Breath of Life
Ministries Presents
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Sermon B567  "Don't Miss Out"
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[Breath of Life Theme Music]
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PB:  Mark 10:46,
the Word of God says,
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“And they came to
Jericho: and as he went out
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of Jericho with his
disciples and a great
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number of
people, blind Bartimaeus,
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the son of Timaeus, sat
by the highway side begging.
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And when he heard that
it was Jesus of Nazareth,
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he began to cry
out, and say, Jesus,
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thou son of
David, have mercy on me.
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And many charged him
that he should hold his peace:
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but he cried the
more a great deal,
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Thou son of
David, have mercy on me.
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Jesus stood still, and
commanded him to be called.
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And they call the
blind man, saying unto him,
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Be of good comfort,
rise; he calleth thee.
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And he, casting
away his garment, rose,
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and came to Jesus.
And Jesus answered and
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said unto him, What
wilt thou that I should
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do unto thee? The
blind man said unto him,
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Lord, that I
might receive my sight.
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Jesus said unto him, Go thy way;
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thy faith hath made thee whole.
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And immediately he
received his sight,
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and followed Jesus in the way.”
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Don't miss out. 
Lord, bless us now.
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Bless this Word. 
Speak, because there's
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somebody today
that needs this specific
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word just for them. 
In Jesus' name, Amen.
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History records
countless stories of missed
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opportunities.  One
of these examples was a
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few years ago, some
time, actually, ago,
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at a resort, along the
East Coast, a small community
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was having an open town
hall meeting, discussing
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some financial
problems they were experiencing.
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There were about 20 people
at this town hall meeting,
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but in this 20 there
was a man that nobody knew.
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The unknown man was
visiting the area, and he
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decided to drop in
on the “open meeting.”
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As the discussion was
going on, the man started
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doing the comments, to
making his comment during
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the meeting. But as he
began to talk, as he began
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to speak,
somebody interrupted him.
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“You're not one of us. 
You're not from this community.
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Be quiet.  This
does not concern you.”
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For the rest of the
time at the meeting,
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the man then just
kept quiet, and eventually
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he left up leaving
early.  But just as the man
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was leaving the premises,
somebody came in running
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late to the meeting,
out of breath, and saying,
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“What was he doing here?
 Is he going to help us?”
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The other people looked
at him strangely and said,
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“What do you mean? 
What are you talking about?
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Who was that man?” 
The man who ran in said,
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“You mean you don't know? 
That was John D. Rockefeller.
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His yacht is in our harbor.
Didn't you get his help?”
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They all dropped their heads.
In despair, somebody cried,
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“No, we didn't get his help.
 We didn't know who he was.”
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Missed opportunity.  Don't
miss out. The Bible says that
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in Noah's day the people
had a chance to get in the ark,
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but they didn't listen to Noah.
They saw the ark being built,
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but they laughed at
Noah.  They mocked Noah.
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They ridiculed
Noah.  They scorned Noah.
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But one day it started
raining, and the people
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weren't laughing
anymore.  God shut the door.
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They died in the
flood.  Missed opportunity.
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Don't miss out. There
has been the story of the
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two thieves on the
cross.  Both had an opportunity.
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One realized who Jesus
was, and that he was no
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ordinary man dying
beside him. So he looked at
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Jesus and said,
“Look, remember me when you
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come in your kingdom.” 
But the other thief said,
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“Look, if you're
really the Son of God,
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get us out of this
mess.”  He didn't want
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to serve God; he just
wanted out of his discomfort.
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Both men had an
opportunity. One took it,
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and one did not.  In
the text, we have an example
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of an opportunity,
however, that was taken by
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a man named Bartimaeus.
 The text says Bartimaeus
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was blind, that he
couldn't see. Which means when
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his mother smiled at
him, he couldn't see it.
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When the night sky
above Jericho was bright
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with a million
stars, he couldn't see it.
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When the bevy of
flowers and trees were right
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in front of him,
he couldn't see it.
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At night when
he closed his eyes,
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and in the morning when
he opened his eyes again,
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it was all the same: 
blackness. He couldn't see.
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Bartimaeus was blind.
 And there are a lot of
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folk who are blind
in our world today,
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but they're not
physically blind,
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but spiritually
blind.  They don't see
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and know the
living God.  They live in
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a world of
blackness.  Tell them the story
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of Jesus; they can't
see it. Tell them the
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promises of God;
they can't see them.
