Participants: Carlton P. Byrd
Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000048
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00:01 [Island Music] PB: Hello. My name is
01:02 Dr. Carlton Byrd and I'm the speaker-director 01:04 of the Breath of Life television ministry. 01:07 Right now I'm standing on the beautiful island of Bermuda. 01:11 That's right. Breath of Life is in the county of Bermuda. 01:15 This wonderful island nation of 20 miles long. pink sand. 01:19 beautiful beaches. palm trees. 01:22 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 01:35 seen. neither have ears heard the things that God 01:38 has prepared for them that love him. 01:41 Heaven is going to be that much better than this. and 01:44 while I can come here and vacation. I can come here and 01:47 swim and jet ski. we've come. 01:50 Breath of Life has. to preach the Word of God. 01:53 That's right. we're here for their camp meeting and we're 01:56 preaching that Jesus Christ loves us and he 01:59 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. 02:11 ♪ [Music] ♪ ♪ (Theme Song) ♪ 02:16 ♪ Jesus is worthy. . . ♪ ♪ oh yes. he's worthy. . . ♪ 02:24 ♪ worthy of all... ♪ ♪ all the praise. . . ♪ 02:31 PB: I'm Dr. Carlton Byrd. 02:33 the speaker-director for Breath of Life television. 02:36 and we are here on the island of Bermuda. 02:42 for the Bermuda Conference camp meeting. 02:43 And we are excited to be here. 02:44 let the church say Amen. 02:46 Praise be to God for that. 02:47 We are grateful for the invitation of the Bermuda 02:51 Conference president and his lovely wife. Dr. and Mrs. 02:55 Jeffrey Brown. for their support and their love to each 02:58 of us. my wife. our children. 03:00 the Breath of Life team. 03:02 and I believe that's their son seated next to them this 03:08 evening as well. 03:09 Praise be to God. 03:09 Can we praise God for the Brown family this evening? 03:12 We are ready now to get into the Word of God. 03:15 And with that in mind. 03:17 I invite you to turn with me to the gospel 03:19 according to St. John. 03:20 John chapter 11. and we're going to begin reading at 03:34 verse 1. John 11:1. 03:44 The Word of God says. "Now a certain man was sick. named 03:51 Lazarus. of Bethany. the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 03:56 (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with 04:00 ointment. and wiped his feet with her hair. whose brother 04:03 Lazarus was sick.) Therefore his sisters sent unto him. 04:07 saying. Lord. behold. he whom thou lovest is sick. 04:14 When Jesus heard that. 04:16 he said. This sickness is not unto death. but for the glory 04:21 of God. that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. 04:26 Now Jesus loved Martha. 04:27 and her sister. and Lazarus. 04:29 When he had heard therefore that he was sick. he abode two 04:35 days still in the same place where he was. 04:38 Then after that saith he to his disciples. Let us go into 04:42 Judaea again. 04:44 His disciples say unto him. 04:45 Master. the Jews of late sought to stone thee; 04:48 and goest thou thither again? 04:50 Jesus answered. Are there not twelve hours in the day? 04:54 ...He stumbleth not. 04:57 because he seeth the light of this world. 05:01 But if a man walk in the night. he stumbleth. because 05:03 there is no light in him. 05:05 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them. 05:08 Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go. that I may 05:12 awake him out of sleep. 05:14 Then said his disciples. Lord. 05:17 if he sleep. he shall do well. 05:19 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that 05:24 he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. 05:28 Then said Jesus unto them plainly. Lazarus is dead. 05:35 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there. to the 05:41 intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go 05:47 unto him." Tonight. two simple words: I'm back. 05:56 I'm back. 05:58 God bless us now. 06:00 Fill us with your Spirit. 06:02 anoint us with your grace. 