get ready for a breath of new
life. Today, Dr. Byrd speaks on
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the topic "Praise the
Lord." And now, here he is,
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speaker/director of Breath
of Life Ministries, Dr. Carlton
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Byrd. PB:  I just have one text
for you today. Just one text. A
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familiar text, it comes from
Psalm 107. Psalm 107, verse
number 8, the Word of God says,
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"Oh that men would praise the
LORD for his goodness, and for
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his wonderful works to the
children of men!" "Oh that men
would praise the LORD for his
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goodness, and for his wonderful
works to the children of men!"
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Father in heaven, right now
thank You for the assurance that
You're working in and out.
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Now, Lord, just for the next
couple of moments, we need You
to speak to us today.
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We need You to remind us
that You are working things out.
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I don't know everyone's story
right now, but the reality is
everyone in this place,
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everyone within the sound of
my voice, has a story. May we be
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encouraged today to know that
You are working it out. So, for
the next couple of moments as we
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feast in the fact that we ought
to praise You for Your goodness,
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and for Your wonderful works
to each and every one of us, we
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pray that God, You would speak
through the aisles today at
Oakwood in the hearts of
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individuals, that surrender
would take place to You. It's in
Jesus' name we pray.
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Let everyone say amen and amen.
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"Oh that men would praise the
LORD for his goodness and for
his wonderful works
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to the children of men!" Thank
you, Brother Moore, and thank
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you, remnant for sharing your
ministry with us today. Let the
church say amen. Aud.:  Amen.
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PB:  Today, this is my testimony
of praise. This summer has been
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a summer that we will not soon
forget. And the reality is, we
still have a month to go.
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Because this summer, if it
hasn't been one thing, it's been
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another. We've had prison
escapees in New York, and now we
have a drug lord prison escapee,
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El Chap Guzman, better known as
"Shorty," on the lam in Mexico.
There have been storms
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in Pennsylvania which have
destroyed schools and buildings,
and if you've been reading
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our material, our literature,
Adventist World, one of our
elementary schools located
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on the campus of Blue Mountain
Academy was destroyed. ISIS
attacks are rampant.
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Now, a year ago, all these ISIS
attacks shocked our senses, but
now we just wake up
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with ho-hum feeling like,
another ISIS attack. We've got
so many ISIS and terroristic
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threats out there, even to the
point that it took a Boston
father to turn his own son
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in on suspicion that the son was
planning an attack. The Supreme
Court has ruled in favor,
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as we know, in favor of same-sex
marriage. So now, Adam and Eve
in the Bible are now
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becoming Adam and Steve and
Steve and Yvette in America.
Everybody is running for
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president of the United States.
I thought about throwing my name
in the hat. Come on, say amen.
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[Aud. reaction]    PB:  Write-in
candidate, Dr. Carlton P. Byrd.
The pope is calling for
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unity amongst all denominations.
We see the news how everyone is
South America is wandering,
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but then we don't tie that to
prophecy where the Bible says
"And all the world wondered
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after the beast." Nine people
are shot and killed in
Charleston, South Carolina, in a
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church prayer meeting by a young
man who says he wants to kill
black people. But then this
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week, a gunman opens fire and
kills four Marines--I'm told
another has just died--right up
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the road in Chattanooga. And
what's interesting is, we're
quick to call the act in
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Chattanooga terrorism--which is
defined as the use of violence
and intimidation in
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the pursuit of political
aims--but yet we couldn't call
the shootings in Charleston
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an act of
terror.   [Aud. reaction]
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PB:  I wish I had time. Even
within our own faith group, our
church, we've got challenges.
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I just left GC. I had the
privilege of being on the
nominating committee, and I'm
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here to tell you, what happened
in the room was totally
different than what happened on
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the floor. I wish I had time. We
talk unity and family, but
clearly we have issues and
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actions that are creating
separation and divorce. This
week alone, in our church, we
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had three funerals. Next week
we'll have three more funerals.
And I'll be honest, I've gotten
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now to the point where I will
say "enough is enough!" I'm
tired of mess. I'm tired of
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confusion. I'm tired of drama.
