“From the Heart” teaching by Drs. Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne.

The days of visitation and punishment have come; the days of recompense have come; Israel shall know it. The prophet is [considered] a crazed fool and the man who is inspired is [treated as if] mad or a fanatic, because of the abundance of your iniquity and because the enmity, hostility, and persecution are great. 8 Ephraim was [intended to be] a watchman with my God [and a prophet to the surrounding nations]; but he, that prophet, has become a fowler’s snare in all his ways. There is enmity, hostility, and persecution in the house of his God.  Hosea 9:7-8 AMP

The prophets of God, the true people of God who speak and live God’s Word, will inevitably suffer persecution when their nation is full of sin and rebellion against God and the Truth of His Word, however, the Gospel must continue to be boldly preached.

The Christian who believes in the power of the Word of God, who is filled with the power of God, who is wholly submitted to the Word and the Spirit, who has clean hands and a pure heart, who is not ashamed of the Gospel, who preaches the truth and lives a godly life, is the devil’s worst nightmare! If the devil cannot stop you from obeying the Great Commission, then he will stir up persecution against you to try to hinder you, discourage you, and/or prevent you from continuing.

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  1 Corinthians 1:21-24 NKJV

The Gospel is the same to all, but not all receive it the same way. Sincere people, who sin because they don’t know any other way, still have a conscience that convicts them, especially when the truth is preached. However, a person who has silenced their own conscience so that they can continue to sin, does not welcome, but rather rejects, the Truth. The generation which has embraced evil will be stubborn and rebellious toward God; therefore, they will claim that God’s righteous messengers, who speak His Word, are merely “crazed fools”, rather than God’s watchmen, so that they can have an excuse for their own sinfulness. Unwarranted enmity, hostility, and persecution, directed toward the messenger, are the results.

If you are a child of God, then you have been given the ministry of reconciliation – to introduce people to Jesus Christ and see them reconciled to the Father. Sometimes you are welcomed; sometimes ignored; sometimes attacked. You cannot quit because you are not welcomed – the word must be preached and the seed sown regardless of the reception.
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.  2 Timothy 4:2-5 NIV

The Amplified Bible says we must be ready to preach the Word of God anytime and every time, “…whether the opportunity seems to be favorable or unfavorable; whether it is convenient or inconvenient, whether it is welcome or unwelcome.” We are not responsible for the response TO the message, just the delivery OF the message. We cannot preach merely what people WANT to hear – we are to preach the Truth – we are to preach what they NEED to hear, whether they like it or not. We must correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.

But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  2 Corinthians 4:2-6 NKJV

The devil will try to blind men so they can’t see the Light or hear the Truth and so they don’t receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, but as you preach the Truth, God’s light shines into their hearts and they are converted. If you preach your opinion, you will get nowhere, however, the Gospel is full of the power of God and when you preach Jesus Christ, and Him crucified, then the power of the Gospel is released into men’s hearts and the Holy Spirit goes to work to touch and change their hearts.

You don’t know, you cannot tell beforehand, who will receive the Truth and who will not. Saul (renamed Paul) persecuted the Church terribly – he captured them, jailed them and even killed them – but Jesus met with him on the Damascus road and he became a bold proclaimer of the Gospel, himself. That is why you must be prepared to preach the Gospel and continue to preach the Gospel, through persecution and opposition if needs be, until all have heard and God’s will is done!

I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.  Psalms 138:2 NKJV

Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action), 17 So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.  2 Timothy 3:16-17 AMP

The most important document for the child of God is the written word of God. Without God’s word you have nothing to stand on; without His word you will develop your own belief system based on theory and supposition. If you choose to formulate your own belief system without submitting to the Word of God, you will build your life on sinking sand. The word of God is the plum line – straight and true – setting us and keeping us on course. The Word of God is the Rock upon which we establish our lives; without it the Church is lost.

There are people – even those who claim to be Christians – who try to discredit the Word of God. They say that its nothing but legalism and we shouldn’t base our lives on it. However, Hebrews 4:12 (KJV) says that, “the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” God’s Word is not a dead book – it is alive and full of power! God’s Word exposes even the thoughts and purposes of people’s hearts.

