Participants: Carlton P. Byrd
Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000057
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00:01 ♪ (Theme Song) ♪ ♪ Jesus is worthy... ♪
00:12 ♪ oh yes, he's worthy... ♪ ♪ worthy of all... ♪ 00:18 ♪ all the praise ♪ PB: We're ready 00:23 to go to work. 00:24 Take your Bibles and go with me to the book of Daniel. 00:27 What book, everybody? 00:28 Daniel, chapter 3, very familiar passage. 00:30 And we're going to read, and you're hearing 00:32 verses 13 through 18. 00:32 Daniel 3:13-18. 00:39 The Word of God says, "Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage 00:46 and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, 00:51 and Abednego. 00:52 Then they brought these men before the king. 00:54 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, 01:00 O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve 01:04 my gods, nor worship the golden image 01:07 which I have set up? 01:08 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound 01:12 of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, 01:15 and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, 01:21 ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; 01:23 well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour 01:28 into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who 01:32 is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? 01:35 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to 01:38 the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer 01:43 thee in this matter. 01:45 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us 01:54 from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver 01:56 us out of thine hand, O king. 01:58 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not 02:11 serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou 02:15 hast set up." Will you please be so kind and do me a favor 02:19 and turn to your neighbor and say, "Neighbor." Come on, 02:24 say it like you mean it. 02:25 Say "Neighbor, it's getting hot in here." My Lord, 02:36 Father God, bless us now. 02:38 As we open up your Word and apply it to our lives, we pray 02:41 your Holy Spirit in this place. 02:44 We pray that, God, every demonic agency that is seeking 02:46 entrance in this place right now will be stopped 02:48 at the door. 02:51 God, may there by no distraction, no extraneous 02:53 thoughts that might impede your Word from going 02:57 forth to your people. 02:58 God, we be careful to give you the praise, 03:00 the honor and the glory. 03:02 Now, God, I'm not worthy, but Lord, speak 03:04 through this servant. 03:06 Forgive me of my sins. 03:07 It's in the name of Jesus that we pray. 03:09 Let everyone say Amen. 03:10 And Amen. 03:11 It's getting what in here, everybody? 03:13 Come on, it's getting what in here? 03:14 It's getting hot in here, and I'm not talking about Nellie's 03:17 song either, Amen. 03:18 Somebody on the campus told me about it this week. 03:24 Come on, say Amen. 03:26 It's getting hot in here. 03:29 Do I have a witness in this place? 03:32 It's getting hot in here, but what am I talking about? 03:34 The setting is not the sunshine state of Florida. 03:41 It's not the golden state of California with all the palm 03:44 trees, Hollywood stars or rainless days in 03:47 Southern California. 03:51 The setting is not the beautiful Caribbean Islands of 03:53 the Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad or Tobago. 04:03 But tonight I want you to go with me to the province 04:08 of Babylon. 04:12 The Plain of Durha. 04:16 Not in 2012 but in 6th century B.C. 04:21 Meet a man named Daniel. 04:24 Daniel is a good man, a righteous man, a godly man, 04:30 a praying man. 04:33 Daniel has some friends. 04:37 Their names are Hananiah, Misha'el and Azariah, better 04:41 known to us as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 04:47 The king at this time is Nebuchadnezzar and he has 04:50 commanded everyone to bow down and worship a statute, an 04:54 image of himself, that is 90 feet high and 9 feet wide. 05:00 The biblical narrative that we speak of is familiar to you 05:03 because you know that he commands that everyone who 05:07 does not bow down to this image shall be cast into a 05:10 burning fiery furnace. 05:13 Notice his command is followed by a threat. 05:18 But the fact that the threat accompanies the command is 05:20 normal too, for after all, when people don't do what we 05:23 want them to do, when people don't do what we say, we like 05:28 to blackmail them into doing it anyway. 05:32 If you don't do this, I won't do that. 05:38 If you don't do that, I won't do this, and if you 05:40 don't do this, I'll tell that you did that. 05:45 And then if you don't do this, I'm going to punish you for 05:47 not doing that. 05:48 But let me give you some advice. 05:51 Don't let people pressure you into anything. 05:54 And don't tell anybody anything you don't 05:58 want to hear again. 05:59 Do I have a witness in this place? 