Does anybody know what I'm
talking about? [Aud. reaction]  
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PB:  And I just get to the point
in my life now, can Jesus just
come back so we can get out of
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this mess? Do I have a witness
in this place?   [Aud. reaction]
PB:  But you know what, through
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it all, through all the talk,
through all the parking lot
conversation, through all the
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Facebook and social media
chatter, through all the talk
show opinion, through all the
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stress and mess--this morning I
just want to know, can we praise
the Lord? Aud.:  Amen!   PB:  I
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mean, everybody is talking about
everything and everybody. What
do you think about this? What do
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you think about that? But can we
just praise the Lord? We come to
church to hear sermons. We come
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to hear professional
pontification through the
parsing of passages. We come to
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church to see who's here and
who's not here. We come to
church to see what's going on.
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But for one Sabbath on the
calendar at Oakwood, can we just
praise the Lord? [Aud. reaction]
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PB:  We have doctrine this and
doctrine that. We have rules
this and rules that. We have
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practices this and practices
that. We have contemporary
movements and conservative
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traditions. We have committee
after committee. I think the
11th Commandment is Thou shalt
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call a committee. I wish I had a
witness in this place.   [Aud.
reaction] PB:  Board after
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board. Study groups after study
groups. Focus groups after focus
groups. We have everything, but
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can we, just one Sabbath, come
to church, forget our troubles,
turn off the television, turn
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off the Internet, put our cell
phones down, quit worrying about
what folk are thinking, and just
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praise the Lord. [Aud. reaction]
   PB:  Can we forget our
degrees for a minute.
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Can we forget what side of town
we live on? Can we forget our
history, our pedigree, our
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lineage? Forget what brands of
clothes we have on, what kind of
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cars we drive, and can we just
praise the Lord. Can one
Sabbath--just one--can we just
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let go and let God. Just one
Sabbath. Can we let our hair
down and stop watching the clock
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and just praise God. Can we just
let the Holy Ghost--we always
pray the Holy Ghost--but can we
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just let the Holy Ghost get
loose up in here, one good time.
The Psalmist said, "Oh that men
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would praise the LORD for his
goodness." For his what,
everybody?    Aud.:  Goodness.
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PB:  Come on, for his what,
everybody?    Aud.:  Goodness.
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PB:  "and for his wonderful
works to the children of men!"
You see, I've learned that
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many people who express their
gratitude to God are often
criticized for being too
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emotional or out of control. But
I believe that when you look
back over your life, at what you
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used to be, you haven't always
had what you have now. You
haven't always driven what you
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drive now. I know what I'm
talking about, because some of
you last week at GC thought you
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were going to die because you
had to walk from this point to
that point. Do I have a witness
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in this place? [Aud. reaction]  
 PB:  You haven't always lived
where you now live. But God's
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been good to you. Aud.:  Amen.  
 PB:  And I don't understand how
you can just sit back and not
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praise His name. How you can't
bless His name. One Sabbath,
just glorify His name.
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Dary shares this song that if
God has been good to you, there
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ought to be some evidence of His
goodness in your life. The old
folks used to sing--I don't hear
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it anymore--If you've got good
religion, then you ought to show
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some signs. Let the redeemed of
the Lord say so. Do I have a
witness in this place? I mean,
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listen. For the past three weeks
I've been traveling here, I've
been traveling there,
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I've been sitting in meetings
here and boards there. I just
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wanted to come to church and
praise the Lord today.    [Aud.
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reaction] PB:  Does anybody else
want to praise Him? That God
kept you when the bottom was
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falling out. That God made a way
out of no way. That God healed
you when they said nothing could
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be done. That God hired you when
they said they weren't hiring.
That God gave you money when
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you didn't have any money. Oh
that men would praise the LORD
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for his goodness, and for his
wonderful works to the children
of men! Now, the entire 107th
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division-- let me give integrity
to the text. The entire 107th
division of the Psalms
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is really David's attempt to
explain the goodness of God. In
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this text, you're able to
understand that David was a
praiser. He was a what,
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everybody? Aud.:  Praiser.   
PB:  Come on, he was a what,
everybody? Aud.:  Praiser.
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PB:  Praiser. Four times in
the chapter, David says the same
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thing. Oh that men would
praise the--whom, everybody:
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Aud.:  Lord.   PB:  For his
goodness, and for his wonderful
works to the children of men.
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Four times. How
many times? Aud.:  Four.
