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

Thoughts on Stewardship

Stewardship Will Only Work as We Love and Obey God
Foundation scriptures: Deuteronomy 11 verses 8 – 28

Therefore you shall keep all the commandments which I command you today, that you may be strong and go in and possess the land which you go across [the Jordan] to possess, 9 And that you may live long in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give to them and to their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 For the land which you go in to possess is not like the land of Egypt, from which you came out, where you sowed your seed and watered it with your foot laboriously as in a garden of vegetables. 11 But the land which you enter to possess is a land of hills and valleys which drinks water of the rain of the heavens, 12 A land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. 13 And if you will diligently heed My commandments which I command you this day–to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being–14 I will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. 15 And I will give grass in your fields for your cattle, that you may eat and be full. 16 Take heed to yourselves, lest your [minds and] hearts be deceived and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, 17 And the Lord’s anger be kindled against you, and He shut up the heavens so that there will be no rain and the land will not yield its fruit, and you perish quickly off the good land which the Lord gives you. 18 Therefore you shall lay up these My words in your [minds and] hearts and in your [entire] being, and bind them for a sign upon your hands and as forehead bands between your eyes. 19 And you shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you rise up. 20 And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 That your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth. 22 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. 26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse–27 The blessing if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you this day; 28 And the curse if you will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you this day to go after other gods, which you have not known.  Deuteronomy 11:8-28 AMP

1. God promises His children blessings—as long as they obey Him and serve Him.

a. Many people want God’s blessings—however, they want to have them without obeying and serving Him.
b. Remember, the blessings originate from God— wherever He is, they are—we must stay close to Him to stay in His blessings.
c. He loves us; He loves His children; He wants to bless us.
d. He cannot bless disobedience and sinfulness.
e. The blessing of the Lord makes one rich and He adds no sorrow with it. (Proverbs 10:22)

2. If we obey we are blessed; if we disobey then we are cursed.

a. With every one of the promises of God there are conditions—if we meet the conditions then we will receive the promises.

b. Can God trust you with the blessing? Can you be trusted with riches? Will you continue to serve Him or will you be turned away after idols or other gods?

Pastor Adonica’s Thoughts:
Many people have a major problem submitting to God. Some people are outwardly compliant, but inwardly rebellious. Obedience is not just an act—it’s an attitude. The devil wants you to think that you are losing something or giving something up if you submit your life to the Lord. What you don’t realize is that if you are not submitted to or obeying God, you are in fact submitting your life to the devil. You might think that you are in control of your own life, but you have given the devil place in your life. Yielding to your flesh is yielding to the devil’s will for your life. Make a choice today to submit to the Father, who loves you and wants only the best for you!

Pastor Rodney’s Thoughts:
It amazes me how many people in the Body of Christ, worldwide, think that God is obligated to bless them, no matter how they live their lives—whether or not they obey or serve Him! However, God’s Word is plain. The blessing comes from loving Him and serving Him. I have wondered how to get that message through to people, when they don’t seem to want to hear it. I have decided the best thing is to just keep on preaching the truth of the Word—some people will eventually grab a hold of it and they will walk in the blessings of God.

Prayer and Confession:
Father, I thank You for Your blessings in my life. I purpose to love and obey You all the days of my life. I purpose always to put You first place and to submit to and follow Your Word.

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

Foundation Scriptures:
Psalms 111:9; Jeremiah 31:31-33

He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant to be forever; holy is His name, inspiring awe, reverence, and godly fear.  Psalms 111:9 AMP

Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32 Not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was their Husband, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel: After those days, says the Lord, I will put My law within them, and on their hearts will I write it; and I will be their God, and they will be My people.  Jeremiah 31:31-33 AMP

1. We have a covenant Father. He has made promises that He will never, ever break.

Adam
Abraham; Isaac; Jacob (Genesis 15:18; Genesis 17:1-21)
Moses (Exodus 2:24-25; Exodus 6:4-5; Exodus 19:5; Exodus 24:7-8; Exodus 34:27-28;
David etc. through Jesus to us (Psalms 98:3; Isaiah 55:3)

2. The Father loves man so very much—He has chosen to be in relationship with us and interact with us. He makes covenant provision for us and gives us the choice to accept it. He gives us choices and even tells us which is the right and good choice that will bring the blessing.

