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

The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.  Deuteronomy 28:12 NIV

You will again obey the LORD and follow all his commands I am giving you today. Then the LORD your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands, and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The LORD will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your fathers.   Deuteronomy 30:8-9 NIV

We all want the blessing of the Lord on our lives, and indeed, He desires to bless us! He is not the One withholding blessing from us. He tells us that He wants to bless us and He also tells us what we must to do to receive His blessing. The Word clearly states that God will bless the work of our hands! God cannot bless nothing. We must give Him something to bless. We have God’s promise that if we are obedient to His word that He will bless our work. So we must do two things to receive God’s blessing – work and obey! If we do the right thing – we will be blessed and our family will be blessed.

For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. 11 For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. 13 But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.  2 Thessalonians 3:10-13 NKJV

God commands us to mind our own business, to work and to do good. God gives us our own areas of responsibility and He expects us to take care of those things that He has placed in our hands. He also expects us not to be interfering in other people’s areas of responsibility. If we are overly concerned with other people’s business, we will not have enough time for our own. Some well-meaning yet misguided people spend too much time trying to solve their friends’ problems, while their own family’s needs are neglected. You are not responsible for other people – you are responsible for your own family. By the same token, other people are not responsible for solving your problems either.

Some people don’t take care of their responsibilities and then when everything falls apart, they want the church to make it right for them. It is not the church’s responsibility to feed, house and clothe you and your family – it is yours. We, as Christians, are to be a blessing to others, but we are not responsible for others. We should do good to others if it is in our power to do it and we should help people when they need our help. There are people who have fallen on hard times and they need a helping hand so that they can get back on their feet. However, each person is responsible to work and to provide for themselves and their family. Laziness and irresponsibility are not acceptable before God or even in the eye of the law. The law holds you responsible for your family – to provide for them and to protect them. If you do not take proper care of your children, then under the law, the state is obligated to punish you.

If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

1 Timothy 5:8 NIV

Whether you are a believer or not, you are obligated to take care of your family. This is your first responsibility before God. You must feed them, clothe them, put a roof over their heads and keep them safe and happy. Before you go out to save the world – you must work to take care of your own family.

Too many people sacrifice their family on the altar of ministry – something that God has not asked you to do. God must be your first priority, your family second and the work of ministry third. However, if anyone sacrifices anything for the sake of ministry it should be the one whom God has called – you – not your kids who have no choice in the matter.

We remember some ministers for their great ministries, but all their kids remember is no Christmas, no birthday presents and no parents there when they needed them. Even if you work and work hard to provide for your family’s physical needs – you must do whatever it takes to take care of their emotional needs too. Remember, they need you and your love and attention more than anything else. You must work to provide for the needs of your family’s bodies, but you also need to work to provide for the needs of their souls and spirits. If you will work hard to provide for your family, spirit, soul and body – you will have a blessed family.

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

Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.  Genesis 2:15NKJV

The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.  Genesis2:15 NIV

God expects us to work. He gives us talents and abilities and He requires that we work and use them. Work was not a curse of the fall. Even Adam worked in the Garden of Eden.  Adam had to tend and keep the Garden—to work it and take care of it. In the Garden, his work was fruitful and productive.

To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, `You must not eat of it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”  Genesis 3:17-19 NIV

After the fall, the curse was that his work would be fruitless and frustrated. It would require much hard effort and yield negative results—thorns and thistles.

The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.  Deuteronomy 28:12 NIV

Then the LORD your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The LORD will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your fathers, if you obey the LORD your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.  Deuteronomy 30:9-10 NIV

The blood of Jesus has redeemed us. If we will do things God’s way He will bless the work of our hands and make us exceedingly fruitful and prosperous. Whether we work in the ministry or in a secular occupation, providing for our families and supporting the ministry, God wants us to work and work wisely and well. Then He can bless us. If you do no work—God has nothing to bless! Some people think that being in the ministry and living by faith means sitting at home doing nothing. On the contrary, ministry is work and lots of it, but it sure is a joy and a blessing!

