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

2 Chronicles 24:14  (KJV)
14And when they had finished it, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made vessels for the house of the LORD, even vessels to minister, and to offer withal, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. [And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada.]

Under the Old Covenant, God used certain material things to represent spiritual things or principles. In the Temple, there were vessels specifically designed and intended for serving and worshipping God. Under the New Covenant, we are the vessels who serve and worship God, anywhere we go. The vessels used in the temple were holy and sanctified. We should be holy and sanctified and we will be – if we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us.

Ezra 6:5  (KJV)
5And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God.

We, God’s creation, were designed and intended to worship Him, not other gods or the devil. We function at our best in the place that God intended for us. Everything else is frustration and torment.

Romans 9:20-25  (KJV)
20Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 22What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, 24Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? 25As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.

People use this passage of scripture to say that God ordains our way in a manner that leaves us with no choice. They say that God is the one who sovereignly chooses to use us for good purposes or bad, but that is a misrepresentation of scripture. If you read the entire passage in Romans (we do not have space for the whole chapter here), you will see that God is talking about and defending His mercy – extended toward the Gentiles, the heathen, the ungodly – not just toward the Jew. In verse 22, you will see that God did not desire or plan to have destructive, evil vessels on the earth, but rather He bore their evil doing with patience and long suffering. It is not that God does not have a specific plan for our lives – He does. God has planned for all of us to be vessels of mercy, prepared for glory. We choose whether or not to be what God intends for us to be.

2 Timothy 2:19-22  (KJV)
19Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 20But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 21If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. 22Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Being either a mud pot or a fine golden vessel is our choice. We change from the ignoble to the noble as we purge our lives from sin and the crud of the world.

2 Corinthians 4:6-7  (KJV)
6For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Our vessel (body) may be made of earth, but as we yield to God and His presence and power in our lives, we shine forth His glory. We are golden vessels when we are yielded vessels.

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

Job 3:25  (NKJ)

25 For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me.

Job did not have problems because God is mean—Job had problems because he operated in fear. He sacrificed to God all the time for his children because he was fearful for them—that they would sin and disown God in their hearts. God put a hedge of protection around Job, but his fear caused the hedge to come down and the devil was able to attack him. Later, Job repented for his attitude and for the wrong words he had spoken in his ignorance.

Jeremiah 42:16  (NKJ)

16 ‘then it shall be that the sword which you feared shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt; the famine of which you were afraid shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there you shall die.

Do not operate in fear, because you open the doors for that thing you fear to come upon you. For example, some people are terrified of cancer and yet they end  up getting cancer. As Christians who fear God, we have God’s hand of protection upon our lives, but we can remove ourselves from that protection— by our fear.

2 Hebrews 2:14-15  (NKJ)

14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Fear of death brings bondage. Any kind of fear brings bondage—even if  it is an unwarranted and unreasonable fear. Fear doesn’t have to be based on anything real to keep people in bondage. Most of the time, the fear that people have—is totally unnecessary. It does not help them or make their situation better, but rather, worse.

II Kings 17:38-39  (NKJ)

38 “And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods.

39 “But the LORD your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”

The only person we are to fear is God and even then, it is not a scared fear, but a reverential fear.

Deuteronomy 31:6  (NKJ)

6 “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One       who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Joshua 10:25  (NKJ)

25 Then Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”

God is on our side. He fights for us. He is always there for us. He never lets us down. No matter how great the enemy appears to be, God will defeat them on our behalf—if we will walk in faith— not fear— if we will have courage and trust completely in Him.

I John 4:18  (NKJ)

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

When we operate in fear—we are tormented. When we have confidence in the great love that God for us, we can rest in the palm of His hand. His wings cover us. The Lord is our hiding place and His angels watch over us.

2 Timothy 1:7  (NIV)

7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Fear has no place in the life of a believer. When God places His Spirit in us, He gives us a spirit of power, love and self-discipline. Let the Spirit of God flood your heart and rise up big on the inside of you, and you will be filled with faith. Any thought of fear must leave. You will close the door to the devil and God’s hedge of protection will surround you and keep you.

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

Hebrews 11:1-3  (NIV)

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Every created thing that we see with our eyes has its origin in God and the things we cannot see. God is a Spirit (John 4:24) and He brought the entire universe into existence by His spoken word. This realm we know existed first in God and He caused it to manifest on this plane of existence of which we are conscious. Just because you cannot see God or the spirit realm with your eye, does not mean that they do not exist.

