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

He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.  Psalms 105:37 KJV

When God brought the twelve tribes of Israel out of the land of Egypt, He was delivering them because He loved them and had a plan for them. However, at the same time everything He did for them is a type and shadow of what He has planned for us all. Before He delivered Israel fromEgypt, He had them do specific things, representing the form that their ultimate deliverance would take. They celebrated the Lord’s Passover. They sacrificed a spotless lamb and shed its blood and roasted it without breaking any bones. Then God totally delivered them from their enemy, Egypt. Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God, shed His blood, gave His life and rose again for our deliverance. Jesus delivered us from our enemy, Satan, defeating him totally. The devil no longer has the right to impose sickness, disease or lack upon us.

This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD’s Passover. “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn– both men and animals– and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD– a lasting ordinance.  Exodus 12:11-14 NIV

Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children.  Exodus 12:35-37 NKJ

God brought Israel out of their captivity healthy and blessed. When God brings us out of the captivity of sin, He brings us out with health and with blessing. Jesus is not only our Savior and Deliverer, but He is also our Healer and Provider. The way we receive the benefits of His sacrifice is by our faith in Him and His word. We can receive healing, deliverance and provision from the Lord at the same time as we receive salvation! When Jesus celebrated His last Passover before giving His life for us, He broke the bread, representing His body being broken for our healing. The wine represented His blood, shed to wash away our sin.

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.  1 Corinthians 11:23-30 NIV

We suffer under the burden of our sin unless we find out that Jesus’ blood can wash us clean and we repent and receive his forgiveness. Likewise, we suffer with sickness and disease until we find out that “by His stripes we were healed” (1 Peter 2:24) and we accept His healing power into our bodies. Jesus body was broken so that you can live in divine health. Decide today that you will march out of the bondage of your “Egypt” and receive your healing today.

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

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering (for he is faithful that promised).  Hebrews10:23 KJV

“Profession” is another word for “confession.” God’s word never fails. God’s word never returns to him void – without producing or prospering. If we want to see God’s blessing on our lives, we need to confess what God’s word says about us. We need to speak God’s word over ourselves. These are some prayers from the Bible that you can speak over yourself. You will renew your mind and fill your heart with faith. Most of all, the Lord will hear your prayer and grant your petition.

Father, I pray that You would grant me a spirit of wisdom and revelation – of insight into mysteries and secrets in the deep and intimate knowledge of You. Flood the eyes of my heart with light so that I can know and understand the hope to which You have called me and how rich is your glorious inheritance in the saints – Your set-apart ones. And so that I can know and understand what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of Your power in and for me, who believes, as demonstrated in the working of Your mighty strength which You exerted in Christ when You raised Him from the dead and seated Him at your own right hand in heavenly places.

Ephesians 1:17-20

I bow my knees before You, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. May You grant me out of the rich treasury of Your glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the Holy Spirit, Himself indwelling my inner most being and personality. May Christ, through faith, actually dwell – settle down, abide, make – His permanent home in my heart. May I be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love. That I may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints – God’s devoted people – the experience of that love – what is the breadth and length and height and depth of it. That I may really come to know – practically, through experience for myself – the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge without experience – that I may be filled through all my being unto all the fullness of God – that I may have the richest measure of the divine Presence and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself! 

Ephesians 3:14-19

Father, I pray and make special request asking that I may be filled with the full, deep and clear knowledge of Your will in all spiritual wisdom – in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God – and in understanding and discernment of spiritual things.  That I may walk, live and conduct myself in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to You and desiring to please You in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God – with fuller, deeper and clearer insight, acquaintance and recognition. I pray that I may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of Your glory, to exercise every kind of endurance and patience – perseverance and forbearance with joy. I give thanks to You, Father, Who has qualified and made me fit to share the portion, which is the inheritance of the saints – God’s holy people in the Light.

Colossians 1:9-12

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

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. 2 I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

Genesis 17:1-2 NIV

The Hebrew word for God Almighty is El Shaddai – the God who is more than enough – more than sufficient. It means that He has the power to complete promises of blessings and prosperity. Everything God does is over the top, more than enough, a surplus, super-abundant, overflowing, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over!

