Participants: Carlton P. Byrd
Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000510A
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00:14 [music]
00:19 PB: Proverbs 29:2, the Word of God, says: "When the righteous are in authority, 00:26 the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn." 00:38 "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice." 00:43 The people do what, everybody? Aud.: Rejoice. 00:45 PB: "But when the wicked beareth rule." The wicked do what, everybody? 00:50 Aud.: Mourn. PB: They mourn. Trump, Clinton, Cruz or Sanders. 01:03 Who has your vote? Trump, Clinton, Cruz or Sanders. Who has your vote? 01:23 Father, I ask right now for a double portion of Your Spirit. 01:29 As we preach this Word, we pray for Your guidance. 01:34 We pray that Your people will hear this Word. 01:38 Thy Word have we hid in our hearts that we will not sin 01:40 against Thee. At any point in time in the appeal, 01:44 move in this place and may the devil not even be present 01:52 or evident in this place. So in the name of Jesus, 01:55 I rebuke the enemy right now that Your Spirit may flow 02:01 full and free. And it's in the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. 02:09 This political season has been the most messy, divisive, 02:20 mud-slinging, name-calling, backbiting, bad-mouthing, 02:31 back-stabbing, bickering, squabbling, hand-measuring political 02:39 mess I've seen. And the sad thing is this: We're just dealing 02:46 with political infighting within one's own political party. 02:51 We haven't even gotten to the general election, with the 02:56 Democrats versus the Republicans. We've been dealing with 03:00 Republicans versus Republicans, and Democrats versus Democrats. 03:08 We've got Donald Trump, who says he'll guild a wall between 03:12 the United States and Mexico to keep Mexicans out of the U.S., 03:17 and then he says he's going to make Mexico pay for it. 03:21 I won't even offer the response of Mexico's president, 03:26 because the pulpit is rated G and his response was rated R. 03:30 Do I have a witness in this place? Trump further claims that 03:36 he's going to keep Muslims out of the U.S.; that he won't let them in. 03:43 Now, his party says he's a loose cannon, that he's out of control 03:49 and he will not win his party's nomination. But obviously, 03:55 somebody likes what he's saying, because this same party that 04:01 says he won't be elected keeps voting for him, and he keeps 04:06 winning Republican primaries in state after state after state. 04:12 We've got Hillary Clinton. She says America needs comprehensive 04:18 immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship. But her critics ask, 04:24 What does that really mean? Unpack what you're trying to say. 04:31 We've got Ted Cruz, an immigrant himself, having been born in Canada, 04:39 who's opposed to comprehensive immigration reform. But it's interesting 04:45 to me that some of the same people in his party, who are now supporting him, 04:51 fought Barack Obama running for president because they said he 04:56 wasn't born in the United States, when in fact he was born in Hawaii. 05:01 They are now some of the same people who aren't saying anything 05:05 about Ted Cruz being born outside the United States. Hypocrisy at its best. 05:13 We've got Bernie Sanders, who describes himself as a Democratic Socialist. 05:20 He says he wants to fight wealth inequality in the United States; 05:24 but does this mean bigger government, and is he a modern-day 05:27 Karl Marx or Friedrich Ingles? Trump, Clinton, Cruz, Sanders. 05:38 Who has your vote? I must admit, with what I heard them 05:44 saying I thought about running for president myself. 05:46 Come on, say amen. [Aud. reaction] 05:49 PB: I think I'd get some votes. Come on, say amen. 05:55 [Aud. reaction] PB: Who has your vote? Because in eight months 06:03 we'll be going to the polls to vote in probably the most 06:09 important presidential election in our lifetime. Because 06:13 friends of mine, the way this thing is shaping up, this might be it. 06:18 Now please understand today, I'm not here to preach politics. 06:22 But I want to turn the direction to us, the voter, and especially 06:25 those of us who claim Christianity. Because as Christians, 06:29 we have a right and a duty to vote. People were beaten so 06:34 we could vote. People were sprayed with hoses so we could vote. 06:38 People were bitten by dogs so we could vote. People fought so 06:43 we could vote. People died so we could vote. Don't forget where 06:46 you come from. Don't forget the sacrifices that were made 06:51 so you could vote. Don't think you've got the big head now, 06:55 and think that going to the polls and standing in line is 06:58 beneath you or you don't have time. We have a responsibility to vote. 07:03 Your one vote will make a difference. If I were to call the 07:07 historical roll today, in 1645 one vote gave Oliver Cromwell 07:12 control of England. In 1949 one vote caused Charles I of England 07:18 to be executed. In 1776, one vote gave America the English language 07:24 instead of German. In 1845, one vote brought Texas into the Union. 