Participants:
Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000900A
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00:00 [Music trumpets - orchestra]
00:02 From the Oakwood University Seventh-day Adventist Church in Huntsville, 00:06 Alabama, welcome to “The Rising,” an Easter celebration from 00:10 Breath of Life Ministries, with Dr. Carlton P. Byrd, 00:13 and featuring Grammy award winner CeCe Winans, 00:16 violinist Jaime Jorge, and internationally renowned 00:19 Aeolians Concert Choir 00:23 [Choir Song] 00:24 Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne. 00:33 Hark! How the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own. 00:44 Awake, my soul, and sing of Him who died for thee, 00:54 And hail Him as thy matchless King through all eternity. 01:04 [Trumpets] [Choir] 01:09 Crown Him the Lord of love, behold His hands and side, 01:18 Those wounds, yet visible above, in beauty glorified. 01:29 All hail, Redeemer, hail! For Thou has died for me; 01:40 Thy praise and glory shall not fail throughout eternity. 01:54 Crown Him, crown Him, crown Him Lord of love. 02:05 Crown Him, crown Him, crown Him the Lord, crown Him Lord of love. 02:21 Crown Him the Lord of love, who over all doth reign, 02:29 ['CROWN HIM WITH MANY CROWNS'][CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA] 02:35 ['CROWN HIM WITH MANY CROWNS'][CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA] 02:40 ['CROWN HIM WITH MANY CROWNS'][CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA] 02:45 ['CROWN HIM WITH MANY CROWNS'][CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA] 02:50 ['CROWN HIM WITH MANY CROWNS'][CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA] 02:55 ['CROWN HIM WITH MANY CROWNS'][CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA] 03:02 ['CROWN HIM WITH MANY CROWNS'][CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA] 03:08 ['CROWN HIM WITH MANY CROWNS'][CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA] 03:15 ['CROWN HIM WITH MANY CROWNS'][CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA] 03:22 ['CROWN HIM WITH MANY CROWNS'][CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA] 03:28 ['CROWN HIM WITH MANY CROWNS'][CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA] 03:33 ['CROWN HIM WITH MANY CROWNS'][CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA] 03:37 [applause] 03:43 Carlton Byrd: Hello, I'm Dr. Carlton Byrd, 03:45 the speaker-director for Breath of Life television ministries. 03:48 And I'd like to welcome you to “The Rising.” 03:52 This is our Easter production special that we 03:56 seek to share with you. Today we're going to 03:59 remind you that Jesus was born, Jesus lived, 04:05 Jesus died, Jesus rose, Jesus ascended. 04:12 But the good news is, Jesus is coming back. 04:16 [applause] 04:22 Join me now as we bow our heads in prayer. 04:25 Our Father in Heaven, Lord, today we thank 04:28 you for the gift of your son, Jesus. 04:31 As we worship you today, as we celebrate you today, 04:35 we invite your Holy Spirit to tabernacle and be 04:39 with us. Bless every singer, every speaker, 04:42 and bless this preacher. In Jesus' name, Amen. 04:47 [Music Song Orchestra] 04:58 I was just a child, I could feel the Savior leading 05:06 I was drawn to what I could not understand 05:14 For the cause of Christ, I have spent my days believing 05:21 That what He'd have me be, is who I am 05:28 As I've come to see the deeper side of me 05:35 I realize His grace is what I'll need 05:42 When sin demanded justice for my soul 05:48 Mercy said no 05:52 I'm not gonna let you go 05:56 I'm not gonna let you slip away 05:59 You don't have to be afraid 06:03 Mercy said no 06:06 Sin will never ever take control 06:10 Life and death stood face to face 06:16 Darkness tried to steal my heart away 06:22 But thank You, Jesus, Mercy said no 06:29 [speaks] Anybody glad for mercy? 