2 Corinthians 4:5-9  (NIV)

For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

Just as God, the Creator of the universe, spoke out saying, “Let there be light” and there was light (Genesis 1:3), so has He shone His light into the darkness of our sinful hearts and illuminated our hearts in order that the knowledge of His glory may be revealed in and to us through the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even though we live in frail, human vessels of earth, this precious treasure of God’s power and grace and glory can even more clearly be seen to be of God and not of us. While our mortal flesh limits us, the unlimitedness of God’s great glory abides on the inside of us. Even though we are persecuted and attacked, we cannot be crushed or destroyed. Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).

2 Corinthians 4:13-18  (NIV)

It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

We do not lose heart in the midst of our adverse circumstances because we fix our eyes on those things that we cannot see. Even though our outer man (our body) is wasting away, our inner man (our spirit) is everyday growing and being renewed and strengthened. We must realize that this earthly realm and what we see is temporary and subject to change, but the spirit realm is unchanging, deathless and everlasting for all eternity. Therefore we must take our eyes off of what we can see and stop trusting in it because it is unstable and it will not last. The things we cannot see will stand secure. Put your trust in God and in the mighty work that He is doing on the inside of you. Do not just focus on your earthly existence. Change your focus to the everlasting realms of God. Lift up your eyes and see those things that really are important to your spirit life and your eternal existence.

Stop looking at the little clay pot you live in and see the glory of God that shines out from the inside of you. Become more conscious of the great work that God is doing in you and the treasure that is within you. Spend your time becoming acquainted with God and His glory. He wants you to come to know His glory. God is not hiding from you; He is working in you. You have to lay aside the things of the flesh and count them as nothing compared to the great things that God is doing in and through you. You will not live here on this earth, in this body, forever. But you will step out of this body into an eternal body and you will continue to live on in Gods mighty and awesome presence forever!

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

Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to deathagain and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I wasbeaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger frombandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, indanger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored andtoiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gonewithout food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of myconcern for all the churches.  2 Corinthians 11:23-28 NIV

Paul was a man who was committed to God and committed to preaching the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Before he was so radically saved, he persecuted the Christians and even had them killed. After he was saved, he endured incredible hardships and persecutions himself, even to the point of death for the sake of the Gospel, and yet he never gave up. He persisted, keeping his eyes on the finish line and on the prize. He was committed until the very end. There were no other options for him – he was determined not to give up – he ran the race to win the prize.

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13 NIV

The secret of Paul’s resilience and persistence was that he did not allow his circumstances to influence his attitude. He stayed the same no matter what he went through because he kept his eyes on Jesus. Most people are all upset when things don’t go their way – they either have a pity party or they get mad with God. When things go well – they think that they are the bee’s knees! Either way they take their eyes off of Jesus. They are like a see-saw – wobbling all over the place – so busy looking at their circumstances that they forget their heavenly mission and they get nothing done. Paul knew what he was called to do and he knew who called him. God was on his side and he was not afraid of men or devils. Jesus Christ was his strength and he was secure in Him. Paul did not allow anything to sway him or to stop him.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.Hebrews 12:1-4 NIV

It is important to be both well trained and determined. Starting a race is not the hard part. Finishing the race is the hard part. There are rough roads, the weather is contrary, and your body gets thirsty and tired and sore. It is even harder if your critics are harassing you and persecuting you along the way. You have to fix your eyes on Jesus and be filled with His strength and power, allowing the Holy Spirit to refresh you as you go. There is a crown of righteousness waiting for those who fight the good fight and finish the race!

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 NIV

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day– and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.  2 Timothy 4:7-8 NIV

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

ISAIAH 54:9-17 KJV

9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.

11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

PSALMS 23:1-6 KJV

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

PSALMS 91:1-16 KJV

1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

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

Therefore then, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us. Looking away (from all that will distract) to Jesus, the Leader and Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 Amplified

Jesus, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning – despising and ignoring – its shame. The cross was no picnic, no walk in the park. It was a sacrifice, a total commitment, laying everything on the line. It was a one shot deal. If something went wrong – there were no second chances, no recourse, no way to undo the mess. The cross was a very long time in the making. Before the foundation of the earth, God set in motion the plan to save us from the devil and ourselves (our own choices). God was infallible, but His creation was not.  He had to have a plan to save and preserve His creation and He did. He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to complete the work and everything rested on His shoulders.