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PB:  Now, why does David do
this? David does this because
David knows repetition
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deepens the impression. David
knows God has delivered him out
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of some mess; that God has
delivered him out of some
trouble. Because if you look
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further down in this text, in
verse 19, David says "I cried
unto the Lord in my trouble
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and he saved me out of my
distresses." Well, some of you
can't get excited about that,
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let me help you a little bit.
All of us have done some foolish
stuff in our lives.
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Come on, tell the truth, shame
the devil. You weren't always
sitting up in Oakwood
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holier than thou. All of us have
done some things we shouldn't
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have done, said some things we
shouldn't have said. Come on,
say amen. Gone some places
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we shouldn't have gone. I know
some of you don't want to tell
it. You may not want
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to testify but you know, you've
been there. Has anybody ever
played the fool? Come on, say
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amen. Quit acting like you don't
know what I'm talking about. You
were close to death,
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you were playing with your
destiny, taking chances with
your life, drinking.
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That's right, some of you
all. Sipping. Sniffing. Smoking.
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Tipping. I'm trying to help
you understand why you ought to
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praise Him. Oh, you've got
amnesia now.    [Aud. reaction]
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PB:  Facebook can go get you a
pass. I wish I had a witness in
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this place. [Aud. reaction]   
PB:  Somebody was one drink away
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from alcoholism, one snort from
an overdoes, one date from AIDS.
One argument from divorce.
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One action from termination.
Somebody knows they were
foolish, but hallelujah,
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God was faithful!
   [Aud. reaction]
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PB:  And I talking to anybody in
this place? I'm telling you now,
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this is not going to be deep.
We just came to testify of God's
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goodness today. And your praise
is due to the fact that in spite
of all you were caught up in,
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God didn't take you out. That
God didn't kill you. Aren't you
glad God was patient?
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[Aud. reaction]    PB:  Aren't
you glad God's wrath didn't come
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down? Aren't you glad that God
dispatched His mercy, His grace,
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His unmerited favor to hold back
the consequences? Somebody knows
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that if God hadn't been patient,
that you wouldn't be here today
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looking all sanctimonious and
holy. If it had not been for the
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grace of God, none of us would
be here today. Somebody had to
overcome an addiction;
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but you're here. You had to
overcome depression; but you're
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here. You had to overcome the
loss of a loved one; but you're
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here. You had to overcome that
painful divorce, and after you
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got divorced people were looking
at you crazy. You had to
overcome a bad relationship;
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but aren't you glad today that
in the midst of your past, that
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God kept you when nobody else
would keep you. And if you are
like me, if you're like David,
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there are some times when you
come to church that you've got
to tell your testimony.
00:14:24.83\00:14:31.03
Oh that men would praise the
LORD for his goodness, and for
his wonderful works
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to the children of men! Now,
quickly. Praise is commanded by
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God. Now, many times in
Scripture God commands us to
praise Him. Psalm 150p, verse 6.
00:14:45.31\00:14:48.92
"Let everything that
hath"--what, everybody?   Aud.:
00:14:48.95\00:14:51.69
Breath. PB:  "breath praise the
Lord." Praise ye the what,
everybody? Aud.:  Lord.
00:14:51.72\00:14:54.19
PB:  Praise means to speak well
of. It's adoration. It's
important to understand
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this because when you look aback
over your life, all the things
God has done for you,
00:14:57.43\00:15:00.63
all the things God has brought
you out of, all the things that
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God has healed your body from,
and all the times God made a way
out of no way--you have to be
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convinced that God is worthy.
He's what, everybody?    Aud.:
00:15:07.80\00:15:11.94
Worthy. PB:  And when we ascribe
worth to something, worth is
always based on credibility.
00:15:11.97\00:15:18.71
I say it all the time, it's
based on a certain amount of
experiences that a person
00:15:18.75\00:15:23.08
gains credibility. Somebody
knows that God's credit is good
with us, because we've
00:15:23.12\00:15:28.86
tried Him over and over again.
And because we've tried Him and
God has come through,
00:15:28.89\00:15:33.60
we have found God to be
credible. We have found God to
be worthy of our praise.
00:15:33.63\00:15:38.50
Do I have a witness in this
place? And it is our expression
of praise that often
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comes in conflict with people
who don't understand the
magnitude of what God has
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done in our lives. Because it's
impossible to praise God and not
be demonstrative or
00:15:47.58\00:15:52.61
expressive in such a way that
others might know the goodness
of God in your life.