06:32 [applause] 06:34 God so loved the world, that He sent His son to save us 06:41 From the cross He built a bridge to set us free 06:48 Oh, but deep within our hearts, there is still 06:53 a war that rages And makes a sacrifice so hard to see 07:01 As midnight fell on crucifixion day 07:09 The light of hope seemed oh so far away 07:17 As evil tried to stop redemption's flow 07:23 Mercy said no 07:27 I'm not gonna let you go 07:30 I'm not gonna let you slip away 07:34 You don't have to be afraid 07:38 Mercy said no 07:41 Sin will never ever take control 07:45 Life and death stood face to face 07:50 Darkness tried to steal my heart away 07:56 But thank You, Jesus, Mercy said no 08:04 And now when heaven looks at me 08:08 It's through the blood of Jesus 08:12 Reminding me of one day long ago, long ago 08:26 Keeps reminding me. 08:30 Mercy said no 08:35 I'm not gonna let you go 08:39 I'm not gonna let you slip away 08:43 You don't have to be afraid 08:47 Mercy said no 08:50 Sin will never ever take control 08:54 Life and death stood face to face 08:59 Darkness tried to steal my heart away 09:10 Thank You, Jesus, Mercy said no 09:22 So glad for mercy, so glad for mercy, mercy said no. 09:37 [applause] 09:43 I remember it well. A clear night, breezy but nice. 09:54 I enjoy working in the cool of the evening. Pruning, 09:58 raking, caring for the garden, making it a place 10:02 where people love to come, to think, to talk, to pray. 10:07 I'm quite sure they did not see me. There were about 10:11 a dozen of them. They may have been arguing about something. 10:15 I'm not sure what. Four of them walked deeper into the garden, 10:19 and then one─I will never forget him─turned and said 10:24 something quietly, and walked off, alone. 10:28 There was a sadness about him, I guess you'd say. 10:33 He was a strong man, I could tell by his stride, 10:37 but it looked like he was carrying a great burden, 10:40 something very heavy. Like I walk when I have a great 10:44 bundle of olive branches on my back. My first thought 10:48 was to ask if he needed help, but I could tell he 10:52 wanted to be alone. So keeping quiet and out of sight, 10:55 I followed at a distance until he came to one of my 10:59 favorite spots. It's a little clearing where I eat 11:03 my lunch and tell my children stories. And there he 11:06 gently knelt down and began to pray. I learned later 11:11 that this was the man we had heard so much about, 11:14 the man who they say healed the sick and even raised 11:17 someone from the dead. His name was Jesus. Jesus of Nazareth. 11:30 Carlton Byrd: You could describe the final week of our 11:33 Savior as an exasperating roller coaster. Because at the 11:38 beginning of the week the people shouted Hosanna when they 11:44 saw Jesus make his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. But by 11:48 the end of the week the same people who had shouted Hosanna 11:52 were the same people who were now shouting, “Crucify him!” 11:56 in Pilate's judgment hall. That's why you can't put your 12:01 trust in people. Because folk will be with you one minute 12:06 and then against you the next. Do I have a witness in this place? 12:09 Some people are like the wind. You don't know which way 12:12 they're going to blow next. That's why I agree with 12:14 the Psalmist when he says, “Some trust in chariots. 12:18 Some trust in horses. But I shall remember the 12:21 name of our God.” On Sunday the crowds cheer Jesus as 12:27 he triumphantly entered Jerusalem. Everybody was talking 12:30 about Jesus. Everybody was thinking about Jesus. 12:33 Everybody was singing his praises. Everybody wants to 12:36 be near him, they wanted to hear him, they wanted to 12:38 touch him, they wanted to see him, but these same people 12:41 who were waving palm branches a little earlier are 12:45 now shouting, “Crucify him.” On Thursday, 12:49 Jesus has one final meal with his disciples. 