“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God.  Deuteronomy 28:1-2 NKJV

The Bible says that when you obey God’s word, His blessing will not only come upon you, but it will overtake you.

Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.

Matthew 25:28-29 NIV

If you are faithful with what God gives you, He will give you more and you will be blessed with abundance.

Hezekiah had very great riches and honor, and he made treasuries for his silver and gold and for his precious stones, spices, shields and all kinds of valuables. 28 He also made buildings to store the harvest of grain, new wine and oil; and he made stalls for various kinds of cattle, and pens for the flocks. 29 He built villages and acquired great numbers of flocks and herds, for God had given him very great riches.  2 Chronicles 32:27-29 NIV

When you honor God, He will bless you with great riches. You will need to look for more storage places!

Their sons went in and took possession of the land. You subdued before them the Canaanites, who lived in the land; you handed the Canaanites over to them, along with their kings and the peoples of the land, to deal with them as they pleased. 25 They captured fortified cities and fertile land; they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished; they reveled in your great goodness.

Nehemiah 9:24-25 NIV

Those who please God are abundantly blessed and well-nourished. They revel in His great goodness.

“Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, `How do we rob you?’

“In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse-the whole nation of you-because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

Malachi 3:8-10 NIV

If you will joyfully pay your tithes, God will throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough to accommodate all of it.

For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have. 13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; 14 but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack–that there may be equality. 15 As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”  2 Corinthians 8:12-15 NKJV

God blesses us with abundant blessings so that we can be a blessing to others.

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.  Luke 6:38 NKJV

If you will be a giver, God will always multiply the blessing back to you in a good measure. You can try to squash it down and fit it in to your containers, but it will still run over.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.  Ephesians 3:20 NKJV

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.  Ephesians 3:20 NIV

God is able to do immeasurably more and exceedingly abundantly (superabundantly) than all we ask or imagine – infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes or dreams – according to His power that is at work within us.

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

The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].  James 5:16b AMP

When a righteous man prays a continued, earnest, heartfelt, prayer, there is a tremendous power that is released – a dynamic active power that effectively goes to work – producing the desired result. If you want your prayers to be answered, there are a few things that you must do to ensure the desired result – you must walk righteously before the Lord, you must pray sincerely and fervently and you must pray according to God’s will.

20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.  2 Corinthians 1:20-21 NIV

God does not make promises that He does not plan to keep. If He made a promise then He will keep it. If you come to Him to ask Him for the thing He promised, then He will give it to you. He guarantees His Word.

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!   Matthew 7:7-11 NIV

Jesus said that if you ask for something that God has promised, it will be given to you. If you seek God’s will, you will find the thing you seek. Knock on God’s door and it will be opened to you. Even human parents, who are imperfect, give their children the things they asked for. How much more will a perfect God bless you with the answer to your prayer and give you good gifts – not bad gifts. Your Father in heaven gives good gifts to those who ask Him.

12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. 15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command.”  John 14:12-15 NIV

When you have faith in Jesus, you will do what He did. If you love Him, you will obey what He commands. And then when you ask Him for anything, He will do it for you, so that He can bring glory to the Father.

7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.  John 15:7-8 NIV

If you remain in Jesus and His words remain in you, then you will bear much fruit and He will give you whatever you ask.

13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.  John 15:13-16 NIV

When you do what Jesus has commanded you to do, then He considers you to be His friend and He calls you His friend. He chose you and appointed you to go and bear lasting fruit. When you bear much fruit, the Father will give you whatever you ask in Jesus name.

22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.  John 16:21-24 NIV

If you have not asked the Father for anything, then you need to ask in Jesus’ name. If you ask in the name of Jesus, then you will receive from the Father the thing you asked for and your joy will be full.