One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.  Proverbs 18:9 NIV

If you are a sloppy worker, you are about as much good as a vandal. If you do not do a good job—the best you can do—then you are cheating your boss, cheating your customers and cheating yourself. An unfaithful person cannot be relied upon. Your work should be excellent in quality and quantity. As the saying goes, “God will bless the work of your hands, but He cannot bless the seat of your pants!”

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.  Ecclesiastes 9:10 NIV

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.  Colossians 3:23-24 NIV

Whatever you do—do it to the best of your ability. God does not expect you to do what you cannot do, but He does expect you to do what you can do. Your very best might not be the same as someone else’s best, but that is all that God asks for—your very best. God won’t even be mad at you if you fail at something, as long as you are trying as hard as you can and really doing everything you can.

Even if your paycheck comes from man at the end of the month, you should work as if God is your boss. You should work as if your reward comes from God, not man, because ultimately it does.

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

35 But love your enemies and be kind and do good [doing favors so that someone derives benefit from them] and lend, expecting and hoping for nothing in return but considering nothing as lost and despairing of no one: and then your recompense (your reward) will be great (rich, strong, intense and abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind and charitable and good to the ungrateful and the selfish and wicked. 36 So be merciful (sympathetic, tender, responsive and compassionate) just as your Father is [all these].  Luke 6:35-36 Amp

Love your enemies.

God’s ways are higher than our ways and His ways always work in your favor in the end. You may not think so at the time, but obedience to the Word of God – even and especially when it seems like the most ridiculous thing to do – will bring a favorable result to your life. When He says, “Love your enemies” then you need to love your enemies, because it will bring a favorable end to you and to them. God is not necessarily on your side against another person, especially if your “enemy” is another believer, but He has a blessing for all concerned if they will only yield to Him. You cannot be held responsible for the behavior or attitude of your enemies, but you are responsible and will give an account for your behavior and attitude! So pick a good attitude and behave like a child of God, not a child of the devil.

The agape love of God is not concerned with the character or deservedness of an individual, but He reaches out to love the unlovely and the undeserving and the ungrateful. It is a love that springs from the character of God that sees every person as valuable and precious when they are nothing of the sort.

Be kind and do good. Do favors so that someone derives benefit from them.

Be kind to your enemies. Do good things to and for your enemies. Do favors to and for your enemies – favors that benefit them in some way. Don’t do a favor that has a sting in the tail. Don’t do something that is outwardly kind and good, but nasty in the end, only to make a point or to rub their nose in it. Get an attitude adjustment. Let your favors be done out of a genuine love and a humble spirit that is submitted to the will of the Father. Do this in order to release yourself from the vicious cycles of hate and retribution that can spiral out of control like a giant whirlpool, sucking everything that gets close enough to it down to be dashed on the rocks on the sea bed below.

Lend, expecting and hoping for nothing in return.

Don’t give or bless expecting a particular result or reward. Don’t look for a particular response from the recipient of your favor. Give and bless and sow in faith, trusting God and expecting Him to do His will, as only He can, in the situation. If you give just to give – in compliance with the will and Word of God – then He will take care of you. His favor and protection will be on you.

Consider nothing as lost and despairing of no one.

Don’t give up on anyone. Don’t think of your favor and blessing as being wasted on anyone. Don’t give up on your seed. Plant it and leave it in the ground, watering it with your faith that just as you have done your part, that God will do His. Just because you do not see an immediate result or response, it does not mean that your favor did not have an impact. Just as you must give regular seed time to germinate and spring forth, so you must give your blessing-seed time to work and produce. Even if you must walk away and never see the end result except in Heaven – then do it anyway, trusting your Heavenly Father to do the right thing and to honor your faith and obedience.

Then your recompense (your reward) will be great (rich, strong, intense and abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind and charitable and good to the ungrateful and the selfish and wicked.

When you obey God’s word and bless your enemies, the Lord will bless you with a great reward – a rich, strong, intense and abundant reward. Not only will you receive a blessing, but also when you bless your enemies, you are showing yourself to be a child of your Heavenly Father because He is kind charitable and good to the ungrateful, the selfish and the wicked. You should be glad that He is so merciful to the wicked because you were wicked once and even now that you are saved, you still do and say wrong things and you still need His mercy. Thank God for His mercy to the wicked and also to you when you did not deserve it!