07:29 In 1868, one vote saved President Andrew Johnson from impeachment. 07:34 In 1876, one vote changed France from a monarchy to a republic. 07:39 In 1876, one vote gave Rutherford B. Hayes the presidency of 07:44 the United States. In 1933, one vote gave Adolph Hitler leadership 07:50 of the Nazi party. In 1960, one vote, changed in each precinct in 07:58 the state of Illinois, would have denied John Kennedy the presidency. 08:03 Our votes make a difference. We have a responsibility to vote, 08:10 and we who are Christians should honor this most important privilege. 08:15 You see, if you read Scripture carefully, all throughout Scripture 08:17 we hear about our duties as citizens. Romans 13 tells us we should 08:22 be peaceful, law-abiding citizens. First Timothy 2 tells us we ought 08:26 to pray for our government leaders. Matthew 22:21 admonishes us 08:31 to pay our taxes. All throughout Scripture, followers of Christ 08:35 were involved in politics. Joseph became the Secretary of 08:41 Agriculture in Egypt. Moses faced Pharaoh as a messenger of God 08:46 and won freedom for God's people Deborah was a judge who helped 08:50 destroy the Lord's enemies. Esther was a queen for such a 08:55 time as this, to save the Jewish nation. David fought Goliath, 09:00 led the nation of Israel. Nehemiah stood firm for the rebuilding 09:05 of the temple. Daniel served the king but he still obeyed God. 09:11 Even Ellen White, in the Review and Herald, October 15, 1914, said, 09:16 "In our favored land every voter has some voice in determining what 09:22 laws shall control the nation. Should that not influence," she said, 09:26 "and that vote be cast on the side of temperance and virtue?" 09:31 It's okay then for the Christian to vote. But how, as a Christian voter, 09:39 can you reconcile building a wall and keeping people out of America, 09:45 when America was settled by people looking for religious freedom in 09:49 the first place? Other nations primarily came into existence by 09:54 conquest for selfish and ambitious motives, but this country was 09:58 to be built in the atmosphere of God. 10:02 Our Pledge of Allegiance says, "We are one nation, under God." 10:06 Our money says, "In God we trust." Our spiritual forefathers 10:12 came to the shores of America so they could worship and practice 10:16 their faith without fear of persecution. But how do you justify 10:19 keeping people of a different religion out of the country under 10:23 the cloak of "Make American Great again"? When, if we return to 10:29 our roots and make America great again, religious freedom was 10:34 one of the pillars of our nation. The text says, ""When the 10:39 righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the 10:44 wicked beareth rule, the people mourn." Today, do you want to rejoice? 10:52 Or today, do you want to mourn? I don't know about you, 10:57 but I want to rejoice. It's time to rejoice. Trump, Clinton, 11:04 Cruz or Sanders--I want to rejoice. Democrat or Republican--I 11:10 want to rejoice. Male or female--I want to rejoice. Black or white-- 11:17 I want to rejoice. Whoever is in authority--I want to rejoice, 11:22 and in order to rejoice, the righteous must be in authority. 11:27 But that's not just authority on the national level, state level 11:32 or local level, but that's also on the church level. 11:36 That's also on the school level. That's on the hospital level, 11:41 that's in your house, that's on your job, that's everywhere. 11:44 In order for people to rejoice, the righteous must be in authority. 11:49 Now as a leader myself here in this church, I'm reminded that I 11:52 must be righteous. I don't know anybody who's trying to follow a 11:55 spiritual leader who's not trying to be righteous. Do I have a 11:58 witness in this place? I'm not trying to be unrighteous; 12:00 I'm trying to be righteous. I'm not really in authority if 12:04 I'm not righteous. Are you hearing what I'm saying? 12:06 I tell myself all the time, don't forget that with the 12:09 greater influence that God allows me to have, I must 12:10 remember that the higher the level, the higher the devil. 12:14 People will see you on television, watch you on the Internet, 12:20 post about you on social media, see you in magazines, 12:25 and you have to be careful because people shoot at the 12:28 deer they can see, not the one in the bushes. 