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

My son, be attentive to my Wisdom [godly Wisdom learned by actual and costly experience], and incline your ear to my understanding [of what is becoming and prudent for you], 2 That you may exercise proper discrimination and discretion and your lips may guard and keep knowledge and the wise answer [to temptation].  Proverbs 5:1-2 AMP

King David was a man after God’s own heart. He chose to honor God in his life and to always seek His counsel and follow His leading. Even though he made some mistakes, David was a prosperous and blessed man because he gave God this place in his life. David and his wife, Bathsheba gave godly instruction and wise direction to their son, Solomon, and encouraged him to seek godly wisdom and counsel, so that he could also make wise choices for his life. Solomon recorded this advice in the book of Proverbs, together with the wisdom he, himself, received from the Holy Spirit and his own life experience.

I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you that I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live 20 And may love the Lord your God, obey His voice, and cling to Him. For He is your life and the length of your days, that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Deuteronomy 30:19-20 AMP

Wise choices are choices that line up with God’s Word. Wise choices are choices that are pleasing to God. Just choose to obey God and His Word and you will make the wise choice every time. God made us – He knows who you are and what you need to be happy and satisfied and blessed. Obeying His wisdom will bring you life, whereas succumbing to the temptations of the devil and your carnal, fleshly desires will bring death and destruction to your spirit, your mind and your body (Galatians 6:8). Currently, the world’s wisdom is no more profound than, “if it feels good – do it!” However, this counsel will result in nothing, but pain and heartache in your life. David counseled Solomon:

For the lips of a loose woman drip honey as a honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil; 4 But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged and devouring sword. 5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold of Sheol (Hades, the place of the dead). 6 She loses sight of and walks not in the path of life; her ways wind about aimlessly, and you cannot know them. 7 Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, and depart not from the words of my mouth. 8 Let your way in life be far from her, and come not near the door of her house [avoid the very scenes of temptation], 9 Lest you give your honor to others and your years to those without mercy, 10 Lest strangers [and false teachings] take their fill of your strength and wealth and your labors go to the house of an alien [from God]–11 And you groan and mourn when your end comes, when your flesh and body are consumed, 12 And you say, How I hated instruction and discipline, and my heart despised reproof! 13 I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers nor submitted and consented to those who instructed me. 14[The extent and boldness of] my sin involved almost all evil [in the estimation] of the congregation and the community.  Proverbs 5:3-14 AMP

God’s Word has been around for eternity and its advice is always relevant and up-to-date and is never “old-fashioned.”

Drink waters out of your own cistern [of a pure marriage relationship], and fresh running waters out of your own well. 16 Should your offspring be dispersed abroad as water brooks in the streets? 17[Confine yourself to your own wife] let your children be for you alone, and not the children of strangers with you. 18 Let your fountain [of human life] be blessed [with the rewards of fidelity], and rejoice in the wife of your youth. 19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant doe [tender, gentle, attractive]–let her bosom satisfy you at all times, and always be transported with delight in her love.

20 Why should you, my son, be infatuated with a loose woman, embrace the bosom of an outsider, and go astray? 21 For the ways of man are directly before the eyes of the Lord, and He [Who would have us live soberly, chastely, and godly] carefully weighs all man’s goings. 22 His own iniquities shall ensnare the wicked man, and he shall be held with the cords of his sin.

23 He will die for lack of discipline and instruction, and in the greatness of his folly he will go astray and be lost.  Proverbs 5:15-23 AMP

This is godly advice that could save your life. Be faithful to your wife/husband before you meet and marry them and you will most likely be faithful to them after you marry them as well. And you will enjoy the blessings of obedience to God’s Word! It is a wise man or woman who chooses to follow after wisdom! Every day of your life, there are decisions and choices that must be made, and temptations that come to trip you up. If you are armed with godly wisdom, it is easier to resist temptation and to make good choices and sound decisions, which set the course of your life in a direction of life and blessing.

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

“To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. 20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. 24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): 25 Only hold on to what you have until I come. 26 To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations- 27’He will rule them with an iron scepter;

he will dash them to pieces like pottery’- just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  Revelation 2:18-29 NIV

Thyatira was possibly the least important of the seven cities, located about forty miles southeast of Pergamum, halfway between it and Sardis. It was under the command of Rome from 190 B.C., and prospered under the Roman Emperor Vespasian. It was an industrial center, one of the main industries being that of dyeing and manufacturing woolen goods, and containing a number of corporate (trade) guilds: potters, tanners, weavers, robe-makers, and dyers. Paul’s first European convert, Lydia the purple-seller of Philippi, came from Thyatira. The principal deity of the city was Apollo, worshipped as the Sun-god under the surname Tyrimnas, and a shrine outside the walls was dedicated to Sambatha, a sibyl. It was a center of activity by the Nicolaitans with their idolatry and licentiousness under a false “prophetess.”

