Rodney Howard Browne shares a teaching on Forgiveness

Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus. When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”–He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!”  Luke 5:17-26 NKJV

The four men (Mark 2:3) brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus to be healed. The house was so full of people that they could not get to Jesus. They could not get in the doors or the windows, so they decided to go through the roof. They ripped up the tiles and lowered their friend down right in front of Jesus. Jesus was blessed by their bold faith. He said, ”Man (Son), your sins are forgiven you.” Jesus saw their faith, manifested through their boldness and determination to get their sick friend to Him, and He healed the man even as He forgave him.

Rodney Howard Browne teaches us that the scribes and the Pharisees were offended by this and began to accuse Jesus of blasphemy in their hearts. Of course, Jesus knew exactly what they were thinking! He said to them, “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’?” Jesus did not make a distinction between healing and forgiveness. Forgiveness and healing go together. Jesus died on the cross to bring you both forgiveness of sins and healing for your body. He has power to heal you and forgive you. When you repent of your sins and you accept Jesus as Lord – you can receive your healing as the same time!

Jesus said to the skeptics, “So that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins” — He said to the man who was paralyzed —

“I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” The man stood up, picked up the bed that he lay on as he was carried in, and walked out of the house praising and glorifying God. Everyone in the house was amazed by the miracle and they glorified God too.

Rodney Howard Browne shows us that the Greek word for salvation means soundness, wholeness, healing, preservation, deliverance, and provision. All the goodness of God is wrapped up in the finished work of the cross.

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.  Isaiah 53:4-5 NKJV

Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness–by whose stripes you were healed. 1 Peter 2:24 NKJV

Jesus died and rose again to restore everything the devil stole from us – our life, our relationship with the Father, our health, our peace and our joy. On the cross, Jesus poured out His blood to heal you and to save you. You need to receive both right now

Acts 10:1-6

1 Now [living] atCaesarea there was a man whose name was Cornelius, a centurion [captain] of what was known as the Italian Regiment,

2 A devout man who venerated God and treated Him with reverential obedience, as did all his household; and he gave much alms to the people and prayed continually to God.

3 About the ninth hour [about 3:00 p. m.] of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God entering and saying to him, “Cornelius.”

4 And he, gazing intently at him, became frightened and said, “What is it, Lord?”  And the angel said to him, “Your prayers and your [generous] gifts to the poor have come up [as a sacrifice] to God and have been remembered by Him.

5 And now send men to Joppa and have them call for and invite here a certain Simon whose surname is Peter;

6 He is lodging with Simon a tanner, whose house is by the seaside.” 

Rodney Howard Browne teaches us that Cornelius was a gentile, but

he venerated and reverenced God, as did his household.  He prayed continuously to God and he gave a lot of money to those less fortunate than himself.  These two things – his praying and his giving – came up as a sacrifice before God.  They got God’s attention.  Because of this, God moved supernaturally on his behalf to bring salvation to him and his household. When you honor God with your heart and with your actions, He notices you and remembers what you did.  He will move on your behalf to bless you.

Rodney Howard Browne also teaches us that when God created man, He gave them a garden with everything they needed. They lacked no good thing. When their disobedience removed them from this garden and their abundant supply, they began to know lack and deprivation for the first time.  It was not in God’s plan for man that they be in lack and want.  Even though man has been disobedient, God loves them and cares for them and desires to bless and provide for them.

God wants those of us who have – to share with those of us who don’t.  God never blesses you so you can be selfish – He blesses you to bless you – and to bless those who cross your path. Proverbs 14:31  (NIV)31 He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.When you are kind to those in need and when you do what you can to help them, you are showing respect and honor to God. When you overlook the poor and you pass over opportunities to help – then you show contempt toward God – no matter what a good Christian you claim to be.

Proverbs 19:17  (NAS)17 He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed.

Rodney Howard Browne teaches us that when you are gracious (showing grace and mercy) to a poor man – you are lending to the Lord.  God sees, remembers, and repays you.  You give to the poor as much for his sake as yours.  God watches your attitude.  He watches to see if you walk in love and generosity toward everyone – not only to those in your own circle.

Rodney Howard Browne shows us that you might not have much to give.  You might only be able to give $5 or $10 or $20, but that could mean the difference between someone else being able to eat that day or not!  It is not the amount – it is the fact that you care enough to be generous toward others with what God has given you.

2 Corinthians 8:9  (NKJ)9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 

Rodney Howard Browne teaches us that God provided for every one of us to be redeemed from poverty through the sacrifice that Jesus made.  The way you tap into the blessings available to you is to give – and one of the ways you give is to give as much as you can to those less fortunate than yourself.  God sees, He hears, He remembers – and He supernaturally brings to you the things you need the most! 