So be merciful (sympathetic, tender, responsive and compassionate) just as your Father is [all these].

God does not ask us to do anything that He is not already doing. He does not expect you to do anything that will not benefit you in the end. Everything that the Lord tells you to do is ultimately going to be a great blessing in your life. When you bless others, especially your enemies, you will receive blessings and satisfaction and peace in your own life.

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

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. 17 But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children– 18 with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.  Psalms 103:8-18 NIV

God is so good to His children. He is so compassionate, merciful, gracious, faithful and just. He is slow to anger and quick to forgive. He is abounding in love – He has more than enough love to give – His love is as high as the heavens are above the earth. He heals your infirmities and forgives your iniquities. Because of His love and mercy, He does not treat you the way you deserve to be treated.

When your life is one big mess – He doesn’t even care how messy your messes are – He is willing to jump right in the middle of them and clean you and them up. When the world has finished with you, lost patience with you and cast you aside, God has only just begun to work with you and help you.

Psalms 103:14 says that, “He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.” God remembers that you are dust, and He has mercy on you, but sometimes you forget. You think that YOU are all you need and then you think to call on the Lord only when you have failed to make it on your own or when you have boxed yourself into a corner.

You all have natural parents who care for you until you become independent of them and you no longer need them, but as you grow spiritually, God teaches you to rely less on yourself and moreand more on Him. He wants you to trust Him completely and lean on Him entirely. He wants you to lay down your own visions, dreams, and desires and yield your will to His. He knows something you don’t know – that your greatest blessing comes when you lose yourself in Him.

Your natural mind has a hard time understanding this. You take a huge leap of faith when you first begin to rely on Him and His wisdom instead of your own. Luke 17:33 says, “Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.” And John 12:25-26 says, “The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”

You must lose your life in order to find it. Lose yourself in the Spirit of God and you will find out who you really are. Realize that you are nothing and He is everything and you begin to open yourself up for His blessing.

There is a realm in God that you will never experience until you have yielded your heart, soul, will and strength to the Father. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are all you need to make it in this life. You can trust the arm of the flesh and struggle for years, or you can place your whole life in the hands of the Father and be an over-comer in every arena of your life!

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

Surely the Lord God will do nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets.  Amos 3:7 AMP

The NIV says, “Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.”

Can you change the future or is it inevitable? Can you know the future or are you blind to it? Will the Lord speak to you in this hour about things to come?

As you stand at the brink of this New Year, you may be wondering about what your future holds. Will it be a year of blessing or will it be a year of calamity? Can you determine your future and your destiny or are you just a victim of fate? Some people embrace the New Year, seeing it as a time of new beginnings and new opportunities. Some people dread the New Year – perhaps they had a terrible year this year and they just expect that they will see more of the same in the next year.

What does your future hold? Can you know your future? Can you change your future? Everybody wants to know what their future holds. Some people go to the devil – to psychics and mediums – to find out what they can expect. Why on earth would you want the devil to tell you about your life and your future? You know that he is a killer and a thief! The only plans he has for your future are plans for your destruction!

If you want a good future – a future full of blessing – you need to go to God for your insight and for wisdom and guidance. You know that He has good plans for you! The Bible says that the Sovereign Lord never does anything without revealing His secrets – His plans – to His servants, the prophets. If you are washed in the blood of Jesus, you are more than a servant – you are a son! God will show you your future, but you must give your life to Him and you must press into His presence.

Deuteronomy 29:29 AMP says that, “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but the things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all of the words of this law.” There are some things that you will never know about God, but He has revealed His will and plan and purpose for His children in His Word and by His Spirit. You can know what your future holds. You can know what God has planned for you. After that, it is up to you to obey Him and to see it fulfilled in your life.

