BREATH OF LIFE
MINISTRIES PRESENTS:
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SERMON #546 - "IS
THERE NOT A CAUSE?"
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[BREATH OF LIFE THEME MUSIC]
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PB:  Daniel 3:16. If you have it
now, let me hear you say amen.
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Aud.:  Amen.   PB:  The Word
says, "Shadrach, Meshach, and
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Abednego, answered and said
to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar,
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we are not careful to
answer thee in this matter.
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If it be so, our God whom
we serve is able"--is what,
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everybody? Aud.:  Able.   PB:
 Come on, is what, everybody?
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Aud.:  Able.  PB: 
"Able to deliver us from the
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burning fiery
furnace, and he will deliver us
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out of thine hand, O
king. But if not"--that's
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my favorite, one of my
favorite texts--but if not.
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We know what he can do, but
if not, "be it known unto thee,
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O king, that we
will not serve thy gods,
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nor worship the golden
image which thou hast set up."
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Is there not a cause?
Father God, bless us now as
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we open up Your printed
page. Forgive us for our sins,
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hide us behind Your
cross, forgive me of my sins.
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And Lord, I pray that
Your people not see me but
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see Thee working and
living through me. When the
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appeal time comes move
by Your power, sprinkle out
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Your grace, and may
Your people, because they
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want to soon see
Your face, come give their
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lives to You. It's in
the name of Jesus we pray
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this prayer and we ask
these things. Let everyone
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say Amen,  and Amen.
 Is there not a cause?
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These words are
taken from a young shepherd
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boy by the name of
David, who was in a land
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being stalked by a
giant. And everyone else
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in the land was
scared. And so while everyone
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else cowered around him,
including his own brothers,
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David asks, Is
there not a cause?
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Is there not a cause to fight?
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Is there not a
reason to stand up?
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The world in which we
live is full of causes.
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You name it, we've
got it: civil rights,
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women's rights, immigration
rights, workers' rights,
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voting rights, abortion
rights, anti-abortion rights.
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We've all got causes,
and some causes are godly
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and some are ungodly. And
for that which is ungodly,
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this young preacher
down at Oakwood just believes
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that the church has
got to stand up and fight.
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There are some people
who think the church is
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supposed to
watch on the sidelines,
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while people are
oppressed, victimized,
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demoralized, brutalized,
afflicted, persecuted
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and exploited. But
the church must be a voice
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for the voiceless.
The church is supposed to
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speak when people
can't speak for themselves.
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Martin King said it
best. He said the ultimate
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tragedy in our world
is not the oppression and
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cruelty by the bad
people but the silence
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of the good
people.  [Aud. reaction]
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PB:  There are
giants stalking in our land:
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giants in our
cities, giants in our states,
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giants in congress,
giants in the White House.
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But, the church seems
to be burying its head in
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the sand. But we've
got to get up, stand up,
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and fight, because
there is a cause. Every person
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whether male or female,
black or white, young or old,
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rich or old, educated or
uneducated, professional or
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common laborer, ought
to stand for something.
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Every person ought to
live for something and possess
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some basic principles,
convictions and beliefs
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that he or she is
willing to die for, because a
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man who stands for
nothing will fall for anything.
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My daddy taught me at a
young age, when you become a
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man you'd better stand
on the ground you walk on.
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Are you hearing what
I'm saying? But the trouble
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with most of us is that
we are too fickle and afraid
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to commit ourselves too
much to any one cause or
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course of action.
Rather than commit ourselves to
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something that we are
willing to back with our lives,
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our jobs, or other
symbols of human security,
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too many of us want to play
it safe. Safe with indecision,
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where we don't make any
choices but we allow others to
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make decisions for
us. Safe with popularity,
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where having people
speak well of us means more
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than the integrity of
our convictions. Safe with
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convenience, where we advocate a
cause as long as it doesn't cost
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us anything. Safe with
two-facedness, where you say one
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thing in my face but you say
another thing behind my back.
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[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
But no one respects anybody
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who tries to stand on
both sides of the fence.
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No one respects
anybody who talks out of both
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sides of their mouth.
No one respects anybody who
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is nothing more than an
opportunist, and the Bible
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supports that. Joshua
told Israel, Choose you this
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day whom you will serve.