Noah and the Ark (Genesis 6:18; Genesis 9:9-17)
Abraham and Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:17-19)
Solomon and wisdom (1 Kings 3:5-14)

3. Come let us reason together.

Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; 20 But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.  Isaiah 1:18-20 AMP

Jesus came to bridge the gap between God and man ­—to show us the Father. Colossians 1:20 AMP – And God purposed that through (by the service, the intervention of) Him [the Son] all things should be completely reconciled back to Himself, whether on earth or in heaven, as through Him, [the Father] made peace by means of the blood of His cross.
He sent the Holy Spirit to make us one with Him. 1 John 4:13 AMP – By this we come to know (perceive, recognize, and understand) that we abide (live and remain) in Him and He in us: because He has given (imparted) to us of His [Holy] Spirit.
Work out your own contract with God.
He is waiting to hear from you.

4. Things you need to know about your Father.

This covenant is sealed in the blood of Jesus. Hebrews 9:12-14 AMP – He went once for all into the [Holy of] Holies [of heaven], not by virtue of the blood of goats and calves [by which to make reconciliation between God and man], but His own blood, having found and secured a complete redemption (an everlasting release for us). 13 For if [the mere] sprinkling of unholy and defiled persons with blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a burnt heifer is sufficient for the purification of the body, 14 How much more surely shall the blood of Christ, Who by virtue of [His] eternal Spirit [His own preexistent divine personality] has offered Himself as an unblemished sacrifice to God, purify our consciences from dead works and lifeless observances to serve the [ever] living God?
This covenant cannot fail. Psalms 103:17-18 AMP – But the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord are from everlasting to everlasting upon those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, and His righteousness is to children’s children–18 To such as keep His covenant [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying it] and to those who [earnestly] remember His commandments to do them [imprinting them on their hearts].
This covenant has over 30,000 promises.
This covenant favors you—the recipient—to receive His grace and favor, because of Calvary—the Cross, the Resurrection and Pentecost.

For I will be leaning toward you with favor and regard for you, rendering you fruitful, multiplying you, and establishing and ratifying My covenant with you.  Leviticus 26:9 AMP

Now may the God of peace [Who is the Author and the Giver of peace], Who brought again from among the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood [that sealed, ratified] the everlasting agreement (covenant, testament), 21 Strengthen (complete, perfect) and make you what you ought to be and equip you with everything good that you may carry out His will; [while He Himself] works in you and accomplishes that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ (the Messiah); to Whom be the glory forever and ever (to the ages of the ages). Amen (so be it).  Hebrews 13:20-21 AMP

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

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Matthew 26:26-28 NKJV

When we partake of communion together—the bread and the grape juice—we are celebrating the price Jesus paid for us to be free—free from sin, sickness, disease, poverty, fear, torment and death. It is not just a mere ritual —we don’t do it just to do it—rather it is an opportunity for us to remember and to remind ourselves what great things He has done for us. If nothing else, just the mere fact that we are forgiven of our sins and that when we stand before the Lord, we stand there pure and righteous, washed in His blood, is a reason to celebrate and rejoice and praise, bless and thank Him! Because we have repented of our sins, He has forgiven us and He will never, ever bring our sins up again to us—they are gone forever. How grateful we should be that He does not hold the many things we have done wrong against us! How grateful we can be that, in His eyes, we are made perfect and pure!

Thus David congratulates the man and pronounces a blessing on him to whom God credits righteousness apart from the works he does: 7 Blessed and happy and to be envied are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered up and completely buried. 8 Blessed and happy and to be envied is the person of whose sin the Lord will take no account nor reckon it against him.
Romans 4:6-8 AMP

The most marvelous feeling in the world is the feeling of being forgiven of sin and having a heart that is right with God! How wonderful it is to know that our sins are dead, buried and forgotten, never again to be resurrected! How blessed we are, that when the Father looks at us, all He sees is His righteousness, blood-washed child.

For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King; He will save us.
Isaiah 33:22 AMP

Who was betrayed and put to death because of our misdeeds and was raised to secure our justification (our acquittal), [making our account balance and absolving us from all guilt before God].
Romans 4:25 AMP

We are forgiven because of the goodness and graciousness and mercifulness of God! God is not a Judge to condemn us, but a Judge to execute righteousness. He Himself has intervened to save us!

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

Thank God for Jesus! Thank God that He sent Jesus to die to purchase our freedom and our peace! When you ask Jesus into your heart and to forgive your sin, something wonderful happens! God gives you a brand new heart! He forgives all your sin and removes it as far as the east is from the west (Psalms 103:12). Your burdens are lifted and peace floods your heart—a peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Nothing in the world is better; nothing can compare with a heart that is at peace—at peace with itself and at peace with God. None of the wealth and fame and power in the whole world can bring peace to a human heart like God can.