06:02 I hear people all the time: now, just keep 06:04 this confidential. 06:06 Keep this between you and me. 06:08 Don't tell anybody anything. 06:09 But let me tell you some advice tonight. 06:13 If you want to keep it confidential, if you don't 06:15 want to hear it again, don't you tell anybody anything. 06:18 Nebuchadnezzar gives a command, followed by a threat. 06:25 Nebuchadnezzar is like many politicians who often seem to 06:28 use religion to strengthen their grip on political power 06:31 by blending spiritual allegiance with 06:37 governmental authority. 06:38 Remember number one: be careful of the blending of 06:41 church and state. 06:43 The church can't make you do anything, but the state can. 06:48 When the time of trouble comes, when blue laws are 06:51 passed, when there's talk about the new world order 06:54 and public prayer in public school, watch out. 06:57 Because there's the subtle move of the enemy for the 07:01 union of church and state. 07:04 Studying this week for tonight, I was reading that 07:07 during the Nazi regime it was one of Adolph Hitler's 07:10 generals who said, "If we act as true Germans we act 07:14 according to the laws of God, and whoever serves Adolph 07:18 Hitler serves Germany, and whoever serves Germany serves 07:21 God." Nebuchadnezzar says in Daniel 3:4, "To you it is 07:29 commanded, O people, nations, and languages, That when ye 07:36 hear the sound of...all kinds of music, ye fall down and 07:40 worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath 07:44 set up." Now, follow me here carefully, because 07:47 Nebuchadnezzar's grand idolatry was accompanied 07:50 by music. 07:52 Elaborate and well-produced music, by the way, which 07:55 reminds us of the great power in music. 07:59 And so reminder number two tonight is, music can be used 08:03 for both good and evil. 08:06 I don't care if it's choral music, classical music, anthem 08:10 music, acapella music, gospel music. 08:15 Put music in the wrong hands and it can be used for 08:19 a wrong purpose. 08:21 But notice in the text the kind of music, the kind of 08:24 instruments in Daniel 3. 08:26 There weren't drums, not a Hammon organ, not a bass or 08:33 a lead guitar or keyboard. 08:35 Because, you know, we try to label instruments. 08:40 And we will say that a drum is demonic, that the Hammon 08:45 organ is devilish, or the bass guitar is diabolical. 08:50 But notice that the music in this text that is being used 08:55 for a wrong purpose, the instruments that were being 08:59 used for a demonic, devilish, diabolical purpose were the 09:02 cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer--you 09:11 all are not ready for this tonight. 09:13 Let me be clear. 09:15 No instrument in and of itself is bad. 09:20 That drum in and of itself is not bad, but it's the person 09:25 playing the instrument. 09:28 Is the person on the instrument consecrated? 09:31 Is the person on the drum dedicated? 09:34 Does the organist love Jesus? 09:37 I wish I had time tonight. 09:38 Verse 8 says, "Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans 09:48 came near, and accused the Jews. 09:53 They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, 09:57 O king, live for ever. 09:59 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that 10:01 shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, 10:04 psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, shall fall 10:06 down and worship the golden image: And whoso falleth not 10:08 down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst 10:11 of a burning fiery furnace. 10:12 Now verse 12: There are 10:15 certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the 10:19 province of Babylon." King Nebuchadnezzar, your boys, 10:24 those three boys you passed over some of us for, those 10:30 three boys you're always bragging about, those three 10:33 boys who eat Vegelinks, Superlinks, tofu links, 10:39 Morning Star links--those three boys, they won't bow 10:44 down to your image. 10:47 I gave you two reminders. 10:49 Let me start with the lessons Lesson number one, there will 10:52 always be in your life some gossips, some haters and some 10:56 tattletales in the midst. 10:58 These are professional haters who don't have what you have, 11:03 or can't get what you've got, so instead of being happy for 11:08 you, they hate on you and discredit everything you do. 11:11 I've had to learn in ministry, everybody does not 11:17 join in your success. 11:18 Everybody is not happy for you when you do well. 11:22 Understand that the greatest moments in your life can 11:25 produce the greatest moments of envy, jealousy and strife 11:28 in somebody else's life. 11:30 But let me give you some advice: don't hate the player, 11:34 hate the game. 11:35 You do what's right, and I'm a witness that God 11:38 will bless you. 11:40 The Chaldeans obviously had political motivations against 11:43 the three Hebrew boys who had been promoted to high office 11:46 in Nebuchadnezzar's government. 