And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham [My friend and servant] what I am going to do,18 Since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed through him and shall bless themselves by him? 19 For I have known (chosen, acknowledged) him [as My own], so that he may teach and command his children and the sons of his house after him to keep the way of the Lord and to do what is just and righteous, so that the Lord may bring Abraham what He has promised him.  Genesis 18:17-19 AMP

When God made a covenant with Abram, He treated Him like a valued friend. He was about to pour out His judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah, but He would not proceed until He had told Abram about it.

In John 16:12-15 AMP, Jesus prepares His disciples for the coming Holy Spirit. He tells them, “I have still many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them or to take them upon you or to grasp them now. 13 But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]. 14 He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you. 15 Everything that the Father has is Mine. That is what I meant when I said that He [the Spirit] will take the things that are Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you.”

The Holy Spirit will show you things to come – the Holy Spirit will show you what lies ahead and He will reveal the future to you. If you are sensitive to Him, then the Holy Spirit will reveal, disclose, unveil, and transmit to you the future. You are a child of God. You are the Body of Christ. He will tell you what is going to happen. Nothing will come on you unawares. Nothing will take you by surprise.

This next year 2004 – what does it hold? The Lord has spoken to me about New Year Ablaze and that He wanted me to speak on this subject: “What About the Future?” What is God about to do? I believe that this week will set the pace for the New Year. Don’t miss one of these exciting services as we share insights into 2004 and what is going to be happening in the New Year.

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

So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The LORD has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, and camels and donkeys. 36 My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns. 37 And my master made me swear an oath, and said, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, 38 but go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.’ 39 “Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’ 40 “He replied, ‘The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s family. 41 Then, when you go to my clan, you will be released from my oath even if they refuse to give her to you–you will be released from my oath.’ 42 “When I came to the spring today, I said, ‘O LORD, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come. 43 See, I am standing beside this spring; if a maiden comes out to draw water and I say to her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar,” 44 and if she says to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too,” let her be the one the LORD has chosen for my master’s son.’ 45 “Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 46 “She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too.’ So I drank, and she watered the camels also. 47 “I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ “She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.’ “Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms, 48 and I bowed down and worshiped the LORD. I praised the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son. 49 Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.” 50 Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the LORD; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. 51 Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has directed.”  Genesis 24:34-51 NIV

When Rebekah went down that day to the spring to draw water for her family, she had no idea that her destiny depended upon the choices that she would make that day. There was no neon sign that said, “This is a test – if you pass it you will be very blessed!” There was no angel, or audible voice or special sign that alerted her that this was a special day! God had chosen her – she had to choose Him. Abraham’s servant was on a mission to find a wife for Isaac. He prayed that God would help him and he asked the Lord to point her out to him by her reaction to a request that he had decided to ask of her. He was going to ask for water for himself and she was going to give him water and offer to water his camels as well.

This was not a small thing that he prayed that she would do. The wells or springs were dug down deep with many stairs. She had to go down and back up about fifty steps or more for only three gallons of water – that is how big that her water-jar would have been. Three gallons of water weighs twenty-four pounds and her jar would have been a few more pounds than that. One trip down to the spring would have been an effort, but multiple trips were a major work out. It takes about twenty-five gallons to fill up a camel and ten camels would drink two hundred and fifty gallons of water. This means that Rebekah had to make 83.3 trips to the spring (in reality about 84 trips) – so she had to go up and down 4200 steps and back up 4200 steps until the job was done.

Rebekah had no idea that her humility, hospitality and generosity that day would open the door to the blessing of God in her life and a place in history. She did not know that because of her actions and choices that day, she would marry into a “royal” family – a family in covenant with Almighty God and blessed with favor, prosperity and peace – and would become the great-great-etc-grandmother of the Messiah – the One who would bruise the devil’s head and change the world!

Many people do not enter into all the blessings that God has for them because they are lazy, selfish and self-centered. They will only do the minimum that is absolutely required of them. They find no joy in working hard, being a blessing and doing whatever they can to help others. They are waiting on God to pull something wonderful out of His hat for them, but they won’t press into Him and love His Word and be a doer of His Word. They are led and motivated by bribes – if you do this, I will do that. Unfortunately for them, God does not bribe us – He gives you opportunities to show what is in your heart and rewards you accordingly. God is not going to beg you to do the right thing, nor will He transgress His Word and bless disobedience and unwillingness and ungratefulness. We are the ones who must get our act together. You may never know which camel holds the key to your blessing – you must just continue to water every camel that God places in front of you!