The Lord Jesus Christ makes an honorable mention to the church of Thyatira of their love, their faith, their service and their patience (perseverance). They practiced the word of God by walking in the love of God. Walking in love requires obedience to the word and the Spirit of God, so they were genuinely committed to Him. Jesus commends them for their growing fruitfulness and says that their last works were better than their first. Some people start off hot and end up cold, but these Christians were doing more than ever before. All Christians should be this way – doing better and doing more for the Lord than they did previously – so that their last works may be their best works.

After the praise comes the rebuke. Jesus rebukes them for their tolerance of the woman “Jezebel.” The problem was that they tolerated – they allowed, and did not prevent – this evil spirit represented by the name “Jezebel.” The term Jezebel is used symbolically, referring to the notorious historic Jezebel. She was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of Sidon, formerly a priest of Astarte, and who had made his way to the throne by murdering his predecessor Pheles. Ahab’s marriage with her was the first instance of a marriage with a pagan princess of a king of the northern kingdom of Israel and this alliance was a turning-point in the moral history of the kingdom. Jezebel stands out in Israel’s history as the person who lead them the furtherest away from the God Who loved and protected them.

Until Jezebel, the ten tribes had yielded to idolatry in the worship of the calves, however, the true God was still worshipped and the Law of Moses was acknowledged. Jezebel changed all of that. She was a powerful woman and her husband, Ahab, was weak, allowing her to dominate him, his throne and his kingdom. She was ruthless in her ungodliness – she was completely sold out to the devil in her worship of Baal and Astarte or Ashtaroth (the Phoenician Venus). She had no conscience – her ambition was to kill all the priests of Jehovah and institute her priests and her beliefs as the official beliefs of Israel. She had no fear of God and she did not tolerate Israel’s relationship with the Most High God either. A “Jezebel spirit” is a spirit that calls good evil and evil good. It does not allow good in others, but forces evil on them.

“Jezebel” of Thyatira calls herself a prophetess claiming that her teaching was an authentic message from God, but it was not – she is lying. This spirit is beguiling – seducing, misleading, deceiving, and leading the Thyatiran Christians astray – leading them away from the true path. She is immoral and impure – seducing Israel to depart from the truth, to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed to idols – sins of the historical Jezebel. She refuses to repent or to abandon her evil ways and so the Lord will cast her on a bed of suffering, He will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways, and He will strike her children dead (those who yield to her and follow her) – not just a death of the body, but an eternal death.

The Lord wants us to be aware of evil people and evil doctrine. He wants us to HATE evil, not to tolerate it or allow it to co-exist with the truth. You cannot control or stop all the evil that is in the world, but you CAN and you MUST keep it out of YOUR LIFE, YOUR FAMILY and YOUR CHURCH. Hold onto the truth until you see Jesus face-to-face.

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

“To the angel of the church in Sardis write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. 4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.   Revelation 3:1-6 NIV

Sardis was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia, some thirty miles south-east of Thyatira, the old capital of Lydia. It was situated at the crossing of Roman roads, in a plain watered by the river Pactolus. The city was of very ancient origin and was seized and conquered by different kings many times over. In its early history, it was ruled by King Meles and after him, by a series of princes, the last of whom was Croesus, who was celebrated for his wealth and his misfortunes. Sardis was conquered by Cyrus and then by Alexander the Great and in 214 B.C. by Antiochus the Great. The kings of Pergamus ruled after that and from them it passed into the hands of the Romans. In the time of Tiberius, Sardis and eleven or twelve other important cities of Asia were desolated by an earthquake. The calamity was increased by a pestilence.