06:04 And God. we pray for the anointing that makes the 06:07 difference in our lives. that it will destroy yokes even in 06:12 this worship experience. 06:15 May your Word come alive to thy people tonight. we pray. 06:18 Forgive me of my sins. in Jesus' name. Amen. 06:22 Tonight I've got a message for the devil. 06:26 And I'm sure the devil can hear me. 06:28 And devil. if you can hear me. 06:30 and I know you can. I want you to know. I'm back. 06:35 In fact. I don't want to be alone. I want everybody to 06:39 tell the devil I'm back. 06:40 So on the count of three. 06:41 let's all say. I'm back. 06:45 One. two and three. 06:47 Very good. 06:48 If you keep on listening. you will have situations in your 06:52 life where people will declare the benediction on you. 06:55 There will always be people who will look at what you're 06:58 going through and they will say. there's no way 07:01 that you're going to make it out of this. 07:05 And if you aren't careful. 07:06 you will begin to buy into a mindset that you will begin to 07:10 even convince yourself that you can't make it. 07:13 You will begin to think that your situation is helpless. 07:16 hopeless. horrific. and that there's nothing 07:19 that can be done. 07:20 Tonight I need to remind somebody that we serve a God 07:25 who specializes in things impossible. 07:29 Because just when it appears that the devil has you against 07:33 the ropes. your family and your friends have begun to 07:38 declare the benediction on your life. it is at that 07:43 moment where God will step in and God will work a miracle on 07:46 your behalf. and send you boldly back to the pits of 07:51 hell with the testimony to point your finger in the 07:55 devil's face and say. "Devil. 07:57 you thought you had me. but I've come to tell you that 08:02 I'm back." My brothers and sisters. this evening I need 08:06 to tell somebody that it's about time to start telling 08:10 the devil you're back. 08:12 Because the devil has put all these things in your life. he 08:15 thought he had you. but he didn't know that you were 08:19 hooked up to somebody greater. 08:20 You see. it doesn't make a difference what havoc the 08:23 devil may throw your way when you have a divine connection 08:25 with the almighty God. when you have a divine connection. 08:29 you can declare victory. 08:30 You can declare victory regardless of your situation 08:33 and what it looks like. and so what you've been going 08:36 through. it's not for Satan's glory. but what you go through 08:42 in life is for God's glory. 08:43 How does Satan get the glory? 08:45 Satan gets the glory when we walk around with our sad 08:49 songs. with our head down. 08:51 talking about how bad things are. 08:55 But no. no. I'm not going through this. I'm not living 08:58 life for Satan's glory. 09:00 I'm going through life with my head lifted up. my chest stuck 09:05 out. my hands lifted up. 09:08 because I'm going through this for God's glory. 09:11 And so all along I have to understand that God has his 09:14 hand on my situation. that God has his hand in what I'm going 09:18 through to ultimately bless my life. 09:21 So this evening. quickly. 09:24 I want to tell you the story of Lazarus. 09:27 All of us have heard this story. about this man 09:31 who lived Jesus. 09:32 and Jesus loved him. 09:33 So in short. let us put it this way. 09:35 In summation. the Bible said that Lazarus was sick. that 09:40 his sisters. Mary and Martha. 09:42 they summoned Jesus. 09:44 When Jesus was on his way to Bethany. the Bible says 09:48 Lazarus died. 09:50 Lazarus was put in a tomb. and when Jesus shows up. there's a 09:53 resurrection in Jesus' power. 09:56 Jesus speaks to Lazarus and Lazarus is resurrected 10:01 from the grave. 10:03 Now. this evening I want you to see some things 10:07 through that little summation. 10:09 See some things. 