When people try to hide from or deny God’s Word its rightful place of honor in their lives – you know that they are hiding from it and in so doing, hiding from God. Usually it’s because of the sin in their lives that they refuse to judge or repent of. John 3:19-21 (NKJV) says, “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” 

What is the light Jesus is talking of? It is the light of God’s Word! Psalms 119:105 (AMP) says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” and Proverbs 6:23 (KJV) says, “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.” We must come to the light of God’s Word and measure ourselves according to it and line our lives up with it. This is the only way to please God and also walk the straight path of life, rather than walking on the detours of destruction that the devil has planned for us.

There are some deluded Christians who claim that we should exalt the Spirit above the Word and they tell us not to make the Word our authority. This is a lie from the pit of hell. Even Jesus, Himself, is called the “Word made flesh” in the first chapter of John: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God… …And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1-2 and 14 KJV)

If the devil cannot keep you from the Word of God, he will always try to discredit it by twisting it or questioning it. The devil is the original rebel against the Word of God and His authority over all His creation. He even tried to deceive Jesus by bringing in doubt and unbelief: “IF You are the Son of God…” and then he quoted scripture out of context. Jesus did not fall for his lies and simply answered him with, “It is written…” (Matthew 4:1-10). Jesus fell back on and relied upon the Word of God and would not allow the devil to pull Him in another direction. If Jesus gave God’s Word that much honor, then we should too!

[Yet] first [you must] understand this, that no prophecy of Scripture is [a matter] of any personal or private or special interpretation (loosening, solving). 21 For no prophecy ever originated because some man willed it [to do so — it never came by human impulse], but men spoke from God who were borne along (moved and impelled) by the Holy Spirit.

2 Peter 1:20-21 AMP

The Bible says that you should study so that you can rightly divide the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). There is a right way and a wrong way – this is why you need the Holy Spirit to help teach, lead and guide you concerning God’s Word. The Holy Spirit inspired people to write down God’s Word so that it could be preserved for, and observed by, successive generations. The Holy Spirit is the author of the Word and He still confirms God’s Word to us today. He does not speak on His own authority; He will never speak anything contrary to the Word of God, or anything that is not already witnessed to in the Word of God. The Holy Spirit speaks ONLY the Word of God and also reminds us of what God has already said to us (John 14, 15 and 16).

We need the Word of God AND we need the Holy Spirit. They are not independent of each other and we cannot try to divide them. We must yield our lives to the Word of God and also to the Holy Spirit. This is the only way to walk in God’s ways, to please God, and (when we die) to see God!

1.  For He is good

Psalms 118:29 AMP – O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.
Psalms 34:8 AMP – O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good! Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts and takes refuge in Him.
Psalms 73:1 AMP – Truly God is [only] good to Israel, even to those who are upright and pure in heart.
Psalms 86:5 AMP – For You, O Lord, are good, and ready to forgive [our trespasses, sending them away, letting them go completely and forever]; and You are abundant in mercy and loving-kindness to all those who call upon You.
Psalms 100:5 AMP – For the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting, His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations.
Psalms 119:68 AMP – You are good and kind and do good; teach me Your statutes.

2.  His mercy endures forever

Psalms 118:1-4 AMP – O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever! 2 Let Israel now say that His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever. 3 Let the house of Aaron [the priesthood] now say that His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever. 4 Let those now who reverently and worshipfully fear the Lord say that His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.

3.  The Lord answered me

Psalms 118:5 AMP – Out of my distress I called upon the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free and in a large place.
Psalms 99:6 AMP – Moses and Aaron were among His priests, and Samuel was among those who called upon His name; they called upon the Lord, and He answered them.
Psalms 120:1 AMP – In my distress I cried to the Lord, and He answered me.
Psalms 138:3 ERV – When I called to you for help, you answered me and gave me strength.

4.  He set me in a large place.

Psalms 118:5 AMP – Out of my distress I called upon the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free and in a large place.
2 Samuel 22:20 AMP – He brought me forth into a large place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.
Psalms 18:19 AMP – He brought me forth also into a large place; He was delivering me because He was pleased with me and delighted in me.