But as for me and my house,
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we're going to serve the
Lord. Elijah told the prophets
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there on Mount Carmel, when
fires came down from heaven,
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How long do you halt
between two opinions?
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If the Lord be God,
then follow Him. But if Baal,
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follow him. But
Jesus the Christ even said,
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No man can serve two
masters. Either he will
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hate the one and love
the other. The story in
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our text is of three
young men who decided to
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stand for a cause and found
themselves in a fiery furnace.
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Now the story of
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
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is not foreign to us. We
know the story all too well.
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But familiarity with the
story of the fiery furnace
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can also be an impediment
to our spiritual walk,
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because familiarity
breeds contempt. We are told
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that car accidents
happen close to home because
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we're so familiar
with the area, we pay less
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attention to our
driving. I am reminded that
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after driving on a
long trip, most speeding
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tickets are received
within 50 miles of your
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destination. Because
we are so familiar with
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the area, we pay less
attention to where the
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police may be hiding
out.  In the same way,
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familiar passages of
Scripture may receive
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less of our attention.
We know the stories of
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David and Goliath,
Samson and Delilah,
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Jonah and the big
fish, but too often we
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fail to grasp the
meaning and message they
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were intended to
convey because of our
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superficial understanding
of the characters and events.
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But not only that,
some folks have filed this
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story of three Hebrew
boys, under the category
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of fairy tale or
myth. They say this story is
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just a myth, that
it's just a fairy tale.
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It's not history,
because they've heard this
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story so often.
They've lumped Shadrach,
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Meshach and
Abednego with Cinderella,
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Winnie the Pooh,
Little Red Riding Hood,
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and Goldilocks
and the Three Bears.
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But friends of
mine, we've got to see
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this story not as a fairy tale,
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but we've got to
see it as history.
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We must feel the
heat of the fire,
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and smell the
smoke of the furnace
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in order to grasp
what this story is
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trying to teach us.  Daniel
chapter 3, verse number 4.
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Nebuchadnezzar directed
that at the sound of all kinds
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of music everyone was
to bow down and worship the
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golden image Nebuchadnezzar
set up. Now notice,
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friends of mine, that
Nebuchadnezzar's grand idolatry
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was accompanied by
music, which reminds us of the
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great power in music,
and the fact that music can
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be used for both good and
evil. I don't care if it's
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choral music, classical music,
anthem music, a cappella music,
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or gospel music, because
we try to classify music in
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a certain genre as holy or
not. Put music in the wrong
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hands and it can be used
for the wrong purpose. Notice,
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however, not just the
kind of music, but notice the
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instruments in Daniel,
chapter 3. There weren't drums,
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there was not a Hammond,
there was not a bass guitar or
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keyboard, because we try to
label instruments and say that a
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drum is demonic, that the
Hammond is diabolical, and the
bass guitar is devilish.
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But notice, if you read the
text, that the instruments in
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the text that were being
used for devilish, demonic and
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diabolical purpose were the
cornets. The flutes, the harp,
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the sackbut, the psaltery and
dulcimer. I know you're quiet,
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I'm going to preach it
anyhow. Let me remind you today
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that no instrument in and
of itself is bad, it's the
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person playing the
instruments. [Aud. reaction]
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PB:  There is nothing
wrong with those drums,
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it's the person playing
the drums. Is the person
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playing the drums
consecrated? Is the person on
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the piano Christlike?
Does the organist love Jesus?
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I wish I had time
today.  [Aud. reaction]
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PB:   Nebuchadnezzar
wanted everybody to worship
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the golden image he had
set up, and if look carefully,
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you will notice, eschatological
Christians, that there
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are some parallels between
Daniel chapter 3 and Revelation
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14. Both texts are about
worship. Either you're going to
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worship an image, or
you're going to worship God.
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It's all about who we're
going to give our worship to.
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Satan wants our worship,
and God wants our worship.
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So our worship is either
going to be heavenly or hellish.
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Who are you going to give your
worship to? In the last days,
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you'd better be reminded
that Satan will use a system to
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enforce idolatrous worship
on all, imposing the death
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penalty for those who
refuse to worship him and give
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him their allegiance.
But I can hear an angel,
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in Revelation 14,
saying that it's time for the
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people of God to fear
God and give glory to Him,
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for the hour of His
judgment is come, and worship
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Him that made heaven
and earth, the seas and the
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fountains of waters. In
case you didn't know it,
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the Spirit of God is
being withdrawn from this earth.