10:10 and we will then go home. 10:11 Lazarus represents us. 10:14 We're going to see some things that. just when the devil 10:19 thinks he has you. just when it looks like there is no 10:23 hope. some of you have come in here this evening. and when 10:26 you look at your life. it looks like there's no help and hope 10:29 for your situation. 10:30 It seems so there's nothing else that can be done 10:33 in your situation. 10:35 But I've come to remind you that you're going to leave 10:38 here with this testimony: Devil. I'm back. 10:43 So I'm going to share three quick things with you. 10:46 And the first point I want to drive home tonight is this: 10:49 that a relationship with God does not exempt you 10:53 from sickness. 10:57 A lot of people want to think that because I'm in a 11:02 relationship with God. that exempts me. clears me from 11:06 sickness or ailment. 11:07 A relationship with God does not exempt you from sickness. 11:12 This is an area people don't like to deal with. many 11:15 people. because primarily we think that when we find Jesus 11:17 and accept Jesus that every day is going to be 11:20 a bed of roses. 11:22 But just because you've found Jesus doesn't mean every day 11:25 is going to be a bed of roses or a day of peaches and cream. 11:29 Understand. Lazarus was a friend of Jesus. 11:33 Jesus and Lazarus had a relationship. 11:37 The Bible says. though. that Lazarus was sick. 11:42 Now. if you look at verse 3 of John. chapter 11. the Word of 11:45 God says. "Therefore his sisters sent unto him. saying. 11:48 Lord. behold. he whom thou lovest is sick." Of whom you 11:51 are in relationship with is sick. Now. 11:53 this evening we've got to get straight right off the top 11:57 is this guilt thing. because regardless of the level of 12:00 your spiritual maturity or how long you've been in church. 12:03 how deep you are. all of us in this place have some sort of 12:07 sickness. 12:10 Now. I don't know about you. 12:12 but I found out that when I'm sick. I ought to at least know 12:16 where I can get some help. 12:19 Now. I'm not talking about physical sickness here. 12:23 I'm talking about spiritual sickness in this place. 12:28 Let me make that more applicable tonight. 12:30 I'm talking about when you don't feel like praying. 12:35 When you don't feel like trusting. 12:38 I'm talking about when you don't feel like going 12:40 to church. 12:43 Some of you have been there. 12:44 The issue here is that Lazarus was sick. 12:49 But the good news is. his sisters knew who to call. 12:53 See. you can say what you want about folk who are struggling 12:58 with issues day in and day out. and people who have 13:02 problems. but the matter of fact is. if you are sick. 13:06 you need Jesus. 13:07 And if you are sick. you ought to be in church. because the 13:09 church is not a hotel. but the church is a hospital. 13:13 This is a hospital and. in case you didn't know. 13:17 everybody up in here is sick with something. 13:22 I know that some of you think you're not sick with anything 13:25 because you look at other folk and say. well. look at what 13:28 they're struggling with. 13:29 Look how crazy and strange they are. 13:31 But I've come to tell you. 13:33 this is a hospital and I don't care if you're on the broken 13:35 toe floor. I don't care if you're on the broken ankle 13:40 floor. I don't care if you're on the pneumonia floor or the 13:43 heart trouble floor or the psychiatric floor. 13:45 I don't care what floor of the hospital you're on. you're 13:48 still in the hospital. 13:49 Just because you may not be sick in one area. don't you 13:55 look down on somebody else who's sick in another area. 13:58 because sickness is sickness. 14:00 And all sickness needs a Savior. 14:04 You see. one of the reasons why a lot of folks say. oh. 14:07 I don't know about the church thing is because too many of 14:10 us act like we have it all together. 14:12 So it's difficult. because the world says whenever I have a 14:14 problem. whenever I have a struggle. the church just may 14:17 be the last place I want to go. because those folk 14:20 down there are perfect. 14:21 They've got it going on. 14:23 They must might look down at me. 14:25 They can't understand my struggle. 