12:53 He has one last time to prepare his followers 12:57 for what was coming. How Judas would betray him, 13:00 how Peter would deny him three times, 13:03 how he knew he was going to be crucified. 13:06 After the last supper, he goes to the garden. 13:10 He goes to the Garden of Gethsemane. 13:13 He takes just three disciples with him: Peter, 13:17 James, John. Nothing wrong with Bartholomew. 13:22 Nothing wrong with Matthew. Nothing wrong with Andrew. 13:26 But everybody needs a Peter, James and John. 13:31 Do I have a witness in this place? 13:34 [applause] 13:35 Jesus enters the Garden of Gethsemane. 13:36 Gethsemane means olive press. Olives had to 13:39 be pressed. Olives had to be crushed. 13:42 Jesus had the weight of the world pressed 13:44 down on him, crushing him until he bled from 13:48 every pore. His tears were caused by the 13:51 separation from the Father that he would soon 13:53 experience at the cross. His suffering is so 13:57 intense that he's sweating great drops of blood. 14:01 He appeals to his three disciples: Look, just pray. 14:04 But they fall asleep. Not once, but twice. 14:09 But my Jesus keeps on praying. Jesus prays the 14:14 same thing three times. Father, if it be possible, 14:19 let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, 14:24 but thy will be done. Why does Jesus pray for a cup, 14:30 God to take a cup from him? What is this cup? 14:36 The Bible says in Isaiah, chapter 51, verse 17, 14:39 it defines the cup by saying, “Awake, awake, rise up, 14:41 O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the 14:44 Lord the cup of his wrath.” Jeremiah 25, verses 15 and 16, 14:49 continues with the same thing: “This is what the Lord, 14:51 the God of Israel, said to me: Take from my hands this cup, 14:54 filled with the wine of my wrath.” But I can hear the 14:58 second angel of Revelation 14 saying, “Babylon is fallen, 15:02 is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations 15:06 drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” 15:08 I hear the third angel of Revelation say, “If any man 15:11 worship the beast, his image, receive his mark in his 15:15 forehead or his hand, the same shall drink of the wine 15:17 of the wrath of God.” We all know you drink from a cup. 15:23 And the cup Jesus was asked to be spared of was the 15:28 cup of God's wrath. The reason Jesus came to earth, 15:32 the reason he took on the form of man, the reason 15:37 he preached, he talked, he healed for three years, 15:40 was to come to this very point of his existence. 15:43 Jesus was born to die. Jesus came to be our substitute. 15:51 Jesus came to pay the price for our sins. Jesus came 15:58 to drink the cup of God's wrath so we wouldn't have 16:02 to taste it for ourselves. That's why he was born. 16:05 That's why he came. That's why he died on the cross. 16:10 So Jesus prayed, “Father, let this cup pass from me.” 16:15 But you know what? His prayer didn't change the outcome. 16:21 He still endured trials, the insults, the beatings, 16:24 the nails, and ultimately the wrath of God upon the 16:27 sin of all mankind. The great evangelist Billy Graham said, 16:31 “Prayer is not about using God. Prayer is more often 16:36 about getting us in a position where God can use us.” 16:42 [applause] 16:44 So Jesus prayed, “Nevertheless, not my will but thy 16:52 will be done.” 16:56 [music violin “The Old Rugged Cross”] 17:13 [music violin “The Old Rugged Cross”] 17:29 [music violin “The Old Rugged Cross”] 17:46 [music violin “The Old Rugged Cross”] 18:03 [music violin “The Old Rugged Cross”] 18:21 [music violin “The Old Rugged Cross”] 18:39 [music violin “The Old Rugged Cross”] 18:58 [music violin “The Old Rugged Cross”] 19:17 [music violin “The Old Rugged Cross”] 19:45 [applause] 19:54 The first thing I noticed as I ran through 19:59 the streets is a few scattered palm branches 20:02 left over from his entrance a few days earlier. 