12:31 [Aud. reaction] PB: God is always sending things to remind 12:35 me that I have not elevated your ministry to exalt you, 12:38 but I need you to be a mouthpiece for Me in these last 12:41 and evil days. God will give you influence at times in 12:45 your life for His purposes and not your purposes, 12:47 but you've got to be righteous. And because you are 12:50 called to righteousness, you have to be careful how 12:52 you manage influence. There's nothing worse than giving 12:57 influence to somebody who's not ready. You can be 13:00 academically ready, you can be philosophically ready, 13:02 you can be physically ready, but if you don't 13:04 have the wisdom, the judgment and the clarity 13:05 of mind to manage the moment, your gift can put 13:07 you in a position where your character can't keep you. 13:11 People with good intentions make good promises. 13:15 But people with good character keep them. You are 13:18 what you do, not what you say. Righteous authority 13:22 displays Christian character. Righteous authority has 13:25 the discernment to know what to say, when to say it, 13:29 how to say it, and when to be quiet. Just because you 13:34 can master a crowd of people doesn't mean you can manage 13:38 the moment and the opportunity that God has given you. 13:42 What do you mean by that, Pastor? 13:45 Let me tell you, it was in the last presidential election 13:46 season--2012. Some of you remember there was a man by the 13:49 name of Terry Jones who was running for president. 13:53 Anybody remember Terry Jones? Let me help you. 13:56 Terry Jones was a self-declared independent U.S. 14:01 presidential candidate in 2012, and he is listed 14:04 by the way as a presidential candidate in 2016. Jones, 14:07 if you remember--go home and Google him--was a 14:10 fundamentalist pastor from Gainesville, Florida, 14:12 who first gained national and international attention 14:15 in 2010 for his plan to burn the Koran, the Islamic bible, 14:20 on the ninth anniversary of the September 11th attacks. 14:24 Jones got so much media attention that everybody was talking 14:28 about Terry Jones. Terry Jones this, Terry Jones that. 14:33 He got so much media attention, that was his impetus to 14:36 run for president of the United States. And so everybody was 14:39 watching, everybody was listening to Terry Jones, who said, 14:41 "I need a call from the president of the United States or 14:45 I'm going to burn the Koran." Attention seeker. 14:50 Here is a man with 50 members in his church, in a small college town, 14:59 who got the entire media--not just national media--but 15:03 the entire global media looking at him. But here's an example 15:08 of somebody being unfit to manage the spotlight. 15:13 He claimed Christianity, but just because you're a Christian 15:18 doesn't mean you have the right to disrespect somebody else's 15:21 faith or beliefs. You never maximize yourself by minimizing 15:27 somebody else. Downing somebody else never made you any bigger. 15:34 Burning the Koran does not illuminate the Bible. 15:39 Just because you have the right in America to burn the 15:42 Koran doesn't mean it's right to do it. Just because you 15:45 have the freedom to say something or it is in your rights 15:47 to do something does not mean you ought to do it. 15:50 And shame on our media for giving such spotlight to such trivia. 15:56 Shame on our media for taking countless hours, millions of dollars' 16:02 worth of television time, and putting it in the hands of somebody 16:05 who couldn't handle the decision between right and wrong. 16:08 And that's what's going on in this presidential election. 16:10 We've created media monsters, and then we're vulnerable to 16:15 their decisions. And we would never know what they thought 16:18 or what they said if we hadn't put a camera in their face 16:22 or a microphone in their hand and acted as if they were 16:24 important in the first place. But when the righteous are 16:29 in authority, the people rejoice. When the wicked beareth rule, 16:36 the people mourn. Let me give you another example. 16:40 We have a lot of New Yorkers who've moved south to Huntsville. 16:43 Some of you were in New York City a couple of years ago, 16:45 you will remember a few years ago there was a bunch of controversy 16:48 over a Muslim group that wanted to build an Islamic community 16:51 center in New York City, in close proximity to the World Trade Centers. 16:55 The dilemma was how do you allow a Muslim community center on 17:00 the very spot where Muslims killed thousands of people on 9-11? 17:05 But based on the laws of the country we live in, if it's private 17:08 property and if somebody purchases this private property and 17:11 builds what they want to build, just because I don't agree 17:13 with what they want to build doesn't give me the right to 17:16 stop them from building it. Because if I do that to somebody else, 17:20 what happens when somebody in Huntsville decides we shouldn't 17:23 build a family life center for the Oakwood Church. 17:27 Because the same nails you pick for somebody else may 17:30 be the same nails that end up nailing you. 17:33 This nation was founded on the principles of freedom of religion. 