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Religious freedom is
being slowly taken away.
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Can we be honest today? I
know I'm on the television,
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but I'm going to say it
anyhow. This is my church,
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my program, and I can
say what I want to say.
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Come on, say
amen.  [Aud. reaction]
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PB:  If Muslims can be
persecuted, then Methodists
00:11:05.46\00:11:12.43
can be persecuted. If
Methodists can be persecuted,
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then Mormons can be
persecuted. If Mormons can be
00:11:17.14\00:11:22.34
persecuted, then
Seventh-day Adventists can be
00:11:22.38\00:11:28.72
persecuted. It's all
about music. We've been
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preaching this thing,
we've been teaching this thing,
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we've been talking
about this thing that Jesus
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is coming since I was a
little boy. Friends of mine,
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wake up. The time of
trouble is now!  [Aud. reaction]
00:11:40.10\00:11:46.27
PB:  But the text says
that when the music was played,
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everybody didn't bow down.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
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stood up. So there were
some folks that ran to the king.
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O King, you're a great
king. You're the greatest king
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we've ever had in this
land. You are king to your
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subjects and your requests are
not burdensome or unreasonable.
00:12:03.89\00:12:07.52
You made a simple request
that when the music was played,
00:12:07.56\00:12:09.86
everybody was to bow down
and worship the golden image,
00:12:09.89\00:12:12.49
which is a tribute to your
greatness. But you've got some
00:12:12.53\00:12:16.06
boys, some boys you passed over
some of us for. Some boys you
00:12:16.10\00:12:22.04
promoted before us. Some
boys you gave the big church
00:12:22.07\00:12:25.87
before you gave it to me.
Some boys that you're always
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bragging about, boys
you're always looking out for.
00:12:28.58\00:12:30.75
Those three boys, your boys,
didn't bow down to your image.
00:12:30.78\00:12:35.72
Let me just throw this
in. There are always some folk
00:12:35.75\00:12:38.89
who are ready to run to
the king on us. On a job,
00:12:38.92\00:12:43.86
in our communities and
our churches, there are always
00:12:43.89\00:12:44.99
those who consider it
their personal mission to be
00:12:45.03\00:12:47.56
that of reporting to the
king on their brothers and
00:12:47.60\00:12:49.53
sisters who are also in
captivity. During slavery times,
00:12:49.56\00:12:53.27
one of the greatest obstacles
to the freedom of blacks
00:12:53.30\00:12:55.37
would be those people
who would run to the king,
00:12:55.40\00:12:58.61
who in an effort to show
loyalty, they were in actuality
00:12:58.64\00:13:02.64
showing cowardice in the
fact they couldn't be trusted.
00:13:02.68\00:13:06.41
For anyone who will betray his
or her own will betray somebody
00:13:06.45\00:13:09.85
else. I get scared of people,
when I hear them talking about
00:13:09.88\00:13:11.92
somebody else, 'cause guess
what? When I leave the room,
00:13:11.95\00:13:13.39
they're going to talk
about me. A dog that will bring
00:13:13.42\00:13:15.79
a bone will carry a bone.
Some folk will sell you out
00:13:15.82\00:13:19.29
to push their agenda. You
all will be surprised at the
00:13:19.33\00:13:22.20
emails I get, and all the
calls I got this past weekend
00:13:22.23\00:13:24.20
with Al Sharpton. Same
folk rightly say he shouldn't
00:13:24.23\00:13:27.07
come were the same
folk on their feet clapping
00:13:27.10\00:13:28.70
when he was
speaking.   [Aud. reaction]
00:13:28.74\00:13:31.04
PB:  During the
periods of antebellum slavery,
00:13:31.07\00:13:34.68
the blacks of
Charleston, South Carolina,
00:13:34.71\00:13:36.61
under the
leadership of Jim Mark Bessey,
00:13:36.64\00:13:38.45
had a brilliant plan
to take over the town,
00:13:38.48\00:13:40.78
but their
strategy was never executed
00:13:40.82\00:13:42.88
because at the
last minute somebody ran
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to the king and
told him about the plan.