5.  He is on my side

Psalms 118:6 AMP – The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
Hebrews 13:6 AMP – So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?  
Psalms 27:1 AMP – The Lord is my Light and my Salvation — whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life — of whom shall I be afraid?

6.  He takes my part

Psalms 118:7 AMP – The Lord is on my side and takes my part, He is among those who help me; therefore shall I see my desire established upon those who hate me.
Psalms 118:13 AMP – You [my adversary] thrust sorely at me that I might fall, but the Lord helped me.

7.  He is my strength and…

8.  He is my song

Psalms 118:14a AMP – The Lord is my Strength and Song
Exodus 15:2 AMP – The Lord is my Strength and my Song, and He has become my Salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.  
Isaiah 12:2 AMP – Behold, God, my salvation! I will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and song; yes, He has become my salvation.

9.  He is my salvation

Psalms 118:14b AMP – He has become my Salvation.
Psalms 118:21b AMP – You have become my Salvation and Deliverer.

10.  He has heard me

Psalms 118:21a AMP – I will confess, praise, and give thanks to You, for You have heard and answered me
Psalms 34:4 NKJV – I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.
Psalms 66:19 AMP – But certainly God has heard me; He has given heed to the voice of my prayer.

We have so many great reasons to give thanks to the Lord. He is good to all; always; in every way. He is indeed worthy of all of our gratefulness and praise.

The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works [the entirety of things created]. 10 All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, and Your loving ones shall bless You [affectionately and gratefully shall Your saints confess and praise You]!  Psalms 145:9-10 AMP

How does that happen? How could women have a mother love like that even when they don’t have the children physically or how does a woman who has the children physically have that love?

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ minister, 2 Moses My servant is dead. So now arise [take his place], go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to them, the Israelites. 3 Every place upon which the sole of your foot shall tread, that have I given to you, as I promised Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon to the great river Euphrates–all the land of the Hittites [Canaan]–and to the Great [Mediterranean] Sea on the west shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6 Be strong (confident) and of good courage, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only you be strong and very courageous, that you may do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success. 9 Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.  Joshua 1:1-9 AMP

Moses was the one called to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and the one called to lead them into the Promised Land. However, because the majority of the Israelites were faithless and fearful, they were unable to immediately cross the Jordan or take possession of this land of milk and honey. A whole generation had to die off before God could take them in. By that time Moses was quite old and then, unfortunately, he also disqualified himself by disobeying a direct order that God gave him – therefore God told him that he would not lead them over the Jordan or complete his mission. Joshua would have been merely an important leader under Moses – one of his right-hand men – helping Moses and Israel take the land, but now he was promoted to be the actual one who led the entire nation into their inheritance. This was a huge responsibility for him – a mission he could NOT complete without the help and intervention of Almighty God! Anything God asks you to – you’re going to need His help. Don’t ever think you can do it by yourself – He doesn’t expect you to.

And I have come down to deliver them out of the hand and power of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a land good and large, a land flowing with milk and honey [a land of plenty]–to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Exodus 3:8 AMP

For you are to cross over the Jordan to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God gives you, and you shall possess it and live in it.  Deuteronomy 11:31 AMP

God calls Joshua to lead His people and gives him his mission:
–  Moses is dead
–  Joshua, you arise and take his place
–  Take the Israelites – over the Jordan and into the land I am giving them

When God speaks something or makes a promise, He will not back off or give up on it, or forget His promise. He WILL do it! He promised that He would take the Israelites across the Jordan into the Promised Land. Moses couldn’t do it, therefore Joshua was charged with this mission. God will do whatever it takes and use whoever will obey – to get it done. He looks for and carefully chooses the one who will trust and obey Him completely – He will do the rest. When God calls you to do something, you can do it – with His help! He doesn’t call you because you are necessarily the strongest or the smartest or the best – He calls you because you make yourself available, because you have proved yourself faithful, and because you are prepared to implicitly trust Him. You might not even be the first one God calls for a particular mission, but make no mistake; you are not His poorer choice or lesser choice! You are just in the right place at the right time! When God calls, then it’s up to you to pick up the baton and do the best that you can, until you cross the finish line!

