Participants: Carlton P. Byrd
Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000141
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00:01 (Theme Song) Jesus is worthy
00:10 oh yes, he's worthy worthy of all... 00:18 all the praise.. 00:20 (Music) I will not be a legend 00:23 in my own mind. 00:25 The world is full of graveyards of people who 00:28 thought the world couldn't go on without them. 00:31 That's why if a vision is of God, it will outlive you. 00:35 Without vision, the Bible says, people what? 00:38 Perish. 00:39 Seeing implies vision and the reason why some folks 00:42 don't do anything is because they've never seen anything. 00:46 Vision, first of all, is hindsight. 00:48 Everybody say hindsight. 00:49 Vision has to know where you've come from. 00:52 You see, some folk, you've forgotten where you come from. 00:54 Oh, let me say it again. 00:56 You forgot--I may preach a little while right now-- 00:58 you've forgotten where you're come from. 01:02 Now, because you've got a nice little car, a nice house, 01:05 got a little money, you've forgotten where the Lord 01:08 has brought you from. 01:10 But vision has to remember how far the Lord brought you, 01:13 through many dangers, toils, and snares. 01:18 Vision has to remember where God has brought us 01:21 as a people. 01:22 You haven't always been able to shop with everybody. 01:26 You haven't always been able to live in any neighborhood. 01:30 You haven't always been able to own property. 01:32 And then, when you were able to own land, all you had 01:35 was forty acres and a mule. 01:39 You haven't always been able to apply for any job you 01:42 wanted, go to any school. 01:44 You haven't always been able to vote, haven't always been 01:47 able to own a nice car. 01:48 You haven't always had the clothes that you 01:50 could pick up and pick out and be able to say, 01:52 I'm wearing blue today and black tomorrow. 01:54 Somebody remembers the day when you knew what you were 01:57 going to wear, black today, black tomorrow, black the next 02:02 day, and black on Sabbath. 02:04 Do I have a witness in this place? 02:06 You knew what you were going to eat, rice and peas today, 02:11 peas and rice tomorrow. 02:13 Ackee & salt fish the next day and then you can going 02:16 in a cycle. 02:17 But vision says, I know from whence I've come. 02:21 God's been good to somebody. 02:24 Has God been good to somebody up in here? 02:27 (applause) But not only is vision hindsight, but vision 02:32 is also insight. 02:33 Everybody say insight. 02:34 Aud: Amen. 02:35 Because has to know what God is doing right now. 02:38 There are some folk just sitting in this place right 02:41 now, some of you watching the television right now, 02:43 and you don't realize what God is doing 02:45 in our midst right now. 02:46 Prophecy is coming to pass. 02:47 In these last days. 02:50 The Bible says that God's going to pour out his spirits 02:53 upon all flesh. 02:55 There's a mighty move of God taking place. 02:58 There's a mighty move of God taking place 03:01 in the Oakwood Church. 03:03 So you have hindsight, you have insight, but then, number 03:05 three, you've got to have foresight, because you've got 03:08 to know where God is getting ready to take you. 03:10 Hallelujah, somebody. 03:11 Is there anybody in this place that knows that God is about 03:14 to take them somewhere? 03:15 But I don't know about you. 03:16 You can sit there like a lump on a log all you want, but God 03:19 is about to do something for me. 03:21 I'm believing God to do something in my life. 03:23 I'm believing God to do something in my family's life. 03:25 I'm believing God to do something in this church's 03:28 life. 03:29 Something in the life of Breath of Life. 03:32 I'm not worried about my naysayers. 03:34 Oh, you don't like that. 03:37 Let me give you your vernacular. 03:39 I'm not worried by my haters in my life, because my Bible 03:43 says that God will make my enemies my footstool. 03:47 So, my haters are just pouring the concrete that I'm going 03:51 to walk on, because my haters are my 03:53 elevators, and God is about to do something in my life. 03:58 (applause) I've learned dogs never bark at parked cars. 04:12 Dogs bark at moving vehicles. 