like some church folk, they want to keep 04:43 the people out who need church the most. 04:49 And then, she's a woman. 04:53 Most of the time in the Bible women aren't even listed 04:56 in the genealogy. 04:57 She wasn't significant. 04:59 She's not important. 05:01 She couldn't vote. 05:03 She couldn't make decisions. 05:05 She couldn't lead. 05:06 Why is this woman breaking in among all these important men? 05:12 And not only is she a woman, considered a second-class 05:15 citizen, property of a man, she's not even a good 05:18 woman. She's a prostitute. 05:22 But this woman comes into this atmosphere against all odds. 05:28 I've learned that sometimes it's hard to get to God 05:33 because of his people. 05:36 One day I told the Lord, Lord, I love you but it's your kids 05:40 that get on my nerves sometimes. 05:42 Do I have a witness in this place? 05:44 Have you ever loved somebody but you couldn't 05:47 stand their chiúdren? 05:49 Their kids were wild, rude, disrespectful, throwing stuff 05:52 in the air, drawing pictures on the wall, screaming, and 05:55 you're trying to have a conversation and you're saying 05:58 to yourself, if I could just have them for one weekend. 06:02 When I get through with you your momma wouldn't 06:05 know who you are. 06:07 The woman comes up behind Jesus. 06:13 She knows according to the customs of the time, she knows 06:17 that according to the culture of the day she shouldn't 06:19 be in the room. 06:21 She knows that according to the standards of absolute 06:24 scripture she shouldn't be in the room. 06:26 A prostitute touching a priest. 06:30 When I was a little boy in grade school they used to give 06:33 us pictures in school and I remember one being a picture 06:37 of a living room and in the living room there was a couch, 06:40 a sofa, a chair, an end table, and then a refrigerator. 06:45 And the teacher would then say, what's wrong 06:48 with this picture? 06:50 And they wanted to see if your cognitive skills were bright 06:53 enough to discern appropriateness and if you had 06:56 reasonable skills you would circle the refrigerator to say 06:59 that this does not go with that. 07:04 What's wrong with this picture? 07:08 It's not Simon, he's a Pharisee. 07:12 It's not Jesus, he's preacher, prophet and priest. 07:19 But let's just circle the prostitute. 07:23 She doesn't have any business in here, 07:26 but she's here anyway. 07:30 She cries. 07:32 I--I--I--know that by the standards of your religion 07:35 I shouldn't even be in here. 07:37 But she's in here anyway. 07:41 Tears are faling down her cheeks on him. 07:46 She does not seek Jesus' face. 07:49 He doesn't even have to look at her and she doesn't try to 07:52 get his favor, she doesn't want to get his face, she 07:55 doesn't seek his hand, she didn't come 07:57 for a blessing plan. 08:00 Five ways to get a car, three ways to get out of debt, 10 08:05 ways to get a husband. 08:09 She doesn't want a blessing, she's just glad 08:14 to be in the picture. 08:17 She has no right to be in the picture and so she falls down 08:21 at his feet and Jesus feels the warm, salty sensation as 08:26 her tear ducts give way to her emotional compassion, and as 08:30 the water breaks in her soul, the overflow happens in her 08:34 eyes and drop by drop, running down her face, cascading 08:39 on his face, his feet, are the tears of a sinner's praise. 08:45 And she begins to praise him in a conflicted atmosphere. 08:50 See, I've learned it's easy to praise God when the 08:54 whole room is praising God. 08:57 It's easy to praise God when folk are smiling, 09:00 happy and excited about Jesus. 09:02 It's even easy to clap; even folk who have no rhythm can 09:06 clap when everybody else is clapping. 09:09 But, friends of mine, it's hard to praise God in a room 09:12 where you're hated. 09:16 It's hard to praise God in a room where you're 09:19 being talked about. 09:20 It's hard to praise God in an environment where 09:23 you're being criticized. 09:24 You don't have to be a spirit-filled believer to be 09:26 able to sense when somebody hates you. 09:32 People can be in a group and you walk up to them and all of 09:35 a sudden they stop talking. 09:36 Anybody know what I'm talking about? 09:39 You don't have to be born again to be able to sense when 09:41 somebody doesn't like you. 09:44 Have you ever walked in a room and you can feel 09:47 all the malice, the strife, the hatefulness toward you? 09:49 It's enough to make you turn around, go out of the room 09:54 and shut the door. 09:56 But there was something in this woman that pushed her 09:59 over the top of hatred and she said, hate me all you want, 10:03 but I've got to get to Jesus. 