Jesus could not afford to make a mistake or to put one foot wrong. He had to conduct Himself perfectly for thirty-three and a half years. He had to prepare Himself, God’s sinless and blameless Lamb, without spot or blemish, to be sacrificed on the altar for the sin of man. He could not allow the thought of the pain and the shame to prevent or hinder Him from following through with the perfect plan of the Father. It was the Father’s plan, but He had to willingly step forward to accept the assignment, or it would not have been carried out to its glorious conclusion. As a soldier accepts his president’s call to fight and to give his life, if necessary, for his country, so Jesus accepted the call to sacrifice His life for the benefit of those who might never, ever appreciate nor appropriate what He had to endure on their behalf.

Those who saw His fate despised Him, thinking God was against Him. Without opening His mouth to explain, defend or justify Himself, He had to submit to their scorn, their abuse and their judgment.

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:3-5 NIV

Men did not esteem Him, rather they despised Him – the One who would purchase their freedom, the One who would die so they could live, the One who would stand in the gap, pleading with the Father to forgive them, release them and pronounce them free from sin and all bondages that were imposed by their own choices and decisions. Men thought that it was God who smote and afflicted Him.

Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.  Isaiah 53:10-12 NIV

It was God’s will to crush Jesus, in order to purchase our lives. We are not our own, but we are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 7:23). Jesus, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning – despising and ignoring – its shame. We are His joy – He did all this for us. What are we prepared to do for Him? What is our joy? What are we looking forward to? What are we prepared to do to obey God and see the blessed outcome of that obedience? We must fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Fix your eyes – do not take your eyes off Jesus – or the prize that awaits you if you finish the race. Jesus is the One we look to. He is our example and also the One who cheers us on together with a great cloud of witnesses, who have gone before us, paving the way for us.

Whatever we endure for the cross or His Name – it is nothing compared to the joy that lies before us in the eternal presence of God!

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

10 A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman—who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her securely, so that he has no lack of [honest] gain or need of [dishonest] spoil.
12 She comforts, encourages, and does him only good as long as there is life within her.
13 She seeks out wool and flax and works with willing hands [to develop it].
14 She is like the merchant ships loaded with foodstuffs; she brings her household’s food from a far [country].
15 She rises while it is yet night and gets [spiritual] food for her household and assigns her maids their tasks.
16 She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]; with her savings [of time and strength] she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard.
17 She girds herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] and makes her arms strong and firm.
18 She tastes and sees that her gain from work [with and for God] is good; her lamp goes not out, but it burns on continually through the night [of trouble, privation, or sorrow, warning away fear, doubt, and distrust].
19 She lays her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
20 She opens her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her filled hands to the needy [whether in body, mind, or spirit].
21 She fears not the snow for her family, for all her household are doubly clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes for herself coverlets, cushions, and rugs of tapestry. Her clothing is of linen, pure and fine, and of purple [such as that of which the clothing of the priests and the hallowed cloths of the temple were made].
23 Her husband is known in the [city’s] gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes fine linen garments and leads others to buy them; she delivers to the merchants girdles [or sashes that free one up for service].
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure; she rejoices over the future [the latter day or time to come, knowing that she and her family are in readiness for it]!
26 She opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness [giving counsel and instruction].
27 She looks well to how things go in her household, and the bread of idleness (gossip, discontent, and self-pity) she will not eat.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied); and her husband boasts of and praises her, [saying],
29 Many daughters have done virtuously, nobly, and well [with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness], but you excel them all.
30 Charm and grace are deceptive, and beauty is vain [because it is not lasting], but a woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, she shall be praised!
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates [of the city]!
Proverbs 31:10-31 AMP

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

I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.7And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.8 Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” 9 And God said to Abraham: “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.”  Genesis 17:6-10 NKJV

Almighty God made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants – He made a forever commitment to them and asked them to make a forever commitment to Him. A covenant is a committed promise. You commit to the terms of the covenant and you also commit to never break the covenant – that is what makes it a covenant. Father God committed to be a God to his people – to protect and provide for them. He asks His people to commit to Him, to worship Him only and to honor Him with their hearts, their mouth, their actions and their offerings.

All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God.  Deuteronomy 28:2 NIV

However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.  Deuteronomy 28:15 NIV

Jesus died to remove your sins and your sicknesses and to destroy the work of the enemy in your life. When you accepted Jesus as your Savior, you also accepted Him as your Lord and Master. There is a blessing for you as you commit to the Lord and keep your covenant promises that you made to Him, but there is a curse that comes on you if you break your promises.