In very early times, Sardis was an important commercial city. According to Pliny, they invented the art of dyeing wool. The flocks of Phrygia furnished Sardis with the raw material for the manufacture of all kinds of woolen goods, including carpets. Sardis was also the place where the metal “electrum” was procured, Gold was found in the bed of the Pactolus and silver and gold coins are said to have been first minted there. It was also, at one time, known as a slave-market. The impure worship of the goddess, Cybele, was celebrated there, and the massive ruins of her temple can still be seen. It was a city of softness and luxury and of apathy and immorality. The city is now a heap of ruins. Along with Laodicea it was rebuked most of all the seven churches.

Jesus speaks to the church of Sardis and reminds them, “I know your deeds.” People look at the outside, but God looks on the heart. Don’t forget that the Lord sees it all – everything you do, everything you think, the secret things of your heart – so don’t be tempted to impress people by living a life that looks good only on the outside, when in reality, your life is in a mess and you are very far from God – He is the only One Who matters! The church at Sardis was supposed to be alive and on fire for God – everyone thought that they were alive – but in reality they were dead on the inside. Jesus is saying to them, “Wake up and smell the coffee! I know that you seem to be faithful believers in me; but in reality you do not follow me anymore. You look alive, but inside you are dead and what little life that remains is about to be snuffed out. Stir up yourselves to rescue what little righteousness remains in you.”

Jesus provokes them to remember and to call to mind the lessons they have received and heard. In Proverbs 4:20-23, the Lord God impresses upon us the importance of keeping the Word of God in your eyes and your heart – that means taking time to study it and making it your own – being both a hearer and a doer: “My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.” (NKJV) You must continually, without stopping or giving up, or pulling back, lay the Word of God to heart. If God’s Word is firmly established in your heart as the standard you live by, then everything else becomes easier.

Jesus also urges them to obey the Word, and repent. The Word and the Spirit will convict you and bring you to a place where you know that you must repent. After that, you must make the choice to obey Him every day, in everything. Obviously, the church at Sardis had wandered very far from the truth of the Word of God, or they would not be in this position of having the last little bit of fire in them about to be snuffed out. If you are backslidden from God, then you will not be expecting and anticipating Jesus to return for you anytime soon at all. You will be thoroughly surprised and totally caught off guard when He does, unlike those who are submitted to Him and who eagerly anticipate and watch for His return.

Jesus says that there were just a few people left in Sardis who had not soiled their clothes. When you bow your knee to Jesus, your Savior, Jesus saves you and washes you clean – your sins are wiped away, He takes your old tattered garments and exchanges them for garments of pure white – robes of righteousness. You can’t buy this righteousness and you can’t earn it, but you can honor Him by walking in purity and keeping your garments clean. Sin soils your robe of righteousness, but repentance restores their purity.

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

I pray to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant me a spirit of wisdom and revelation, of insight into mysteries and secrets, in the deep and intimate knowledge of Him,

I pray that I would have the eyes of my heart flooded with light, so that I

can know and understand the hope to which He has called me, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints, His set-apart ones,

And so that I can know and understand what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength,

Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places,

Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named – above every title that can be conferred – not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come.

And He has put all things under His feet and has appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church – a headship exercised throughout the church,

Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all – for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere with Himself.

Paraphrased from Ephesians 1:17-23 AMP

Because of my faith in Him, I dare to have the boldness, courage and confidence of free access

Because of my faith in Him, I can unreservedly approach God with freedom and without fear.

So I will not lose heart, I will not faint, or become despondent through fear,

Because of the greatness of this plan by which we are built together in Christ, I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

For Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named

I pray that He would grant me out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in my inner man by the Holy Spirit, Himself indwelling my innermost being and personality.

I pray that Christ, through my faith, may actually dwell, settle down, abide, and make His permanent home in my heart!

I pray that I may be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,

That I may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints, God’s devoted people, the experience of that love – what is the breadth and length and height and depth of it;

That I may really come to know, practically, through experience for myself, the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge without experience; that I may be filled through all my being unto all the fullness of God.

That I may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself!

Now to Him Who, by and in consequence of the action of His power that is at work within us, is able to carry out His purpose and do superabundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think, infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams–

To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen – so be it.