10:06 Jesus! Jesus! 10:09 And down at his feet she falls. 10:13 As she does, what only a prostitute in Jesus' day would 10:17 do, she lets her hair down. 10:23 Tell your neighbor, neighbor, sometimes I've got 10:26 to let my hair down. 10:32 I can't be pinned up all the time. 10:35 I can't be bound all the time. 10:38 I can't always try to live up to your expectations and give 10:40 in to you all the time. 10:42 Sooner or later I've got to let my hair down. 10:47 I can't worry about what you think, can't worry about what 10:49 you feel, I've got to let my hair down. 10:53 Honestly, tonight I feel bad about calling her a prostitute 10:57 or lady of the night, but that's who she was, because 11:02 good women in Jesus' day would have never let their hair down 11:05 because that was a sign of being a prostitute. 11:09 But you see, she had been a prostitute for so much less. 11:14 You all will get that tomorrow. 11:17 She let her hair down for so many other men that were less 11:21 worthy than this one, that when she saw Jesus she said, 11:27 if there were ever a man that I would let my hair down for, 11:33 if you're going to do it for anybody, you ought to 11:37 do it for Jesus. 11:38 Are you hearing what I'm saying? 11:40 You've gone after the flesh, you've gone after people who 11:44 love you and leave you, who forget you, who forsake you, 11:48 but if there's anybody worth letting your hair down for, 11:51 you ought to fall at the feet of Jesus. 11:55 I want to give Jesus the glory, Jesus the honor, 11:58 Jesus the praise. 12:00 I want to praise Jesus. 12:02 I want to say, Jesus, thank you. 12:05 Thank you, Jesus. 12:06 So tonight, can a prostitute say thank you? 12:11 Can an adulterer say thank you? 12:14 Can a thief say thank you? 12:16 Can a liar say thank you? 12:19 Can a gambler say thank you? 12:23 Can a cheater say thank you? 12:25 Can a drug addict say thank you? 12:29 Can a sinner fall down at the feet of Jesus in front of 12:35 church folk, in front of all you big folks, and say, if it 12:40 had not been for the Lord on my side. 12:46 Where are my real people? 12:49 Where are my worshippers? 12:51 Where are the real praisers? 12:55 Because when I think of the goodness of Jesus and all he's 12:59 done for me, my soul cries out, Hallelujah. 13:09 Thank God for saving me. 13:10 You don't know the cost of my praise. 13:13 Almost there, almost there. 13:14 Get ready, Martha, get ready. 13:15 Simon is standing over in the corner, turning up his noise, 13:24 whispering, on the Internet, writing little blogs, 13:29 expressing his religious intolerance to her relational 13:33 behavior, and he even questions Jesus' discernment. 13:40 If, the Bible said, he said, if he were such a prophet he 13:47 should have known she was a prostitute, assuming that he 13:53 meet God's heart on the matter, that if Jesus knew who 13:57 she was he would have stopped her. 13:59 But the Bible says that a fool in his heart doesn't seem to 14:03 understand that Jesus is omniscient, that Jesus is 14:07 all-knowing, that Jesus knew the woman was coming before 14:14 she even knocked on the door, and Jesus was waiting 14:18 for her all the while. 14:22 Look at your Jesus, waiting, sick of being surrounded by 14:28 important people, he's waiting for a sinner to hit the door 14:35 and let his or her hair down and say, thank you. 14:40 Let me tell you why. 14:42 Because people who perceive themselves to be holy are 14:45 never great worshippers. 14:56 Teach all the worship seminars you want, but you'll never 15:01 worship God when you feel like God ought to be happy 15:05 that you're here. 15:08 But when you know that you've been to an earthly hell and 15:15 back, you slept around and fooled around, you've messed 15:21 around and played around. 15:24 You should have been in jail, could have been dead, could 15:27 have been strung out there somewhere, should have had 15:30 AIDS or some other disease, you should have been arrested, 15:33 but remember somehow God in his mercy, God in his wisdom 15:38 let you have another chance. 15:42 I feel my help coming. 15:48 It'll make you want to praise. 15:52 Praise him in the morning, praise in him the new day, 15:56 praise him when the sun goes down. 16:01 This is for the people tonight who've been through something. 16:06 So, last lesson, Jesus says to Simon, seeth thou this woman? 16:17 Wait a minute, Lord. 16:23 Simon isn't blind. 