20:05 What a strange turn of events, being lauded by 20:09 crowds who would do anything just to be near him, 20:13 and now this. I've been to Calvary once before, 20:18 seen a man hanging on a cross, cursing, dying, 20:23 as the crowd cheers. That stays with you forever. 20:27 And I told myself I would never go back there again. 20:30 But when I heard who they were crucifying, 20:34 I had to go. See, just by watching him the garden, 20:38 I felt like I actually knew him somehow. 20:42 When I arrived I was struck by how strangely 20:45 hushed everyone was. Then I realized it was 20:50 because they wanted to hear every word he was saying. 20:53 As I made my way through the crowd, I saw him 20:57 weakly look up and say, “Father, forgive them, 21:02 they don't know what they do.” How could this be? 21:09 How could he, with close to his last breath, 21:12 ask forgiveness for those who are killing him? 21:15 But then, as he looked out into the faces of 21:20 the onlookers, his eyes met mine just for a moment, 21:25 and I realized it wasn't just for the soldiers 21:29 he was asking forgiveness. It was me. It was all of us. 21:35 I fell to my knees and I wept. And that's where 21:41 I stayed until I heard him whisper his very last words. 22:00 Carlton Byrd: In Latin it's called Calvary. 22:03 In the Hebrew it's called Golgotha. The place of 22:10 the skull. Geographically, Golgotha is not a 22:14 very high hill. But spiritually speaking, 22:18 it's the highest hill in the world. For it 22:23 was on this hill that God's justice was affected 22:28 by God's grace. God's law was linked with God's love. 22:34 Man's sin intersected with God's sovereignty, 22:39 and Jesus crushed Satan's head. It was on Friday 22:45 that my Jesus carried our sins, carried our shame, 22:50 carried our salvation up Golgotha's hill. 22:55 But you can imagine the weight, the load, 22:59 the responsibility as Jesus made his way toward Calvary. 23:04 Jesus could have called ten thousand angels. 23:08 He could have called and told his Father, Father, 23:11 I can't do this. He could have beamed himself 23:14 back up into heavenly orbit, but these weren't 23:17 options for Jesus on that day. 23:19 He was there to complete the Father's plan 23:22 of redemption. He was there to make the gospel 23:23 of grace a reality. He was there to unlock 23:25 the door of salvation, kick it wide open, 23:28 so that all those who could come to Jesus 23:31 could come and be saved. Think about it, 23:34 friends of mine. If Jesus didn't go to Golgotha, 23:37 how then would the purpose of God be realized? 23:41 If Jesus had not gone to Golgotha, how then could 23:45 the prophetic announcement of his coming into 23:47 the world to die for our sins be fulfilled? If 23:50 Jesus had not gone to Golgotha, how then would 23:54 we have the opportunity for salvation and eternal 23:57 life? I surmise Jesus had to go to Golgotha. 24:02 Jesus had to go to Calvary. Before the world 24:06 was formed, God had an amazing plan in place. 24:11 Before the sun, the moon, the stars, before 24:14 the planets were formed, before God made man 24:18 in his image, before there was light in the universe, 24:21 before your mama and daddy got together, 24:23 God had determined to send his son to die for you. 24:27 In the beginning was the word, and the word 24:31 was with God, and the word was God. 24:35 And the word became flesh. Revelation 13, 24:39 Jesus __ before the foundation of the world, 24:41 God already had a plan of salvation in place 24:45 which means Jesus had to go to Calvary. 24:48 And in going to Calvary, Jesus had to die 24:52 the most inhumane, cruel death possible. 24:55 It wasn't lethal injection. He didn't stand 25:00 before a firing squad. His death wasn't quick 25:04 or easy. But his death was on a public highway. 25:09 His death was on a hill. His death was by crucifixion. 