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COVENANT OF PEACE

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

Sing, o barren one, you who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who did not travail with child! For the [spiritual] children of the desolate one will be more than the children of the married wife, says the Lord. 2 Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; spare not; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes, 3 For you will spread abroad to the right hand and to the left; and your offspring will possess the nations and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. 4 Fear not, for you shall not be ashamed; neither be confounded and depressed, for you shall not be put to shame. For you shall forget the shame of your youth, and you shall not [seriously] remember the reproach of your widowhood any more. 5 For your Maker is your Husband–the Lord of hosts is His name–and the Holy one of Israel is your Redeemer; the God of the whole earth He is called. 6 For the Lord has called you like a woman forsaken, grieved in spirit, and heartsore–even a wife [wooed and won] in youth, when she is [later] refused and scorned, says your God. 7 For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion and mercy I will gather you [to Me] again. 8 In a little burst of wrath I hid My face from you for a moment, but with age-enduring love and kindness I will have compassion and mercy on you, says the Lord, your Redeemer. 9 For this is like the days of Noah to Me; as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I will not be angry with you or rebuke you. 10 For though the mountains should depart and the hills be shaken or removed, yet My love and kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace and completeness be removed, says the Lord, Who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:1-10 AMP

Because of God’s great love for us, He has made a covenant with us to take care of us: to bless us, protect us, and provide for us. Covenants are never one-sided. They require the active participation of both parties in order to be in force. The Bible says that God has never ever broken a covenant. That means that it has always been man who broke the covenant. Thank God that He sent Jesus to cut an unbreakable covenant. Jesus, representing God, and Jesus, representing man, cut the covenant and sealed it in His own blood. He will never break this covenant and so it is an eternal covenant.

There are many times that men have let God down and out-rightly rebelled against and defied Him. He had every reason to be angry with them and leave them to be destroyed by the devil. You see, the devil is the destroyer. God is the only One who can save you from him. God has put boundaries and limits on the devil. He cannot violate your free will and he only has the power over you that you have given him. The devil is a liar and a thief. His plan is to keep you ignorant of the Word of God and ignorant of his own devices so that he can attack and destroy you. The devil hates you because you are God’s crowning creation. God created you and He loves you. You are His precious treasure!

But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness and truth. Psalms 86:15 AMP

For His anger is but for a moment, but His favor is for a lifetime or in His favor is life. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

Psalms 30:5 AMP

It takes a lot to make God angry and it takes a long time to make God angry, and even if He does finally get really angry, it takes very little for Him to turn around and show His mercy once more.

As a father loves and pities his children, so the Lord loves and pities those who fear Him [with reverence, worship, and awe]. 14 For He knows our frame, He [earnestly] remembers and imprints [on His heart] that we are dust. Psalms 103:13-14 AMP

God is so kind and loving and understanding with us. He is aware how fragile we are. He knows what we go through living in this body of flesh (dust).

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. Hebrews 4:15 AMP

Jesus is our High Priest who has walked in our shoes. He has been through want we have been through; He has been tempted with the same things we have been tempted with. He knows us and He understands us. Because He loves us, He has compassion on us. He promised that if we will just turn to him and not away from Him that, no matter what happens, His love and kindness will never depart from us, neither shall His covenant of peace and completeness be removed.

 

The Church – Preaching, Teaching And Making Disciples

Worship Soundtracks from RMIRiverSong on Vimeo.

The mission of the local church is: Preaching and teaching; Making disciples; Fellowship; Worship; Missions and evangelism; Maturity of the believer; Ministry in the home; Ministry to material needs.

Preaching and teaching:

In Mark 16:15, Mark records that Jesus commanded the Church to preach the Gospel and in Matthew’s account, He emphasizes the teaching mission of the church (Matthew 28:19-20).

We can see in the book of Acts that the Church did what Jesus told them to do – to both preach and teach:
• Acts 5:42 NKJV – And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
• Acts 2:42 Kenneth S. Wuest – And they were giving constant attention to the teaching of the apostles and to that which they held in common with them, and to the breaking of the bread and to the gatherings where prayers to God were offered.
• Acts 11:25-26 NKJV – Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. 26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
• Acts 15:35 NKJV – Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
• Acts 18:11 NKJV – And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
• Acts 20:20-21 NKJV – How I kept back nothing that was helpful, buts proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, 21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
• Acts 28:30-31 NKJV – Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, 31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.