16:27 What a crazy question. 16:30 I went to school with her so I'll call her up to help me. 16:34 Paula, stand up, stand up. 16:35 Come right here. 16:38 Come on. Face the audience. 16:43 Face it. 16:48 Wouldn't I be crazy to say to you, seeth thou this woman? 16:58 When I called her over here, you're looking at me 17:02 and she's standing in front of everybody. 17:06 You've got to see her. 17:08 And yet Jesus says, seeth thou this woman? 17:15 Why did Jesus say that? 17:18 Jesus knows that sometimes people can see but still 17:23 not know you. 17:27 I don't know if you have the courage to do this or not, 17:32 but do me a favor. 17:33 Turn to your neighbor. 17:34 Could be your husband or your wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, 17:36 son or daughter, but turn to them anyway and say, 17:39 you don't know who I am. 17:40 I don't care if it's your husband. 17:47 I don't care if it's your wife. 17:51 I don't care if it's your son, your daughter. 17:55 I don't care if it's your momma, your grandmomma 17:57 or your pawpaw. 17:58 You don't even know who I am. 18:00 You don't know what I'm capable of. 18:04 You don't know what I did and never told you, because we sit 18:08 up in church and we act all holy, but everybody 18:14 in this place has a past. 18:16 Everybody is an ex-something. 18:19 Everybody in here has done something in the dark. 18:23 Thoughts of carnality have crossed your mind 18:26 in your life. 18:28 As a man thinketh in his heart. 18:31 Don't you point the finger at somebody else. 18:34 You better look at yourself. 18:35 Seeth thou this man. 18:39 Seeth thou this woman. 18:42 You don't know me, but this man Jesus, he knows me. 18:47 Hallelujah, somebody. 18:48 You better tell somebody. 18:50 He loved me when I was unlovable. 18:53 He didn't wait until I got right to love me, but he loved 18:57 me when I wouldn't do right. 18:58 He loved me when I wouldn't act right. 19:01 He loved me when I wasn't living right. 19:03 He loved me when I was shacking up. 19:08 He loved me when I was shooting up. 19:10 He stopped the car from crashing. 19:13 He stopped me from dying. 19:14 He stopped me from being destroyed. 19:18 And if none of you all will praise, I will bless the Lord 19:26 at all times and his praise shall continually 19:29 be in my mouth. 19:31 Oh, come and magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt 19:34 his name together. 19:36 You don't know the cost of my praise. 19:40 This is a sinner's praise. 19:42 So somebody who doesn't care what anybody else thinks go 19:47 and praise him. 19:48 Go on and praise him. 19:49 From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, 19:55 the Lord is worthy to be praised. 20:00 This praise is not for pastors, this isn't a pastor's praise. 20:06 This praise is not for elders. 20:07 This isn't an elder's praise. 20:08 This praise is not a deacon's praise. 20:11 This praise isn't for deacons. 20:12 Because if you think that you are the title folks have given 20:18 you, you're not ready for this. 20:20 Because this is a praise for drunks and punks, liars and 20:29 cheaters, whore mongers and adulterers, thieves 20:34 and stealers, gamblers and hypocrites, doubters, 20:37 legalists and gossips, people who've been through 20:41 hell and high water. 20:44 So let the redeemed of the Lord, say so. 20:50 Who cares how prim and proper you are. 20:55 Say something. 20:58 Who cares how many degrees you have behind your name. 21:02 Say something. 21:03 Who cares what side of town you live on. 21:06 Say something. 21:08 Who cares what your past looks like. 21:11 You better say something. 21:13 I dare you to say something. 21:15 Let the redeemed of the Lord, say so. 21:20 Somebody may not want to praise him but this is 21:23 not for you. 21:25 But somebody knows that God forgave you so much and you 21:29 ought to give him the highest praise. 21:32 Praise him, praise him, praise him. 21:37 I praise him for what he's done. 21:40 I praise him for what he's doing. 21:42 I praising him for what he's getting ready to do. 21:45 Bless the Lord, oh my soul and all that is within in me. 21:50 Bless his holy name. 21:53 Oh taste and see that the Lord is good, his mercy 21:58 endures forever. 22:00 Praise ye the Lord. 22:02 Praise God in the sanctuary. 22:04 Praise him in the firmament of his power. 22:07 Praise him for his mighty acts. 22:09 Praise him according to his excellent greatness. 22:12 Praise him with the sound of the trumpets. 22:15 Praise him with the psaltery and the harp. 22:17 Praise him with the timbrel and the dance. 