25:15 Death by crucifixion included dizziness, thirst, 25:19 starvation, traumatic fever, sleeplessness, pain, 25:23 torment, the horror of anticipation, 25:25 the mortification of wounds until the sufferer 25:27 was relieved by unconsciousness. 25:30 But this is what my Jesus suffered to save you. 25:34 This is what my Jesus suffered to save me. 25:40 He was mocked, he was ridiculed, he was even 25:44 dared to come down off the cross if he were 25:48 really God. But Jesus simply said, "Father, 25:51 forgive them, for they know not what they do.” 25:56 I must admit, if happened to me, I probably 25:59 would have come down from the cross and 26:00 killed everybody. [laughter] 26:03 But thank God, thank God, thank God he 26:09 didn't come down. But friends, it wasn't 26:12 that he couldn't come down. But praise God, 26:15 he wouldn't come down. So what then kept 26:20 Jesus on the cross? It wasn't the nails; 26:24 he created the material they were made of. 26:27 It wasn't the soldiers; he spoke one word 26:29 in the Garden of Gethsemane when they came 26:31 to arrest him, and they fell down dead. 26:33 So what kept Jesus on the cross? Love. 26:40 [applause] 26:41 Greater love hath no man than this, 26:45 who will lay down his life for a friend. 26:49 And so today, and for the rest of my life, 26:54 I'll say thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. 26:58 Thank you, Jesus. Thank you for Golgotha, 27:03 thank you for Calvary, thank you for your 27:06 spent blood, thank you for your blood and 27:09 your body broken for me, washed and washed 27:11 away my sins. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. 27:15 And if you don't thank him, if you don't 27:19 praise him, I'll thank him, I'll praise him by myself. 27:25 I will bless the Lord at all times, and his 27:29 praise shall continually be in my mouth, 27:32 my soul shall make boast of the Lord. 27:35 The humble shall hear thereof and be glad. 27:37 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us 27:44 exalt his name together. 27:51 [Music - Song] 28:04 Here we are again 28:15 That old familiar place 28:22 Where the wind will blow 28:30 No one ever knows the time or space 28:38 Don't cry for me 28:44 Don't shed a tear 28:49 Times I shared with you will always be 28:54 And when I'm gone, still carry on 29:09 Don't cry for me 29:25 No one is the blame, 29:33 No, my death was meant to be 29:41 Don't carry guilt or shame 29:49 The reason why I came soon you'll see 29:56 Don't cry for me 30:01 Don't shed a tear 30:06 The time I shared with you will always be 30:13 And when I'm gone, still carry on 30:25 Don't cry for me 30:30 Don't cry when life is not the joy it should be 30:41 With life comes pain 30:49 Soon time will end this course appointed 30:58 Then you will be rewarded 31:02 And all the world will see 31:05 Don't cry for me 31:12 Don't shed a tear 31:16 You see, the time I shared with you will always be 31:24 And when I'm gone 31:28 Life still carries on 31:34 Don't cry, don't cry for me 31:40 We'll always be 31:44 Don't cry for me 31:59 Don't cry, don't cry for me 32:18 [applause] 32:23 It was still daytime when he died, 32:26 even though the sky was strangely dark. 32:29 They, they pushed a spear into his side 32:33 to see if there would be any life left in him. 32:35 I witnessed the men who gently took his 32:39 body off the cross─no easy task, since Jesus 32:43 had been nailed to it, hands and feet. 32:46 I watched the women as they wept. 32:48 I watched the men as they carried the 32:51 body and ceremonially cleaned it and wrapped 32:55 it in fine linen cloth. These men, they did 32:58 their work with quiet reverence, and spoke 33:01 very little. In the setting sun I watched 33:05 as they placed the body in a tomb, the tomb 33:08 of a wealthy man, hewn from pure rock. 33:11 I watched as several men slowly rolled a 33:15 heavy stone across the entrance, closing it up. 33:18 I waited until nightfall, until all the men had 33:22 departed, leaving the women to stand watch alone. 