17:36 Not just yours but theirs too. This freedom covers us all, 17:40 and if we take it from one how long will it be before they 17:43 take it from us? When the righteous are in authority, 17:47 the people rejoice. But when the wicked beareth rule, 17:52 the people mourn. Donald Trump--I want to rejoice. 18:00 Hillary Clinton--I want to rejoice. Ted Cruz--I want 18:07 to rejoice. Bernie Sanders--I want to rejoice. 18:14 But in order to rejoice a righteous man or a righteous 18:17 woman must be in authority. But what if a righteous man is 18:21 not in office? What if a righteous woman is not in office? 18:26 What if none of the candidates are righteous? I can't rejoice, 18:32 so what then am I supposed to do? The Psalmist gives us 18:37 the answer to this. He says, Blessed is the nation whose 18:40 God is the Lord and the people whom he hath chosen for 18:44 his own inheritance. Hallelujah, somebody. Which means then, 18:48 regardless of what happens in November, God is still 18:52 large and in charge. While we should vote, don't you ever 18:58 forget that we're voting for mere mortals. So I don't care 19:02 how moral and upstanding we think the politician is that 19:05 we vote into office on any level; I don't care how righteous 19:07 we assume they are; he or she is still a sinner. 19:11 I don't care what the candidate promises, the candidate 19:16 is still prone to the same weaknesses and sinful tendencies 19:19 and the same temptations as the rest of us. These politicians 19:24 are not God. They are mortal. They do not walk on water. 19:29 They do not perform miracles. They didn't wake you up 19:33 this morning. They didn't start you on your way; 19:36 and they will disappoint us. But not only that. 19:40 When Christians vote there are times that we often 19:43 do so under the mistaken belief that the candidate 19:45 or the party for which we vote has the power within 19:48 national destiny. That's not true, though. Don't put 19:52 themselves to change the course of our city, state or 19:56 your faith in an earthly politician and take your eyes 19:58 off Jesus. Don't you mistakenly believe that the 20:02 candidate you choose will supply for you. My Bible says 20:06 that my God shall supply all of my needs according to 20:11 His riches in glory. Don't get this thing twisted. Yes, 20:15 I believe that Christians ought to be involved in the 20:19 political process. Yes, I believe that Christians not 20:22 only should vote but they should actively work in the 20:25 system to bring about righteousness in our nation. 20:27 But it's dangerous to put more faith in politics, 20:30 more faith in politicians, more faith in political 20:33 parties than we do in God. So, some trust in chariots, 20:38 some trust in horses, but we will remember the name of 20:43 our God. Because promotion neither cometh from the east 20:47 nor the west, the north or the south, but God is the 20:51 judge and he putteth down one and he will set up another. 20:55 God has ultimate authority. He is the King of kings. 21:02 He is the Lord of lords. He is head over all things. 21:07 He is ruler over the kings of this earth. I don't 21:10 care who's the president. No matter who's the president, 21:14 king, prime minister or ruler, God rules over all. 21:18 He's got the whole world in His hands. Because God 21:22 is sovereign. God can do what He wants, when He wants, 21:26 where He wants and how He wants, and because He's 21:29 sovereign we must respect and accept His sovereignty. 21:34 What does that mean? And we know that all things work 21:37 together for good to them who love the Lord and are called 21:40 according to his purpose. If God be for us, who can be against us? 21:45 Nothing shall separate us from the love of God. No matter 21:50 what presidents might do. No matter what senators might do. 21:54 No matter what the house might do. No matter what the Supreme 21:57 Court might do. We're in God's hands. We may not know the future, 22:02 but we know who holds the future, and we have nothing to 22:06 fear for the future lest we forget how God has led us in the past. 22:10 As this political season begins to heat up and the name 22:14 calling and the backbiting get worse, you'd better remember 22:19 who you are and Whose you are. You're a child of the Most High God. 22:25 This earth is not your final home. God has something better for you. 22:32 Eyes have not seen, neither ears heard the things that God has 22:38 prepared for them that love him. When the righteous are in 22:41 authority the people rejoice. But when the wicked beareth rule, 22:45 the people mourn. Let me be clear this morning: This earth is 22:49 not going to get better. It's going to get worse. From reduced 22:53 taxes to national security to immigration reform to properly 22:57 distributed wealth, each candidate has a promise for a better 23:00 future with the planned intent to be the best individual to 23:03 lead the most powerful nation on earth. But I don't care 23:06 what they promise, they're not God. God sits high, 23:12 and God looks low. And if God can set 'em up, 23:18 God can take 'em down. No matter--friends of mine, 23:22 good old Adventist Christians--no matter who wins the election, 23:26 Bible prophecy must come to pass. The Bible foretells 23:30 that there's coming a day when our country will 23:33 turn away from the principles of religious freedom 23:35 on which our country was founded. 