For if you diligently keep all this commandment which I command you to do, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, and to cleave to Him – 23 Then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you shall dispossess nations greater and mightier than you. 24 Every place upon which the sole of your foot shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the River, the river Euphrates, to the western sea [the Mediterranean] your territory shall be. 25 There shall no man be able to stand before you; the Lord your God shall lay the fear and the dread of you upon all the land that you shall tread, as He has said to you.  Deuteronomy 11:22-25 AMP

God promises Joshua the same things he promised Moses:
–  Every place upon which your foot shall tread – I have given to you – as I promised Moses
–  No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life
–  I will not fail you or forsake you

If God calls you, then He will equip you and help you. When God calls you, you cannot look to the past for direction. You must get your direction from the Spirit of God. The mission may be the same, but the strategy will be fresh! Always remember that you are working for Him – He doesn’t work for you. It’s His mission – He has the best strategy. He also knows what you need to get the job done. If you obey Him and do what He asks, then He will go before you and make a way for you; He will provide everything you need. What you need to do is to trust Him and obey Him – that’s all! He will not fail you – He will provide everything you need when you need it. Because it’s His mission and not your own, you can call on Him and count on Him to meet your needs, protect you as you go, and even move mountains on your behalf!

Rodney Howard Browne teaches on Self-existence

1. John 5:26 AMP – For even as the Father has life in Himself and is self-existent, so He has given to the Son to have life in Himself and be self-existent.
2. God is the absolute source of all life and being.
3. Colossians 1:17 AMP – And He Himself existed before all things, and in Him all things consist (cohere, are held together).
4. He is before all things and by Him all things consist.
5. He is not dependant for being or essence upon any source outside Himself, thus He is self-existent.

Immutability

1. Malachi 3:6a KJV – For I am the Lord, I change not
2. James 1:17 NKJV – Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
3. Hebrews 13:8 NKJV – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
4. 1 Kings 8:56 NKJV – Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.
5. Romans 8:38-39 NKJV – For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Eternity

1. 1 Timothy 1:17 NKJV – Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
2. Exodus 3:14 KJV – And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
3. Psalms 90:2 NKJV – Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
4. Revelation 1:8 NKJV – “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
5. Revelation 22:13 NKJV – I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
6. 1 John 5:12 NKJV – He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Rodney Howard Browne teaches that God is Omnipresent

1. Jeremiah 23:23-24 NKJV – “Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord, “And not a God afar off? 24 Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord.
2. 1 Kings 8:27 NKJV – “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!
3. Matthew 28:20b NKJV – And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
4. John 14:16-17 NKJV – And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever — 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
5. Everywhere the Church goes, there the Holy Spirit is present.
6. John 16:8 NKJV – And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.

Omniscience

1. Psalms 139:1-4 NKJV – O Lord, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. 3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
2. 2 Kings 4:20-27
3. Acts 5:1-11
4. Revelation 2:1 – Revelations 3:22
5. Ephesians 1:7-10
6. Ephesians 3:8-11
7. Romans 8:28 NKJV – And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Omnipotence

1. Jeremiah 32:17 NKJV – Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.
2. There is not a limitation of His power.
3. We see the greatness of His power in His created works.
4. 2 Corinthians 4:18
5. Isaiah 40:15 NKJV – Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing.
6. Daniel 4:35
7. Genesis 18:14
8. Ephesians 1:15-23

Sovereignty

1. God is sovereign over angels, principalities and powers, demon spirits and Satan himself.
2. He rules in heaven, on earth and under the earth.
3. Ephesians 1:4-5 NKJV – Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.
4. Revelation 22:17
5. Matthew 23:37
6. John 5:40
7. John 3:16-17
8. 2 Peter 3:9

Moral Attributes

1. Holiness
2. Leviticus 11:44-45
3. Isaiah 6:1-5 1 Peter 1:13-16
4. Righteousness (Justice)
5. Genesis 18:25 Deuteronomy 32:4
6. Romans 3:22b-26
7. Love (Mercy; Goodness)
8. 1 John 4:8-11
9. 1 John 4:16
10. Deuteronomy 7:6-8
11. Truth
12. His Word is true.
13. He is the only true God.
14. He is faithful to keep all His promises.
15. Titus 1:2a
16. John 1:14
17. John 14:6
18. Romans 3:4

Let’s go on a journey through the Bible, from Genesis to

Revelation, and let’s see how Jesus is portrayed through the Word

of God. 1

 

In Genesis, He is the Seed of the Woman.