00:13:47.96\00:13:51.49
Let me tell you
something, there will
00:13:51.53\00:13:53.19
always be some brown
noses. Some gossips--oh,
00:13:53.23\00:13:56.93
I know some of you
all don't like this,
00:13:56.97\00:13:58.30
but it's the truth
anyhow.  Some tattletales
00:13:58.33\00:14:00.77
in the midst that no
matter how or what it is,
00:14:00.80\00:14:05.14
they don't mind going
to the king and reporting
00:14:05.17\00:14:07.84
everything we say or do
so they can get where we are,
00:14:07.88\00:14:11.01
or get what they think we
have. These are professional
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haters who don't
have what you have,
00:14:15.48\00:14:18.69
can't get what
you got, so instead of
00:14:18.72\00:14:22.39
being happy for
you, they hate on you
00:14:22.42\00:14:24.03
and discredit
everything you do. Everybody,
00:14:24.06\00:14:26.13
young people, do
not joy in your success.
00:14:26.16\00:14:29.70
Everybody is not happy
for you when you do well.
00:14:29.73\00:14:32.87
I have learned firsthand
that the greatest moments
00:14:32.90\00:14:35.24
in ministry in my life
have produced the greatest
00:14:35.27\00:14:37.67
moments of envy and jealousy
in somebody else's life.
00:14:37.71\00:14:40.61
But I believe, if you do
what's right, if you do the
00:14:40.64\00:14:47.22
right things for the right
reasons, God will always bless
00:14:47.25\00:14:53.22
you. I've learned, friends
of mine, that when people try to
00:14:53.25\00:14:59.36
hurt you, when people try to
hate on you, when people try to
00:14:59.39\00:15:04.27
block you, they don't realize
they're actually blessing you.
00:15:04.30\00:15:06.70
Because the Bible says
that He will make your enemies
00:15:06.74\00:15:09.57
your footstool, which means
your enemies will be placed
00:15:09.60\00:15:12.94
under your feet, which
means your haters are actually
00:15:12.97\00:15:15.91
pouring the concrete
you're going to walk on.
00:15:15.94\00:15:18.31
So your haters are your
elevators that are going
00:15:18.35\00:15:20.98
to help you walk in
higher levels in Jesus Christ.
00:15:21.02\00:15:23.55
I wish I had a
witness in this place.
00:15:23.59\00:15:25.12
Nebuchadnezzar says
in verse 14, Is it true,
00:15:25.15\00:15:27.99
O Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego, that you will
00:15:28.02\00:15:32.96
not serve my gods or
worship my image? Is it true
00:15:32.99\00:15:36.50
that you will not bow down?
The word on the street is this,
00:15:36.53\00:15:39.33
that you three have defied my
decree. But don't you remember,
00:15:39.37\00:15:44.04
I'm the one who promoted
you. I promoted you from
00:15:44.07\00:15:47.84
nothings to noblemen,
from the lower class to
00:15:47.88\00:15:51.21
the upper class. I
changed your name. I opened
00:15:51.25\00:15:56.02
doors for you. I made a
way for you. I gave you a job.
00:15:56.05\00:16:02.99
I made you who you are.
You don't want to cross me.
00:16:03.02\00:16:07.76
So tell you what I'm
going to do, I'm going to give
00:16:07.76\00:16:10.23
you one more chance.
Let's just say you didn't
00:16:10.27\00:16:14.37
hear the music.
Let's just say you weren't
00:16:14.40\00:16:17.34
paying attention.
Let's just say you didn't
00:16:17.37\00:16:20.78
fully understand.
Let's just say you are from
00:16:20.81\00:16:24.55
another country, and
the reason you didn't bow
00:16:24.58\00:16:26.75
down is because you
didn't understand what
00:16:26.78\00:16:28.42
was going on, because
if you don't bow down,
00:16:28.45\00:16:30.85
I must throw you into
a burning fiery furnace.
00:16:30.89\00:16:34.29
But then verse 16 in our
text gives their response.
00:16:34.32\00:16:40.00
Look at it,
everybody. O Nebuchadnezzar,
00:16:40.03\00:16:44.23
we are not careful to
answer thee in this matter.
