Participants: Carlton P. Byrd
Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000084
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00:01 Annc: From the Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:03 in Atlanta, Georgia, welcome to "The Present" 00:08 with Dr. Carlton T. Byrd, Grammy winners Take Six, 00:14 Jennifer LaMountain, Jamie George, 00:20 and the Greater Atlanta Adventist Academy Choir. 00:23 ♪ Choir Joy to the world, ♪ ♪ the Lord is come. ♪ 00:27 ♪ Let earth receive her King; ♪ ♪ Let every heart ♪ 00:35 ♪ prepare Him room, ♪ ♪ And Heaven and nature sing, ♪ 00:40 ♪ And Heaven and nature sing, ♪ ♪ And Heaven, and Heaven, ♪ 00:46 ♪ and nature sing. ♪ ♪ [organ] ♪ 01:05 ♪ He rules the world ♪ ♪ with truth and grace, ♪ 01:10 ♪ And makes the nations prove ♪ ♪ The glories of ♪ 01:18 ♪ His righteousness, ♪ ♪ And wonders of His love, ♪ 01:24 ♪ And wonders of His love, ♪ ♪ And wonders, wonders, ♪ 01:31 ♪ of His love. ♪ ♪ Of His love. ♪ 01:44 [applause] PB: Hello, my name 01:54 is Dr. Carlton T. Byrd, speaker-director of the 01:57 Breath of Life television ministries. 01:59 I'm excited tonight because I'm live right here in 02:02 the sanctuary of the Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church 02:05 in Atlanta, Georgia, and we're broadcasting our 02:08 Christmas special. 02:10 We've come this evening to fellowship one with another, 02:12 sing about Jesus' love, talk about Jesus' love, and the 02:17 greatest gift that was ever given to us, 02:19 when Jesus himself came. 02:21 So again, we're happy. 02:24 We're excited. 02:25 Hark, the herald angels sing. 02:27 Jesus is the light of the world. 02:31 I invite you now to listen to the music ministry 02:34 of my friends, Take Six, as they render 02:36 "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing." 02:40 Take Six:♪ Hark the herald ♪ ♪ angels sing "Glory to ♪ 02:47 ♪ the newborn King! ♪ ♪ Peace on earth♪ 02:52 ♪and mercy mild ♪ ♪ God and sinners reconciled." ♪ 02:59 ♪ Joyful, all ye nations rise ♪ ♪ Join the triumph of the♪ 03:06 ♪skies With the angelic host proclaim: ♪ 03:14 ♪ "Christ is born ♪in Bethlehem" Hark! ♪ 03:20 ♪ The herald angels sing ♪ ♪ "Glory to the newborn King!" ♪ 03:31 ♪ Christ by highest ♪ ♪ heav'n adored ♪ 03:36 ♪ Christ the everlasting Lord! ♪ ♪ In a manger born a king ♪ 03:45 ♪ While adoring angels sing. ♪ ♪ Peace on earth, ♪ 03:52 ♪ to men good will ♪ ♪ Bid the trembling♪ 03:57 ♪soul be still ♪ ♪ Christ on earth has come ♪ 04:04 ♪ to dwell Jesus, our Emmanuel ♪ ♪ Hark! ♪ 04:12 ♪ The herald angels sing ♪ ♪ "Glory to the newborn King!" ♪ 04:23 ♪ Hail the heav'n-born ♪ ♪ Prince of Peace! ♪ 04:28 ♪ Hail the Son♪ ♪of Righteousness! ♪ 04:33 ♪ Life and light to♪ ♪all He brings ♪ 04:39 ♪ Ris'n with healing♪ ♪in His wings ♪ 04:44 ♪ Mild He lays His glory by ♪ ♪ Born that man no more ♪ 04:53 ♪ may die Born to raise ♪ ♪ the sons of earth ♪ 04:59 ♪ Born to give them ♪ ♪ second birth ♪ 05:04 ♪ Hark! ♪ ♪ The herald angels sing ♪ 05:08 ♪ "Glory to the newborn King!" ♪ ♪ Hark! ♪ 05:16 ♪ The herald angels sing ♪ ♪ "Glory to the newborn King!" ♪ 05:37 [applause] PB: For Christians, 05:58 Jesus is the central figure of the Bible. 06:02 His life is told in all four of the gospels as recorded 06:05 in the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. 06:11 Christians observe Christmas, December 25th, as the holiday 06:15 commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. 06:18 Now, while it was not specifically on December 25th 06:22 that the gift of Jesus Christ was given, it is inspiring to 06:27 know that such a gift was ever even given. 06:31 To know that God loved us so much that he sent his only Son 06:35 to save and redeem us is awesome, astounding, 06:40 and amazing. 