In Exodus, He is the Passover Lamb.

In Leviticus, He is our High Priest.

In Numbers, He’s our Pillar of Cloud by day and our Pillar of

Fire by night.

 

In Deuteronomy, He is the Prophet like unto Moses.

In Joshua, He is the Captain of our salvation.

In Judges, He is our Lawgiver.

In Ruth, He is our Kinsman Redeemer.

In First and Second Samuel, He’s our Trusted Prophet.

In Kings and Chronicles, He is our Reigning King.

In Ezra, He’s our Faithful Scribe.

In Nehemiah, He’s the Rebuilder of the broken walls.

In Esther, He’s our Advocate.

In Job, He’s our Ever-Living Redeemer.

In Psalms, He is the Lord, our Shepherd, so we shall not want.

In Proverbs, He is our Wisdom.

In Ecclesiastes, He is our Goal!

In the Song of Solomon, He is our Lover and our Bridegroom.

In Isaiah, He’s the Prince of Peace.

In Jeremiah and Lamentations, He is the Weeping Prophet.

In Ezekiel, He’s the Wonderful Four-faced Man.

In Daniel, He’s the Fourth Man in the burning, fiery furnace.

In Hosea, He’s the Eternal Husband, forever married to the

backslider.

 

In Joel, He’s the Baptizer in the Holy Ghost.

In Amos, He’s our Burden-bearer.

In Obadiah, He’s our Savior.

In Jonah, He’s the Great Foreign Missionary.

In Micah, He’s the Messenger with beautiful feet.

In Nahum, He’s our Avenger.

In Habakkuk, He’s the Evangelist pleading for revival.

In Zephaniah, He’s the Lord, mighty to save.

In Haggai, He’s the Restorer of the lost heritage.

In Zechariah, He’s the Fountain springing up with

everlasting life.

 

In Malachi, He’s the Son of Righteousness, rising with healing in

His wings.

 

In Matthew, He’s the Messiah.

In Mark, He’s the Wonder Worker.

In Luke, He’s the Son of Man.

In John, He’s the Son of God.

In Acts, He’s the Holy Ghost, moving among men.

In Romans, He’s the Justifier.

In First and Second Corinthians, He’s the Sanctifier.

In Galatians, He’s the Redeemer from the curse of the law.

In Ephesians, He is the Christ of unsearchable riches.

In Philippians, He’s the God who supplies ALL of our needs.

In Colossians, He’s the fullness of the godhead bodily.

In First and Second Thessalonians, He’s our Soon-coming King.

In First and Second Timothy, He’s the Mediator between God

and man.

 

In Titus, He is the Faithful Pastor.

In Philemon, He’s the Friend of the oppressed.

In Hebrews, He’s the Blood of the everlasting covenant.

In James, He is the Lord who raises the sick.

In First and Second Peter, He’s the Chief Shepherd, who shall

soon appear.

 

In First, Second, and Third John, He is Love.

In Jude, He’s the Lord coming with ten thousand of His saints.

In Revelation, He is King of kings and Lord of lords.

Thoughts on Stewardship – Lesson 27 from Deuteronomy
Foundation Scriptures: Deuteronomy 15 verse 19-21

Offering of the Firstlings

All the firstling males that are born of your herd and flock you shall set apart for the Lord your God; you shall do no work with the firstling of your herd, nor shear the firstling of your flock. 20 You shall eat it before the Lord your God annually in the place [for worship] which the Lord shall choose, you and your household. 21 But if it has any blemish, if it is lame, blind, or has any bad blemish whatsoever, you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord your God.  Deuteronomy 15:19-21 AMP