00:15:52.65\00:15:58.29
It is through what God is doing
in my life that somebody gets
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inspired. It is through the
goodness of God in your life
00:16:02.39\00:16:06.96
that I can aspire, because I say
if God can do it for you, then
surely God can do it for me.
00:16:07.00\00:16:11.73
When you are demonstrative, when
you express your praise to God
00:16:11.77\00:16:16.74
out of the box, when people see
the move of God in your life,
you don't mind giving God the
00:16:16.77\00:16:20.84
glory in such a way that others
don't understand, when folk look
at you funny and they say
00:16:20.88\00:16:25.18
"it doesn't take all that." But
when they tell you it doesn't
00:16:25.21\00:16:33.59
take all that, I need you to let
them know: Yes, it does take all
that. Because when you look
00:16:33.62\00:16:40.53
back over your life at how God
picked you up, turned you
around, and placed your
00:16:40.56\00:16:49.04
feet on solid ground, yes it
takes all of that! That doesn't
mean everybody stands;
00:16:49.07\00:16:56.64
that doesn't mean everybody does
cartwheels. But you've got to
00:16:56.68\00:17:00.72
show some sign, if it's just
smiling in your seat when you
figure the goodness of Jesus,
00:17:00.75\00:17:04.75
when you think about where
you could have been or what you
00:17:04.79\00:17:08.52
could have been and what you
should have been. Yes! It takes
all that. I just came to praise
00:17:08.56\00:17:16.13
the Lord. My testimony today a
praise. I believe, I believe God
put us through some stuff
00:17:16.16\00:17:26.34
over the past couple of weeks.
But there are some people that
are going to praise Him
00:17:26.37\00:17:30.15
regardless of what folk are
thinking about them; regardless
00:17:30.18\00:17:35.28
of what people are going to say
about them. There are some
people in this place that are
00:17:35.32\00:17:38.82
going to praise God regardless
of what's happening in your
life, because praising God is
00:17:38.85\00:17:42.86
not a suggestion. It is a
command. Ellen White says in
volume 2 of the Testimonies
00:17:42.89\00:17:46.96
that the Christian life is under
obligation to give praise to
00:17:47.00\00:17:50.03
God. Now, don't misunderstand
me. God does not want people to
praise Him because they
00:17:50.07\00:17:55.54
feel they have to. If you feel
you've got to praise God, don't
00:17:55.57\00:18:00.84
do it. God is looking at your
heart, the sincerity and
authenticity of your heart.
00:18:00.88\00:18:06.95
God is not looking for
professional praisers; people
who read, cite and say
00:18:06.98\00:18:12.39
prayers that are rehearsed. All
right, when it gets this good,
00:18:12.42\00:18:15.39
when Pastor Byrd starts
preaching, when we start singing
00:18:15.42\00:18:17.66
the hymn, I'm going to jump up
and just praise Him. Nah, He
don't need professional praise.
00:18:17.69\00:18:20.63
He needs authentic, sincere
thanksgiving and praise. God is
00:18:20.66\00:18:25.10
looking for men and women that
have been transformed from the
inside out. People who will let
00:18:25.13\00:18:32.14
praise flow out of them like a
mighty stream of living waters.
00:18:32.17\00:18:38.31
God is looking for people who
are not ashamed to praise Him.
People who are like David, who
00:18:38.35\00:18:42.02
are not worried about what other
people around them think of them
if they praise God.
00:18:42.05\00:18:45.55
Because you know what? The Bible
says if you don't praise Him,
God can make the stones,
00:18:45.59\00:18:50.83
God can make the rocks, God can
make creation shout out a praise
00:18:50.86\00:18:58.00
to Him. And I don't know about
you, but I'm not going to let
some rocks out-praise me.
00:18:58.03\00:19:02.60
I'm a child of God, I'm saved,
I'm sanctified, I'm born again,
00:19:02.64\00:19:10.05
I've been redeemed by the blood
of Jesus, born of the Spirit,
washed in His blood. This is my
00:19:10.08\00:19:16.25
story, this is my song. I will
bless the Lord at all times. His
praise shall continually be in
00:19:16.28\00:19:24.19
my mouth. You see, friends of
mine, I needed this for me today
because when you praise God,
00:19:24.23\00:19:28.20
you're doing the will of God.
Because we're doing what God
created us to do. Dogs bark.
