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

Foundation Scripture:

Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. 13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. 14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel. Joshua 10:12-14 KJV

1. The Lord Fights for Us – the Battle is the Lord’s

a. October 2008 – Phoenix, Arizona

b. Tell the church to speak to the sun

c. Fasting, prayer, and intercession

d. Pray and speak

e. Luke 19:12-13 KJV – He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

2. The Great Commission:

a. Preach, teach, and demonstrate

b. Mark 16:15-16

c. God confirms His word with signs following

d. Preach, teach, and demonstrate – in that order

3. This is How We Take Territory:

a. Preaching the Gospel brings conversion

b. Teaching the word grows believers – disciples – followers of Jesus

c. When we take territory, the devil uses territory – we do this by changing and transforming hearts

d. This happens by every believer taking their place in the kingdom

e. Each one reach one

f. Each one teach one

g. Make disciples

h. When the lost at any cost

4. We are Living in the Last of the Last Days:

a. Acts 2:1-22

b. Matthew 24:36-51

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 24:36-51 KJV

5. The Parable of the Five Wise and the Five Foolish:

a. Matthew 25:1-14

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. Matthew 25:1-14 KJV

b. We must be ready

c. Could it be that 50% are not ready?

d. Do not be like the foolish virgins – make sure there is oil in your lamp

e. Be full of the Holy Spirit and on fire for Jesus

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

Also I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. Psalms 89:27 AMP

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
John 11:25-26 NKJV

Jesus was the firstborn from the dead. He was not the firstborn from physical death, because Lazarus and others had already been raised up from the dead before Him—He was the firstborn from spiritual death. We were cut off from God, in need of a Savior, so He took our place. We were with Him in His death, burial and resurrection. We were with Him when He took our death and gave us His life. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Because He died and was raised from the dead, we too can receive this resurrection life if we believe.

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. 19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight. Colossians 1:13-22 NKJV

Jesus is the firstborn over all creation and He is also the Head and beginning of the Church—the firstborn from the dead. Because He passed from death into life, we can also be born again, born anew, into the family of God, be reconciled to God and made holy and blameless in His sight.

So it is with the resurrection of the dead. [The body] that is sown is perishable and decays, but [the body] that is resurrected is imperishable (immune to decay, immortal). 43 It is sown in dishonor and humiliation; it is raised in honor and glory. It is sown in infirmity and weakness; it is resurrected in strength and endued with power. 44 It is sown a natural (physical) body; it is raised a supernatural (a spiritual) body. [As surely as] there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, The first man Adam became a living being (an individual personality); the last Adam (Christ) became a life-giving Spirit [restoring the dead to life]. 46 But it is not the spiritual life which came first, but the physical and then the spiritual. 47 The first man [was] from out of earth, made of dust (earthly-minded); the second Man [is] the Lord from out of heaven. 48 Now those who are made of the dust are like him who was first made of the dust (earthly-minded); and as is [the Man] from heaven, so also [are those] who are of heaven (heavenly-minded). 49 And just as we have borne the image [of the man] of dust, so shall we and so let us also bear the image [of the Man] of heaven. 1 Corinthians 15:42-49 AMP

The first man, Adam, was created alive unto God, but sin caused him to be cut off from God. He died spiritually and then he died physically. The second Adam, Jesus, was born into a physical body and alive unto God. He made the sacrifice, died spiritually and physically, and rose up again into life—never to be touched by death again. Because we are born again, we will never die. Jesus became like us, so we could become like Him.

For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was aware and loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren. 30 And those whom He thus foreordained, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified (acquitted, made righteous, putting them into right standing with Himself). And those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or state of being]. Romans 8:29-30 AMP

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. Hebrews 12:22-24 NKJV

Jesus was not just the firstborn, He was the firstborn among MANY brethren! Starting with the disciples, we are all the secondborn, thirdborn, etc., all the way to millions and millions born again. We are the Church of the Firstborn—born into the Kingdom of God!

And from Jesus Christ the faithful and trustworthy Witness, the Firstborn of the dead [first to be brought back to life] and the Prince (Ruler) of the kings of the earth. To Him Who ever loves us and has once [for all] loosed and freed us from our sins by His own blood, 6 And formed us into a kingdom (a royal race), priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the power and the majesty and the dominion throughout the ages and forever and ever. Amen (so be it). Revelation 1:5-6 AMP