Preach means to herald; to proclaim; to publish. Preaching serves to both recruit and motivate the hearer. Through preaching, new babes are born into the family of God. Teach means to disciple, to instruct; to impart skill, knowledge or comprehension to. Teaching is the maturing ministry of the Church. Through teaching, the babes grow up and are matured from drinking milk to eating strong meat.

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?  1 Corinthians 3:1-3 NKJV

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Hebrews 5:12-14 NKJV

Making disciples:

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.  Matthew 28:19-20 KJV

The Greek word translated “teach” is matheteuo, from mathetes, which means “disciple.” The Church is commanded by Jesus to teach – or disciple – all nations. Discipling involves teaching, but is more than just teaching – it is setting and leading by example. You can tell someone how to do it, but showing them is so much more effective. People learn a little by what you say, more by what you do and the most by who you are! Those who merely teach, have pupils, but those who disciple, make followers.

For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. 6 And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. 8 For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything.  1 Thessalonians 1:5-8 NKJV

The Church must teach God’s word, live God’s word and demonstrate God’s word. This requires that they personally submit themselves to the Word and the Spirit and allow God to do a work in them and through them. Always point people to God and His word, not to yourself; lift Jesus up; glorify the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.

Disciple by word and deed:
• 1 Timothy 4:12 AMP – Let no one despise or think less of you because of your youth, but be an example (pattern) for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.
• 1 Corinthians 11:1 AMP – Pattern yourselves after me [follow my example], as I imitate and follow Christ (the Messiah).
• Ephesians 5:1 AMP – Therefore be imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father].
• Philippians 3:17 AMP – Brethren, together follow my example and observe those who live after the pattern we have set for you.

The local church will be strong when its members – under a Spirit-filled ministry – learn from one another, grow together and strengthen one another.

Children are a Blessing of the Lord

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

The king [David] shall joy in Your strength, O Lord; and in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! 2 You have given him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah [pause, and think of that]! 3 For You send blessings of good things to meet him; You set a crown of pure gold on his head. 4 He asked life of You, and You gave it to him–long life forever and evermore. 5 His glory is great because of Your aid; splendor and majesty You bestow upon him. 6 For You make him to be blessed and a blessing forever; You make him exceedingly glad with the joy of Your presence. Psalms 21:1-6 AMP

Because King David obeyed and honored God, God greatly blessed and favored him. We are also blessed through David—through David’s Seed: Jesus. If God does it for one, He will do it for all. If God made David blessed and a blessing then He has made us also blessed and a blessing. All we need to do is to obey and honor God, like David did, believe that God’s Word is true for us personally, and act like it is true! If God says that we are blessed and a blessing, then that means that our children are also blessed and a blessing!

Blessed shall be the fruit of your body and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your beasts, the increase of your cattle and the young of your flock.  Deuteronomy 28:4 AMP

God promised that many blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you heed the voice of the Lord your God. The fruit of your body are your children. One of God’s promises to you is that He will bless your children.

For He has strengthened and made hard the bars of your gates, and He has blessed your children within you.  Psalms 147:13 AMP

Your children are blessed even before they are born. This is a promise that you can hold onto—that God’s hand of protection and provision will be upon your children even in the womb. Some people treat their children like they are a burden or a curse, but God calls them a blessing! You must see your children as God sees them—blessed and a blessing!

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. 5 Happy, blessed, and fortunate is the man whose quiver is filled with them! They will not be put to shame when they speak with their adversaries [in gatherings] at the [city’s] gate.  Psalms 127:3-5 AMP

Children are a heritage and a reward from the Lord. If you love and obey God, you can stand on this promise and ask Him for children! You are blessed if you have a bunch of them—not cursed. Also, God promised that if you do things His way, your children will grow up to be both good and godly and that they will contribute to society, not be detrimental, to themselves or others, or be an embarrassment to your family. Children have a way of fulfilling their parent’s expectations. Appreciate and value your children as gifts from God and expect them to have the right attitude and to do the right thing. Most importantly, you need to lead by example.

Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is everyone who fears, reveres, and worships the Lord, who walks in His ways and lives according to His commandments. 2 For you shall eat [the fruit] of the labor of your hands; happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) shall you be, and it shall be well with you. 3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the innermost parts of your house; your children shall be like olive plants round about your table. 4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord. 5 May the Lord bless you out of Zion [His sanctuary], and may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life; 6 Yes, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!  Psalms 128:1-6 AMP

If you worship and obey God, and teach your children to do the same, He will bless your whole family. Your children will be solid, secure, and prosperous. Even your grand-children will be greatly blessed and you will live to enjoy their company.

If your children will keep My covenant and My testimony that I shall teach them, their children also shall sit upon your throne forever.  Psalms 132:12 AMP

Children are a precious gift—too precious to spoil. You are not a blessing to your child if you are neglectful or abusive, but neither are you a blessing to them if you give them everything for nothing and make them think that they are the center of the universe. They must learn to respect authority—yours and God’s—and they must learn that the most important thing in life is that they learn to always please God and obey Him. In this way, your children will always be blessed of the Lord.

Why We Worship Him

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

Foundation Scriptures: Luke 19:29-40

And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. 31 And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.'” 32 So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them. 33 But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, “Why are you loosing the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of him.”35 Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him. 36 And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road. 37 Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, 38 saying: “‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! ‘Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” 40 But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”  Luke 19:29-40 NKJV

1. The reason we worship.

  • They threw their garments over the colt and sat Jesus upon it.
  • They spread their garments on the road in front of Him.
  • The whole multitude of disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice.

They praised Him for all the mighty works they had seen!

  • They said—Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! ‘Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!
  • The Pharisees asked Jesus to rebuke His disciples.
  • Jesus told them—If they keep silent, the stones will immediately cry out!

2. We praise Him and worship Him—with no restraint or reservation—lifting up our hands; our hearts; our voices—giving Him our all.

Because…

  • He is our Savior.
  • He is our Deliverer.
  • He is our Healer.
  • He is the Baptizer in the Holy Ghost and Fire.
  • He is our Righteousness.
  • He is our Protector.
  • He is our Shepherd.
  • He is our Provider.
  • He is our Rock; our Shelter; our All in All.
  • He is our Lord and King.

We cannot be quiet about Him!

3. We must shout it from the mountain-tops to the roof-tops until the whole world knows!

If they could wave palm branches and throw their clothes at His feet and raise their voices in praise and adoration to His Name…
…how much more should we worship—we who have been redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb and have the Holy Spirit in us to help us worship!

4. Why people don’t worship.

  • They are worshipping other things—worshipping idols.
  • Idols of TV; sport; movies; possessions; their bellies; etc.
  • Worship—you know what you worship—it’s what you give your time, attention and money to.
  • Idol worship is rife in the 21st century church.

It’s time to worship the King! It’s time to praise Him! It’s time to give Him glory!

Jesus is my Healer

I believe for God to heal everybody. If I didn’t believe that, I wouldn’t preach. I believe that the day is coming soon when people will come into the presence of God crippled, broken, bruised, tattered and torn, and every single one will be healed. Every single sinner in the house will get saved. Every single backslider in the house will come back to God. And everyone who is possessed or tormented by demons will be gloriously set free.

 

Need more? Look at Matthew 14:14: Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion towards them, and he healed their sick. And how about Matthew 14:34-36?  And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.

 

And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased; And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched him were made perfectly whole.

 

I didn’t write this, Matthew did! Now look a little farther at Matthew 15:30-31: And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them:

 

Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see.” and they glorified the God of Israel Now down to Matthew 19:2: And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.

 

Go to Matthew 21:14:

And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. Here’s the bottom line for healing: you have to believe the truth of the Word of God and hide it in your heart. You must have your faith built in God and established in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Healer.

 

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore.

PSALM 125:1-2 NIV

 

You’ve got to get it into your heart, “Jesus is my Healer.” Even if those are the last words out of your mouth on your deathbed, it’s better to go saying, “Jesus is my Healer,” than just capitulating and going out filled with doubt and unbelief, saying, “Maybe He’s not my Healer.” You don’t know that you won’t be raised up from your so-called deathbed because you would not give up on God’s promises.

 

“Okay,” you say. “Jesus healed back then, and it’s wonderful that He wants to heal today. It’s also wonderful that He’s the Great Physician, but how in the world does this relate to me?” Friend, that’s where you’ve got to grab hold of what I’m saying and realize that the Bible is not talking to anybody else.