14:28 But I come to tell somebody tonight in the name of Jesus 14:30 that it's time for the people of God to get real. it's time 14:33 for us to let folk know that we understand what they're 14:36 struggling with. because just a few days ago 14:39 we were struggling with the same thing. 14:41 I don't understand some of our senior saints who look down on 14:47 our younger saints. 14:51 Oooh. them wild young people. 14:52 What goes around comes around. 14:54 Back in your day you were while. 14:56 Can I get a witness in this place? 14:57 And if somebody weren't patient with you you wouldn't 14:59 have been here today. 15:00 Are you hearing what I'm saying? 15:02 All of us have sinned. 15:05 Come short of the glory of God. 15:09 And all means all. 15:12 But what I want you to understand is that when you 15:16 have a sickness you have to know who to put your 15:19 sickness in the hands of. 15:20 You see. I don't go to a mechanic when I'm sick. 15:23 I don't go to a lawyer when I'm sick. 15:27 I don't go to an accountant when I'm sick. 15:30 I go to a doctor when I'm sick. 15:34 Because when you're sick there's no need of you trying 15:37 to go to somebody else who's sick to try to help you. 15:39 You all hear what I'm saying? 15:41 Our problem is. we take sickness to sickness. and we 15:47 try to get sickness to help sickness. 15:50 You've got to stop taking your problems to 1-900-psychics. 15:54 You've got to stop taking your problems to Mother Agnes. Paul 16:00 Reed and Cleo. 16:02 I don't know where she is. 16:04 or Dionne Warwick. 16:05 You've got to stop taking your sickness to other sick folk. 16:09 You've got to stop dialing other people on the phone. 16:12 taking your sickness to sick folk. but you've got to 16:15 learn how to dial 1-1-1. 16:18 One for the Father. 16:21 one for the Son. 16:23 and one for the Holy Ghost. 16:27 Jesus on the main line. 16:29 Tell him what you want. 16:31 call him up. 16:33 and tell him what you want. 16:35 You have to call him and say. 16:36 "Lord. create within me a clean heart. and renew a right 16:39 spirit within me." I'm sick. 16:41 but I'm in your hands. 16:45 And for all the deep folk out there. because there are some 16:49 folk who look at us as church folk a little crazy. because 16:52 there are some who sit and say. "I. I just can't go to 16:55 church because when so-and-so ministers. I can't get with 17:01 him." When so-and-so sings. I can't get with that. 17:05 When so-and-so teaches. 17:06 I can't get with them because I know too much about them. 17:11 Let me help you with something. 17:13 The next time you read. 17:14 "The Lord is my shepherd. 17:15 I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green 17:18 pastures." the next time you read. "I waited patiently 17:20 upon the Lord and cried of him. and he heard me and 17:23 brought me out of the horrible pit. out of the mirely clay. 17:25 and set my feet on rock to stay." next time you read. 17:27 "Weeping may endure for a night. but joy comes in the 17:30 morning time." you remember a man named David 17:33 had a sickness. 17:36 And he wrote that. 17:37 But it was out of his sickness that he was able to bring 17:41 healing. because he had been there and understood what God 17:44 was able to do in his life. 17:45 The next time you read. 17:48 "My God shall supply all your needs according to his riches 17:51 in glory." the next time you read. "I can do all things 17:54 through Christ which strengtheneth me." you better 17:57 remember it was a man named Saul who became Paul. and man 18:00 who persecuted Christians. who hated Christians. but God 18:05 turned his life around. 18:07 Put Paul's life in the Master's hand. and 18:09 Paul wrote that. 18:10 I'm glad that God uses sick people. 18:13 I'm glad the Lord uses sick folk. 18:18 He says. I've not come for those who are whole. 18:21 but I've come for the sick. 18:22 That's why he sat with sinners. 18:24 That's why he ate with sinners. 18:26 That's why he fellowshipped with sinners. 