00:16:44.27\00:16:51.57
In other words, we're
not scared of you. In other
00:16:51.61\00:16:57.15
words, we're not
intimidated by you. We've talked
00:16:57.18\00:17:02.25
this over. We've put
a motion on the floor,
00:17:02.28\00:17:06.25
and the vote was
unanimous. We ain't bowing.
00:17:06.29\00:17:12.16
This doesn't
take a lot of thought;
00:17:12.19\00:17:14.73
this doesn't require
discussion or debate.
00:17:14.76\00:17:18.00
No matter what you do,
no matter what you say,
00:17:18.03\00:17:22.44
we're not going to
bow. Yes, we should be
00:17:22.47\00:17:26.37
obligated to you. Yes, we
should be indebted to you.
00:17:26.41\00:17:30.08
Yes, we should be loyal to
you. Yes, you've elevated us.
00:17:30.11\00:17:33.95
We appreciate what
you've done, but we have
00:17:33.98\00:17:36.82
a different perspective.
 For every time you opened
00:17:36.85\00:17:40.22
the door for us, we've thanked
you but we've praised God.
00:17:40.26\00:17:44.46
Every time you
elevated us, we thanked you but
00:17:44.49\00:17:48.40
we praised God. Every
rank you promoted us to,
00:17:48.43\00:17:52.23
we've thanked you but
we've praised God. In fact,
00:17:52.27\00:17:55.64
King, we can't worship
you, because you are just
00:17:55.67\00:17:58.87
a courier, a conduit, a
channel through which God
00:17:58.91\00:18:01.61
sent our blessing. We
can't worship you anymore
00:18:01.64\00:18:04.21
than we worship a
tree for giving us shade,
00:18:04.25\00:18:06.85
a cow giving us milk,
a bee giving us honey,
00:18:06.88\00:18:09.62
or rain giving us
water. We thank you,
00:18:09.65\00:18:12.72
but you're not
worthy of our praise.
00:18:12.75\00:18:15.56
We might love you, but we
ain't going to worship you.
00:18:15.59\00:18:18.19
We might respect you, but
we're not going to worship you.
00:18:18.23\00:18:21.06
We might honor you, but
we're not going to worship you,
00:18:21.10\00:18:23.77
because God and God
alone is worthy of our praise.
00:18:23.80\00:18:28.24
So the king then
says, But if you don't,
00:18:28.27\00:18:31.27
you're going to burn.
But the boys said, King,
00:18:31.31\00:18:34.48
that's all right. If
it be so, our God whom we
00:18:34.51\00:18:40.72
serve is able to
deliver us from the burning
00:18:40.75\00:18:45.95
fiery furnace, and
He will deliver us out
00:18:45.99\00:18:47.96
of thy hand, O
King. But if not--oh,
00:18:47.99\00:18:54.13
I wish I had a
shouting church right about now.
00:18:54.20\00:18:56.90
[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
We know He can save us,
00:18:56.93\00:19:00.47
but if not. We know He
can free us, but if not.
00:19:00.50\00:19:06.68
We know He can
rescue us, but if not.
00:19:06.71\00:19:10.25
We know He can give
us a job, but if not.
00:19:10.28\00:19:14.45
We know He can help
us get in law school,
00:19:14.48\00:19:17.52
but if not.  We know
He can remove the cancer,
00:19:17.55\00:19:21.59
but if not. We know He
can financially clear us,
00:19:21.62\00:19:25.96
but if not. We know we
can break that habit and
00:19:25.99\00:19:31.20
He will help us, but
if not. We're still not
00:19:31.23\00:19:36.14
going to worship
you. We're still going to
00:19:36.17\00:19:38.67
worship the God
of heaven and earth.
00:19:38.71\00:19:40.24
The God of Abraham
and Isaac. The God of
00:19:40.28\00:19:42.98
Jacob and Joseph
and Miriam and Moses.
00:19:43.01\00:19:45.88
The God of Enoch and Elijah.
00:19:45.91\00:19:48.68
As a child of God,
friends, let me tell you,
00:19:48.72\00:19:51.29
you've got to get to
the point in your life,
00:19:51.32\00:19:52.82
in your faith, where
you can say that even
00:19:52.85\00:19:55.66
if God doesn't,
even if God doesn't,
00:19:55.69\00:20:03.37
even if I lose my job,
even if I lose my house,
00:20:03.40\00:20:09.17
even if I lost my car,
even if my spouse walks
00:20:09.20\00:20:12.84
out on me, even if my
family doesn't understand
00:20:12.87\00:20:16.41
I have to stand on my
own, because God is able.