Foundational scripture:  Isaiah 55:6-11    (KJV)

v. 6         Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near;

v. 7         Let the wicked forsake his way, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

v. 8         For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

v. 9         For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

complish that which I please – it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

God’s World never, ever returns to Him void.  Void means empty; vain; without

producing any effect; useless.  God’s Word is never empty, vain or useless.  It always

come down to water the earth and cause it to be productive and produce seed and food for us, so God’s word is sent out to be a blessing and to accomplish God’s will and plan.

God never sends His Word without having a plan for it.  The entire universe was created and came into being by the words that God spoke; He never wastes His words.  If He speaks it, it will come to pass!

Jesus was the same way.  Luke 4:32 (AMP) says, “And they were amazed at His teaching, for His word was with authority and ability and weight and power.”

Jesus spent 30 years filling himself with the Word of God.  He had a thorough knowledge of the Word.  He was intimately acquainted with the Word.  Not only was He God in the flesh, being familiar with God’s spoken Word, but also in His humanity, He had an extensive knowledge of the written Word of God.  Even though He was God, He spent His whole human existence immersed in the Word of God.

When He spoke the Word of God, He spoke it with authority and power, because He was in the Word and the Word was in Him.  He knew what the will of God was because He had spent time in God’s Word and in His presence.  He could speak boldly and with results, because He was fully acquainted with God’s will and His plan for man.Matthew 7:28-29 (NAS)

v. 28       The result was that when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were amazed at His teaching;

v. 29       for He was teaching them as (one) having authority, and not as their scribes.

The scribes could not speak the Word of God with confidence, because they had not

spent time in His presence.  We are not as bold as we should be because we have not

spent enough time in His presence. Jesus could speak boldly because He was perfect in every way.  There was no sin in Him that the devil or anyone else could accuse Him of.  He had a clear conscience.  When you have a clear conscience before God, you can speak the Word boldly and see results.

Foundation Scripture : Ephesians 5: 22-33

Verse 22 says “ Wives be subject to your husbands as a service to the Lord”.

Rodney Howard Browne teaches in order to have a Godly marriage it is important that God’s Word be the foundation for your relationship. God’s Word is the handbook for a successful, Godly marriage that will last a lifetime and bring glory to God. However, as far as some men are concerned, they think that God has placed women on the earth for their benefit alone. Their attitude is, “When I say jump, JUMP.” That is not how God intended it to be. It is one man and one woman coming together as one flesh. As they flow together, the husband takes the headship according to verse 23, and then the wife be comes subject in everything to her husband.

Rodney Howard Browne shows us that this is not something that can be demanded, but actually comes forth when verse 25 is practiced, “Husbands love your wives.” A wife can easily submit to her husband as he loves her, even as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for the church in its fullness. That Agape love – self sacrificial love that considers not its own needs but the needs of others- is the love these scriptures are talking about.

Verse 28 says “Men ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loves his wife loves himself”. I told Adonica that there is nothing on her body or her personality that I want changed. I love her just the way she is and she does the same with me. Verse 29 – Look at the way Jesus cares for the church. That is the key, husbands, to love your wife the same way. Rodney Howard Browne explains that the responsibility is not on the wife, it is on the husband. Verse 31 – “..leave his father and mother…”  More marriages have been broken up because of family ties and domination or interference by either parent towards the husband or the wife. It is important that the husband and wife be undivided and come together in unity; inseparable without any outside influences. If you want to get into trouble with me, try interfering in my marriage and dictating or laying down the law to my wife.  You’re about to get into trouble and things won’t be well with you. Adonica and I decided that no one, neither parents nor in-laws would divide us or come between us. No outside force or influence. We are one together. One will put a thousand to flight and two will put ten thousand to flight – two are better than one! Communication is one of the greatest keys to keeping a Godly marriage. You have to spend many hours talking things through, from child discipline, money, how many children to have, etc. etc..

Rodney Howard Browne tells us that a good marriage means a lot of time and effort. It takes many hours to maintain a marriage. Adjust and repair, staying flexible, always changing, keeping your heart soft and tender. Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath, even if it means staying up till 3 in the morning until it is straightened out. Finally, don’t invest all of your time in your kids, or  when they have left the house you will find yourself living with a spouse you don’t know. Many people divorce each other after a number of years because they can’t live with each other alone. Their life was spent investing into their children and now they find that they have grown apart. Rodney Howard Browne wants us to make a decision to base your marriage on God’s Word and learn to forgive quickly. Keep a soft heart and God’s blessings will be on you and your marriage will be a testimony to others. In a day and age when marriages are breaking up on every side you can make it with the help of the Holy Ghost. He’ll make the difference!