Paraphrased from Ephesians 3:12-21 AMP

These are two powerful, spiritual prayers that Paul prayed for the Ephesians and they apply to every Christian. These prayers reveal the will of God for His children. In Hosea 4:6 God says that His people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. This is not because God’s will is hidden – it is in plain sight, openly revealed in His Word – but because His people do not take time to read and study His Word and then take it personally.

Confessing (speaking out) God’s Word will personalize it for you and make it a reality, first in your mind and heart and then in every aspect of your life. Don’t just do it as a religious ritual, but as you pray these prayers, listen to what you are praying and make them yours. If you will pray these two personalized prayers on a regular basis, then you will begin to walk it out in your everyday life and reap the wonderful benefits of the life, blessing, and power of the awesome Word of God, that is more precious than silver and more costly than gold!

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

The man of many friends [a friend of all the world] will prove himself a bad friend, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 AMP

It is great to be friendly and have many acquaintances, but in order to be a loyal friend you cannot spread yourself too thin. Some people are friendly with everyone, but when you need them they are nowhere to be found. When you find yourself in a difficult situation, your true friends are the ones who stick with you – they stay with you; they walk with you; they help you through; they don’t judge you, but they tell you the truth.

Wealth makes many friends, but the poor man is avoided by his neighbor. Proverbs 19:4 AMP

A true friend is not one who comes around you when you have something they want, and then disappears when you fall on hard times. A true friend loves you for yourself. It is often very hard to know who your true friends are when you are wealthy and popular!

A friend loves at all times, and is born, as is a brother, for adversity. Proverbs 17:17 AMP

A true friend loves you no matter what. A true friend is one who is loyal. A true friend will face adversity and go through it with you. A true friend does not turn and run when the going gets tough. Jesus is such a friend.

This is My commandment: that you love one another [just] as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you keep on doing the things which I command you to do. John 15:12-14 AMP

Jesus said, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus loved us so much that He laid down His life for us before we were His friends. He laid down His life for His enemies – to make them his friends! Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords and yet He loves us and makes Himself our friend and makes us His friends! What an honor and a privilege we have to be called friends of Jesus! We should not take it lightly. We should prove ourselves worthy of the title by our loyal commitment to Him.

Your own friend and your father’s friend, forsake them not; neither go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near [in spirit] than a brother who is far off [in heart]. Proverbs 27:10 AMP

They say that blood is thicker than water, in other words, family ties are stronger than friendships. However, sometimes a good friend is more faithful and committed to you than a family member, particularly when you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If your family does not believe in Jesus and you do, it can bring a wedge in your relationship. The body of Christ is a family and you can ask God to bring people into your life who will be just like family to you – people who love God as much as you do and who will speak the truth in love.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are lavish and deceitful. Proverbs 27:6 AMP

Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend [to show rage or worthy purpose]. Proverbs 27:17 AMP

A good friend will tell you the truth even if it offends you. They will call you on your junk; they will challenge you; they will not allow you to have any bad habits or bad attitudes. Of course, they will tell you the truth in love, because they care about you. They tell you truth, not because they want to hurt you, but because they want to help you; to make you a better person. A true friend not only knows what to say to you, but also when and how so that you will hear what they are saying and receive it from them. It is better to have a friend who tells you the truth than an enemy who lies to you with flattery. Unfortunately, some people have been too prideful to receive sound advice from a true friend and have rejected their friend and his/her advice to go after a person who tells them what they want to hear, but who does not mean a word of it. Don’t be that kind of fickle, foolish person. If you know that you have believed flattery over the truth, it is not too late to humble yourself and go back to your true friends and apologize for your foolishness. Jesus and the Holy Spirit are true friends who will always tell you the truth.