1.  It is very important to God that His people set aside and bring the firstling of their flocks and herds to Him

a. They had to be firstlings – the firstborn of the flock
b. It took faith to bring the firstling – you had to believe that there would be a “secondling”, a “thirdling”,
and a “fourthling”, etc.
c. This firstling was to be set aside ahead of time and then brought to the place of worship
d. It was sacrificed to the Lord at the place of worship and then eaten in His presence
e. The firstling could not be lame or blind – it had to have no blemish or imperfection whatsoever
f. It would need to be carefully inspected
g. If something is inspected, it means that it has to be considered and carefully looked at – with much
contemplation and thought – rather than something brought haphazardly or as a mere afterthought

2.  Even though this command was given under the Old Covenant, why would we – under the New – assume that we are free to dishonor God by giving to Him any other way?

a. Maybe we don’t raise animals – but we do earn a living – we must bring the Lord the “firstling” – right
off the top
b. We honor God by putting Him first, rather than last in our priorities
c. We should set aside our offering with much thought, contemplation and inspection – and then bring it to
His house as an act of worship – to honor Him for His goodness, His mercy, His grace, His loving
kindness, and all of His bountiful blessings
d. If we really respect a person – a man or woman – and we really want to bless them, we will do
something to honor them, such as bringing a gift that reflects our gratitude and appreciation
e. It is extremely appropriate – and in some cases, expected – that you bring a gift when you are meeting
someone very important
f. Your gift sends a message. For instance, we give gifts to our husband, wife, family, or friends, on
birthdays, or anniversaries, or other special occasions, that reflect how much we think of them
g. They would be offended if we forgot to bring something or if we gave an inferior gift
h. What about our Heavenly Father? Is He not more important – is He not more precious to us – than any
mortal man? We expect His generous, abundant, timely blessings on us and so we should also honor
Him in kind

Pastor Adonica’s Thoughts:
Isaiah 43:22-25 AMP says, “You have not called upon Me [much less toiled for Me], O Jacob; but you have been weary of Me, O Israel! You have not brought Me your sheep and goats for burnt offerings, or honored Me with your sacrifices. I have not required you to serve with an offering or treated you as a slave by demanding tribute or wearied you with offering incense. You have not bought Me sweet cane with money, or satiated Me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have only burdened Me with your sins; you have wearied Me with your iniquities. I, even I, am He Who blots out and cancels your transgressions, for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”
Is this you? Have you taken advantage of God’s grace and generosity? Have you offered God nothing but your sins and iniquities? Have you done nothing but burden Him and weary Him? If so, it’s time for a change. It’s time to make up your mind to start to please God and bless Him with your obedience and your blemish-free firstlings!

Pastor Rodney’s Thoughts:
Everything we have comes from God. Nothing we have comes from ourselves. He loves us – we love Him. He blesses us – we bless Him. It amazes me how many people expect the blessing of the Lord in their lives and yet the Kingdom of God is neither their priority nor their concern. When we make the Kingdom of God our priority – when we put God’s house first and bless and honor Him – then He will bless and honor us. Let’s honor God by bringing our first and our best – not the last or the lame or the blind.

Prayer and Confession:
Father, I honor You with my firstlings and I honor You with the best that I have. I will obey You and bless You, because everything I have is Yours.

“From the Heart” teaching by Drs. Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne.

John 4:10  (NKJ)
10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a   drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

Jesus is our source of living water.  Living water is as essential for our spirits as spring water is for our bodies.  Water can be clean and pure and life giving, or it can be dirty, polluted, and contaminated.  Dirty water does not taste very good, unless it is all you have ever known.  It definitely does not promote health and well being!

Ephesians 5:26  (NKJ)
26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

The Word of God is water to our spirits, washing us clean and sanctifying us.  The water of the Word washes away the pollution of sin and the stench of the world that we had before we were born-again.  Unless we are washed with the Word, we will continue to walk dirty and unchanged.  We may even find our way back to the world, unless the Word is allowed to continually cleanse us. Once you are clean, you won’t want to go back to being dirty again.  The clean feeling will be too good.

Deception and religious tradition muddies the pure river of living water.  We must hunger and thirst for the truth of the unadulterated Word of God.  If you allow false doctrine or ideas to come into your life, it will be like drinking polluted water.  It will bring death to your life.  Your doctrine should line up with the whole of the Word of God.  Every scripture that you stand on must line up with and be supported by other scriptures.  Even the devil uses scripture, quoting it out of context, in order to deceive.  Just because someone uses big words, it does not mean that they actually know what they are talking about.  The Word is your guide to the truth.