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Bring them to a
church service; they hear
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the preaching,
they hear the singing,
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but they can't see
the points. They're blind.
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Because the devil
has put a thick black
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blindfold around your
eyes. Spiritual blindness
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is worse than
physical blindness because when
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you're spiritually
blind, God can be doing
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something right in
front of your face and
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you still won't see
it.  [Aud. reaction]
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But not only was
Bartimaeus blind;
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Bartimaeus was also destitute.
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Which means he was
poor.  Now, don't get
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it twisted today. 
Just because you're
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blind doesn't mean you're poor.
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Bartimaeus was
poor.  He didn't live in
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an affluent home. 
He didn't have family
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to care for him. 
He was unable to work a
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job to provide for
himself. There was no
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Institute for the
Blind to teach him a trade.
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There was no social
security. He did not
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receive a
disability check. There were no
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welfare or government
programs to sustain him.
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He was a man who had
no idea where his next
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meal was coming
from.  And if he did eat,
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it was because
somebody was nice enough to
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give him a little money
or give him a piece of bread.
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He was blind and poor,
but although he was blind,
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although he was poor,
although he was uneducated,
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I've learned from the text that
Bartimaeus was nobody's fool.
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Sometimes handicapped
people get treated like they're
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not bright when, in fact,
they're intellectually brighter
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than the people shouting
or talking down to them.
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Just because somebody's
blind doesn't mean they're dumb.
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Ray Charles was blind,
but he could play a piano
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like nobody's business. 
Helen Keller was blind and deaf,
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but she was one of the greatest
authors in American history.
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Stevie Wonder is blind,
but he's __ number seven for
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being the best
singer of all time.
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The Five Blind Boys
of Alabama are blind,
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but they are one of
the greatest gospel groups
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in this country.  Don't
you call anybody disabled.
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They are not disabled, but
they are differently abled.
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For whenever there's
a defect, God will bring
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about a surplus. 
If you have a defect,
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God will give you
a spiritual overblow.
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Bartimaeus was
blind, but he was not dumb.
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Bartimaeus, in
fact, had good sense.
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So good that when he
heard Jesus was coming,
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he put his good
sense to good use.
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Medical science says
that when you lose one sense,
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your other senses kick
in.  So if I can't see,
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my hearing gets
better.  If I can't hear,
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my eyesight gets
better.  If I can't touch,
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my taste gets
better.  If I can't taste,
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my smell gets better.
 And if I can't smell,
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my taste, my touch,
my sight, understand,
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my hearing gets better.
Bartimaeus couldn't see,
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but Bartimaeus could
touch, taste, talk, and hear.
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Bartimaeus had heard of
many miracles that Jesus
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had performed. 
Somebody told him about this man
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from Galilee that had
cleansed lepers and made
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them clean.  Somebody
told him about the man
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that had cast out
demons. Somebody told him
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about the man that
made the deaf to hear,
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the lame to walk. 
Somebody told him about
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a man that walked to
the tomb of another man,
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named Lazarus, raised
him from the dead after
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he had been in
the grave three days.
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Somebody told him
that Jesus had healed
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a man who was born
blind.  So Bartimaeus
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couldn't see,
but maybe he thought,
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if all I can do is
this, if he can do all
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of this, he can
give me my sight.
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It's clear that
somebody somewhere told
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Bartimaeus about
Jesus.  Which is why it's
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so important for us to
tell somebody else about Jesus.
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Because when they
hear and see the change
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that Jesus has
made in our lives,
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they will be
motivated to get Jesus to
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do the same for
them, because it is no
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secret what God
can do.  What He's done
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for others, He'll
do for you. But verse
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46 tells us that
when Jesus came to
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Jericho-everybody say
Jericho. Aud:  Jericho.
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There was a large
crowd that followed him.
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Bartimaeus
couldn't see the crowd,
00:10:57.85\00:10:59.89
but he could hear the crowd.
00:10:59.92\00:11:01.69
So he asked
somebody, “What's going on?
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What's all this noise? 
What's all this commotion?”
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Somebody tells him
that Jesus, the man he had
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heard about, was
passing by. What was Bartimaeus'
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response?  Did he
think, well, here's a crowd,
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so here's an opportunity
for me to beg for alms
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and make some money? 