If You, Lord, should keep account of and treat [us according to our] sins, O Lord, who could stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with You [just what man needs], that You may be reverently feared and worshiped.
Psalms 130:3-4 AMP

If God had to deal with us on the basis of what WE have done, we would have no chance for redemption. Forgiveness is just what we all need. That is why Jesus had to come and take our place, bear our burden of sin, die for us and be raised up again into newness of life for us, His life in exchange for ours, so that we could take our place with Him on the right hand of the Father on high! We should never take it for granted—we should always remember and appreciate the great price that was paid for our forgiveness—it is not a thing to be taken lightly! When you truly get a revelation of how high a price was paid for you and how great your salvation really is, you will not be able to stop praising and worshiping and glorifying God for it! Christians, who continue to sin and live a compromised life, obviously have no respect for the blood that was shed for them and have no clue how valuable and precious their salvation is.

Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV says, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Because of the Father’s great love for us, He is patient with us and extends to us His grace even though we don’t deserve it. He forgives us every time we repent and ask for forgiveness. How wonderful it is to know that even if I make another mistake today, I can once again ask for and receive His forgiveness, for His mercies are new every morning!

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

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Psalms 34:8 NKJV

Taste and see that the Lord is good! To taste means to “perceive” or “understand”. The Lord wants us to know and understand that He is good. Not bad, but good! Psalms 100:5 AMP says, “For the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting, His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations.” And Psalms 145:9 NKJV says. “The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.” The Lord is good—always good—He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 NKJV says that, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Not only is He good, but He is faithful! He is faithful to His word and faithful to His promises. If we trust in Him, we will always be blessed – and happy – because He will never let us down!

1. We are blessed if we trust in the Lord.
• Psalms 84:11-12 AMP – For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows [present] grace and favor and [future] glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. 12 O Lord of hosts, blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts in You [leaning and believing on You, committing all and confidently looking to You, and that without fear or misgiving]!
• Psalms 91:14-16 AMP – Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness — trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never]. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.
• Proverbs 16:20 AMP – He who deals wisely and heeds [God’s] word and counsel shall find good, and whoever leans on, trusts in, and is confident in the Lord — happy, blessed, and fortunate is he.

2. If you trust your own mind and skills, you are nothing more than a self-confident fool and you will fail. Trust in the Lord – not in your own understanding.
• Proverbs 28:26 AMP – He who leans on, trusts in, and is confident of his own mind and heart is a [self-confident] fool, but he who walks in skillful and godly Wisdom shall be delivered.
• Proverbs 3:5-8 NKJV – Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. 8 It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.

3. Don’t be afraid of people – their opinions or what they can do to you. No good will come of that. Do not put your confidence in what man can do – yourself or others. Put your confidence in the Lord and you will be safe.
• Proverbs 29:25 AMP – The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever leans on, trusts in, and puts his confidence in the Lord is safe and set on high.
• Jeremiah 17:5-7 AMP – Thus says the Lord: Cursed [with great evil] is the strong man who trusts in and relies on frail man, making weak [human] flesh his arm, and whose mind and heart turn aside from the Lord. 6 For he shall be like a shrub or a person naked and destitute in the desert; and he shall not see any good come, but shall dwell in the parched places in the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. 7 [Most] blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is.

4. Don’t trust in what you have – in your money or stuff – because you will fail. If you trust in the Lord you will always be fruitful and prosperous.
• Proverbs 11:28 AMP – He who leans on, trusts in, and is confident in his riches shall fall, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like a green bough.

5. If you call yourself a believer, if you say that you believe in Jesus, then you are also saying that you have faith in Him – that you have attached yourself to Him and you completely trust and rely on Him. You are saying that you have entrusted your well-being to Christ – spirit, soul and body!
• John 3:15-16 AMP – In order that everyone who believes in Him [who cleaves to Him, trusts Him, and relies on Him] may not perish, but have eternal life and [actually] live forever! 16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

6. The wicked will have much sorrow, but if you confidently trust in and lean on the Lord you will be surrounded by mercy and loving-kindness. When you focus on God’s promises rather than your problems, your mind will always be perfectly at peace – even in the middle of the storms of life!
• Psalms 32:10 AMP – Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but he who trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on the Lord shall be compassed about with mercy and with loving-kindness.
• Isaiah 26:3 NKJV – You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.
• Isaiah 26:3-4 ERV – Lord, you give true peace to people who depend on you, to those who trust in you. 4 So trust the Lord always, because in the Lord Yah you have a place of safety forever.