John 7:38-39  (NKJ)
38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit   was not yet given, because
Jesus was not yet glorified.The Holy Spirit is also like water.  This is the water that we drink to quench our spiritual thirst.  We can drink all we want to.  The more we drink of it, the more this living and life-giving water nourishes us.  As it flows in us and through us, it brings life to others, too.

Revelation 21:6  (NKJ)
6 And He said to me, “It is done!  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.  I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.”

Revelation 22:1  (NKJ)
1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

This is a never-ending fountain and river of water of life that we can partake of freely.  It proceeds directly from God, Himself.  If we are thirsty, we can drink.  God’s presence is available to us if we will have an open heart, and a strong desire for Him, and everything He has for us.  A river of life is there for the taking if we only thirst for Him.

“From the Heart” teaching by Drs. Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne.

Foundation Scripture: Habakkuk 2:2-3
2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that  readeth it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it;  because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

1.   God has raised this Church up for a Reason

Luke 4:18-19
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me  to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at  liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

1. To preach the Gospel to the poor.
2. To heal the broken-hearted.
3. To preach deliverance to the captives.
4. The recovering of sight to the blind.
5. To set at liberty those who are bruised.
6. To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

2.   This is a Church on the Move—Go

a. He told us to GO into all the world and preach the gospel.

b. Mark 16:15-20
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with  new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the  sick, and they shall recover. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with  signs following. Amen.
3.   This is a Church of Signs and Wonders

a. God confirms the Word preached—with signs following.
b. Powerful worship, powerful preaching and teaching and demonstrations of the Holy Spirit.

Our Vision @ the River @ Tampa Bay

To be a local church that reaches the community with the Good News of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. To prepare them to live a victorious life and then prepare them for Heaven. To make disciples of all nations—getting them full of the Word and the Holy Ghost and then sending them out to a lost and dying world.

“From the Heart” teaching by Drs. Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23 KJV

The Greek word “temperance” means self-control, self-restraint and self-discipline.

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.  2 Timothy 1:7 NIV

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and disciplineand self-control.

2 Timothy 1:7 AMP

So many people blame the devil for their sin and their problems, but the devil can’t make you do anything that you don’t want to do. He only makes suggestions and tells lies -– we choose whether to yield to him or not. We are in control. The Spirit of God gives us the ability and the power to resist. Satan may try to tempt you, but if the Spirit of God lives in you, then you can resist him. You must submit yourself to God and then you can resist the devil. James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Your flesh may feel weak, but you have the Word of God and the Spirit of God to help you and to give you the ability to yield to the Spirit rather than the flesh and the devil. These are choices you make. You choose to put your flesh under and to display self-control. You choose to serve the spirit instead of the flesh.

The devil tries control you through fear -– he tries to bring fear into your life and make you fearful of all kinds of things and in all kinds of situations — but the self-control and self-discipline that God gives you allows you to control the fear and to defeat the devil.

If you know the Word and if you believe the Word, then you will have a calm, well-balanced mind and the devil will not have an easy time selling you on his lies. If you have a calm, well-balanced mind then the devil cannot confuse you or harass you. You will harass him!

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.  Isaiah 26:3 NKJ

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:2-8 NKJ

As you grow in the Word and allow the Lord to do a work in you, fruit comes forth in your life and godly character is developed in you. There is an order to the godly character that is formed in your life. You begin with faith in God and add virtue (moral goodness), knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and then love. When you have faith in God, moral goodness and knowledge of the Word, then with God’s help you can develop self-control.

Self-control is very important to your Christian walk. Self-control makes it possible for you to walk in patience, perseverance and constancy. Self-control causes you to be able to put your flesh under and walk in the Spirit. If you yield to your flesh you will reap a bitter harvest, but if you yield to the Spirit then you will reap life everlasting. Jesus’ divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness as we grow in our knowledge of Him. We have been given exceedingly great and precious promises, but we have to have patience and self-control in order to receive them.

The Lord has so much in store for us and we can have it all if we have the self-control to patiently stand on God’s Word and receive His promises.