Did he think that people
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on their way to Jerusalem,
to the Passover feast,
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and because these are
religious folk, they would
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be more generous than
ever and feel sorry for a
00:11:26.78\00:11:28.78
blind man?  Did he take
advantage of Jesus being
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there to line his own
pockets and make some money?
00:11:31.45\00:11:34.62
No.  Bartimaeus, the
Bible says, began to shout.
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[Aud. reaction]   He
began to shout, “Jesus!  Jesus!
00:11:41.46\00:11:47.24
Jesus!  Son of David. 
Jesus! Have mercy on me.”
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Why does Bartimaeus
ask for mercy?  Mercy,
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you will remember, is
compassion or forgiveness
00:12:00.15\00:12:03.15
given to somebody when they
have the power to punish them.
00:12:03.18\00:12:07.39
And so Bartimaeus saw
himself as a guilty man.
00:12:07.42\00:12:12.33
He took responsibility
for his own sin.  But he said,
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“In Jesus I can get some
mercy.” But notice in the
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text that the church
folk, the holier-than-thou folk,
00:12:21.17\00:12:25.31
the religious folk,
the Jericho-ites, rebuked
00:12:25.34\00:12:30.15
and told him, “Hush
your mouth. Quit screaming.
00:12:30.18\00:12:34.68
Quit yelling Jesus.”  Here's
a beggar calling on Jesus,
00:12:34.72\00:12:39.12
and the so-called blessed
are telling him to be quiet.
00:12:39.15\00:12:43.12
Here's a man calling for
mercy, and the members are
00:12:43.16\00:12:46.53
telling him to hush.  Let
me put a kickstand right there.
00:12:46.56\00:12:50.40
Whenever somebody
knocks on the gates of mercy,
00:12:50.43\00:12:54.67
and the devil and his
imps hear it in hell, and make,
00:12:54.70\00:12:59.41
they make attempt to
drive people away.  Satan will
00:12:59.44\00:13:03.41
do all that he can to hinder
lost people from getting to
00:13:03.45\00:13:07.38
Jesus. The devil will use our
friends; he will use our family;
00:13:07.42\00:13:09.42
he will use church folk
to distract you from turning
00:13:09.45\00:13:13.89
to Jesus. Here's Bartimaeus.
Jesus hears the people.
00:13:13.92\00:13:18.99
“Be quiet.” 
“Jesus!  “Hush your mouth!”
00:13:19.03\00:13:22.16
“Jesus!”  Clapping his
head, “You're too loud.”
00:13:22.20\00:13:25.87
“Jesus!”  Stomping that
foot. “We don't do that here.”
00:13:25.90\00:13:30.04
“Jesus!” Some folk will
tell you that this whole
00:13:30.07\00:13:34.68
Christianity thing
is a sham. It's a hoax.
00:13:34.71\00:13:38.18
They'll say there is
no God. Some will tell
00:13:38.21\00:13:41.42
you that there is no
such thing as a heaven.
00:13:41.45\00:13:43.85
They'll tell you
that hell is a myth.
00:13:43.89\00:13:45.55
Some will even tell
you, you can't be saved.
00:13:45.59\00:13:48.16
They'll make you
believe that you're too lost
00:13:48.19\00:13:50.59
for your salvation. 
They'll make you believe
00:13:50.63\00:13:52.96
that you've gone too
far or done too much to
00:13:52.99\00:13:56.73
be saved.  But in
the name of Jesus. . .
00:13:56.77\00:13:58.93
[Aud. reaction]  .
. .the devil is a lie.
00:13:58.97\00:14:01.50
The men of Jericho
yelled at Bartimaeus,
00:14:01.54\00:14:06.84
but the text says
Bartimaeus was not going
00:14:06.88\00:14:10.01
to be stopped. 
The louder they got,
00:14:10.05\00:14:13.48
the louder he got.
 “Hush up.” “Jesus!”
00:14:13.52\00:14:20.16
“Be quiet.”  “Jesus!”  Let
me encourage somebody today.
00:14:20.19\00:14:25.39
When people tell you to
stop crying out to Jesus,
00:14:25.43\00:14:28.80
people, cry it out. 
And guess what?  Do it a
00:14:28.83\00:14:32.77
little louder so
you can drown them out.
00:14:32.80\00:14:35.40
Are you hearing what
I'm saying? If you would
00:14:35.44\00:14:38.11
be saved from Satan,
if you will be delivered
00:14:38.14\00:14:41.24
from being intimidated
by other folk, do exactly
00:14:41.28\00:14:44.71
what Bartimaeus did. 