11:48 So here is Nebuchadnezzar: Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach 11:56 and Abednego, is it true that you will not serve my gods or 11:59 worship the golden image that I have set up? 12:01 Is it true that you will not bow down? 12:04 And everybody's looking at the three Hebrew boys. 12:09 Now, the three Hebrew boys, they could have 12:12 dodged the question. 12:13 They could have tried to change the subject. 12:15 They could have offered a word of excuse for their actions 12:17 because in a time of test, it's easier to think of 12:21 excuses that seem to justify compromise. 12:24 They could have said, we're in a different place, we're in 12:29 Rome, so because we're in Rome, let's do 12:33 as the Romans do. 12:34 But they knew that God was omnipresent, which meant that 12:36 he was in the same place at the same time, everywhere, 12:38 and that he has unlimited jurisdiction. 12:41 Lesson number two: We must do more than perform acts of 12:44 religious obedience when we have an audience, because 12:48 what's done in the dark will come to light. 12:50 They could have said, we will lose our jobs, we will lose 12:55 our standard of living. 12:57 Oftentimes when God blesses us, we make the blessing an 13:01 idol and compromise God to keep what we have. 13:05 They could have said, everybody else is doing it, 13:09 everybody else is bowing down. 13:10 It's only a short time and it's only one time, only for a 13:14 couple of minutes, not too long, just ten 13:18 minutes maximum. 13:19 It's crazy to throw our lives away for ten minutes. 13:23 But these young men knew that ten minutes could 13:26 change their entire life. 13:27 Just like somebody tonight knows that if you're not 13:30 careful, ten minutes can determine where 13:32 you spend eternity. 13:34 They could have said, this is more than can be 13:39 expected of us. 13:41 God will understand. 13:42 God knows my heart. 13:43 Yes, God does understand, and the challenging part 13:46 tonight is, yes, God knows your hearts. 13:49 But the fact that God understands should encourage 13:51 obedience and not be a license to sin. 13:55 It's getting hot up in here. 13:58 Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, why haven't you bowed down? 14:06 Tell you what, let's just say you didn't hear the music. 14:11 Let's just say you didn't fully understand. 14:15 You're from another country and that's why you didn't bow 14:17 down, because you don't understand the language. 14:20 Then we come to verse 16, which is one of my favorite 14:22 verses of scripture. 14:25 They replied, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not 14:30 careful to answer thee in this matter." In other words, we're 14:35 not scared of you. 14:38 We're not intimidated by you. 14:41 Verse 17: If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to 14:48 deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will 14:53 deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 14:57 When I think about the fact that God is able, I must admit 15:01 tonight that I'm convinced that most of us really don't 15:05 believe God is able. 15:07 Because if we did we would spend less time worrying if we 15:10 really believe God is able. 15:12 We'd spend less time telling folk off, getting people told, 15:15 setting folks straight, if we believe God is able. 15:18 We wouldn't give up so quick because of a doctor's 15:21 diagnosis if we really believed that God is 15:23 able to work miracles. 15:25 We wouldn't give up on prayer so easily if we really 15:29 believed that we serve a God who is able to exceedingly, 15:33 abundantly and above all we could ever ask or think. 15:36 The three Hebrew boys said, We know God is able 15:41 to deliver us. 15:43 But if not, we know he can do it, but if not, we're still 15:50 not going to serve thy gods or worship your golden image. 15:53 We know God can deliver us, we know God can save us, we know 15:57 God can deliver us from the drama we're experiencing, we 16:00 know God can deliver us from our financial deprivation, we 16:03 know God can deliver us from this illness, but if not. 16:10 We know God can deliver you from that drug habit. 16:13 We know God can deliver you from that sexual addiction. 16:17 We know God can remove that cancer. 16:20 We know God can provide a job. 16:21 But if not, and that's how we have to get in our lives. 16:29 We must get to that point that if God delivers, 16:32 praise the Lord. 16:34 If God doesn't deliver when we want, praise the Lord. 16:37 But in the good times, praise his name. 16:40 In the bad times do the same. 16:42 In everything give the King of kings all the thanks. 16:46 I will worship the God of Heaven and Earth. 16:49 I will worship the God of Abraham and Isaac, Jacob and 16:52 Joseph, Miriam and Moses, Enoch and Elijah, 16:54 Rachel and Rebecca. 16:57 I will worship the God of you and me, because he's Jehovah 17:01 Jireh, my provider, Jehovah Raphe, somebody knows 17:05 he's a healer. 17:07 Jehovah Shalom, he is my peace. 