00:20:16.44\00:20:20.88
Because it's not
a matter if God can,
00:20:20.92\00:20:24.62
but I now that God will.
Let me tell you something.
00:20:24.65\00:20:28.72
I'm going to let you
know today, no matter what
00:20:28.76\00:20:32.23
you're dealing with, no
matter what you're facing,
00:20:32.26\00:20:34.63
I'm a witness that
God is bigger than the
00:20:34.66\00:20:36.16
stuff you face. God is
bigger than your problems.
00:20:36.20\00:20:39.37
He's bigger than your
circumstances. He's bigger
00:20:39.40\00:20:42.37
than your situation.
He's bigger than your fears.
00:20:42.40\00:20:44.87
He's bigger than your
troubles. He's bigger than
00:20:44.91\00:20:46.91
your giants. He's bigger
than your personal demons.
00:20:46.94\00:20:49.71
God is bigger than
you because God is God.
00:20:49.74\00:20:53.72
So if you don't get
anything else today, get this:
00:20:53.75\00:20:56.48
God is able.  So
Nebuchadnezzar gets mad.
00:20:56.52\00:20:59.35
Nebuchadnezzar goes off
and flies off into a rage.
00:20:59.39\00:21:02.56
He orders Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego to appear
00:21:02.59\00:21:04.93
before him. Now, understand,
when we stand for a cause,
00:21:04.96\00:21:08.13
we must be prepared to
oppose those whom we consider
00:21:08.16\00:21:11.00
important people. Kings,
queens, presidents, judges,
00:21:11.03\00:21:20.48
employers. Sometimes
we have to be prepared to
00:21:20.51\00:21:22.14
lay our futures and
our lives on the line for
00:21:22.18\00:21:24.25
what we believe. Dr.
Emmons said it today,
00:21:24.28\00:21:26.82
sometimes you've got
to speak truth to power.
00:21:26.85\00:21:30.59
Sometimes you've got to
just tell it like it is.
00:21:30.62\00:21:33.89
I'm not saying be
disrespectful, but you've got
00:21:33.92\00:21:36.12
to tell it like it
is. Sometimes you have to
00:21:36.16\00:21:38.69
stand for what is
right, even when nobody
00:21:38.73\00:21:40.40
else is standing.
Sometimes you can't be scared.
00:21:40.43\00:21:44.13
If I were scared, I
wouldn't be here at Oakwood.
00:21:44.17\00:21:47.90
If I were scared, I
wouldn't be at Breath of Life.
00:21:47.94\00:21:51.04
Sometimes you can't be
scared. That's why people
00:21:51.07\00:21:54.04
can mean-mug me all
they want. I'll smile at
00:21:54.08\00:21:56.24
them in the name of Jesus,
onward, upward, keep it moving.
00:21:56.28\00:22:00.05
[Aud. reaction]   PB: 
It was during the darkest,
00:22:00.08\00:22:07.32
deepest days of
apartheid, Elder Julius,
00:22:07.36\00:22:12.66
when the South
African government--and I had
00:22:12.69\00:22:14.30
to go there, and I had to
look at it, Robben Island,
00:22:14.36\00:22:16.30
where Nelson Mandela
was. Because it's not just
00:22:16.33\00:22:18.80
education in the classroom,
it's exposure. I had to
00:22:18.83\00:22:23.64
go down to South Africa,
where the government tried to
00:22:23.67\00:22:26.11
shut down opposition by
canceling a political rally that
00:22:26.14\00:22:29.44
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
declared that he would hold a
00:22:29.48\00:22:32.45
church service
anyhow. On that day in
00:22:32.48\00:22:35.75
St. George's Cathedral
in Cape Town, South Africa,
00:22:35.78\00:22:40.06
that day the church was
filled with worshippers.
00:22:40.09\00:22:42.59
Outside the cathedral,
hundreds of police gathered.
00:22:42.62\00:22:46.26
A show of force,
designed to intimidate.