 

God is talking to you. His Word is for you. Are you born again? Are you washed in the blood? Is Jesus your Lord and Savior? Then healing is yours. Healing belongs to you. Healing is the children’s bread, and you are God’s child. Healing belongs to you! It’s yours. It’s your birthright. It’s not something you have to pay for. It’s not something you have to beg for. It’s yours. You have a new physician today— Jesus, M.D.

 

Maybe you have already been healed, but you wonder, “How can I walk in God’s healing power all the time?” This is an easy one: Start praying for the sick. When you pray for the sick, you activate God’s healing power in your own life, and it becomes a living reality to you.

 

Make a point of finding somebody who’s sick and lay hands on them. God’s healing power, the same healing power that went through you to them, will start quickening your mortal body and become a living reality on the inside of you. I guarantee that if you make this a way of life, you will walk in the revelation that you are healed and Jesus is your Healer.

BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit. 19 Speak out to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, offering praise with voices [and instruments] and making melody with all your heart to the Lord, 20 At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.  
Ephesians 5:18-20

To Be Filled With The Spirit You Must Be Empty

  • Empty yourself of yourself.
  • Empty yourself of sin.
  • Things of the world
  • Desires that are not of God
  • Deal with the things of the past; cut them off

Colossians 3:5 AMP – So kill (deaden, deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God).   

  • Once you empty yourself you must do something about filling yourself up.

You Must Be Thirsty

  • If you hunger and thirst after righteousness you will be filled, if you draw nigh unto me.
  • Matthew 5:6 AMP – Blessed and fortunate and happy and spiritually prosperous (in that state in which the born-again child of God enjoys His favor and salvation) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God), for they shall be completely satisfied!
  • James 4:8a AMP – Come close to God and He will come close to you.
  • As the deer panteth for the water.

Psalms 42:1 AMP – As the hart pants and longs for the water brooks, so I pant and long for You, O God.

You Must Be Hungry

  • Spiritual appetite—develop it
  • How can you be filled with the Spirit when you are filled with everything else?
  • Spiritual junk food
  • Isaiah 55:1  (Message Bible)  “Hey there! All who are thirsty, come to the water! Are you penniless? Come anyway—buy and eat! Come, buy your drinks, buy wine and milk. Buy without money—everything’s free! Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy? Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best; fill yourself with only the finest. Pay attention, come close now, listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words.


You Must Come Expecting To Be Filled

  • Filled with the New Wine
  • Filled with the Holy Spirit—filled with God Himself
  • Ephesians 3:19 AMP – [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]! 



You Must Allow the Lord To Fill You

  • With joy shall ye draw forth water out of the wells of Salvation.
  • Isaiah 12:3 AMP – Therefore with joy will you draw water from the wells of salvation.
  • We have all been made to drink unto one Spirit.
  • 1 Corinthians 12:13 AMP – For by [means of the personal agency of] one [Holy] Spirit we were all, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, baptized [and by baptism united together] into one body, and all made to drink of one [Holy] Spirit.


You Must Give Out So That You Can Start The Whole Process Again

  • Empty, thirsty & hungry, expectation, allow God to fill you—give out.
  • But be ye being filled
  • Constantly filled and emptied, filled and emptied…
  • Ephesians 5:18 AMP – And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit.

STAY HUNGRY & THIRSTY

Blessings of Scripture

Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet

incense,

Exodus 25:6

 

Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon

his head, and anoint him.

Exodus 29:7

 

And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar,

and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron,

and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon

the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be

hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’

garments with him.

Exodus 29:21

 

And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an

ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it

shall be an holy anointing oil.

Exodus 30:25

 

And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel,

saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me

throughout your generations.

Exodus 30:31

 

And the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy

place: according to all that I have commanded thee

shall they do.

Exodus 31:11

 

And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and

for the sweet incense,

Exodus 35:8

 

And the incense altar, and his staves, and the anointing

oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the

door at the entering in of the tabernacle,

Exodus 35:15

 

And spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing

oil, and for the sweet incense.

Exodus 35:28

 

And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure

incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the

apothecary.

Exodus 37:29

 

And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the

sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door,

Exodus 39:38

 

And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the

tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it,

and all the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy.