Trust the Lord! He will never, ever abandon you or let you down!

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

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. 25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6:24-34 NKJV

From the beginning of creation, before the Father even created man, He prepared the earth to sustain man and provide for him. Man was God’s crowning creation, made in His image and likeness. God gave mankind the dominion over the earth to exercise authority over it and reap the blessing of it (Genesis 1:26-31). They had everything they needed; they lacked nothing; the Father was their complete source and supply. You could say that they lived in the lap of luxury! All they did was spend time with the Father, worshiping Him and enjoying their life. Because they lived in God’s presence, they had no idea what lack was—or hunger; or pain, or sin; or guilt; or fear. Then they sinned and the devil took dominion over the earth and over man and they began to suffer lack and loss. The earth became cursed. Instead of being a home for man where they were completely protected and provided for, it became hostile territory for them. Back in the Garden, they just picked their food off the trees, but now thorns and thistles grew up to choke the trees.

In the Garden, God was man’s complete source and supply, but now suddenly, they had to work really hard to get their food. Now they had to work with their own hands to provide for themselves and their families. However, Father God wanted them to remember that He was still there for them. The Father always has been and always will be man’s source and supply. He loved Adam and Eve before they sinned and He loved them the same afterwards. Even though they were under the devil’s dominion, God still wanted to have a relationship with them and fellowship with them; He still reached out to them to bless them every opportunity that he could. Many people have the wrong idea about God, when they think that God doesn’t care about man, because He cares very much. He wants to be our provider; He wants us to call on Him for the things we need; He wants to bless us, but He can only do it if we allow Him to by serving Him only. Before sin came, man lived on the earth, but was Heaven-focused; however, after sin entered in he became earth-focused. God wants us to remain Heaven-focused—our heart must belong only to Him. If our heart belongs to God, then we will love Him more than earthly things.

Jesus told us that there are only two things that people can worship and they can’t worship both at the same time—only one or the other. If you love one, then you will hate the other, or you will be loyal to one and despise the other. These two things are God or mammon. Mammon is earthly possessions or wealth. The only way to tell if you love Father God is if you love Him with your possessions. From the very beginning, after the fall, God showed man that he would be blessed if he honored God with his offerings. Even though God’s people were in enemy territory, as long as they served God and honored Him with their possessions—with their tithes and offerings—God was able to protect and provide for them. If they would not honor God, the devil was able to take advantage of them.

Before you knew Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you were your own source and supply—you looked to your own ability and resources to take care of your own and your family’s needs. Some people work really hard to provide for their families—some people don’t work and just hope they win the lottery—but they all look to the earth to provide for them. Father God wants you to work, but He also wants you to completely trust Him fully and look to Him as your source and supply. In other words, your job is no longer your source, but it becomes just a channel that God can use to bless us. You must realize that God is bigger than your job and He can bless you with way much more than your job can. All you need to do is put God and His Kingdom first in your life. You do that by giving to Him first—by not being afraid to give what you have in our hands to Him. God tells you to not even worry, because He knows what you need. He says if you seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness—all the things you need and want WILL be added to you!

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

And you shall hallow the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his ancestral possession [which through poverty he was compelled to sell], and each of you shall return to his family [from whom he was separated in bond service]. Leviticus 25:10 AMP

Jubilee was not a man-idea – it was a God-idea. The Father commanded the Israelites to treat the fiftieth year as holy; a year in which fortunes were restored and the people were released from bondage and slavery, and families were reunited and restored. Jubilee was a great equalizer. Debt was cancelled and everyone had an opportunity for a fresh start. Jubilee was a financial deliverance. It is God, Himself, who set the system up as a prevention and cure for poverty!

The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed one, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity], 19 To proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound.] Luke 4:18-19 AMP

In the synagogue, Jesus read from Isaiah 61 and then He proclaimed that the Year of Jubilee – the acceptable year of the Lord – had begun. Jesus IS our Jubilee! Jesus came to bring mankind out of every kind of bondage that we could possibly experience. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law and delivered us from the power of the enemy! Jesus came to heal, save and deliver. He delivered us from sin, from spiritual darkness, from sickness and disease, from mental, physical and spiritual torment, and from the curse of poverty. Poverty is a curse, not a blessing. It is NOT God’s will for us to be poor!