04:18 God shows Joshua and he's showing us 04:20 in verses 2 through 6, vision. 04:22 He says in verse 3 that whatever the sole of your feet touch, 04:29 I'm a give it to you. 04:30 And that's not a prosperity gospel either. 04:32 That's just when I walk in the will of God, 04:35 when I put my will in harmony with God's will, 04:38 when I put my weight in harmony with God's weight, God has never 04:41 failed me yet. 04:42 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. 04:46 Just like I was with Moses, so shall I be with you. 04:50 You're, Carlton Byrd, you're, Oakwood University Church, 04:54 you're Oakwood University, a descendant of the movement. 04:59 An heir of the promise. 05:02 Moses is dead, but the vision God says that I have 05:07 for my people is still alive. 05:11 Frederick Douglas is dead, but the vision that I have 05:16 for my people is still alive. 05:19 Harriet Tubman is dead, but the vision that I have 05:23 for my people is still alive. 05:26 Jackie Robinson is dead, but the vision that I have 05:31 for my people is still alive. 05:34 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. 05:36 is dead, but the vision that I have for my people 05:41 is still alive. 05:42 Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, 05:46 Nelson Mandela are dead, but the vision that I have 05:52 for my people is still alive. 05:55 Rosa Parks is dead, Mary McLeod Methune is dead, 06:02 but the vision that I have for my people, God says, 06:05 is still alive. 06:07 I've traveled up this campus. 06:09 Some of you all don't know the history of this campus. 06:12 Eva B. Dykes, the lay building for which 06:14 the library is named was the first black woman 06:17 to receive the Ph.D. degree. 06:20 She is dead. 06:21 But God says the vision he has for his people is still alive. 06:28 C. E. Mosley is dead. 06:30 But the vision God has for his people is still alive. 06:33 Elder E. C. Ward is dead. 06:36 But the vision God has for his people is still alive. 06:39 Elder Cleveland is dead. 06:41 But the vision God has for his people is still alive. 06:45 And whenever God gives a vision, when you keep 06:49 that vision under supervision, God always makes provision. 06:54 You hear me say it all the time. 06:56 I've never had a vision for ministry 06:59 that I could afford. 07:01 How are we getting those rooms out there. 07:03 I don't know. 07:04 Somebody just sent a check just in the nick of time. 07:07 That's just like God. 07:09 Just when I need him, Jesus is near. 07:12 I've never had a vision for ministry I could afford. 07:15 I will never have a vision for ministry that I can afford, 07:18 because if God shows you something that you can afford, 07:21 then what do you need of God? 07:25 It's not of God. 07:27 But I believe if it's God's will, it's God's bill. 07:32 If it's God's choice, it's God's invoice. 07:35 Do I have a witness in this place? 07:37 All I'm saying to you today is you need to learn how to take 07:40 a walk, because every place the sole of your feet touch, 07:45 you've got the devil nervous, because every time you start 07:48 walking, the devil knows God's up to something. 07:52 Every time you start going places, the devil knows God 07:54 is about to do something in your life. 07:56 You see, friends of mine, I say it all the time, if you 07:58 saw what I saw, you'd be acting like I'm acting, 08:00 because I praise him not on what you see, but I praise God 08:03 on what God has shown me. 08:04 But, not only that, verse 5, God says, "There shall not any 08:10 man," "there shall not any man be able to stand before ye all 08:15 the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, 08:17 so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, 08:19 nor forsake thee." Which means God's got your back. 08:23 No weapon formed against you is going prosper. 