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

And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us. 15 And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him. 1 John 5:14-15 AMP

The Bible tells us that if God hears our prayers that He also answers them. How can you have confidence that He will hear your prayers and therefore answer them?

For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but one Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning. 16 Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].  Hebrews 4:15-16 AMP

Only the righteous can come into God’s presence to ask for help and be heard. If you are washed in the blood of Jesus and if He is your High Priest, you can have confidence to come into God’s presence to ask boldly for what you need. The guilty are not bold to come into God’s presence, but God expects the righteous to be bold! Boldness is a manifestation of faith – faith in God’s grace and His promises – and God always honors faith.

You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your desires go unfulfilled; [so] you become murderers. [To hate is to murder as far as your hearts are concerned.] You burn with envy and anger and are not able to obtain [the gratification, the contentment, and the happiness that you seek], so you fight and war. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3[Or] you do ask [God for them] and yet fail to receive, because you ask with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives. Your intention is [when you get what you desire] to spend it in sensual pleasures.  James 4:2-3 AMP

If you want an answer, you need to first ask. If you don’t ask God for what you need, how can He give it to you? Also, if you ask with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives, with the intention of satisfying your carnal desires, then God will not answer you then either.

If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.  Psalms 66:18 AMP

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened at all, that it cannot save, nor His ear dull with deafness, that it cannot hear. 2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.  Isaiah 59:1-2 AMP

God is not powerless or unwilling to help you, neither is He deaf so that He cannot hear, but if you are disobedient and if you sin willfully, then He will not hear your prayers, because your sin has separated you from Him and His presence.

What man is he who desires life and longs for many days, that he may see good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Depart from evil and do good; seek, inquire for, and crave peace and pursue (go after) it! 15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the [uncompromisingly] righteous and His ears are open to their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their distress and troubles. 18 The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly penitent.  Psalms 34:12-18 AMP

The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, but the eyes of the Lord see the uncompromisingly righteous and His ears are open to their cry. The righteous are those who have humbly received the grace of God and who know that they are made righteous only by the grace and mercy of God. They work daily to keep their heart right with God. When the righteous cry for help, the Lord pays attention to them, and delivers them out of all their distress and troubles.

The Lord is [rigidly] righteous in all His ways and gracious and merciful in all His works. 18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him sincerely and in truth. 19 He will fulfill the desires of those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him; He also will hear their cry and will save them.  Psalms 145:17-19 AMP

When you reverently and worshipfully fear the Lord and when you call upon Him sincerely and in truth, He will hear your cry and will save you and fulfill not only your needs, but also your desires.

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

There is a way that seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but at the end of it is the way of death.  Proverbs 16:25 AMP

A man who wanders out of the way of understanding shall abide in the congregation of the spirits (of the dead).  Proverbs 21:16 AMP

The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as are the watercourses; He turns it whichever way He wills. 2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs and tries the hearts.
Proverbs 21:1-2 AMP

When God created man in His image, man was pure and whole. He was completely obedient and submitted to God in everything. Man is a triune (three-part) being – consisting of spirit, soul, and body. Man’s spirit ruled his mind, which ruled his body, and his world was in perfect harmony. When temptation came, and he chose to disobey, the harmony of his world was shattered and sin, rebellion, confusion, and strife were the result. The flame of the life of God that was in man’s heart was now extinguished and darkness began to rule. Everything was subverted and turned upside down. Now man’s body and his passions began to rule and call the shots. Now his body dictated to his mind, which rebelled against his spirit. Instead of the wisdom of God, man now walked in worldly “wisdom,” which is completely dependant on his senses; on what he can see, hear, and feel. That is why so many people make so many bad choices, believing them to be good. They cannot see what God can see. They cannot see into eternity. That is why we need God. He sees and knows those things we cannot and do not see and know. That is why – if we want to succeed and be blessed and enjoy eternal life – we need to trust Him and obey Him by faith.