For you are becoming progressively acquainted with and recognizing more strongly and clearly the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (His kindness, His gracious generosity, His undeserved favor and spiritual blessing), [in] that though He was [so very] rich, yet for your sakes He became [so very] poor, in order that by His poverty you might become enriched (abundantly supplied). 2 Corinthians 8:9 AMP

Although Jesus was so very rich, He became so very poor, so that His children might be abundantly supplied and enriched! Father God does not want His children poverty stricken or going without. All through the Word of God, He tells us that He wants us to be blessed and to have our physical and material needs met. He knows what we need and He promised to get it to us if we seek Him first! Through the cross, not only are our sins forgiven and our bodies healed, but our material needs are also met!

Let those who favor my righteous cause and have pleasure in my uprightness shout for joy and be glad and say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, Who takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant. Psalm 35:27 AMP
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers. 3 John 1:2 AMP

The Lord takes pleasure in the prosperity of His children who love righteousness and uprightness! The Lord takes pleasure in our prosperity! He delights in our prosperity! The Lord wants us to prosper in EVERY way!

The way religious tradition preaches it, God wants you poor and He doesn’t want you to prosper, however, the Word of God Himself contradicts that view. The Lord has expressed to us His desires and plans for us and His plans are for our good and our blessing! The Father has pleasure in our prosperity – it pleases Him to bless us and meet our needs, and even to give us the desires of our heart. The Hebrew word translated as pleasure, means exactly that – it means: desiring; delighting in; having pleasure in. It is also translated as: willing; favor; wish. This means that if God has HIS way in our lives, we would be so blessed that we would not only have enough to meet our every need, but we would have more than enough to be able to bless many others and meet their needs!

God is able to bless His children and He is also willing to bless them. What do WE have to do in order to be eligible to receive this abundant blessing? What do we have to do in order to release God’s blessing in our lives? We have to keep His commands!

Deuteronomy 29:9 AMP – Therefore keep the words of this covenant and do them, that you may deal wisely and prosper in all that you do.

1 Kings 2:3 AMP – Keep the charge of the Lord your God, walk in His ways, keep His statutes, His commandments, His precepts, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may do wisely and prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.

Isaiah 48:18 AMP – Oh, that you had hearkened to My commandments! Then your peace and prosperity would have been like a flowing river, and your righteousness [the holiness and purity of the nation] like the [abundant] waves of the sea.

This IS our Jubilee – not just for one year – but we are living in it now, and into eternity. Because Jesus IS our Jubilee and because we choose to serve and honor Him, we can expect to live in the blessing of God as a way of life!

And the Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in every work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, of your cattle, of your land, for good; for the Lord will again delight in prospering you, as He took delight in your fathers. Deuteronomy 30:9 AMP

God is doing such amazing things in this conference. It is so amazing what is taking place at the river church here in Tampa!! It is so awesome to see the body of Christ rising up and not just stay within the four walls of the church! But going out and taking seriously the scripture go out unto all the world and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ! I cannot wait to see what is going to take place in other churches as they tune in and get a true passion and hunger for people that are crying out for the peace and joy that only comes from Jesus! I have always had a had a hunger for the lost even at a young age. And have been in many churches that mainly stay within the church to preach the gospel which is a great thing. But we have to go out to the people were they are! It is time for us the church to rise up and go out to a lost and dying world that is trying to fill a void in their lives! So it’s our job for the church to go tell them that the only way they can fill that void is only found in Jesus Christ! It has put a cry in me that I don’t want to be a spectator in this life for Jesus! I want to be and do all that he has called me to do! Not for my glory, but for his! To live a life that is truly pleasing to him!-Jeremy F.

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

But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. John 10:2-4 NKJV

6. A good Pastor/Minister is a good example: he leads, and does not drive; he feeds and builds, and does not destroy; and he lives what he preaches.

a. In 1 Corinthians 4:9-21 Paul talks about the price he and the other Apostles paid to bring the Gospel to the Corinthians and the other cities and nations. They loved, disciplined, and cared for them like they were their own children.