00:19:28.23\00:19:34.70
Eagles fly. Cows moo.
Pigs oink. [Aud. reaction]
00:19:34.74\00:19:45.01
PB:  Frogs leap. Snakes crawl.
But man was created to have
communion with God.
00:19:45.05\00:19:56.66
Man was created to praise and
worship God. In fact, praise is
what we're going to do
00:19:56.69\00:20:04.60
here on this earth and also when
we get to eternity. Isaiah 66
00:20:04.63\00:20:10.54
says, "For as the new heavens
and the new earth which I will
make shall remain before me,
00:20:10.57\00:20:14.44
sayeth the Lord, so shall your
seed and your name remain. But
it shall come to pass
00:20:14.48\00:20:18.98
from one new moon to another new
moon, from one Sabbath to
another Sabbath, shall all
00:20:19.01\00:20:24.32
flesh. " How much of flesh?   
Aud.: All.   "Come to worship me
00:20:24.35\00:20:27.66
before the Lord." Ellen White
even says in Evangelism--I was
reading her this week--that the
00:20:27.69\00:20:31.59
new earth will be filled with
praise to God. [Aud. reaction]
00:20:31.63\00:20:34.40
PB:  So if you don't like to
praise Him here, if praise and
worship is too long here,
00:20:34.46\00:20:43.71
if it's too loud here, if we
sing too much here, if my
preaching is too loud here,
00:20:43.74\00:20:52.78
I don't know what you're going
to do when we get up there.
Because when we all get to
00:20:52.81\00:20:59.85
heaven, what a day of rejoicing
that's going to be. When we all
see Jesus, we're going to sing
00:20:59.89\00:21:08.96
and shout the victory! Oh that
men would praise the LORD for
00:21:09.00\00:21:15.90
his goodness, and for his
wonderful works to the children
00:21:15.94\00:21:17.84
of men! Now, quickly, before
I take my seat. Why is praising
00:21:17.87\00:21:22.74
God important? There are
numerous reasons, but today, let
me just give you a few. Number
00:21:22.78\00:21:26.78
one, God deserves to be praised.
God what, everybody?    Aud.:
00:21:26.82\00:21:30.42
Deserves. PB:  And He is worthy
of our praise. Psalm 96:4, "For
the Lord is great and
00:21:30.45\00:21:34.16
most worthy of praise. He is to
be feared above all gods." Psalm
00:21:34.19\00:21:37.96
145:3, "Great is the Lord and
most worthy of praise; his
greatness no one can fathom."
00:21:37.99\00:21:42.86
Revelation 4:11: "You are
worthy, our Lord, our God, to
00:21:42.90\00:21:48.67
receive glory and honor and
power. You created all things,
and by your will they were
00:21:48.70\00:21:55.54
created and have their being."
Oh that men would praise the
LORD for his goodness,
00:21:55.58\00:22:03.15
and for his wonderful works to
the children of men! Now, I am
also amazed at how church folk,
00:22:03.18\00:22:13.13
even within the Adventist
Church, specifically worship
leaders, are always
00:22:13.16\00:22:21.34
seeking to assist us in
worshiping and praising God. Get
up on your feet and praise Him.
00:22:21.37\00:22:28.31
Hasn't God been good to you?
If you love Him, you'll stand on
00:22:28.34\00:22:33.31
your feet. "I can love Him from
my seat." Do I have a witness in
00:22:33.35\00:22:36.95
this place? [Aud. reaction]   
PB:  We now have people that are
designed to help us praise God.
00:22:36.99\00:22:43.86
In fact, now we have props and
aids to help us praise God. So
00:22:43.89\00:22:53.70
we have created, or added things
to our services, to help us
praise the Lord. So we've got
00:22:53.74\00:23:02.31
praise and worship teams; we
have praise dancers; we have
flag wavers; we have praise
00:23:02.34\00:23:11.65
leaders, who spend an inordinate
amount of time telling us that
they're not there to pump us
00:23:11.69\00:23:18.06
and prime us, but yet that's
what we're doing. I'm guilty of
instructing people:
00:23:18.09\00:23:25.80
"Tell your neighbor this! Tell
your neighbor that!" But the
reality is, when you
00:23:25.83\00:23:33.27
realize how much God has done
for you, you don't need a
pumper-upper. You don't need
00:23:33.31\00:23:42.35
somebody else to tell you to
praise God. I had my praise this
morning, before I drove up to
00:23:42.38\00:23:54.66
Oakwood. 'Cause I didn't know
how you were going to praise
Him, so I had to praise Him by
00:23:54.73\00:23:59.03
myself. Because I know that God
deserves our praise. If it's me,
myself and I, by myself,
00:23:59.07\00:24:08.21
I will praise God. God said,
"Where there are two or three
gathered in my name,
00:24:08.24\00:24:12.98
I will be in the midst." When I
think of the goodness of Jesus
and all He's done for me,
00:24:13.01\00:24:18.45
I will praise Him by myself.