Man’s steps are ordered by the Lord. How then can a man understand his way?  Proverbs 20:24 AMP

Not only does God see and know your future, not only does He have a specific plan for your life, not only does He desire to use you, but most of all, He wants to bless you! His thoughts and plans for you are for your welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome (Jeremiah 29:11). What He requires of you is that you would completely trust Him – which requires faith on your part – faith in Him, in His nature, His character, and His promises to you. It’s not just about keeping rules and regulations – it’s about trust and submission of the heart to Father God. That’s why faith in Him is so important. You don’t have any idea where you should be going or how to get there. You are utterly dependant on Him. Hebrews 11:6 NKJV says that, “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” God is pleased by your faith because faith produces obedience and obedience opens the door for God to bless you as He desires to do.

The foolishness of man subverts his way [ruins his affairs]; then his heart is resentful and frets against the Lord.  Proverbs 19:3 AMP

The devil does not want you to trust and obey God or to walk in His way. He wants to destroy you through disobedience. First he tempts you with rebellion and disobedience, and when you foolishly follow him and fall flat on your face, he provokes you to blame God and get mad at Him. Doesn’t this sound like some people you know? They are always doing stupid stuff and then when it turns out badly they get mad at God! You want to say to them, “Hey, if you want to find out who your problem is – go look in the mirror!” This is what is known as self-deception. Foolish people are people who are always resentful toward God. They would wise up 100% if they were truthful with themselves and realized that God was not their problem.

The way of the guilty is exceedingly crooked, but as for the pure, his work is right and his conduct is straight.  Proverbs 21:8 AMP

A wicked man puts on the bold, unfeeling face [of guilt], but as for the upright, he considers, directs, and establishes his way [with the confidence of integrity].  Proverbs 21:29 AMP

There are only two ways to go – the straight way or the crooked way. God’s way is a straight, smooth road, lit by the light of His word. It is not complicated – you just choose the right thing and you do the right thing – and you walk straight. When you wander from God’s way, there is no clear path to follow. You end up wandering this way and that way, tripping over stones and rocks and tree roots, losing your way in the dark. In the end you don’t know where you are and you don’t know how to get back. If you ever hope to see the light of day, you desperately need the Lord!

The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; he who guards his way preserves his life.
Proverbs 16:17 AMP

The upright see evil and go around it; they leave temptations alone; they even avoid situations where they could be tempted. They control their thought life and submit it to God and His word. They have set a standard for their life and therefore they already have a plan for avoiding the temptations that may present themselves in the future. Because they have set a standard and guarded their way, they have preserved their life. They have chosen to honor God and they will walk eternally on the road of blessing and life.

“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 he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in). Matthew 6:24 AMP

Jesus says that no man can serve two masters—God and mammon. It’s like a see-saw—when one is up, the other is down; when one is down, the other is up. Mammon is riches—money, possessions, or whatever you trust in or rely upon. You either love mammon and hate God or you are devoted to God and despise mammon. If you have made a choice to serve God, it means that you have made a choice not to serve mammon, but if you have made a choice to serve mammon, it means that you have made a choice not to serve God.

Some people believe that owning money and/or possessions is bad, but God said that everything belongs to Him, so how can it all be bad? What’s bad is when we worship the creation and not the Creator. It’s bad to make stuff your god; your idol. If you have stuff and stuff does not have you, you are in a good place with God. When you recognize that the purpose of the stuff is to meet needs and to advance the Kingdom of God, then you will be able to have it and use it to glorify God not man. Because God loves people so much, He wants every need of man to be met. He wants us to be at peace, with every need met, spirit, soul and body. He wants us to know how much He loves us.

If we know how much He loves us, we will realize how much we have to be thankful for. Everything we have is His—even the next breath you breathe is His. He gave you your very life and breath! When you know how much He loves you, and you know that everything you have is really His, you will have no problem committing it to His care and giving it away to bless someone else. Because you are confident in His love for you, you know that even if you give everything away, you will be okay; you will be provided for; because God will take care of you and get you everything you could possibly need, and then some! If you truly love God with your heart and not just your mouth, then you will want to love and bless God and you will also want to love and bless other people.