“Jesus!” Call the name of Jesus.
00:14:44.75\00:14:52.15
In the morning, in the
noonday, in the evening.
00:14:52.19\00:14:56.52
Call the name of
Jesus.  [Aud. reaction]
00:14:56.56\00:15:00.23
There comes a time
when a man's got to cover
00:15:00.26\00:15:03.06
the ground he stands
on.  There comes a time
00:15:03.10\00:15:05.90
when you will need
some steel in your backbone.
00:15:05.93\00:15:09.30
People will tell you
you're too caught up in
00:15:09.34\00:15:11.37
the church thing. 
They'll tell you all you do
00:15:11.41\00:15:13.34
is talk about the
Bible.  You pray too much.
00:15:13.38\00:15:15.54
You read the Bible too
much. You study too much.
00:15:15.58\00:15:18.25
You give too much to
the church. You go to
00:15:18.28\00:15:20.35
church too much.  But
you better ignore those
00:15:20.38\00:15:22.38
kind of folk.  [Aud. reaction]
00:15:22.42\00:15:24.22
Because if you know
that Jesus is somewhere,
00:15:24.25\00:15:26.25
you better go there. 
I don't understand how
00:15:26.29\00:15:29.96
we live in the
times in which we live,
00:15:29.99\00:15:31.96
and people barely
want to come to church and
00:15:31.99\00:15:33.76
meet Jesus.  And for
people to come to church,
00:15:33.80\00:15:36.77
church has to be
pleasurable. Church has to
00:15:36.80\00:15:39.17
be entertaining.  Something
special has to be going on.
00:15:39.20\00:15:42.87
But I told the folk
Wednesday night, I'm going
00:15:42.90\00:15:44.47
to tell it again today,
because repetition deepens
00:15:44.51\00:15:45.91
the impression:  Church,
we're living in some dark times.
00:15:45.94\00:15:49.41
I said, we're living
in dark times.  Do you
00:15:49.44\00:15:54.82
realize the times
in which we live?  Now,
00:15:54.85\00:15:58.95
I know all these
preachers have preached that.
00:15:58.99\00:16:00.82
But do you really realize
the times in which we live?
00:16:00.86\00:16:03.73
Playing church. 
Sweating small stuff.
00:16:03.76\00:16:07.56
Dealing in the
paralysis of analysis.
00:16:07.60\00:16:10.20
Do you realize that
the image of the second
00:16:10.23\00:16:12.37
beast of Revelation
13, the United States,
00:16:12.40\00:16:14.44
its president has
met with the image of the
00:16:14.47\00:16:16.07
first beast of
Revelation 13. The papacy was
00:16:16.10\00:16:17.74
in the past three
months.  Do you realize that
00:16:17.77\00:16:21.08
last week--I said it
Wednesday night--that just
00:16:21.11\00:16:23.14
last week the
president of the United States
00:16:23.18\00:16:25.31
met with the president
of Russian.  And I don't
00:16:25.35\00:16:27.42
care what the news
reporters say.  Let's be real;
00:16:27.45\00:16:29.55
we don't know
what they talked about.
00:16:29.58\00:16:31.59
[Aud. reaction]  Do you
realize that North Korea
00:16:31.62\00:16:34.92
is increasing its
number of missile tests?
00:16:34.96\00:16:37.96
And any time you have a
test (this is an educational
00:16:37.99\00:16:41.06
institution), any time you have
a test, it's preparation for the
00:16:41.10\00:16:45.30
real thing. [Aud reaction]  U.S.
Ambassador Nikki Haley, U.N.
00:16:45.33\00:16:51.11
Ambassador, said in response
to Kim Jung Un and North Korea's
00:16:51.14\00:16:56.38
missile test, she said
this:  “Time is short. Action is
00:16:56.41\00:17:01.02
required.” And then in response
to what she said, Kim Jung Un
00:17:01.05\00:17:04.15
said, “We have an even
bigger package for the Yankees.”
00:17:04.19\00:17:08.32
He actually said something
else. He called us American
00:17:08.36\00:17:11.33
something else.  But I
dare not say it in the pulpit.
00:17:11.36\00:17:14.46
Some of you all realize
it.  Do you realize what
00:17:14.46\00:17:16.13
Matthew 24 said, the
times in which we live?