06:42 John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world 06:45 that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever 06:49 believeth in him should not perish but have 06:53 everlasting life." 06:55 So although we don't know exactly when Jesus was born, 07:00 we do know why he was born. 07:03 Although we don't know exactly how Jesus was born, we do know 07:09 for whom he was born. 07:11 Jesus came into this world to save the human family, 07:15 to set us free, and to give us eternal life. 07:21 So during this holiday season, please don't get caught up 07:25 in all the propaganda that Christmas is only about 07:29 Santa Claus, a Christmas tree, Santa's elves, Rudolph the 07:35 Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, 07:40 mall visits, packaged presents, eggnog or 07:44 a partridge in a pear tree. 07:48 While all of these things have their seasonal place, 07:51 Jesus is the real reason for the season. 07:56 You see, friends of mine, Jesus is better than 08:00 fictitious Santa Claus. 08:02 Jesus is the real thing. 08:05 Comparative analysis suggests that Santa lives at the 08:09 North Pole, but my Jesus is everywhere. 08:13 Santa arrives in on a sleigh, but Jesus rides on the wind 08:19 and walks on the water. 08:21 Santa comes only once a year, but Jesus is an ever-present 08:27 help in time of trouble. 08:33 [applause] You see, you have 08:38 to wait in line to see Santa, but Jesus is as close as the 08:44 mention of his name. 08:47 Santa doesn't even know your name. 08:49 All he can say is, "Hi, little girl. 08:51 Hi, little boy." 08:53 But Jesus knew our names before we knew our names. 08:57 Not only does he know our names, but knows our 08:59 addresses, our histories, our futures, and even the number 09:05 of hairs on our heads. 09:07 All Santa can offer is "Ho ho ho," 09:11 but Jesus offers health, help, and hope. 09:15 Santa says, "You better not cry," 09:18 but Jesus says, "Cast all your cares on me, 09:21 because I care for you." 09:25 [applause] Yes, Santa may make 09:27 you chuckle. 09:28 Jesus gives you joy that the world didn't give, and the 09:32 world can't take away. 09:34 While Santa puts gifts under a Christmas tree, it was Jesus 09:40 who became our gift and died on Calvary's tree. 09:45 Jesus is the real thing. 09:48 He's not Santa Claus. 09:50 He's not fictitious. 09:52 He's the real gift. 09:54 The real present. 09:55 And so we come to reflect and celebrate the real present, 10:01 Jesus Christ. 10:02 He's the real gift of Christmas. 10:05 Nearly 2,000 years ago on a special night in Bethlehem, 10:11 this present, this gift was born into the world. 10:16 He was not born in a castle, not born in a five-star hotel, 10:21 not born on an island resort. 10:24 There were no kings or queens among him. 10:30 But with no room in the local hotels, 10:33 Jesus was born among oxen, among donkeys. 10:36 Born in the open air, wrapped in swaddling clothes, 10:42 lying in a manger. 10:44 Luke describes this special night in Luke 2:8-14: 10:52 "And there were in the same country 10:53 shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over 10:58 their flock by night. 11:00 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory 11:04 of the Lord shone round about them: and they were 11:07 sore afraid. 11:09 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring 11:12 you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11:19 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, 11:24 which is Christ the Lord. 11:27 And this shall be a sign unto you; 11:29 Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, 11:34 lying in a manger. 11:34 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the 11:38 heavenly host...saying, Glory to God 11:42 in the highest, and on earth peace, 11:45 good will toward men." 11:48 This special night that this gift was given, it was a 11:52 silent night, a holy night. 11:55 All was calm, all was bright. 11:58 Round yon virgin, mother and child, holy infant 12:02 so tender and mild. 12:06 Sleep in heavenly peace. 12:13 [applause] ♪ [Violin playing] ♪ 13:12 ♪ "Silent Night"/choir backup ♪ 15:24 [applause] PB: Christmas is a time 15:34 of giving, a time of sharing, a time you spend with family 15:39 and with friends. 15:41 Seated with me is the most important group in my life, 15:45 my family. 