17:09 Jehovah Nissi, he is my banner. 17:12 So Nebuchadnezzar gets mad. 17:14 He demands the fiery furnace be turned up 17:17 seven times hotter. 17:17 It's getting hot up in there. 17:20 Everything was done to make sure that the three Hebrew 17:23 boys were dead, and dead quickly. 17:27 In fact, the Bible says that because the furnace was much 17:29 hotter than usual that the very ones who threw the Hebrew 17:32 boys in the fiery furnace were killed by the flames 17:34 of the furnace. 17:36 Lesson number three: Be careful about fueling the 17:39 flames for somebody else, because the flames will 17:42 reach and grab you. 17:48 Too many of us are busy setting traps for others, 17:54 waiting for other folk to fall, and the same traps we set 17:57 for others are often the same traps 18:01 we fall in ourselves. 18:02 I can't get a witness in this place. 18:03 You can be so busy turning folks against somebody else. 18:08 You got to be careful that the same folk don't turn on you. 18:10 Let me tell you, if somebody's in the corner talking about 18:14 somebody else, you better believe when you walk six 18:16 paces they're going to be talking about you. 18:18 "Be not deceived, God is not mocked. 18:20 Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." The lies 18:23 we tell on others, the gossip we spread on others, the dirt 18:27 we do to others will come back and get us. 18:30 Be sure your sins will find you out. 18:34 Now, let's talk about this furnace. 18:37 It's probably a brick kiln, since most buildings in 18:46 ancient Babylon were constructed of bricks. 18:48 It may have been burn bricks. 18:49 Kilns were cone-shaped structures of bricks. 18:52 The fuel was a mixture of oil and chaff. 18:55 Now, burns are classified. 18:57 Science students, you know this. 19:01 Burns are classified according to the amount of tissue damage. 19:03 First-degree burns are the least severe and affect only 19:08 the outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, causing 19:12 pain and redness. 19:13 Second-degree burns extend to the second layer of the skin, 19:16 the dermis, causing pain, redness and blisters 19:19 that may ooze. 19:20 The third-degree burns involve layers of skins, and many also 19:22 damage the underlying bones, muscles and tendons. 19:25 The burn site appears pale, charred and leathery. 19:27 Though there generally is no pain in the area because the 19:30 nerve endings have already been destroyed, because of the 19:33 nerve damage, third-degree burns may result 19:37 in less pain than first- or second-degree burns. 19:42 Fourth-degree burns extend through the skin and fat into 19:45 the underlying muscle and bone. 19:49 This is what Nebuchadnezzar planned for the 19:52 three Hebrew boys. 19:53 He commanded the furnace to be made seven times 19:56 hotter than normal. 19:58 Now, the increased heat in the furnace was produced by an 20:03 extraordinary supply of crude oil and chaff. 20:07 And while many believe that this increase in heat was 20:11 because Nebuchadnezzar wanted the boys dead and dead 20:14 quickly--listen to me--the purpose of this extraordinary 20:18 command was probably not to increase the punishment. 20:21 Because an increase of heat in the furnace would not have 20:24 increased the torture of the victims. 20:27 Because remember, third-degree burns are less painful than 20:31 first- or second-degree burns because the nerves have 20:34 already been attacked. 20:35 But the king increased the heat to prevent 20:38 any possible intervention. 20:41 What do you mean, Dr. Byrd? Ellen White says that 20:48 Nebuchadnezzar felt that it required more than 20:51 ordinary power to deal with these noble men. 20:57 She says Nebuchadnezzar's mind was so strongly impressed that 21:05 something unusual would interpose in their behalf, so 21:07 he intensified the heat and his strongest men were 21:09 ordered to deal with this. 21:12 In other words, Nebuchadnezzar sensed--you know, 21:17 you've got a feeling? 21:19 Nebuchadnezzar had a feeling that something might 21:23 happen to come to the three Hebrew boys' aid. 21:30 Next lesson: even the enemies of God know the power of God. 21:39 The devil is no match for God. 21:44 Put God on the front line of your life. 21:47 Put him on the front line of your life, and watch God win. 21:52 There's power in the name of Jesus. 21:55 Salvation in the name of Jesus, healing in the 21:59 name of Jesus. 22:00 Get thee behind me, Satan. 22:02 I command they, Satan, in the name of the Lord, to pick up 22:07 your weapons and flee for God has given me authority 22:11 to walk all over thee. 22:13 What a mighty God we serve! 22:18 Demons tremble at the name of Jesus. 22:20 Satan's imps are fickled at the name of Jesus. 22:24 Jesus, sweet Rose of Sharon. 22:27 Jesus, Lily of the Valley. 22:30 Jesus, Way Maker in the midnight hour. 22:34 Jesus, company keeper in my lowly hour. 22:37 Jesus, tuition payer at the student accounts line. 22:41 Jesus, my protector at night. 