00:17:16.16\00:17:18.43
That when you hear wars
and rumors or wars, famines,
00:17:18.47\00:17:20.20
earthquakes,
pestilence in diverse places,
00:17:20.24\00:17:21.77
these are the
beginning of sorrows?
00:17:21.80\00:17:23.41
Do you realize
they control the House,
00:17:23.44\00:17:27.11
the Senate, and the White House,
00:17:27.14\00:17:29.18
and they still
can't solve healthcare?
00:17:29.21\00:17:31.31
[Aud. reaction]  They
talked about my friend,
00:17:31.35\00:17:41.59
but they haven't
come up with anything,
00:17:41.62\00:17:44.66
and they control
everything.  Do you realize,
00:17:44.69\00:17:48.23
somebody ought to like
this, it's the truth anyhow?
00:17:48.26\00:17:50.73
Do you realize that the
union of church and state
00:17:50.77\00:17:56.04
is happening
right before our eyes?
00:17:56.07\00:18:00.58
I said on Wednesday
night that on May 4, 2017,
00:18:00.61\00:18:04.78
President Trump
signed an executive order to
00:18:04.81\00:18:07.85
defend the freedom
of religion and speech.
00:18:07.88\00:18:09.55
Why?  He has a
purpose in erasing the
00:18:09.58\00:18:12.19
Johnson amendments.
 Pastor Byrd, what is
00:18:12.22\00:18:15.32
the Johnson amendment?  I
told you, a good preacher,
00:18:15.36\00:18:17.59
a good Adventist preacher,
when he preaches eschatology,
00:18:17.63\00:18:19.59
he has the Bible in one hand
and the newspaper in another.
00:18:19.63\00:18:22.86
[Aud. reaction] 
Some of you all don't even
00:18:22.90\00:18:24.63
know what the
Johnson amendment is.
00:18:24.67\00:18:26.63
The Johnson
amendment was proposed in 1954
00:18:26.67\00:18:28.67
by U.S. Senator
then and former president
00:18:28.70\00:18:30.91
Lyndon Baines
Johnson.  It's a provision
00:18:30.94\00:18:32.47
in the United States
Tax Code, __ 501c(3),
00:18:32.51\00:18:35.18
nonprofit organizations,
primarily universities
00:18:35.21\00:18:38.91
and churches, from endorsing
___ and political candidates.
00:18:38.95\00:18:42.62
All right, Pastor
Byrd, what's the big dealing?
00:18:42.65\00:18:44.89
You going off on __?
 Well, during the 2016
00:18:44.92\00:18:47.12
presidential
campaign, the president called
00:18:47.16\00:18:49.26
for the repeal of
the Johnson amendment.
00:18:49.29\00:18:51.09
Then on February 2,
2017, President Trump vowed
00:18:51.13\00:18:54.83
at the National
Prayer Breakfast to totally
00:18:54.83\00:18:56.63
destroy the Johnson
amendment. With White
00:18:56.67\00:18:59.47
House Press Secretary Sean
Spicer-you know him-announcing
00:18:59.50\00:19:03.07
to the press that the
president is committed to
00:19:03.10\00:19:05.21
get rid of the Johnson
amendment, allowing our
00:19:05.24\00:19:07.38
representatives of faith
to speak freely and without
00:19:07.41\00:19:10.28
retribution.  Then
the Republican lawmakers
00:19:10.31\00:19:13.42
introduced
legislation that would allow all
00:19:13.45\00:19:15.62
501c(3) organizations
to support political
00:19:15.65\00:19:18.02
candidates as long as
any associated spending
00:19:18.05\00:19:20.89
was minimal.  What's
the big deal, Doc Byrd?
00:19:20.92\00:19:24.53
I'll tell you what it
is.  The significance of
00:19:24.56\00:19:26.53
this is that the
president signed the executive
00:19:26.56\00:19:28.76
order, which does not
repeal the Johnson amendment,
00:19:28.80\00:19:30.93
but it does direct
the Department of Treasury
00:19:30.97\00:19:33.67
that churches should
not be found guilty of
00:19:33.70\00:19:36.64
implied political
endorsement where secular
00:19:36.67\00:19:39.14
organizations would
not be. Wake up, folks.
00:19:39.17\00:19:43.95
We're slowly seeing the
blending of church and state.
00:19:43.98\00:19:48.92
We have moved to a
[indiscernible] society.
00:19:48.95\00:19:51.89
Remember, the church
cannot force anybody to
00:19:51.92\00:19:53.52
do anything, but the
state government can.