15:47 My lovely wife, Danielle, and our two 15:49 beautiful daughters, Christyn and Caileigh. 15:52 Seated directly behind us are our church family. 15:57 From my family, our church family, to each of you, 16:00 we want to wish you a Merry Christmas. 16:12 [orchestra] Jennifer LaMountain: 16:20 ♪ O Holy night The stars ♪ ♪ are brightly shining ♪ 16:31 ♪ It is the night of ♪ ♪ our dear Savior's birth ♪ 16:46 ♪ Long lay the world ♪ ♪ in sin and error pining ♪ 16:52 ♪ Till He appeared ♪ ♪ and the Soul felt its worth ♪ 17:05 ♪ A thrill of hope, ♪ ♪ the weary world rejoices ♪ 17:15 ♪ For yonder breaks a new ♪ ♪ and glorious morn ♪ 17:28 ♪ Fall on your knees ♪ ♪ Oh, hear the angel voices ♪ 17:39 ♪ O night divine, O night ♪ ♪ when Christ was born ♪ 17:50 ♪ O night divine, ♪ ♪ O night, O night divine ♪ 18:16 ♪ Truly He taught us to love ♪ ♪ one another His law is love ♪ 18:23 ♪ and His gospel is peace ♪ ♪ Chains shall He break, ♪ 18:32 ♪ for the slave is our brother ♪ ♪ And in His name ♪ 18:37 ♪ all oppression shall cease ♪ ♪ Sweet hymns of joy ♪ 18:45 ♪ in grateful chorus raise we ♪ ♪ Let all within us ♪ 18:51 ♪ praise His holy name ♪ ♪ Fall on your knees Oh, ♪ 19:04 ♪ hear the angel voices ♪ ♪ O night divine, O night ♪ 19:18 ♪ when Christ was born ♪ ♪ O night divine, O night, ♪ 19:35 ♪ O night divine ♪ [applause] 20:24 PB: Matthew 2:1-12 states, "Now when Jesus was 20:31 born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, 20:36 behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 20:40 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? 20:45 for we have seen his star in the east, and are come 20:48 to worship him. 20:50 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, 20:55 and all Jerusalem with him. 20:57 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes 21:01 of the people together, he demanded of them 21:04 where Christ should be born. 21:07 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus 21:10 it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the 21:14 land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: 21:19 for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule 21:23 my people Israel. 21:26 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, 21:29 enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 21:33 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search 21:38 diligently for the young child; and when ye have found 21:42 him, bring me word again, that I may come 21:45 and worship him also. 21:47 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, 21:49 the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, 21:55 till it came and stood over where 21:57 the young child was. 21:59 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding 22:03 great joy. 22:05 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young 22:08 child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped 22:12 him: and when they had opened their treasures, they 22:15 presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense 22:19 and myrrh. 22:21 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not 22:24 return to Herod, they departed into their own country 22:28 another way." 22:30 Now, Matthew chapter 2 is very interesting. 22:34 It is very interesting because of its place in scripture. 22:38 It is the very inception of the entrance of Jesus Christ 22:42 onto the earth. 22:44 There is a very powerful revelation that I want you 22:48 to get out of this. 22:49 The very birth of Jesus Christ, the nativity reality, 22:54 that God has sent his Son into the earthly realm. 22:59 And it is interesting because what we witness now are these 23:03 wise men from the East. 23:06 They are historically and theologically 23:09 referred to as magi. 23:12 Matthew is the only one of the gospels to mention the magi. 23:18 The magi, they are stargazers. 23:22 They have waited with great expectancy for the coming of 23:25 Jesus Christ, the Messiah. 