Exodus 40:9

 

And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their

father, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s

office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting

priesthood throughout their generations.

Exodus 40:15

 

This is the portion of the anointing of Aaron, and of

the anointing of his sons, out of the offerings of the

Lord made by fire, in the day when he presented them

to minister unto the Lord in the priest’s office;

Leviticus 7:35

 

Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments,

and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin

offering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened

bread;

Leviticus 8:2

 

And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the

tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified

them.

Leviticus 8:10

 

And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron’s head,

and anointed him, to sanctify him.

Leviticus 8:12

 

And Moses took of the anointing oil, and of the blood

which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron,

and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon

his sons’ garments with him; and sanctified Aaron, and

his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments

with him.

Leviticus 8:30

 

And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle

of the congregation, lest ye die: for the anointing oil of

the Lord is upon you. And they did according to the

word of Moses.

Leviticus 10:7

 

And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon

whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is

consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover

his head, nor rend his clothes;

Leviticus 21:10

 

Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane

the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the

anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the Lord.

Leviticus 21:12

 

And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest

pertaineth the oil for the light, and the sweet incense,

and the daily meat offering, and the anointing oil, and

the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that

therein is, in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof.

Numbers 4:16

 

And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have

given thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all

the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto they

have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to

thy sons, by an ordinance for ever.

Numbers 18:8

 

And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden

shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his

yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be

destroyed because of the anointing.

Isaiah 10:27

 

Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of

the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him

with oil in the name of the Lord:

James 5:14

 

But the anointing which ye have received of him

abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach

you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all

things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath

taught you, ye shall abide in him.

1 John 2:27

 

 

What Are You Made Of?

It is in that place of hardness, in the beginning of

the ministry that you see what you are made of. A grape

does not produce juice until it is squeezed. You cannot

have grape juice and wine, until you squeeze the grape.

Some people need to go through a little bit of pressure to

produce. Sometimes they get into trouble because of their

own stupidity. At other times, the hard place is where

they develop character.

 

The Bible says God tested Abraham. Also in

Jesus’ ministry He was led by the Holy Ghost into the

wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Some people don’t

understand how it is possible that the Holy Spirit will do

that. But God wants to see what you are made of before

He entrusts something great to you.

 

Nebuchadnezzar learned what the three Hebrew

boys were made of when he put them in the burning, fiery

furnace. They found out what Daniel was made of when

they put him in the lions’ den.

 

You Have to Start at ABC to Get to XYZ

 

So many people want to start at point Z but they

won’t start at A. Until you are ready for ABC, you can’t

get to XYZ. Be faithful with the little God gives you. It

might take five, ten, twenty, thirty or forty years to see it

come to pass, but have the stickability.

 

Stay with what God has called you to do,

irrespective of the rain, the sun, the snow, the winter, the

summer, the spring, irrespective of adversity, trials,

tribulations, and heartaches. Remain constant. Operate in

the fruit of patience and continue in what God has called

you to do. It will be a process, but God will move you

into a place where the ministry will come forth and into

maturity.

 

Kathryn Kuhlman went through hell and back

before her great ministry was born. She experienced

many failures and many hours of loneliness. She said that

she knew the day and time when Kathryn Kuhlman died.

Many people think they are out there and no one

recognizes them, but God knows and He sees. He looks

upon the heart. He is looking for a yielded and a willing

vessel.

 

There Is a Time to Come Forth

 

It is almost like a lady who becomes pregnant.

She would love to have the baby immediately, because it

will save her a lot of problems. We have had three

children. I’ve been with my wife during every birth. So I

know what my wife went through. It would have been

much easier to have all three at one time. It would have

taken nine months instead of twenty-seven.

 

As much as that lady wants to have her baby, she

has to wait for the time for the baby to come forth. When

a baby is born prematurely, it must be placed in an

incubator in intensive care. In the case of extremely

premature babies, their lungs are underdeveloped and the

child has less chance of surviving.

 

It is the same with ministries. People have tried to

give birth to a ministry prematurely and it doesn’t last
long. It will last a year, two years, or perhaps five years,

and then fade away into nothingness.

 

Two Kinds of Ministries

 

There are two kinds of ministries in the earth

today. There are the shooting star ministries that will

come in a blaze of glory and disappear or blow up. Then

there are the ministries that are solid, like the North Star.