00:19:53.56\00:19:55.29
When there's a union of
the two, we've got a problem.
00:19:55.32\00:19:57.53
So now I can get up in
church and speak freely
00:19:57.56\00:20:00.80
about political
candidates. What do you think
00:20:00.83\00:20:02.40
is going on?  Remember,
historians, the Catholic
00:20:02.43\00:20:05.37
Church could not force
Sunday religious observance,
00:20:05.40\00:20:09.20
but the government, the
state government, could.
00:20:09.24\00:20:12.17
In 321 A.D.,
Constantine, the Roman emperor,
00:20:12.21\00:20:15.01
declared that on
the ___ day of the Sun,
00:20:15.04\00:20:17.38
the first day of
the week, we should rest
00:20:17.41\00:20:19.28
and honor Sun worship. 
The church didn't do it,
00:20:19.31\00:20:22.22
but the state did.  Do
you realize the dark days
00:20:22.25\00:20:29.19
we're living in? 
People don't want church stuff,
00:20:29.22\00:20:32.19
‘cause people
don't want the church.
00:20:32.23\00:20:35.50
They don't know
Jesus, don't appreciate Him,
00:20:35.53\00:20:38.73
and don't want to
know Him, and don't want
00:20:38.77\00:20:42.24
Him interfering in
their lives, because they
00:20:42.27\00:20:43.51
love their sins too
much.  So they don't come
00:20:43.54\00:20:44.97
to church to meet
Jesus at His church.
00:20:45.01\00:20:48.51
But what I love
about this story is,
00:20:48.54\00:20:49.98
Bartimaeus was so
determined to meet the
00:20:50.01\00:20:54.12
one person whom he
longed to tell his troubles to.
00:20:54.15\00:20:57.89
Bartimaeus, though
they told him to hush up,
00:20:57.92\00:21:01.02
he continued to call
out to Jesus.  And the
00:21:01.06\00:21:03.79
more they told him
to--the more he called Him,
00:21:03.83\00:21:06.16
the more they
told him to be quiet.
00:21:06.19\00:21:07.86
And the more they
told him to be quiet,
00:21:07.93\00:21:09.40
the louder he got. 
He needed a miracle,
00:21:09.43\00:21:12.17
and he knew Jesus
was his only hope.
00:21:12.20\00:21:16.07
[Aud. reaction] 
That it was now, or never.
00:21:16.10\00:21:19.27
He couldn't miss
out on this opportunity.
00:21:19.31\00:21:22.51
If he didn't get
his eyes opened now,
00:21:22.54\00:21:24.48
then what would
happen if Jesus, when he went
00:21:24.51\00:21:26.38
to Jerusalem, where
Bartimaeus knew that
00:21:26.41\00:21:28.65
many people at
Jerusalem hated him?
00:21:28.68\00:21:30.82
Follow biblical
history, because Bartimaeus
00:21:30.85\00:21:33.66
had heard that, as
he sat and listened to
00:21:33.69\00:21:36.02
people walking down
the streets of Jericho,
00:21:36.06\00:21:37.83
that many people in
Jerusalem were waiting on him.
00:21:37.86\00:21:40.63
So Bartimaeus
said, I can't stop.
00:21:40.66\00:21:43.06
I have to get to
Jesus.  [Aud. reaction]
00:21:43.10\00:21:46.84
I have to get His
attention. Blind and all,
00:21:46.87\00:21:52.14
I've got to get to
Jesus. Church, if you're lost,
00:21:52.17\00:21:57.48
and Jesus is your only
hope, you can't give up.
00:21:57.51\00:22:03.25
You can't lose hope. 
You can't throw in the towel.
00:22:03.28\00:22:08.92
You've got to get to
Jesus.  A father asked his son,
00:22:08.96\00:22:11.79
he told his little boy, he
said, “Son, move that big rock.
00:22:11.83\00:22:15.46
Move that big
boulder in the backyard.”
00:22:15.50\00:22:17.83
The little boy
tried as hard as he could.
00:22:17.87\00:22:19.50
He tried to move it
by himself. He couldn't.
00:22:19.53\00:22:21.10
He tried pushing it.
 He tried pulling it.
00:22:21.14\00:22:22.67
He tried to get fancy and
get a lever to extract it.
00:22:22.70\00:22:25.47
He even enlisted
the support of his dog,
00:22:25.51\00:22:27.68
but nothing worked. 