08:26 If God be for us, who can be against us? 08:30 God's got your back. 08:31 We have nothing to fear, Ellen White says, 08:33 for the future, lest we forget how God has led 08:36 us in the past, God's got your back. 08:38 The movement is not over. 08:41 But in Jesus' name we press on. 08:45 God is saying to the descendants of the movement, 08:48 God is saying to the Joshua generation, Joshua, 08:51 you need to know that because you have a covenant 08:54 with me, I have a covering for you, for there can be no 08:57 covering without covenant. 08:58 That's why shacking and cohabitation don't work, 09:01 because you want a covering, but you don't have a covenant. 09:07 God says, Joshua, don't fear. 09:12 Don't fret. 09:14 The same way I took care of Moses is the same way 09:18 I'm going to take care of you. 09:19 And some of you know, that if you just testify 09:23 for a little minute, when you look back 09:26 over your life, you know that it wasn't you 09:33 that kept you. 09:35 But somebody knows that it was nobody but Jesus. 09:43 Jesus, bill payer. 09:47 Jesus, financial aid provider. 09:51 Jesus, financial clearance clearer. 09:56 Jesus, marriage savior. 10:00 Child finder. 10:01 Cancer killer. 10:03 Depression destroyer. 10:05 Slander slaughterer. 10:08 Envy executioner. 10:09 Faith fortifier. 10:11 Addiction assassin. 10:13 Sin forgiver. 10:14 Truth liberator. 10:15 Righteous redeemer. 10:17 Soul savior. 10:18 Coming conqueror. 10:19 Jesus. 10:20 (Applause) Somebody here has lost 10:24 their mind by now. 10:26 Concerning all you've been through, you should be 10:28 institutionalized right now. 10:29 But how did you make it? 10:30 Jesus. 10:31 Is there anybody in here that knows that there are some 10:35 things that should have happened to you, could have 10:37 happened to you, but didn't happen to you because God 10:39 kept you. 10:40 Jesus. 10:41 Verse 6 says, "Be strong." 10:44 "Good courage: for unto this people shalt 10:47 thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware 10:51 unto their fathers to give them." I like the way 10:54 the Clear Word puts it. 10:56 Be strong. 10:58 Full of courage. 10:59 Because I'm right here beside you. 11:02 Now is the time to lead the children of Israel into 11:04 the land that I promised to give thee. 11:06 So, God is calling the descendants of the movement. 11:13 God is calling the Joshua generation. 11:17 God is calling us to be strong in these last days. 11:22 It's time for the people of God to stand up against 11:27 the enemies of God. 11:29 But more than that, let me get specific today. 11:33 It's time for the men of God to stand up against 11:39 the enemies of God. 11:42 The enemies of God are destroying the man. 11:46 Specifically the black man. 11:49 Oh, let me preach to this. 11:50 You don't want it? 11:51 I'm going to give it anyhow. 11:53 Fifty percent of us black men are high school dropouts 11:56 compared to less than 25% of our white counterparts. 11:59 Black male students in grades K to 12 are nearly two 12:02 and a half times as likely to be suspended from school 12:04 in comparison to white students. 12:06 One in every 15 black men is incarcerated in comparison 12:11 to 1 in every 106 white men, which means that blacks 12:14 are incarcerated at nearly six times the rate of whites. 12:18 While we're only 13% of the United States population 12:21 we make up 44% of the prison population. 12:24 There are more black men between the ages of 18 to 24 12:27 who are incarcerated than in schools 12:29 of higher education. 12:31 If current trends continue, one in three black males born 12:33 today can expect to go to prison in their lifetime. 12:37 That's black men. 12:40 What about the black women? 12:42 As the number of black women has increased by 800,000 over 12:46 the last--800% over the last three decades, women of color 12:51 have become disproportionately represented. 12:54 While the number of women incarcerated is relatively 12:56 low, the racial and ethnic disparities are startling. 12:58 For example, black women are three times more likely than 13:02 white women to be incarcerated while Hispanic women are 69% 13:05 more likely than white women to be incarcerated. 