33:25 I did not sleep that night, or the next. I could 33:31 not stop thinking about the look Jesus gave me 33:35 right before he died, the look that told me he, 33:38 he cared for me. The look that told me he loved me. 33:44 Even a poor gardener like me. Returning the next day, 33:50 I found that soldiers had sealed the tomb and guards 33:52 had been placed to secure it. I heard that Pilate 33:56 was afraid the disciples would try to steal the 33:58 body of Jesus. But that would be impossible now. 34:01 Later that day, I returned, bringing my family 34:04 with me, to tell them my story. I told them I believed 34:09 something very important had happened, something 34:12 that would change the world. I could not sleep 34:17 that night as well, but at first light I was 34:20 on the path back to the tomb, the tomb where Jesus lay. 34:26 [Music song] 34:29 Away, rolled the stone away 34:30 You know that he rolled the stone away 34:33 Away, rolled the stone away 34:36 Away, rolled the stone away 34:40 Away, rolled the stone away 34:44 Well, you know that he rolled the stone away 34:53 Rolled the stone away 34:55 Rolled the stone away 34:58 Well, you know that he rolled the stone away 35:05 My Lord 35:14 [violin] 35:33 [violin] 35:44 [violin] 36:01 [violin] 36:06 Tremble, tremble, tremble 36:10 [violin] 36:15 [violin] 36:18 [violin] 36:20 My Lord 36:24 [applause] 36:28 Carlton Byrd: He died on Friday. 36:32 His body was taken down from the cross 36:34 on Friday. He lay resting in the grave 36:38 on the Sabbath day according to the 36:40 commandment. Which means even in death 36:42 he was obedient to his law. Do I have 36:45 a witness in this place? But my Bible 36:46 tells me that early on Sunday morning, 36:48 early on the first day of the week, 36:50 he got up with all power in his hands, 36:53 power over death, power over hell, 36:56 power over the grave, power over Satan, 37:01 power over sin, power over trouble, 37:04 power over trial, power over tribulation, 37:09 power over cancer, power over arthritis, 37:13 power over diabetes, power over cataracts, 37:16 power over trouble and toothache and heartache 37:20 and backache. Power! He got up with power 37:27 over the devil. The prophecy of Genesis 3:15 37:31 has now been fulfilled. Satan would bruise 37:34 Jesus' heel, but Jesus would crush Satan's head. 37:38 Oh, let me tell you something right now. 37:41 The war there between Satan and us lies not 37:46 in the struggle to win, but rather in strife 37:49 to avoid defeat. We think we must fight in 37:54 order to win. No, no, no. No Christian is able 37:57 to fight and win. We fight because we've already won. 38:01 [applause] 38:03 Satan is a defeated foe. Satan, I said, 38:07 is a defeated foe. He was defeated at the cross. 38:11 Satan did all he could at the cross. 38:14 But he was defeated and put to shame by the Lord. 38:17 Satan's attacks on us can never can be greater 38:21 than his attacks on Jesus at the cross. 38:23 And I just stopped by to tell you that the same 38:27 power that raised Jesus from the dead after he 38:32 was crucified is the same power that defeated 38:36 Satan at the cross. And it's the same power that 38:40 you and I have to defeat Satan today. 38:42 You possess power and authority over the 38:47 kingdom of darkness right now. You've got 38:51 power to defeat demons right now. You've 38:55 got power to tread over serpents right now. 38:58 Satan was defeated 2,000 years ago. His defeat 39:04 is not pending. His defeat is not future. 39:06 His defeat has already happened. 39:09 So you don't fight for victory. 39:14 You fight from victory. Victory is mine, 39:19 victory is mine, victory is today, is mine. 39:24 Let me try it this way. Has anyone ever 39:27 seen a snake die? Go out there, chop up 39:33 that snake, shoot that snake. 