Finally, he was tired,
00:22:27.71\00:22:30.61
ready to give up. 
The boy told his dad,
00:22:30.65\00:22:32.48
“Daddy, I can't do
it.  It's impossible.
00:22:32.51\00:22:35.95
I can't move the
rock.”  The father said,
00:22:35.98\00:22:38.12
“Son, have you
tried everything?”
00:22:38.15\00:22:40.86
The boy replied, “Yes,
Daddy, I tried everything.”
00:22:40.89\00:22:43.99
But then the father replied,
“You never tried asking me.”
00:22:44.03\00:22:47.50
[Aud. reaction]  Many of
us are going through life
00:22:47.56\00:22:53.74
situations where we try
just about everything to
00:22:53.77\00:22:57.01
get a new start.  But
the problem is, we haven't
00:22:57.04\00:22:59.44
asked our Father.  Have
you tried asking God for
00:22:59.47\00:23:04.61
His power, for His
grace, for His mercy?
00:23:04.65\00:23:08.42
Old Bartimaeus was
blind, but Bartimaeus had
00:23:08.45\00:23:12.05
enough vision to see
that Jesus was the only one
00:23:12.09\00:23:14.86
who could help him.  He
had enough vision to see
00:23:14.89\00:23:18.26
that he needed
God's grace. Jesus, Jesus,
00:23:18.29\00:23:23.63
Son of David, have
mercy on me! The Bible says
00:23:23.67\00:23:29.84
that when Jesus heard
Bartimaeus, the Bible says
00:23:29.87\00:23:34.38
Jesus stood still. 
Which means Jesus stopped
00:23:34.41\00:23:39.25
in His tracks.  I'm
doing a whole p___ on that.
00:23:39.28\00:23:42.45
Jesus stood still. 
Jesus stopped.  Just like the
00:23:42.48\00:23:44.75
woman in Luke 8, when
she touched the hem of Jesus'
00:23:44.79\00:23:47.32
garment, Jesus stopped
and said, “Who touched me?”
00:23:47.36\00:23:50.43
Jesus said, “Wait a
minute. Call him.”  But Jesus,
00:23:50.46\00:23:55.53
there are hundreds of
people out here.  Jesus said,
00:23:55.56\00:23:59.93
“Call him.”  When
Jesus calls somebody to
00:24:00.04\00:24:04.14
salvation-listen to
me-it's a personal call.
00:24:04.17\00:24:07.31
There was a large
crowd in Jericho that day.
00:24:07.34\00:24:11.71
The twelve disciples were there.
00:24:11.75\00:24:14.95
Many of the
followers of Christ were there.
00:24:14.98\00:24:17.72
A great number of the
townspeople were there.
00:24:17.75\00:24:20.36
There was a large
crowd assembled there,
00:24:20.39\00:24:22.86
but no man, but
one man, rather, one,
00:24:22.89\00:24:26.03
was changed
forever.  One man received a
00:24:26.06\00:24:29.13
personal call from Jesus. 
And the same is true today.
00:24:29.16\00:24:33.23
There's a large crowd
here today.  But guess what.
00:24:33.27\00:24:37.74
You may be the one
person who receives a call
00:24:37.77\00:24:41.74
from Jesus that will
change your life forever.
00:24:41.78\00:24:47.28
[Aud. reaction]  I
urge you, don't miss out.
00:24:47.32\00:24:51.42
The people hurry over to
Bartimaeus-I'm almost done-
00:24:51.45\00:24:54.52
-and they say, get up. 
Cheer up.  He's calling you.
00:24:54.56\00:25:00.26
Well, wait a minute. 
Weren't these the same people
00:25:00.30\00:25:04.80
that just two minutes ago
were telling him to hush up?
00:25:04.83\00:25:10.84
But now they're telling
him to get up.  You all don't
00:25:10.87\00:25:14.84
hear what I'm
saying.  [Aud. reaction]
00:25:14.88\00:25:16.95
That's why you
can't listen to people.
00:25:16.98\00:25:19.58
They will tell you
one thing one minute,
00:25:19.61\00:25:22.48
and another thing
another minute.  Remember,
00:25:22.52\00:25:25.39
you all do remember,
just in Passion Week,
00:25:25.42\00:25:27.86
just before Jesus was
crucified, the week before
00:25:27.89\00:25:30.59
leading up to his crucifixion,
the same people that
00:25:30.63\00:25:33.36
shouted “Hosanna!” at
the beginning of the week
00:25:33.40\00:25:36.20
were the same people
who shouted, “Crucify him!”