13:08 Black teen girls between the ages of 15 to 19 accounted 13:12 for 44% of the pregnancies per 1,000 adolescent females, 13:17 while white teen girls only accounted for 21% 13:20 of the pregnancies per 1,000 adolescent females. 13:23 In total, men and women, 27% of all blacks live in poverty 13:29 compared to 10% of whites. 13:31 Thirteen percent of all blacks are unemployed compared to 6.5% 13:34 for whites. 13:35 And while blacks represent 13% of the U.S. 13:39 population, blacks accounted for an estimated 44% of new 13:42 HIV infections in 2010. 13:47 Unless the course of the academic changes, 13:50 at some point in their lifetime, an estimated 1 in 16 black men 13:55 and 1 in an estimated 32 black women will be diagnosed 13:59 with HIV infection. 14:02 That's why we've got to bring our kids here. 14:04 That's why we've got to put these individuals in front 14:07 of our young people. 14:08 It's time for the people of God to stand up against 14:12 the enemies of God. 14:13 Moses is dead. 14:17 But the movement must live on. 14:18 But you know what? 14:20 In the spirit of equal opportunity, the enemies of 14:23 God are not just against black people. 14:26 They're against all people. 14:27 Because although whites represent the majority of the 14:29 U.S. 14:30 population, they are responsible for 54% of murders 14:33 involving an intimate partner, 59% of murders involving a 14:36 family member, 55% of murders involving infants, 56% of 14:41 murders involving elders, 53% of gang-related murders, 70% 14:45 of workplace-related murders, 55% of arson-related murders, 14:50 80% of poison-related murders, and 53% of murders involving 14:54 multiple victims. 14:57 So you know what? 14:59 Either we're going to learn how to live together, work 15:02 together, and play together, or we will die tragically 15:09 together like fools. 15:10 It's time for black people, white people, red people, 15:18 yellow people, all people to take back our homes, take back 15:24 our schools, take back our neighborhoods, take back our 15:27 communities, take back our cities, go to church, get 15:39 involved in church. 15:40 Brothers, pull your pants up. 15:51 [applause] Walk like a man, talk like a man, dress like a 15:58 man, lead like a man. 16:01 You're not a man because you can make a baby, but you're a 16:03 man if you will rear a child. 16:04 Ladies, show some respect for yourself. 16:11 [applause] Don't let these brothers pick over you like 16:18 they pick over cars. 16:21 You're not a car. 16:22 You're a lady. 16:24 Let me help somebody with that and break that down. 16:27 You know, when a man shops for a car, the first thing he 16:30 does, he goes to as many car lots as possible. 16:35 Number two, you always want to know how that body looks. 16:39 Number three, you want to test drive before you purchase. 16:43 And number four, you're curious about how much mileage 16:46 it has and how many previous owners it has had. 16:48 And number five, you want the most out of it with the least 16:52 possible cost. 16:55 But when you know how much you're worth, you'll stop 17:00 giving all these brothers discounts. 17:02 I wish I had a witness in this place? 17:04 [applause] Ladies, look at that brother, unless you're 17:10 married, you don't have to, but if you're single, look at 17:12 that brother and tell him, you can't drive this. 17:17 Tell him, I'm not for sale. 17:22 And let me throw this in. 17:24 You've heard me say this, I'm going to say it again, I feel 17:27 it in my spirit. 17:32 Ladies, because you're not for sale, you need to take off all 17:37 these for-sale and on-sale signs. 17:39 [applause] Come to church with all this out. 17:41 Come on, preach, Pastor Byrd. 17:42 I'm doing the best I can. 17:45 [applause] It's not of God. 17:50 All this, nowadays, I'm going to, I know I'm a young man, 17:53 but all this come as you are. 17:55 When you come as you are, you don't come as you are in your 17:57 dress. 17:58 If you were going to see Barack Obama, you would have a 18:00 new suit, new shirt, new tie. 18:01 You're coming to see the King of Kings and the Lord of 18:04 Lords. 