The litmus test is whether or not you love God and your neighbor, is whether or not you can give your stuff away without a struggle. When you fall in love with Jesus, you become free from the love of stuff—it is not hard to give Him your stuff or your money. At the same time, the more you give, the easier it is to give. The more you obey God in your giving, the more you trust Him to meet your needs. The more you trust Him as your source and supply, the easier it is to give to Him of your substance. It’s a blessed cycle!

Now the company of believers was of one heart and soul, and not one of them claimed that anything which he possessed was [exclusively] his own, but everything they had was in common and for the use of all. 33 And with great strength and ability and power the apostles delivered their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace (loving-kindness and favor and goodwill) rested richly upon them all. 34 Nor was there a destitute or needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses proceeded to sell them, and one by one they brought (gave back) the amount received from the sales 35 And laid it at the feet of the apostles (special messengers). Then distribution was made according as anyone had need. Acts 4:32-35 AMP

In the Book of Acts, when people were newly saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, they absolutely fell in love with Jesus. Every bit or selfishness and self-centeredness left them. Suddenly, they only wanted to please God. Suddenly, they did not place so high a priority on their money and stuff. They did not think twice about selling things they owned and sharing it with their fellow Christians who had needs, and they did not begrudge it or regret it afterwards. They were happy to do it. They were so in love with Jesus that money and possessions were way down on their list of priorities. We must ask ourselves this question: Is Jesus our FIRST love or is He way down on the list somewhere? If you are not tithing and you are not free in your giving, you need to re-prioritize. Get a revelation of how much God loves you and how much He has done for you and how much He still wants to do for you. God has always been unstintingly generous with us. He has shown us His grace by giving us what we did not deserve and His mercy by not giving us what we did deserve! Freely you have received—freely give!

“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: 2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place — unless you repent. Revelation 2:1-5 NKJV

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

And God spoke all these words, saying: 2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image — any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
7 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
13 “You shall not murder.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
15 “You shall not steal.
16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”
Exodus 20:1-17 NKJV

There are many hundreds of commandments given to God’s people from Exodus to Deuteronomy. All of them can be summed up in just ten main commandments, which can be fulfilled by doing just two things – loving God and loving your neighbor.

And one of their number, a lawyer, asked Him a question to test Him. 36 Teacher, which kind of commandment is great and important (the principal kind) in the Law? [Some commandments are light–which are heavy?] 37 And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect). 38 This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. 40 These two commandments sum up and upon them depend all the Law and the Prophets.  Matthew 22:35-40 AMP

Jesus said that the Law and the Prophets all depend on, and are fulfilled by, these two commandments and these two commandments sum up all the others. God is love. He loves us unconditionally and all He asks is that we would love Him in return. We show our love for the Lord by obeying Him and His word. He loves each and every one of us so much and He expects us to show love to one another. Many people do things in the name of love that are not love – they are manipulative and controlling. If it is selfish, it is not love. Love is unselfish; love gives; there is no fear in love. If in everything you do, you demonstrate your love, honor and respect for the Lord, and your love and caring for people – then you will not break any of the commandments and you will have fulfilled the Law.

Keep out of debt and owe no man anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor [who practices loving others] has fulfilled the Law [relating to one’s fellowmen, meeting all its requirements]. 9 The commandments, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet (have an evil desire), and any other commandment, are summed up in the single command, You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. 10 Love does no wrong to one’s neighbor [it never hurts anybody]. Therefore love meets all the requirements and is the fulfilling of the Law.   Romans 13:8-10 AMP

I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another. 35 By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples, if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves].  John 13:34-35 AMP

Romans 5:5 says that the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. As believers, washed in the blood of Jesus, we have no excuse not to walk in the love of God. Not only have we been placed into fellowship with God, but we also have a relationship with Him. If we want to continue in unbroken fellowship with Him and if we want to maintain our relationship with Him, then we would be wise to not do anything to jeopardize that relationship. If we love God, we will do things that please Him so that we can have a good, clear conscience and be able to come into His presence with no sense of guilt or condemnation.