He who rebukes a man shall afterward find more favor than he who flatters with the tongue. Proverbs 28:23 AMP

Oil and perfume rejoice the heart; so does the sweetness of a friend’s counsel that comes from the heart. Proverbs 27:9 AMP

When a good friend speaks the truth, from their heart, into your life and you receive it, it is sweet like perfume. When you are a good friend to your friends and you speak the truth in love to them, they will appreciate it – maybe not immediately, but eventually. Don’t be intimidated by an initial negative response. Stay calm and hold your ground and continue to love and respect them. If you have a judgmental attitude, no one will be able to receive what you are saying, because your motives are suspect, but if you do not judge your friends and you love them unconditionally, they will welcome your input, opinion, and advice!

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

And I wrote the same to you so that when I came, I might not be myself pained by those who are the [very] ones who ought to make me glad, for I trusted in you all and felt confident that my joy would be shared by all of you. 4 For I wrote you out of great sorrow and deep distress [with mental torture and anxiety] of heart, [yes, and] with many tears, not to cause you pain but in order to make you realize the overflowing love that I continue increasingly to have for you. 5 But if someone [the one among you who committed incest] has caused [all this] grief and pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure, not to put it too severely, [he has distressed] all of you. 6 For such a one this censure by the majority [which he has received is] sufficient [punishment]. 7 So [instead of further rebuke, now] you should rather turn and [graciously] forgive and comfort and encourage [him], to keep him from being overwhelmed by excessive sorrow and despair. 8 I therefore beg you to reinstate him in your affections and assure you, to test your attitude and see if you would stand the test, whether you are obedient and altogether agreeable [to following my orders] in everything. 10 If you forgive anyone anything, I too forgive that one; and what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sakes in the presence [and with the approval] of Christ (the Messiah), 11 To keep Satan from getting the advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his wiles and intentions. 2 Corinthians 2:3-11 AMP

When we started The River at Tampa Bay, we asked the Lord how we should handle situations where people had sinned and needed discipline and correction. He told us this, “If I have forgiven them – you forgive them.” So that is what we do. We bring the word to them in a non-judgmental way. If they are repentant and ask God to forgive them, then forgive them as well and work with them on restoration. If they will not repent, we work with them and speak the truth in love to them until they do. After all that, if they will still not repent, we recommend they find another church to attend, since they do not respect the authority in this house. It is very important that we do not continue to have fellowship with those who are stubbornly rebellious against God’s word and who sow strife amongst the brethren, because it has a corrupting influence on the Body of Christ.

On the other hand, we do have a problem in the Body of Christ when someone has repented and yet they find no grace or forgiveness from their brethren. This ought not to be so. We must do two things for each other – speak the truth in love and, at the same time, show mercy and grace toward each other. In this way we will all grow up spiritually. We should not expect perfection from ourselves and others, but we should expect righteousness! Paul tells us that we must forgive so that we keep Satan from getting the advantage over us. We must not be ignorant of his wiles and intentions. The devil uses strife to divide us and destroy us – individually and as a body.

Brethren, if any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also.  Galatians 6:1 AMP

It is very important not to judge someone else, because if you do, you give the devil place in your life and you open yourself up to be tempted with the same sin. Do not judge them in your heart, even if it doesn’t come out of your mouth.  Discipline in the Church – the Body of Christ – should come from those who are spiritual. Sadly, there are not enough spiritual people in the Church who are qualified to deal with these kinds of situations. A spiritual person is one who is submitted to the word of God in all things. They walk in love toward others; they correct them, but they do not judge them. An immature Christian is one who is judgmental toward others and who is envious of others. They are happy when someone else messes up – it gives them an opportunity to feel superior – but they are playing into the devil’s hands. We are all on the same team – let’s act like it!

Rejoice not when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles or is overthrown, 18 Lest the Lord see it and it be evil in His eyes and displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him [to expend it upon you, the worse offender].  Proverbs 24:17-18 AMP

If we shouldn’t be happy when our enemy falls, how much more should we definitely not be glad when our fellow Christian falls? We should weep for them, pray for them and help them back to their feet. God needs every one of us that He can get! He does not need anyone of us to fall and fail and if we are all going to make it and stand strong then we are going to need each other. We are a Body! What happens to the individual, affects the whole Body. Let us not be ignorant; let us not be used by the devil to work his purposes, but let us be submitted to God in this and let us be used by Him to bring peace, restoration and harmony wherever WE go!