18:29 That's why he talked with sinners. 18:31 That's why he died while we were yet sinners. 18:34 Because Jesus understood that I can use a sick person more 18:37 than I can use some of these folk who think they never sin. 18:39 You want to find somebody with a powerful testimony? 18:42 Show me somebody who's been out in the world. but God has 18:46 turned their life around. 18:49 That person is on fire. 18:51 fire for the Lord. 18:54 Some of us been in church all our lives. me included. and we 18:57 will see people give their life to the Lord. and they're 18:59 the ones that come to prayer meeting. I wish I had a 19:02 witness in this place. 19:05 They are the ones that come to Sabbath school to worship. 19:08 They are on fire for the Lord. 19:09 Somebody just might steal your crown. 19:12 God can turn crack heads into choir members. 19:16 Pimps into preachers. 19:18 Drug dealers into deacons. 19:20 God will change and turn your life around. 19:23 And I'm a witness that you are in a better position to 19:27 minister to people when you become sensitized 19:31 to their struggle. 19:33 Jesus was touched at every point in which we're touched. 19:38 Guess what? 19:40 You're sick. 19:42 And me too. 19:47 But we're in the hospital. 19:50 And that's the good news. 19:53 And so we have to get out of this guilt thing. 19:55 I'm going to wait to get my life together. 19:57 I'm going to come down and give my life to the Lord. but 19:59 I have so many problems. so many burdens. I just feel so 20:01 bad about myself. 20:03 Let me tell you something. 20:04 You need to be able to come just as you are. 20:07 Somebody knows. if you could have gotten yourself together. 20:11 you would have gotten yourself together a long time ago. 20:14 Christians aren't perfect. 20:18 We're just forgiven. 20:21 Everybody. whether we want to admit it or not 20:23 --I've said it once. 20:24 I'll say it again-- we are all 20:28 an ex-something. 20:29 Ex-drunkard. ex-addict. 20:31 ex-smoker. ex-thief. 20:34 ex-gossip. ex-crazy. 20:35 ex-something. 20:38 But I'm glad that Dr. Jesus makes house calls. 20:44 So when I'm sick and I understand I'm sick. then 20:48 I move to this second level. 20:52 Lazarus was sick. 20:54 But won't you see how progressively God brings 20:56 us back. 20:57 Understand. you're wondering what's happening in your life 21:00 because of a sickness. and you have a relationship with God 21:06 but you have a sickness. 21:07 I'm striving. 21:11 but I have a sickness. 21:12 But Paul says. we said it earlier. "That that I would 21:14 do. I don't." When I would do good. evil is on every hand. 21:17 But watch this. 21:19 You have to get to a point where you really begin to 21:22 evaluate this question: How do I respond to God's 21:26 sovereignty? 21:28 That's number two. 21:30 How do I respond to God's control? 21:32 God's dominion? 21:34 God's rule? 21:35 God's sovereignty. 21:38 The interesting thing in this text is that although Lazarus 21:40 was a friend of Jesus. Jesus loved Lazarus. when Jesus 21:43 heard of Lazarus' sickness. 21:46 look at verse 6: When he heard that his friend was sick. 21:52 Jesus abode two days still in the same place where he was. 21:58 Turn to your neighbor quickly. 22:01 Wake you up a bit. 22:04 turn to your neighbor. 22:05 Tell him. your emergency is not God's emergency. 22:09 Just because you're in a hurry does not mean 22:19 God is in a hurry. 22:21 You see. what we've got to remember is. if he is time. 22:25 he holds time. 22:29 Life is in his hand. 22:32 Death is in his hand. 22:35 Then what does he have to rush for if he's already there? 22:39 He may not come when you want him. but he's always 22:47 right on time. 22:51 It's not a miracle if he shows up early. 22:56 So why are you upset because somebody didn't come when 23:02 you got ready for them to come and pray for you? 23:05 Just one what? 23:06 The one who was there was already there. 23:13 The one who needed to be there was already at your bedside. 23:19 This is with Jesus and his disciples. 