 

They will stand the storms of life. They will stand when

everything else around is falling, when other ministries

are quitting, when people are pulling out of the ministry,

when the persecution gets hot. They will stand when they

clamp down even more on the television preachers, when

they mock the preachers in the newspapers and the

media.

 

These are men of God who will say, “We are not

going to compromise! We’ll not back down on the

healing ministry! We are not going to back down on

casting out devils! We are going to arise and boldly

proclaim the Word of God in Jesus’ name! It doesn’t

matter if they end up locking us in jail. It doesn’t matter if

we go to a foreign field and we give our lives there. Let it

be so. We will obey the call of God!” These are the kind

of people God is looking for.

 

THE HEART

Foundation Scriptures: Romans 8:14–16 and Proverbs 20:27

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For [the Spirit which] you have now received [is] not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing sonship] in [the bliss of] which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father! 16 The Spirit Himself [thus] testifies together with our own spirit, [assuring us] that we are children of God.
Romans 8:14-16 AMP

The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.  Proverbs 20:27 KJV

1. God will enlighten us and guide us through our spirits

a. The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly. The AMP says, “The spirit of man [that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately from God] is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.”
b. The spirit of man ­—the heart—is the lamp of the Lord. This means that God will lead you by His Spirit in your spirit.
c. Only when your heart is right and pure, can you trust what your heart is telling you. Only then can you
clearly hear and surely trust the Spirit’s leading and guidance through your spirit.
How God speaks to you:
• Still small voice.
• His Word.
• Confirmation through two or three witnesses.
• Dreams, visions, and an audible voice.

2. The Inward Witness

a. Under the Old Covenant, people were not born again; the Holy Spirit did not yet live IN them.
They needed the guidance of a prophet.
b. Under the New Covenant, God lives in US. We are sons of God, led by the Spirit of God.
c. The inward witness or inward intuition can be described as either: a check, a red light, or a stop signal
for NO and a peace, an assurance, a go-ahead signal for YES.
d. Immature believers (and carnal people) tend to look for manifestations and the spectacular to lead them,
but the inward witness is just as supernatural as guidance through visions etc.
e. That inward witness will lead you into the will of God and the blessing of God. Many have become
millionaires, just by following their heart.
f.  You know you are a child of God, not because someone prophesied it, or because you had a vision, or
because you feel like it, but because of that inward witness.
g. Some people are looking for outward signs to lead them:
• People put out fleeces like Gideon.
• Sometimes God will allow a fleece for a baby
Christian, but it is not His perfect will for you to
be led like this.
• Be careful you don’t get “fleeced” by the devil.
He can also maneuver your circumstances.

3. The Inward Voice

a. The spirit man has a voice, just as the physical man has a voice.
• The voice of the body is feelings.
• The voice of the soul is reason.
• The voice of the spirit is your conscience.
b. It is a still, small voice.
c. 1 John 3:20-21 NKJV says, “For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all
things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.”
d. You know when you have done something wrong—your own heart will tell you.
e. Listen to your heart—your conscience. Stay sensitive.

4. The Voice of the Holy Spirit

a. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter: our Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and
Standby.
b. When the Holy Spirit speaks, it is more authoritative. It might be so loud that you will think someone
near you said it. When God called Samuel, he thought it was Eli.
c. When the Holy Spirit directs you, it will always be in line with the Word of God.
d. If it does not line up with the Word of God, then it is not the Spirit of God.
e. God’s Word is His will; God’s Word is your plumb line.
f. Many people are doing crazy things under the guise of being led by the Spirit. They are not hearing
from God—they are listening to their head—their carnal mind—and being moved by circumstances.
Romans 8:6a AMP says, “Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit]
is death.”
g. Always judge what you hear. Ask yourself:
• Does this line up with the Word of God
• Does it glorify Jesus?
h. Make God’s Word your final authority.
i. Warning: Don’t go after voices to speak aloud to you. The devil may just accommodate you.
j. Paul listened to the voice of the Holy Spirit in Acts 27:9-10, when he warned them, saying, “Men, I
perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also
our lives.” Even though, they did not believe him, later, also by the Holy Spirit, he told them how they
would be saved and what to do to be saved from dying in the storm.
k. We must be controlled by, manipulated by, and stimulated by the Holy Spirit.
l.  Let peace be your umpire (Colossians 3:15 AMP).