Hey, hey, hey! Nobody has to
make me praise God;
00:24:18.49\00:24:24.59
God is worthy to be praised. Oh
that men would praise the LORD!
00:24:24.63\00:24:31.70
Secondly, praising God is useful
and favorable to us. By praising
00:24:31.73\00:24:41.41
God, we remind us of the
greatness of God. The power, His
presence in our lives,
00:24:41.44\00:24:45.55
reinforcing our understanding.
Psalm 135 says, "Praise the
Lord, for the Lord is good.
00:24:45.58\00:24:49.55
Sing praise to his name for that
is pleasant."  Third, praise
discharges strength in faith,
00:24:49.58\00:24:59.19
which causes God to move on our
behalf. Psalm 8 says, "From the
00:24:59.23\00:25:06.43
lips of children and infants you
have ordained praise"--listen to
this--"because of your enemies
00:25:06.47\00:25:11.17
to silence the foe." Silence the
avenger. When you praise God, it
00:25:11.21\00:25:24.19
silences the foe. It silences
the avenger. It silences the
enemy. Praising God transforms
00:25:24.22\00:25:30.96
the spiritual environment that
we have. It changes our
atmosphere. That's why we
00:25:30.99\00:25:35.56
sing songs at Sabbath school for
song service. It changes the
environment; it changes the
00:25:35.60\00:25:42.87
culture. Praising God is a
weapon against discouragement.  
Ellen White--I was reading
00:25:42.90\00:25:49.94
Evangelism, I told you--she
continues, page 499. She says
that if there was much more
00:25:49.98\00:25:54.98
praising the Lord and far less
doleful recitation of
discouragement, many victories
00:25:55.02\00:26:04.16
would be achieved." We get up
and testify and talk about what
the devil's doing to us. Quit
00:26:04.19\00:26:09.23
talking about what the devil's
doing, and talk about what God's
about to do. You see, praise
00:26:09.26\00:26:15.57
affects you; it affects the
devil; and it affects God.
Praise touches every part of
00:26:15.60\00:26:23.78
your life. On the flip side, a
lack of praise affects you in a
negative way. A lack of praise
00:26:23.81\00:26:30.85
turns the devil loose in your
life. A lack of praise doesn't
bless God. You see,
00:26:30.89\00:26:37.19
you can't be praising God and
influenced by the devil at the
00:26:37.23\00:26:41.20
same time. Praise affects you
positively; it affects the devil
00:26:41.23\00:26:47.77
negatively; and it affects God
supremely. Do I have a witness
00:26:47.80\00:26:51.51
in this place? Number one and
finally. God inhabits the
atmosphere of praise.
00:26:51.54\00:26:58.98
Psalm 22: "But thou art holy, O
Lord, that inhabiteth the
praises of Israel."
00:26:59.01\00:27:06.39
If then we want to see a clear
manifestation of God's blessings
00:27:06.42\00:27:12.63
and God's grace, all we need to
do is praise God with all our
heart, all our mind, and all our
00:27:12.66\00:27:23.97
soul. Oh that men would praise
the LORD for his goodness, and
for his wonderful works to
00:27:24.01\00:27:37.72
the children of men! Is there
anybody in here that knows God
00:27:37.75\00:27:47.76
is good? Aud.:  Amen!    PB:  Is
there anybody in here that knows
00:27:47.83\00:27:55.70
God is able? Aud.:  Amen.    PB:
 Is there anybody in here that
knows God is worthy of our
00:27:55.74\00:28:04.25
praise? Aud.:  Amen!    PB:  I'm
getting ready to sit down, but
let me tell you something.
00:28:04.28\00:28:08.88
I've been in church situations--
00:28:08.92\00:28:10.32
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