22:45 Jesus, my shield from the arrows of life. 22:49 Jesus, my defender from my enemies. 22:52 Jesus, my protection from the enemy in a meet. 22:59 Oh, I feel like preaching tonight! 23:02 If God be for us, who can be against us? 23:08 Because no weapon formed against you 23:11 is going to prosper. 23:12 It won't work because greater is he that is in you than he 23:18 that is in the world. 23:21 Jesus. 23:23 Here's Nebuchadnezzar. 23:26 Who is this that I now see walking in the fiery furnace? 23:30 I thought I threw three men in. 23:32 I now see four. 23:36 And the fourth looks like the Son of God. 23:41 It's Jesus. 23:42 Let me tell you all something. 23:44 Preachers, teachers, storytellers and church folk 23:47 all give reasons for why Jesus showed up in the 23:51 fiery furnace. 23:53 But let me tell you something. Know this. 23:55 Whatever they say, make sure it's rooted in this: Jesus 23:58 will always be with you in the worst of your trials. 24:03 Whatever you think is so dark that you're going through, 24:07 know this: Jesus is going to be there with you. 24:11 I don't care how bad or hot it gets in your life, Jesus 24:15 is going to be with you. 24:17 My favorite text of scripture is I Corinthians 10:13, "There 24:21 hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: 24:25 but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted 24:31 above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also 24:35 make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 24:37 God always provides a way of escape. 24:39 He may not come when you want him, 24:42 but he's always right on time. 24:44 Think about it. 24:45 Think about it, expand your mind. 24:47 We don't know if Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego even knew 24:53 that Jesus was with them in the furnace. 24:58 Remember now, the Bible says that Nebuchadnezzar 25:03 saw four men loose. 25:05 That's what the Bible says. 25:06 The Bible does not say that the three Hebrew boys 25:10 saw a fourth man. 25:12 In fact, the Bible says in verse 26 that when 25:16 Nebuchadnezzar commanded the men to come out of the 25:19 furnace, only Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego 25:20 came forth. 25:22 PB: Thank you very much for tuning in and watching 25:24 Breath of Life today. 25:26 We do hope that you were blessed by our ministry and 25:29 that we gave a healing word in a hurting world. 25:33 In order for Breath of Life to continue ministering, 25:36 we need you. 25:37 We need your prayers. 25:38 We need your support. 25:40 We want you to know that any and all donations, small or 25:42 great, they are sincerely welcome and appreciated. 25:47 To contact us or to make your donation, please feel free to 25:50 give us a call at 877-BOL-OFFER. 25:55 Or you may write to us at Breath of Life, P.O. Box 340, 26:02 Newbury Park, CA 91319. 26:13 Feel free to log onto our web site at www.breathoflife.tv. 26:22 We'd all like to live healthier lives, but doing so 26:24 and maintaining it aren't always so easy. 26:27 It's hard when the foods we love are also the foods 26:29 that can hurt us the most, and when it's easier 26:31 to watch TV than it is to exercise. 26:34 What we need are straight answers 26:36 and some encouragement. 26:37 The Breath of Life gift offer this week 26:39 is Dr. Timothy Arnott's "24 Realistic Ways to 26:42 Improve Your Health." 26:43 It includes information that can change your life 26:46 with just a little effort. 26:48 So say goodbye to crazy diets and impossible 26:51 exercise regimens. 26:52 Dr. Arnott serves up a healthy dish of guidance to help get 26:56 you to the physical and mental state God intended. 26:59 Find out how to exercise the right way, how water can help 27:02 your heart, why eating nuts and seeds daily 27:05 is so important. 27:06 Discover how to lower your blood pressure and reduce 27:09 your risk of cancer. 27:10 "24 Realistic Ways to Improve Your Health" is indeed 27:13 just that: realistic. 27:16 Dr. Arnott is a no-nonsense, tell it like it really is 27:19 doctor who talks to you as if you're hearing 27:21 from a good friend. 27:23 Just call our toll-free number, 1-877-BOL-OFFER. 27:27 That's 1-877-265-6333, and ask for your copy of "24 Realistic 27:33 Ways to Improve Your Health." 27:35 The book is yours for a gift of $5.00 or more. 27:38 Or you may write to: Breath of Life, 27:40 Box 340, Newbury Park, CA 91319. 27:44 Don't just wait for your health to get better. 27:46 Take charge of it and get "24 Realistic Ways to Improve 27:50 Your Health" now. 27:53 To order a DVD or CD copy of this Breath of Life 27:56 broadcast with Carlton Byrd just call our toll-free number, 27:59 877-BOL-OFFER. 28:02 That's 877-265-6333. 28:06 Please visit us online at breathoflife.tv where you can 28:10 see our broadcast schedule, send us your prayer requests, 28:13 sign up for our newsletter and make a donation. 28:17 Thank you for watching and supporting Breath of Life. 28:20 God bless you. 28:23 ...Sometimes a set back is a setup for a comeback! |
Revised 2015-02-06