00:22:46.29\00:22:50.73
As Tutu was
preaching, the police then all
00:22:50.77\00:22:54.67
entered the
cathedral, armed, and they lined
00:22:54.70\00:22:57.84
the walls of that
church. They took out notebooks
00:22:57.87\00:23:02.01
and they recorded
Tutu's words. But Tutu wouldn't
00:23:02.04\00:23:06.55
be intimidated. He preached
against the evils of apartheid,
00:23:06.58\00:23:12.39
declaring this won't
last. At one extraordinary
00:23:12.42\00:23:18.83
point in his sermon,
he looked at those police,
00:23:18.86\00:23:21.83
dead in their eyes.
He said to those police,
00:23:21.86\00:23:24.83
You are powerful.
You are very powerful,
00:23:24.87\00:23:28.64
but you are not God.
And I serve a God who
00:23:28.67\00:23:36.31
cannot be mocked, so
since you've already lost-
00:23:36.34\00:23:41.22
-because you've got to
learn to speak those things
00:23:41.25\00:23:43.82
that aren't as
though they already are-
00:23:43.85\00:23:45.82
-since you've
already lost, I invite you
00:23:45.85\00:23:50.23
today to come to
the winning side.
00:23:50.26\00:23:53.63
[Aud. reaction]  
PB:  With that, you know,
00:23:53.66\00:23:55.63
they had a little Hammond
organ, I'm assuming then.
00:23:55.66\00:23:58.07
The congregation
broke out in song and dance,
00:23:58.10\00:24:01.20
and the police didn't
know what to do. That's
00:24:01.24\00:24:04.07
why you understand
that when Joshua and the
00:24:04.11\00:24:06.41
children of Israel
walked around Jericho,
00:24:06.44\00:24:07.74
they didn't need
bows and arrows. All he
00:24:07.78\00:24:10.48
needed was a
preacher and a choir,
00:24:10.51\00:24:12.58
because when the praises go
up, the blessings come down.
00:24:12.61\00:24:15.52
The people erupted in praise.
The police didn't know what to
00:24:15.55\00:24:21.49
do. Their attempt at
intimidation had failed,
00:24:21.52\00:24:23.32
overcome by Tutu's confidence
that God and goodness will
00:24:23.36\00:24:28.86
triumph over evil. Let me tell
you something today. It may not
00:24:28.90\00:24:33.17
look like it, but truth will
always overcome lies.  Love will
00:24:33.20\00:24:37.51
always overcome hate.
Right will always trump wrong.
00:24:37.54\00:24:41.71
Faith will overcome
fear. Why? God is able.
00:24:41.74\00:24:47.58
He still sits
high, and He looks low.
00:24:47.62\00:24:52.55
He still has the
whole world in His hands.
00:24:52.59\00:24:56.19
We may not know how
the king or queen may react
00:24:56.22\00:24:59.33
to what we will say or
do when we take a stand;
00:24:59.36\00:25:01.63
we may not even know
how family or friends will
00:25:01.66\00:25:04.27
treat us when we take
a stand. But know this:
00:25:04.30\00:25:07.47
God is able.  There is
something about a righteous
00:25:07.50\00:25:13.11
cause that
transcends the fear of death.
00:25:13.14\00:25:16.68
That's why Martin
King could say it.
00:25:16.71\00:25:19.71
That's why
Malcolm X could say it.
00:25:19.75\00:25:21.85
That's why Medgar
Evers could say it.
00:25:21.88\00:25:23.85
That's why John
Lewis could say it.
00:25:23.89\00:25:26.89
That's why Nelson
Mandela could say it.
00:25:26.92\00:25:29.42
That's why James
Reeb--'cause it wasn't
00:25:29.46\00:25:32.09
just black folk in
the Civil Rights movement.
00:25:32.13\00:25:33.96
There was some white
folk that joined forces, too.
00:25:34.00\00:25:36.70
I wish I had a
witness in this place.
00:25:36.73\00:25:38.30
[Aud. reaction]  
James Reeb, R-e-e-b,
00:25:38.33\00:25:39.77
was the white
Unitarian minister who had
00:25:39.80\00:25:42.40
traveled to Selma,
Alabama, to support
00:25:42.44\00:25:44.67
African American voting
rights, but he was killed,
00:25:44.71\00:25:47.24
but he still stood.