1 Corinthians 4:15-16 AMP – After all, though you should have ten thousand teachers (guides to direct you) in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the glad tidings (the Gospel). 16 So I urge and implore you, be imitators of me.

b. In 2 Corinthians 4:8-18, Paul talks about how he and the apostles suffered much persecution and hardship to bring the truth of God’s Word to the world, but they did it willingly and joyfully, because of the reward of seeing the fruit here on earth, but most of all the reward waiting for them in heaven when they died.

c. In 2 Corinthians 6:1-10, Paul talks about the fact that he and the apostles did their utmost to set a good example to all, even through terrific hardships and sacrifice.

2 Corinthians 6:3-7 AMP – We put no obstruction in anybody’s way [we give no offense in anything], so that no fault may be found and [our] ministry blamed and discredited. 4 But we commend ourselves in every way as [true] servants of God: through great endurance, in tribulation and suffering, in hardships and privations, in sore straits and calamities, 5 In beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless watching, hunger; 6 By innocence and purity, knowledge and spiritual insight, longsuffering and patience, kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love; 7 By [speaking] the word of truth, in the power of God, with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand [to attack] and for the left hand [to defend]

d. In 1 Timothy 3:1-13, Paul sets the standards for those who would desire a leadership role in the Church. These are the standards required:

He must give no grounds for accusation, but must be above reproach; the husband of one wife; circumspect, temperate and self-controlled; sensible, well-behaved and dignified; lead an orderly, disciplined life; hospitable; be a capable and qualified teacher; not a drinker of alcohol nor a drunkard; not combative, but gentle and considerate; not quarrelsome, but forbearing and peaceable; not covetous or a lover of money; he must rule his own household well and with dignity, with obedient, respectful children (for if a man does not know how to rule his own household, how is he to take care of the church of God?); he must not be a new convert, or he may become blinded by conceit and pride and fall like the devil once did; he must have a good reputation and be well thought of by those outside the church; he must have integrity and be beyond reproach; he must not be shifty and a double-talker, but sincere in what he says; he must preach the truth of the Gospel, with a clear conscience. The woman likewise must be worthy of respect and serious; not gossipers, but temperate and self-controlled; thoroughly trustworthy in all things.

e. Paul instructed Timothy concerning ministry, in 1 Timothy 4:11-16, and his advice applies to all those the Lord calls into ministry. He instructs him to:

Be an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity; study the Word; to preach, teach, exhort and instill doctrine; to not neglect the calling, gifts and anointing on his life that were given to him by the Holy Spirit; to throw himself wholly into doing God’s will and serving the Church; to make sure that he lives what he believes and preaches. This advice is also for the rest of us who are called to ministry.

f. In 2 Timothy 2:1-13, Paul instructs Timothy further:

Be strong; raise up more leaders, who are reliable, faithful, competent and qualified to teach other also; endure the hardships and suffering of a first-class soldier of Christ Jesus, with the aim of satisfying and pleasing only Him; work hard and run the race with integrity; whatever you suffer on earth, you will receive an equivalent reward in heaven; remain faithful to Him, for He is faithful to you; study hard and rightfully divide the Word of Truth; don’t waste time arguing or being argumentative; cleanse and separate yourself so you can be a vessel unto honor; shun and flee from youthful lusts; pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace; be kind; be a skilled teacher; correct your opponents with courtesy and gentleness, in order to possibly win and convert them.

g. In Titus 1:4-16, Paul reiterates what he said before to Timothy, about leadership, including these qualities:

Be a person of unquestionable integrity; not open to the accusation of being loose in morals and conduct, or unruly and disorderly; blameless; not self-willed or arrogant or presumptuous; do not be quick-tempered; be hospitable and generous; be sober-minded; sensible; discreet; upright and fair-minded; devout; temperate and self-controlled; hold fast to the Word and teach it as you were taught it; keep the message pure and accurate; correct those who are in error.

h. These standards do not apply only to the apostles and early church leaders, but they fully apply to us today. We must aspire to be like the apostles and follow and imitate them as they followed and imitated the Lord (1 Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 3:17).

2 Timothy 1:13-14 ERV – What you heard me teach is an example of what you should teach. Follow that model of right teaching with the faith and love we have in Christ Jesus. 14 This teaching is a treasure that you have been trusted with. Protect it with the help of the Holy Spirit, who lives inside us.

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

5. Grace cannot cancel the death penalty when saved men break the law.

Romans 6:16-23 says that you become the slaves of whatever you give yourselves to. You are either the slave of sin and lawlessness, or the slave of righteousness for holiness. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. If we continue to sin, we will certainly reap death, but if we yield and submit ourselves to righteousness, we will continue to reap eternal life. If we choose to sin and keep on sinning, God’s grace cannot keep us from the death penalty. But if we serve righteousness, then the devil cannot keep us from heaven and the presence of God.