39:36 Snake is as dead as it can be. 39:40 But that old tail is still moving. 39:42 Just wiggling, giving the image that 39:48 it's still alive. But that snake is as 39:52 dead as it can be. And so the Lord told 39:55 Satan on Calvary, you may have bruised my heel, 40:00 but I crushed your head. And all you 40:04 got now is the wiggling. 40:07 [Applause] 40:08 That's all that's left. The wiggling. 40:12 When we walk out of here, everybody just 40:13 do a wiggle. Satan, you can't fight. Satan, 40:18 you can't strike. Satan, you can't kill. 40:22 All you doing is wiggling. 40:26 [Applause] 40:28 Jesus died on Friday, Jesus laid in the grave, 40:35 according to the ____. But on the third appointed day, 40:40 Jesus got up, and because he lives, I live. 40:50 Because he got up, one day the dead in Christ 40:55 gonna get up, because I serve a risen Savior. 40:58 He's in the world today. I know that he is living, 41:03 whatever men may say. I see his hand of mercy, 41:05 I hear his voice of cheer. And just in time, 41:09 I say just in time, just in the nick of time 41:14 when I need him, he's always near. 41:17 Jesus lives within my heart. 41:23 [Applause] 41:32 For over a month I worked my garden, planting seeds, 41:36 trimming the trees, tilling the soil, 41:39 looking after the poppies, the crown daisies, 41:41 the geraniums. But I kept my ear to the ground 41:45 for any reports about Jesus, and there were many. 41:49 He and his eleven friends went around healing 41:53 the sick, teaching them about the kingdom, 41:55 planting seeds of hope in their hearts. 41:59 [Choir in background] 42:01 One day not long ago I was working, 42:03 and I saw him coming up the path from 42:07 Jerusalem with his friends, coming back 42:10 to the place where I first saw him, 42:12 back to my garden. I stopped what I was doing, 42:16 and I followed him from a distance, 42:18 through Bethany and up the Mount of Olives. 42:21 All the while he spoke to them as if it was 42:24 time for him to go away. I heard him, 42:27 I heard him tell them to go back to Jerusalem, 42:30 wait for someone, someone he called the Holy Spirit. 42:33 At the time, I didn't understand much about 42:36 such things. Then something unbelievable happened. 42:43 As he spoke, he began to rise. I mean, his feet, 42:48 they actually left the ground, and he rose 42:52 straight into the sky, right before our eyes. 42:56 I stood there almost unable to breathe, 43:00 like his friends. He rose behind a bright cloud, 43:04 disappearing from my sight, and that was the 43:09 last time I saw Jesus. 43:12 [Applause] 43:22 Carlton Byrd 43:23 This time of year is a very special time 43:25 of year, especially for the Christian. 43:28 You see, friends, it's not about the Easter eggs, 43:32 it's not about Easter candy, it's not about 43:37 Easter bunnies or Easter festivities. 43:40 This is the blood wash, sanctified. 43:44 Jesus' love, Holy Ghost intoxicated 43:48 celebration for God's people. 43:51 This is our opportunity to celebrate 43:54 the tremendous, the awesome, the miraculous 43:57 resurrecting power of God that he displayed 44:01 when the stone was rolled away. Jesus died, 44:05 got up, rose from the grave, went back 44:11 to Heaven, and is now sitting at the 44:15 right hand of the Father. 44:17 And so it was at the Mount of Olives, 44:19 that they saw Jesus like a spaceship zoom 44:23 back to heaven. The Acts 1 account says, 44:26 “And when he had spoken these things, 44:29 while they beheld, he was taken up; 44:32 and a cloud received him out of their sight. 