00:25:36.23\00:25:38.60
at the end of the
week.  One minute, hush up.
00:25:38.63\00:25:42.74
Next minute, get up.
 One minute, be quiet.
00:25:42.77\00:25:48.24
The next minute, be
glad.  One minute, he's bad.
00:25:48.28\00:25:53.75
Next minute, he's good.  People
will switch on you in a minute.
00:25:53.78\00:25:58.99
[Aud. reaction]  They blow
whichever way the wind blows.
00:25:59.02\00:26:04.56
That's why Ellen White
says, don't you be a mere
00:26:04.59\00:26:06.70
reflector of somebody
else's thoughts, because you
00:26:06.73\00:26:09.53
don't know what they're
thinking and when they're
00:26:09.56\00:26:11.23
going to think it.  So
when people come running
00:26:11.27\00:26:14.77
and telling you stuff,
you better know there's
00:26:14.80\00:26:17.67
a back story.  There's
three sides to the story:
00:26:17.71\00:26:20.94
yours, mine, and the
truth.  I have a coin that
00:26:20.98\00:26:24.55
sits on my desk,
because every time you come
00:26:24.58\00:26:26.82
and tell me about
somebody else, I flip that
00:26:26.85\00:26:28.78
coin over.  It's
another side to the story.
00:26:28.82\00:26:30.92
[Aud. reaction]  When
people come telling you stuff,
00:26:30.95\00:26:33.86
consider your source. 
Because if it looks like a duck,
00:26:33.89\00:26:37.89
swims like a duck, quacks
like a duck, it must be a what?
00:26:37.93\00:26:44.20
Duck.  [Aud. reaction]
00:26:44.23\00:26:45.40
I'm almost done. 
But have you ever seen a
00:26:45.43\00:26:52.37
blind man jump?  I mean,
we've heard a blind man shout.
00:26:52.41\00:26:59.41
But have you ever seen a blind
man jump?  In his blindness,
00:26:59.45\00:27:06.92
Bartimaeus leaped. 
He threw aside his coat.
00:27:06.96\00:27:11.79
He knew that certain
opportunities only come once
00:27:11.83\00:27:15.56
in a lifetime.  He knew
that this was one of them.
00:27:15.60\00:27:20.27
Bartimaeus comes to
Jesus.  This is what I love.
00:27:20.30\00:27:23.94
Jesus asks him, “What do
you want me to do for you?”
00:27:23.97\00:27:29.14
Now, remember, all the
questions in the Bible that
00:27:29.18\00:27:32.58
God asks men seem like
naive questions, beginning
00:27:32.61\00:27:36.15
with the first question
of all, when he asked Adam,
00:27:36.18\00:27:38.32
“Adam, where are you?”  Because
why would an all-knowing,
00:27:38.35\00:27:42.42
immortal God ask a finite
knowing mortal human a question?
00:27:42.46\00:27:47.56
Jesus never asked a
foolish question in his life,
00:27:47.60\00:27:51.50
because whenever God asks
something that seems to be
00:27:51.53\00:27:54.27
foolish, you know it has to
be wise, because God takes the
00:27:54.30\00:27:56.81
foolishness of this
world and can balance the wise.
00:27:56.84\00:27:58.37
So it must be something
wise about the question,
00:27:58.41\00:28:00.14
because God is too
wise to be foolish.
00:28:00.18\00:28:03.38
[Aud. reaction]  “Bartimaeus,
what do you want me to do?”
00:28:03.41\00:28:07.85
“Lord, give me my sight.”
00:28:07.88\00:28:11.45
But Jesus-that's why I
love Jesus-He needs us for . . .
00:28:11.49\00:28:15.06
>:  Thank you for
joining us for another exciting
00:28:15.09\00:28:16.69
Breath of Life
television broadcast.
00:28:16.73\00:28:19.19
Tune in next
week at the same time,
00:28:19.23\00:28:21.23
as Dr. Byrd will
deliver another dynamic message
00:28:21.26\00:28:24.20
from the Lord, just for you.
00:28:24.23\00:28:26.47
Until next time,
may God bless you.
00:28:26.50\00:28:28.60
[END]
00:28:28.64\00:28:43.65