18:05 When you come as you are, you're coming with your heart 18:07 as you are. 18:08 I know some of you all don't like that, but that's all 18:11 right, I'm going to tell it anyhow. 18:15 Take these for-sale and on-sale signs off. 18:19 That's why I'm getting choir robes for all the choirs. 18:22 Come on, say Amen. 18:23 [applause] And while the old folk are clapping, it's not 18:27 just for the young folk, either. 18:29 We got some old Casanovas up in Oakwood, come on, say Amen. 18:32 [applause] To our visitors, we marry at 90, we marry at 80 in 18:41 Oakwood. 18:42 Come on, say Amen. 18:43 We're descendents of the movement. 18:47 Heirs of salvation. 18:49 Purchased of God. 18:53 Born of His spirit, washed in His blood. 19:00 We are the Joshua generation. 19:03 We are descendents of the movement. 19:06 Moses is dead, but your ice is as cold as anybody's. 19:11 Your sugar is as sweet as anybody's. 19:15 You are as good as anybody. 19:17 You're as bright, beautiful, brilliant and blessed as 19:20 anybody. 19:21 People of God, stand up against the enemies of God. 19:27 Because if they don't stand up, the church is going to be 19:31 debilitated. 19:32 The community devastated, our children dominated, our world 19:36 disintegrated and our globe annihilated. 19:38 We must now be the initiators, the agitators, the creators, 19:43 inventors and sustainers of the movement. 19:47 If not us, then who? 19:50 If not now, when? 19:51 God is saying to this generation, the descendents 19:56 of the movement, through what he said to Joshua, that what 20:00 I spoke to your forefathers, what I spoke to your ancestors, 20:04 what I spoke to the generation before you, I will manifest 20:08 in your generation. 20:11 That is, this generation. 20:14 I'm going to bring the past that I promised and spoke 20:17 about in generations before. 20:20 Now, we talk about the Bible and we talk about fulfilling 20:24 the prophecies, but what about modern-day fulfillment? 20:28 We live life with such cavalier feeling we don't even 20:31 see prophecy being fulfilled before our very eyes. 20:33 What about the modern-day fulfillment? 20:36 Who would have thought that in our lifetime 20:40 a black man, Barack Obama, 20:46 would be the President of the United States of America? 20:52 Who would have thought it? 20:55 And then not only was he elected, but he got re-elected. 21:02 But it was spoken of in a previous 21:05 generation, where Martin King said that he had 21:10 a dream one day, that man would not be judged 21:12 by the color of his skin but by the contents 21:15 of his character. 21:18 And now, in 2008, in 2012, we all, yes, went out to vote, 21:26 and a good number of us voted for who we voted for. 21:29 But don't get this thing twisted. 21:32 Black folk only make up 13% of the U.S. 21:35 population. 21:36 Which means that somebody other than black folk had to 21:41 vote for Barack Obama in order for Barack Obama to win. 21:49 God is calling us to be strong. 21:54 God is calling us to all be strong, because God's trying 21:57 to wrap this thing up. 21:59 God is getting ready to give us the land. 22:01 The Promised Land awaits us. 22:02 Prepare to meet thy God. 22:05 Prophecies are being fulfilled every day. 22:08 Tornadoes, earthquakes, wars, northeastern winter storms 22:13 like never before. 22:15 Hijacking of a plane yesterday. 22:19 No money, no jobs, changing marriage partners like 22:22 magazine subscriptions. 22:25 The legalization of same-sex marriage, the legalization 22:29 of pot, a black President in the United States, the same 22:33 country that sold black folk from slave ships 400 years ago 22:37 is the same country that has a black man 22:41 as President that walks up on the White House steps. 22:46 Young people, you have a responsibility 22:52 to be accountable here, because you're not supposed 22:55 to receive the inheritance and become intoxicated 22:58 with self-interests, self-centeredness, 23:04 and selfishness. 