A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is the [reverent] fear due Me? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise My name. You say, How and in what way have we despised Your name? 7 By offering polluted food upon My altar. And you ask, How have we polluted it and profaned You? By thinking that the table of the Lord is contemptible and may be despised. 8 When you [priests] offer blind [animals] for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and the sick, is it not evil? Present such a thing [a blind or lame or sick animal] now to your governor [in payment of your taxes, and see what will happen]. Will he be pleased with you? Or will he receive you graciously? says the Lord of hosts.  Malachi 1:6-8 AMP

If God is your Father, then you should honor Him as a Father. If Jesus is your Lord and Master, then you should reverentially fear Him as your Lord and Master. If you brought a blind, lame, or sick offering to your governor as payment for your taxes, he would not be pleased with you and would probably punish you. Why do God’s people pay their taxes to human governments, but bring God nothing? Why do God’s people pay all that they owe on their taxes, but bring God their dregs and way less than their best?

“I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. 7 Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ 8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse-the whole nation of you-because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.  Malachi 3:6-12 NIV

If God is your God – if He is your Father, your Lord and your Master – then show Him your honor and your respect by giving Him your first and your best. Bring your tithes – the tenth of your income – to the storehouse first, before you pay your bills or buy the things you need and want and God will bless what you have left over and give you even more. Don’t be a God-robber, don’t break your covenant promise to serve and obey Him. Don’t think of your tithe as money you are losing out on, but as an investment into the kingdom of God and a maintaining of your covenant promise to honor Him. God never ever breaks His covenant promises to you, but if you break your covenant promises with Him then He cannot protect you from the enemy. God always keeps His covenant – make sure that you make your commitment and keep your commitment to Him and you will always see the blessing and favor of God on your life.

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

Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised. 22 That is why his [Abraham’s] faith was credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God). 23 But [the words], It was credited to him, were written not for his sake alone, 24 But [they were written] for our sakes too. [Righteousness, standing acceptable to God] will be granted and credited to us also who believe in (trust in, adhere to, and rely on) God, Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 Who was betrayed and put to death because of our misdeeds and was raised to secure our justification (our acquittal), [making our account balance and absolving us from all guilt before God].  Romans 4:21-25 AMP

Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness – right standing with God. These words were not written just for his sake, but for yours as well, because through every generation, with or without the law, faith was required in order to be counted righteous, Works alone, no matter how good, cannot purchase righteousness. Righteousness comes only by faith – it is a free gift. Jesus was betrayed and put to death because of your misdeeds and mine. God raised Jesus from the dead to secure your justification (your acquittal) making your account balance (He paid the debt you could not pay) and absolving you from all guilt before God. You can come boldly and confidently into the throne-room of grace to find mercy in your time of need.

Therefore, since we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp the fact that we] have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed one).  Romans 5:1 AMP

You are justified through faith and you have peace, and can enjoy peace, with God through your Lord, Jesus Christ, but it doesn’t completely benefit you unless you become aware of it and understand it

Through Him also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God’s favor) in which we [firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God.  Romans 5:2 AMP

Through Jesus, you have access by faith into grace – God’s favor. This grace and favor is secure – as long as you believe in Him – it will always be yours. You can relax and know that God’s grace and favor rests upon you now and you can rejoice as you look forward to experiencing and enjoying the glory of God, in a measure here, and in it’s fullness in eternity.

Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance.  Romans 5:3 AMP

When you know how much the Father, Son and Holy Spirit love you, how much favor you have with them and how wonderful heaven is going to be – there is not much left that can scare you. For you to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:29)! You are so full of Jesus and so full of joy that you are not afraid of trouble or hardship. When you go through something hard you have two choices – you can let it take you out or you can take it out! When you decide to fight the good fight of faith, place your confidence in God, and bear up under the pressure, you are going to come out better than when you went in. You are going to come out the other side with more patience than you had before and an ability to endure much more than you could before. The devil is not going to be able to push you around so easily the next time! You will be toughened up!

And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. 5 Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us. Romans 5:4-5 AMP

When patient endurance is developed in your life, it also develops maturity of character. This kind of character produces the habit of joyful and confident hope – a hope that will never disappoint you. Some people are afraid to hope in case things don’t work out and they are disappointed, but when you have gone through some hard things and you have trusted in God and He has come through for you, you are encouraged to develop the habit of a hopeful attitude. This hopeful attitude will always serve you well and will not disappoint you. Hope is the foundation for your faith and you know that it is only your faith in God that causes Him to pour out His grace, mercy and favor on you when you ask for it. Therefore, when you face your next challenge – and you will – you can face it with confidence, remembering that God came through for you last time and knowing that He is sure to come through for you again this time, as you put your trust in Him.