Because a righteous cause is
00:25:47.28\00:25:51.41
grounded in a God who is
too wise to make a mistake,
00:25:51.45\00:25:54.75
and He works all things
together for our good to
00:25:54.78\00:25:57.09
those who love the Lord
and are the called according
00:25:57.12\00:25:59.02
to His purpose. So even
if God doesn't answer the
00:25:59.05\00:26:01.79
prayers the way we
want, just remember the three
00:26:01.82\00:26:05.13
Hebrew boys' words: But
if not. We shall not bow
00:26:05.16\00:26:11.23
to the unrighteous
edict of a fallible king.
00:26:11.27\00:26:14.27
Even if we're not
delivered in this life,
00:26:14.30\00:26:16.20
we will not forsake our
faith. We will not worship
00:26:16.24\00:26:18.41
at the altar of
strange gods. Even in defeat,
00:26:18.44\00:26:21.04
we're going to love
and trust the God we know,
00:26:21.08\00:26:22.98
because there is a cause.
 So Nebuchadnezzar is mad.
00:26:23.01\00:26:27.55
He commands that the
fiery furnace be turned up
00:26:27.58\00:26:33.12
seven times hotter
than normal. In fact,
00:26:33.15\00:26:36.12
the Bible teaches
in verse number 22 that
00:26:36.16\00:26:38.03
because the furnace
was much hotter than usual,
00:26:38.06\00:26:39.89
that the very ones who
threw the three Hebrew boys
00:26:39.93\00:26:42.86
in the fiery furnace,
they were killed by the
00:26:42.90\00:26:45.03
flames of the furnace. Let
that be a lesson for us today.
00:26:45.07\00:26:48.64
Be careful about fueling
the flames for somebody else.
00:26:48.67\00:26:52.07
Because the same flames
will reach out and grab you.
00:26:52.11\00:26:54.54
I wish I had a
witness in this place.
00:26:54.58\00:26:56.21
[Aud. reaction]   PB:
 Too many of us are so
00:26:56.24\00:26:57.88
busy setting traps
for others, waiting for
00:26:57.91\00:26:59.78
others to fall in the
same traps, and the same
00:26:59.81\00:27:02.12
traps we set for
others are the same traps we
00:27:02.15\00:27:04.49
fall in ourselves.
Nobody in this place lives
00:27:04.52\00:27:07.96
in a glass house. You can
be so busy turning somebody
00:27:07.99\00:27:11.16
against somebody else,
you'd better be careful that
00:27:11.19\00:27:12.96
these same people don't
turn on you. Because you
00:27:12.99\00:27:15.33
reap what you sow. And
payday is coming one day.
00:27:15.36\00:27:22.14
The lies we spread
on others, the gossip we
00:27:22.17\00:27:26.14
spread on others,
the dirt we do to others,
00:27:26.17\00:27:28.94
it will boomerang
and come back and get us.
00:27:28.98\00:27:32.11
Be ye sure your
sins will find you out.
00:27:32.15\00:27:36.08
Nebuchadnezzar turns
up the heat seven times.
00:27:36.12\00:27:42.36
I've always
wondered, why seven. Yeah,
00:27:42.39\00:27:44.26
I know seven means
completion, but why seven?
00:27:44.29\00:27:46.90
Why did the Bible say
that? I was reading Ellen White,
00:27:46.93\00:27:49.06
and Ellen White says to us,
she says that Nebuchadnezzar
00:27:49.10\00:27:53.54
felt that it required more
than an ordinary power to deal
00:27:53.57\00:27:59.51
with these men. She says
Nebuchadnezzar's mind was so
00:27:59.54\00:28:05.21
strongly impressed that
something unusual was going to
00:28:05.25\00:28:09.25
interpose on their behalf,
so he intensified the heat.
00:28:09.28\00:28:13.79
He put his strongest
men in front, she says,
00:28:13.82\00:28:16.36
>:  Thank you for joining us
00:28:16.39\00:28:17.56
for another exciting Breath
of Life television broadcast.
00:28:17.59\00:28:20.50
Tune in next
week at the same time,
00:28:20.53\00:28:22.73
as Dr. Byrd will deliver another
dynamic message from the Lord,
00:28:22.76\00:28:26.30
just for you. Until next time,
00:28:26.33\00:28:28.67
may God bless you.
00:28:28.70\00:28:30.07
[END]
00:28:30.11\00:28:45.12