23:06 You are not to become pompous or arrogant and talk about 23:09 what you have, because there is a generation behind us in 23:14 inheritance that we're supposed to divide the 23:16 blessing in such a way that you have to realize that other 23:19 people--and I'm very clear about my role here at Oakwood 23:22 Church, that other people are waiting on you to step up 23:29 to the plate, because God is using you to be a conduit 23:33 to bring other people's blessings to pass. 23:37 Should God delay his coming, somebody that's not even born 23:44 yet is going to be blessed because you existed. 23:50 And if you forfeit this moment, you are hindering 23:56 the blessings of generations behind us. 24:01 Our parents didn't forfeit. 24:04 We can't forfeit it either. 24:07 I love this church, I love this school, I love this 24:14 property. 24:15 I will die for it. 24:16 It was ordained by God. 24:19 I can't forfeit it. 24:21 My great-granddaddy didn't forfeit it, my granddaddy 24:23 didn't forfeit it, my daddy didn't forfeit it. 24:25 I can't forfeit it. 24:29 They may not have had a computer, 24:31 but they had character. 24:33 They may not have had an iPad, but they had intelligence. 24:37 They may not have had a cell phone, but they had strength. 24:42 They may not have had Facebook, but they had some 24:44 faith. 24:45 They may not have had Twitter, but they had trust. 24:48 They may not have had Instagram, but they had 24:51 ingenuity. 24:52 They may not have had DVDs, but they knew of a Deliverer. 24:55 They didn't have LinkedIn, but I tell you, they were linked 24:59 up to Him. 25:01 They may not have had money, but they had a Master. 25:05 They may not have had justice, but they had Jesus. 25:09 And that's why they could sing, ride on, King Jesus. 25:16 That's why they could sing steal away to Jesus. 25:21 That's why they could sing, I don't feel no ways tired. 25:25 That's why they could sing, we shall overcome, someday. 25:28 That's why they could sing, I got shoes. 25:35 You got shoes. 25:38 All God's children got shoes. 25:43 When I get to heaven, gonna put on my shoes, and I'm gonna 25:50 walk all over God's heaven. 25:52 I got a crown, you got a crown, we all God's children got 26:01 a crown. 26:03 Because when I get to heaven I'm gonna put on my crown, 26:10 and shine all over God's heaven. 26:15 >: It's an age old question: What happens after we die? 26:19 The Breath of Life gift offer this week is "What the Bible 26:21 Says about Death." This little book peels back the theories 26:25 the world has on the afterlife and carefully explains what's 26:28 accurate based on a source we can really rely on, God's 26:32 Word. 26:33 Discover what the Bible says about the soul, human nature, 26:37 talking to the dead, the coming millennium, 26:39 the resurrection, and hell. 26:41 "What the Bible Says about Death" is yours for a gift of 26:44 $5 or more. 26:45 Just call our toll-free number, 877-BOL-OFFER. 26:51 That's 877-265-6333. 26:53 Please have your credit card ready when you call. 26:56 Or you may write us to request your copy. 26:58 Just send your check to Breath of Life, P.O. 27:01 Box 340, Newbury Park, California 91319. 27:06 Find comfort in what's to come after we pass from this world 27:10 to the next. 27:11 Get your copy of "What the Bible Says about Death" today. 27:16 PB: Thank you very much for tuning in and watching Breath 27:18 of Life today. 27:20 We do hope that you were blessed by our ministry, 27:22 and that we gave a healing word in a hurting world. 27:27 In order for Breath of Life to continue its ministry we need 27:30 you. 27:31 We need your prayers, we need your support. 27:33 We want you to know that any and all donations, small or 27:36 great, they are sincerely welcome and appreciated. 27:40 To contact us or to make your donation, please feel free to 27:44 give us a call at 877-BOL-OFFER. 27:48 That's 877-BOL-OFFER. 27:55 Or you may write to us at Breath of Life, P.O. Box 340, 27:58 Newbury Park, California 91319. 28:05 P.O. Box 340, Newbury Park, California 28:07 91319. 28:10 Or log onto our web site at www.breathoflife.tv. 28:17 PB: We can talk about how great things were in the past 28:19 and thank God for it, but today the question is 28:23 what are you going to do now? 28:25 God is looking for some people now who can say, I recognize |
Revised 2015-02-06