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors — not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Romans 8:12-13 NKJV

For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? Hebrews 10:26-29 NKJV

God is a loving heavenly Father, who wants us in heaven with Him, but the scripture says that if we decide to continue willfully sin, even after we have learned the truth, then there is no other sacrifice that will take away our sins. If we continue sinning, all that is left for us is a fearful time of waiting for the judgment and the raging fire that will destroy those who fight against God.

“Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die. Ezekiel 18:4 NKJV

The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. 21 “But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. 23 Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord God, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live? 24 “But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die. Ezekiel 18:20-24 NKJV (See also Ezekiel 33:12-13)

When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it. 19 But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it. Ezekiel 33:18-19 NKJV

The soul who sins will die. This is God’s word of warning to all who would think that God tolerates, or allows, or even encourages sin. Some people have the unbiblical idea that because God is love, He will reward sin with eternal life and sinners with heaven. No! God sent Jesus as a sacrifice, to destroy sin and its power – not to put His stamp of approval on it. God’s grace is infinitely greater than sin, but grace can’t cancel the death penalty when men break God’s laws – whether they were previously saved or not.

6. Grace cannot make God a liar, who said every man that sins, must die.

Galatians 5:19-21 says that those who practice the works of the flesh – adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like – will NOT inherit the kingdom of God. And Galatians 6:7-8 NKJV says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NKJV

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars — their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. Revelation 21:8 NIV

If God says that those who sin will die, then that is what WILL happen. Grace is not going to make God a liar by excusing sin or giving life to those who sow to the flesh. The law of seedtime and harvest works one hundred percent of the time. The harvest is a multiplication of whatever was sown. We need to give God’s grace an opportunity in our lives, by sowing to the spirit and obeying God’s word.

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

Foundation scripture: Ephesians 2:1-11  (KJV)

1And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wath, even as others. 4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Once we were dead in our sins, but God, who is rich in mercy and who loves us with His great love has quickened us together with Jesus Christ. Quicken – means to make alive. We were dead to God and alive to sin – now, with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are dead to sin and alive unto God! Verse 4, in the Amplified Bible, says that His love for us is great, wonderful and intense. We are saved by grace so that in the ages to come He might clearly demonstrate the immeasurable, limitless, surpassing riches of His free grace (unmerited favor) in His kindness and goodness of heart toward us (Amplified – verse 7).

We are not just saved by grace, so that we can barely make it into heaven. Being saved by grace is only the doorway into all the wonderful things that God has for us. Through the ages to come, throughout all eternity, forever and ever, our Heavenly Father will be expressing to us the riches – the exceeding, immeasurable, limitless, surpassing riches – of His wonderful, unmerited, undeserved, free grace and favor as He reveals and extends to us, His goodness and His kindness.

We cannot even begin to comprehend, with our limited mental abilities as people, the love that our Father has for us. We cannot comprehend the riches of His grace and favor and goodness and kindness. Many people do not believe that God loves them and wants to bless them, but even those who do believe it, have a hard time grasping the unlimitedness of God’s love and grace toward them. We feel that we are not worthy, and so we accept only little tidbits at a time of His love and grace and favor, but it has absolutely nothing to do with being worthy, and everything to do with how He feels about us.

He wants to show us His favor and He wants to bless us – not because of any worthiness on our part, but simply because that is the nature of the love of God. He loves the undeserving – He showers blessings on the undeserving. God blesses us because of His nature and in spite of ours. It makes no difference how we feel about it – it is so anyway. If you can even begin to understand free grace and unmerited favor, you will realize what a slap it is in God’s face for men to think that they should, or even could, earn His favor.

It is impossible to pay this debt we owe to God. The debt was paid in the blood of Jesus – far too high a price for us to earn, even over a lifetime. The best we can do is realize the price has been paid and humbly and sincerely and wholeheartedly receive our free gift, knowing that we will never be able to repay it. Realizing the extent of God’s love and blessing – even though completely undeserved – causes us to want to serve Him, to love Him and obey Him. He paid so high a price – the very least we can do is give Him everything we are and everything we have as He continues to pour out on us and show us His love and His kindness throughout all eternity and the ages to come.

Romans 2:4  (KJV)
4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?