23:27 They have been told that the Messiah would eventually come. 23:30 And now, according to historical records, they have 23:34 an assumption of Jesus will come looking like. 23:38 Thinking he would come in on a chariot, coming with 23:42 a mighty army. 23:43 But they are about to be blown out of the water, because he 23:47 does not come like they think he's going to come. 23:51 That's the powerful thing about the Lord, my friends. 23:54 He oftentimes will show up in ways that you 23:57 least expect it, and where you least expect it. 24:02 But the good news is that when he does show up, you know he's 24:08 always right on time. 24:11 He's an on-time God, yes, he is. You see, 24:17 God moves in his time. 24:19 He doesn't move in our time. 24:20 God's ways are not our ways, and his time is not our time. 24:25 Matthew 2 teaches that it was time for the Messiah to come. 24:32 And the truth of the matter is this: these wise men 24:36 had been expecting the Messiah to come. 24:39 As a matter of fact, the Hebrew prophecy 24:41 had declared it in Isaiah 9:6: "Unto us a child is born. 24:48 Unto us a son is given. 24:51 And the government shall be upon his shoulders. 24:55 And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty 25:00 God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." 25:05 Now, the Bible never tells us how many wise men 25:10 or magi there were. 25:12 But what we do know is that they brought three gifts to 25:16 celebrate the birth of Jesus, under the supervision of God. 25:20 The magi followed the brightly shining star that guided 25:25 them to Bethlehem. 25:27 But before they got to Bethlehem, the Bible says 25:31 the wise men made a stop in Jerusalem. 25:35 They made a stop to speak with King Herod. 25:37 The Bible teaches that they asked Herod where they could 25:40 find the newly born king so they could go to worship him. 25:44 This troubled Herod, made Herod mad, made Herod jealous. 25:49 He didn't like the idea of someone else, much less a 25:53 child, being called a king. 25:57 So he asked the priests, who told him that Christ would be 26:01 born a baby in Bethlehem. 26:04 So Herod told the wise men, after you find the child king, 26:09 come back to see me so I can also go and worship him. 26:13 But Herod was trying to deceive the wise men, 26:17 because he really meant to harm the child. 26:22 But you know what? 26:23 God always protects his own. 26:25 Whether in a city, the country, on an island, or 26:32 in a manger, God will always protect his own. 26:38 God spoke in a dream, told the wise men 26:42 not to return to Herod, but to go back 26:45 to their country. 26:46 So the wise men followed the star to Bethlehem until they 26:49 found where the baby Jesus lay, and when they got to 26:51 Jesus they worshipped him. 26:53 They offered him three gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. 27:01 These gifts were very, very meaningful. 27:04 Gold was fitting for a king. 27:06 Frankincense was a resin from a balsam tree used 27:10 as a medicine. 27:11 Symbolically, this king, Jesus, would heal his people. 27:15 And then myrrh, an herb used in burials, was the most 27:20 unusual gift in that it pointed to the importance that 27:25 this king's death would mean later in life. 27:29 These were their gifts. 27:31 These were their presents. 27:32 [Choir] ♪ I believe this is Jesus! ♪ 27:38 ♪ Come and see! ♪ ♪ Come and see. ♪ 27:40 ♪ I believe this is Jesus! ♪ ♪ Come and see! ♪ 27:44 ♪ Come and see. ♪ ♪ I believe this is Jesus! ♪ 27:49 ♪ Come and see! ♪ ♪ Come and see. ♪ 27:52 ♪ I believe this is Jesus! ♪ ♪ Come and see! ♪ 27:58 ♪ Come and see. ♪ ♪ The light of God shines in ♪ 28:02 ♪ his face. ♪ ♪ Come and see! ♪ 28:04 ♪ Come and see. ♪ ♪ He offers all his ♪ 28:08 ♪ pardoning grace ♪ ♪ Come and see! ♪ 28:11 ♪ Come and see. ♪ ♪ Oh, I believe this is Jesus! ♪ 28:15 ♪ Come and see! ♪ ♪ Come and see. ♪ 28:18 ♪ I believe this is Jesus! ♪ ♪ Come and see! ♪ 28:22 ♪ Come and see. ♪ ♪ I believe this is Jesus! ♪ 28:26 ♪ Come and see! ♪ ♪ Come and see. ♪ |
Revised 2015-02-06