23:37 You'd better listen to me good. When the leading candidate 23:41 in this political party proposes that legislation 23:44 should be enacted to prohibit immigration for a 23:46 certain group of people solely based on their religion, 23:48 you'd better know it's the beginning of the end. 23:51 Because like I said earlier, if it can happen to them, 23:54 it can happen to us. Read your Bible. Feel-good time 24:00 is over. The Bible prophesied in Daniel 9 when Jesus 24:03 would be born. The Bible prophesied in Daniel 9 when 24:07 Jesus would be baptized, when He would die, 24:09 when the gospel message would be taken to 24:11 the entire world and not just the Jewish nation. 24:13 The Bible prophesied in Matthew 24 the signs that 24:17 we would see and experience before Jesus returns. 24:20 Wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, pestilences in 24:26 diverse places. In our world today you hear more 24:29 about fighting and wars than you ever have before. 24:32 Everybody's got a gun. I've got Jesus. Come on, say amen! 24:37 [Aud. reaction] PB: ISIS, the Middle East, 24:40 the Islamic State, fighting at political rallies. 24:45 These are the signs of the end. More wars have been 24:50 fought and more shed in the name of religion than 24:53 any other cause. Iran versus Iraq--that's Isaac 24:57 against Ishmael. Syria versus Afghanistan. 25:01 North Korea versus South Korea. In Africa, 25:05 the Shiites versus the Sunnis. In Rwanda, 25:08 the Hutus versus the Tutsis. In the United States, 25:11 Democrats versus Republicans. It will not end. 25:16 All this fighting that's supposed to rid the world 25:21 of evil men and women and make room for peace. 25:25 And for some people, their solution for peace is 25:27 a new world order. A new world order which makes 25:30 one authoritarian government. But my Bible tells 25:34 me in 1 Thessalonians 5:3, "When you hear peace 25:37 and safety, be prepared for sudden destruction." 25:42 But many people want to create a so-called utopia 25:46 that will bring about what they call peace. 25:48 So you hear rumored rumblings of these things 25:51 coming to fruition with the signing of the 25:53 North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA. 25:55 You hear rumored rumblings of a new world order 25:57 when there are people who speak of a unified 25:59 monetary currency. They already have it in 26:02 Europe--some of you know that--with the Euro, 26:04 and there are attempts in North America between 26:06 the United States, Canada and Mexico with a 26:07 proposed Amero. But God told me, God told you, 26:13 God told us in Daniel chapter 2 that there will 26:17 never be a manmade, earthly unified kingdom. 26:22 The only unified kingdom that will ever come 26:26 into existence is God's kingdom. And when God 26:31 sets up His kingdom, nobody can tear it down. 26:38 Daniel 2:44 says "And in the days of these 26:42 kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom 26:44 which shall never be destroyed, and the kingdom 26:48 shall not be left to other people but it shall 26:50 break in pieces, consume all these kingdoms, 26:53 and it shall stand forever." The prophecy 26:57 in Revelation 13 also lets us know that regardless 27:02 of who's president, the prophecy says there will 27:06 be a lamb-like beast, a second beast--I wish I 27:09 had a church in this place--that will arise out 27:12 of the earth. This second beast will be a nation 27:16 that will not arise by war, not by conquest or 27:20 occupation but will develop into greatness from 27:23 a region of few inhabitants. The second beast 27:27 will speak as a dragon, so when it speaks 27:30 everybody's going to listen. The second beast 27:33 will cause everybody to worship the first beast. 27:37 The second beast will persecute and kill those 27:40 who refuse to comply with worshiping the first beast. 27:44 The first beast of Revelation 14 can't force religion 27:48 because it doesn't have the political power to do so, 27:50 but the second beast of Revelation 13 can force religious 27:54 and political power. That's why anything forced is 27:57 not good. God is not a God of force, but God is a 28:01 God that gives you the power of choice. 28:04 [Aud. reaction] PB: So I don't care who you vote for. 28:09 Trump, Clinton, Cruz or Sanders. 28:15 >: Thank you for joining us for another exciting 28:17 Breath of Life television broadcast. 28:19 Tune in next week at the same time, 28:21 as Dr. Byrd will deliver another dynamic 28:24 message from the Lord, just for you. |
Revised 2016-03-24