22:19 Praise him with the string instruments and organ. 22:22 Praise him with the loud cymbals. 22:25 Praise him with the high sounding cymbals. 22:27 Let everything, let everything, let everything praise 22:36 ye the Lord. 22:38 Praise the Lord. 22:40 Praise the Lord. 22:41 Who cares if somebody looks at you funny. 22:46 Praise the Lord. 22:47 Who cares if somebody looks at you strange. 22:50 Praise the Lord. 22:51 They don't know what you've been through. 22:54 They don't know how you've trusted in God. 22:56 They don't know how God has made a way out of no way. 23:04 Praise the Lord. 23:06 You don't know the cost of my praise. 23:21 But God can love you. 23:25 God can love me. 23:27 Regardless of what I did last night, regardless of what you 23:31 did last week, if you've been washed in God's blood, you 23:37 have repented of your sins, open up your heart and let the 23:45 Holy Ghost in. 23:53 That's the way to salvation. 23:56 Hallelujah. 24:00 You don't know the cost of my praise. 24:08 Every head bowed. 24:11 Father, right now, there's a man and there's a woman, 24:16 there's a boy and there's a girl. 24:23 They've done something. 24:29 God, you're already forgiven them, but they haven't 24:34 forgiven themselves. 24:39 There's someone else here tonight, there is something 24:41 in their past. 24:44 Maybe, oh God, they've been brought up 24:46 in this wonderful church. 24:49 God, you've done something for them in their life and they 24:54 want to renew their commitment to you and, Lord, they want to 25:00 break free, they want to be liberated. 25:05 They really don't care what people think or say, but then 25:08 they do care because, God, their praise, their worship is 25:11 being hindered by what they think someone is going 25:14 to say about it. 25:17 And so, Lord, tonight there are people that fall in either 25:22 one of those categories. 25:26 But, Lord, this message tonight was for them, to let 25:31 them know there's only one name under heaven whereby 25:33 we can be saved, and that's the name of Jesus. 25:41 PB: hello i'm Dr. Carlton Byrd, Speaker Director for the 25:45 Breath of Life Television Ministries. 25:47 For the past year it has been my joy to preach the gospel of 25:52 Jesus Christ across the globe, but principally from the 25:56 sanctuary of the Berean adventist church in 25:58 Atlanta Georgia. 26:00 Beginning in January 2012, I will continue to preach the 26:04 gospel of Jesus Christ, and Breath of Life 26:07 will still be here, but it will come from 26:09 the sanctuary of the Oakwood University Church in Huntsville 26:12 Alabama, on the Campus of Oakwood University. 26:16 It will be the same Breath of Life, 26:18 The same preacher, The same gospel 26:21 of Jesus Christ, the same channel, the same 26:23 station, at the same time; Just a different location. 26:26 We solicit your continued prayers, and support, as we 26:31 take this wonderful gospel of Jesus Christ, 26:34 to a dying world. 26:36 May god bless you. 26:45 >: The "Desire of Ages," the life story of the greatest 26:48 spiritual leader the world has ever known, Jesus Christ. 26:51 "Desire of Ages" goes in depth into events surrounding the 26:55 life of Jesus, giving you more meaning and a clearer picture 26:59 of his impact on the world and on those who choose to follow 27:03 him even to this day. 27:04 In these uncertain times, "Desire of Ages" gives 27:07 direction for all who seek it. 27:09 The book answers hard questions confronting us all. 27:12 It examines basic spiritual truths, gives hope and 27:16 encouragement for tomorrow and brings you face to face 27:18 with the Savior. 27:20 Get to know him like never before. 27:22 "Desire of Ages" has been acclaimed by many to be the 27:24 most significant and deeply spiritual story of the life of 27:27 Christ ever written. 27:29 It is rich with wisdom and compassion, written by the 27:33 most translated woman writer in the entire history of 27:35 literature, Ellen White. 27:37 Just call our toll-free number, 877-BOL-OFFER. 27:45 That's 877-265-6333 and ask for your copy of 27:52 "Desire of Ages." 27:53 This book is yours for a gift of $5 or more. 27:56 Or you may write to Breath of Life, 28:00 Box 340, Newbury Park, CA 91319. 28:05 The "Desire of Ages," it's the greatest story ever told in a 28:10 whole new light. 28:12 PB: It is God's divine will that we ultimately evolve 28:17 into relationship. 28:20 Because we feel that all of heaven should 28:23 stand at attention because you made time for God. |
Revised 2015-02-06