44:35 And while they looked steadfastly toward 44:37 heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood 44:42 by them in white apparel; Which also said, 44:45 Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up? 44:50 This same Jesus”─I could preach a whole sermon 44:55 right there─“This same Jesus, which is taken up 45:00 from you into heaven, shall so come in like 45:02 manner as ye have seen him go.” Jesus was born, 45:07 Jesus lived, Jesus died, Jesus rose, 45:14 Jesus ascended. But Jesus is coming back. 45:21 So, if you don't like to praise him here, 45:26 if you don't like to worship him here, 45:30 I don't know what you're gonna do when 45:32 we get up there. Because when we all 45:35 get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing 45:40 that's gonna be. When we all see Jesus, 45:45 I'm gonna sing, I'm gonna shout, 45:48 I'm gonna stomp my foot the victory. 45:52 No more crying, no more dying, 45:55 no more sickness, no more pain, 45:58 no more house notes, no more car notes, 46:02 no more wheelchair, no more walking cane, 46:06 no more dialysis. Christ returneth, 46:13 hallelujah, hallelujah, amen. 46:19 Somebody ought to give him glory 46:21 in this place. Somebody ought to 46:24 give him praise in this place. 46:26 [Applause] 46:27 Has God been good to anybody in this place? 46:29 Has God blessed anybody in this place? 46:31 Go on and praise him. I said, 46:34 go on and praise him. Go on and praise him. 46:38 Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary. 46:42 Praise him in the firmament of his power. 46:45 Praise him for his mighty acts. 46:47 Praise him according to his excellent greatness. 46:49 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet. 46:52 Praise him with the psaltery and harp. 46:54 Praise him with the timbrel and dance. 46:56 Praise him with stringed instruments and organs. 46:58 Praise him with the loud cymbals. 47:01 Praise him with the high-sounding cymbals. 47:03 Let every thing, let every thing, 47:09 let every thing that hath breath praise ye the Lord. 47:17 [Applause] 47:24 He's coming back again. Glory hallelujah. 47:35 Bless his name, lift him up. Praise God, 47:42 he's coming back again. 47:45 May the Lord bless you, is my prayer. 47:54 [applause] 48:09 [Music Orchestra Harp Song] 48:41 Last night I lay sleeping there came a dream so fair 48:49 I stood in old Jerusalem, beside the temple there 48:57 I heard the children sing and ever as they sang 49:05 Methought the voice of angels, from Heaven in answer rang 49:14 Methought the voice of angels, from Heaven in answer rang 49:30 Jerusalem, Jerusalem 49:38 Lift up your gates and sing 49:45 Hosanna in the highest 49:51 Hosanna to your King 50:13 And then me thought my dream was changed, the streets no longer rang 50:21 Hushed were the glad Hosannas, my little children sang 50:29 The sun grew dark with mystery, the morn was cold and chill 50:38 As the shadow of the cross arose, upon a lonely hill 50:45 As the shadow of the cross arose, upon a lonely hill 51:03 Jerusalem, Jerusalem 51:11 Lift up your gates and sing 51:18 Hosanna in the highest 51:25 Hosanna to your King 51:50 And once again the scene was changed, new earth there seemed to be 52:01 I saw the Holy City beside the tideless sea 52:15 The light of God was on its streets, the gates were open wide 52:22 And all who would might enter and no one was denied 52:37 No need of moon or stars by night or sun to shine by day 52:52 It was the new Jerusalem that would not pass away 53:07 It was the new Jerusalem that would not pass away 53:25 Jerusalem, Jerusalem 53:45 Lift up your gates and sing 53:55 Hosanna in the highest 54:06 Hosanna to your King 54:19 [Piano/Orchestra] 54:30 Jerusalem, Jerusalem 54:38 Sing for the night is o'er 54:45 Hosanna in the highest 54:52 Hosanna for evermore 54:58 [Orchestra] 55:14 Jerusalem, Jerusalem 55:22 Sing for the night is o'er 55:29 Hosanna in the highest 55:36 Hosanna for evermore 55:44 Hosanna in the highest 55:58 Hosanna for evermore 56:15 Jerusalem, Jerusalem 56:26 Sing for the night is o'er 56:34 Hosanna in the highest 56:43 Hosanna for evermore 56:51 Hosanna in the highest 57:02 Hosanna for evermore 57:11 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 57:37 [Applause] 57:43 [Orchestra] 58:00 END |
Revised 2018-03-30