23:22 Lazarus is sick. 23:25 It is an emergency. 23:28 But then notice. 23:29 look at the text. 23:31 Notice what Jesus says. 23:32 Yes. he's sick. but let's stay here two more days. 23:40 But that's your friend. Jesus. 23:41 But we're going to stay here two more days. 23:46 Jesus knew something they didn't know. 23:50 You need to understand. Jesus knows something we don't know. 23:53 While Jesus was on his way--now. remember now. he 23:57 abode there two days. and then on top of that. 24:02 it was a two-day journey. 24:04 Totaling four days. 24:08 Jesus is on his way there. 24:10 He's in motion. 24:12 Lazarus. his friend. dies. 24:14 And when Jesus shows up. 24:16 Lazarus' sisters say. If you had been here. our brother 24:24 wouldn't have died. 24:28 But they didn't know. they missed something 24:32 we often miss. 24:34 If you had been here. Jesus. 24:36 I wouldn't have lost this. 24:38 If you had been here. Jesus. 24:39 this wouldn't have happened. 24:41 Ellen White said in "Desire of Ages." when Christ heard the 24:44 message that Lazarus had died. 24:45 the disciples thought he received it coldly. 24:51 But we miss something. 24:53 Remember. the Lord is sovereign. 24:57 Remember. when you're sovereign. that means you can 25:02 do what you want. when you want. where you want. how you 25:07 want. and you don't have to ask permission to 25:09 do what you want. 25:10 The issue here is not so much what God does. but how we 25:14 react to what God does. 25:16 because in God's permissive will. he allows 25:24 Lazarus to die. 25:26 There's a big difference between God's expressed will 25:30 and God's permissive will. 25:32 I wish I had time. 25:34 Now. we don't talk about this much in the church. 25:36 But what happens when God says. "I know what you really 25:40 want to happen. but I think I'm gonna let it 25:43 happen this way"? 25:46 I know you really want this job. but I think I'm not gonna 25:49 let you have it. 25:50 I know you really wanted that house. but I'm thinking you're 25:53 not going to have that house. 25:56 How do you do this for that? 25:58 How do you proclaim victory when God says no? 26:02 PB: thank you very much for tuning in and watching 26:04 Breath of Life today. 26:06 We do hope that you were blessed by our ministry 26:09 and that we gave a healing word in a hurting world. 26:13 In order for Breath of Life to continue, we need you. 26:16 We need your prayers we need your support 26:20 We want you to know that any and all donations, 26:22 small or great are sincerley welcomed and appreciated. 26:27 To contact us, or to make your donation 26:29 feel free to give us a call at 26:31 877-BOL-OFFER. 26:35 Or feel free to write us at Breath of Life, B.O.Box 340 26:41 Newbury Park, CA 91319 or feel free to log on 26:48 to our website at www.breathoflife.tv. 26:53 Until next time, May God continue to 26:56 Bless you and we thank you for your support. 27:02 The Breath of Life Television Ministry 27:05 We proudly present a special gift offer this week. "The 27:08 Desire of Ages." the life story of the greatest 27:11 spiritual leader the world has ever known. Jesus Christ. 27:16 "Desire of Ages" goes in depth into events surrounding the 27:19 life of Jesus. Giving you more meaning and a clear picture of 27:23 his impact on the world and on those who choose to 27:25 follow him even to this day. 27:27 In these uncertain times Desire of Ages gives direction 27:31 for all who seek it. 27:32 Just call our toll-free number. 877-BOL-OFFER. 27:41 That's 877-265-6333. and ask for your copy of 27:43 "Desire of Ages." 27:44 This book is yours for a gift of $5 or more. 27:47 Or you may write to Breath of Life. Box 340. 27:51 Newbury Park. CA 91319. 27:56 "The Desire of Ages." 27:57 It's the greatest story ever told, in a whole 28:00 new light. 28:02 [music] PB:Just because you found 28:07 Jesus, doesn't mean everyday is going to be 28:10 a bed of roses or a day of peaches 28:12 and cream. 28:15 PB: I'm sick. but I'm in your hands. 28:22 ....And that's the food news. |
Revised 2015-02-06