5. Five Things You Need to do to Train and Develop Your
Human Spirit

  1. Give the Word of God first place in your life (Proverbs 4:20)
  2. Meditate in the Word (Joshua 1:8)
  3. Practice the Word. Be a doer of the Word. (James 1:22)
  4. Pray in the Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:14-15)
  5. Learn and decide to instantly obey the voice of the Holy Spirit in your spirit.

WE ARE STEWARDS

Thoughts on Stewardship  – Lesson No. 12 from Genesis

We are Stewards of What God Has Given to Us
Foundation Scriptures: Genesis 1:26–28

 

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, accord­ing to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:26-28 NKJV

1. God said, “Let us make man in our own image and let him have dominion.” God gave man stewardship over the earth and everything in it.

a. We are not here on earth by accident, but by divine design.

b. You and I are placed here on this earth by God as stewards of the earth and we must give an account of that which has been entrusted to us.

2. Our stewardship covers the earth and everything in it:

a. We have been given authority over the creatures of the earth and over the earth itself. With this authority comes the responsibility as well. You cannot have one without the other. A person who wants authority without responsibility is a dictator. A person who takes the responsibility without exercising authority will be frustrated in their efforts. There is not any one person who can take dominion over the entire earth, but we can all take authority and responsibility for that which God gives us and administer it wisely.

b. We must take dominion. God told us to populate the earth and subdue it. We are here to bless the earth—not to destroy it or each other! God placed more than enough resources in the earth to meet every need. Then why do people lack? Why are they poverty stricken? Because of wickedness and spiritual darkness. When people bow their knee to Almighty God, blessing and prosperity come to them. Ungodly people are greedy and covetous and will not share with others, but godly people do what they can to be a blessing, and are blessed in return.

c. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve exercised their faith to achieve their goals. After the Fall, they had to do it with their own hands, by the sweat of their brow. The devil stole the authority and dominion with which they were entrusted. Jesus bought back the dominion and authority that was man’s in the Garden and returned it into the hands of His blood-washed believers. You need to know what authority is available to you and you need to exercise that authority by faith, just as Adam did! God promises to bless the work of your hands. If you do things God’s way and if you look to Him for guidance, He will prosper your way.

3. God will bless the work of our hands if we busy ourselves with His eternal purposes.

a. We will give account of what we do with our time.

b. We will give an account of what we do with our talents.

c. We will give an account of what we do with our treasure.

d. We will give an account of what we do with our tongue.

N.B. God has entrusted much to us—it is vital that we take dominion over and be good stewards of what He has placed in our hands.

Pastor Adonica’s Thoughts:

God has given us ALL things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). God has given us resources—tangible and intangible; abilities and things—and with them come authority, and responsibility. We are given stewardship in order to be a BLESSING—not so we can selfishly take advantage. 1 John 3:17 AMP says, “But if anyone has this world’s goods (resources for sustaining life) and sees his brother and fellow believer in need, yet closes his heart of compassion against him, how can the love of God live and remain in him?” Use what you have to be a blessing not a hindrance. Don’t allow the devil to lie to you and tempt you to be selfish and fearful. Realize that God has provided everything you will ever need and all you need to do is to obey Him in your giving and receiving. God cannot increase you until you obey and give out. Be a blessing wherever you can and then use your faith to receive from the Lord all that you need.

Pastor Rodney’s Thoughts:

We must realize that we only have one life to live and that we must to redeem the time, because the days are evil. You and I are stewards, because God has placed talents in each of our hands, for which we will need to give an account at the Judgment Seat of Christ. One of these “talents” is our money. What are we doing with it? How much of it is being used for the Kingdom and for eternity? The choices we make now make a difference, not only personally, but to many, many other people. This includes things you do and things you don’t do that you could or should do. These choices could affect generations. Let’s take stock of our life and choices today and purpose to use our finances wisely from now on. It is vital that you obey God and tithe (10%) of your income to the Kingdom and then give offerings, over and above your tithe, as you have purposed in your heart and with the Lord’s leading. Everyone needs to fulfill their obligation back to the Gospel.

Prayer and Confession:

Father, help me to be a good steward of all that you have placed in my hands so that on that day I might not be found wanting! I purpose to be a good steward of that which God has placed in my hands.