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

Foundation Scripture: Romans 8:15-23  (NKJ)
15For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs– heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

Adam was made in the image of God. He was filled with the life and nature of God. He had a special place in God’s heart. He could freely walk and talk with God. Sin destroyed that special relationship and the position man held in the presence of God. We are heirs of the promise and of the grace of God. The promise was that God would restore all of mankind back into relationship with Himself, through His own Son.

Jesus was born into this earth, living as a man, dying as a man – taking with Him to the grave our sin, sickness, poverty and spiritual death. He arose triumphant from the grave, the first-born from the dead, leading the way into life, health, blessing and the kingdom of God. As we declare His Lordship over our lives and receive God’s grace and mercy – He restores us into relationship with Himself.

God Himself declares that we are heirs of His kingdom. Not only are we heirs, but we are joint-heirs together with Jesus! This is not because of us. Actually it has absolutely nothing to do with us. Our Father God did it all through His Son, Jesus, and we are simply the grateful, joyful recipients of this new and wonderful relationship with Him.

We are joint-heirs. That means that we share with Jesus, the position He has with the Father. Man did not decide this – God did. The Person with the goods gets to decide who His heirs are. Heirs cannot choose their inheritance. It is theirs because of the One whose heirs they are.

We may not look like heirs of God. We may not look like joint-heirs with Jesus, but according to the Word we are. God has placed us in that position. We must get a revelation of that fact. The Bible says that creation groans as it longs for our heirship to be revealed in the redemption of our bodies. When our bodies are redeemed, the whole of creation will be redeemed and the destructive effects of sin will be annulled and removed.

Titus 3:5-7  (NKJ)
5not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

We are heirs of the promise (Hebrews 6:17) and heirs of salvation (Hebrews 1:4). We have the promise of eternal life, of peace, righteousness and every good thing. We reign in life through Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:12) and the gift of righteousness we have received by His grace (Romans 5:17). We are seated in heavenly places in and with Him (Ephesians 2:6).

By God’s grace and mercy, everything Jesus has, He has shared with us. We can walk in the righteousness and power of a son or daughter of God!

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

Romans 9:30-33  (NIV)

30      What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;

31      but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it.

32      Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the “stumbling stone.”

33      As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

God, in His mercy, sent Jesus to shed His blood on the cross at Calvary, for our salvation, justification and righteousness – all of us – whether Jew or Gentile. Even though the gentiles were not looking for God – He extended His hand of mercy out to them and gave them the same opportunity to receive forgiveness by faith, as His people Israel.

The problem that Israel had was that they were more focused on their own works than God’s grace. Instead of being happy when Jesus came to lift the burden of religion that they carried – they were angered by the grace and forgiveness that He offered to the sinner. Their biggest problem was their pride. They did not acknowledge their sin before God because they felt justified in His presence by their adherence to the traditions of their ancestors. Good works are good when they are built on a foundation of God’s grace, but they will not purchase righteousness with God by themselves.

The gospel is simple and salvation is free, but it’s very simplicity and straight-forwardness causes people to stumble. They expect something more difficult – something which takes more of an effort from them. They want to feel as if they have earned it. They want to retain bragging rights. You can keep your pride intact if your salvation comes by your hand and your works – you never need to acknowledge your sin and lost state. However, if you are dependent upon God’s mercy – you must humble your heart before God and acknowledge your sin and your inadequacy before Him in order to receive His forgiveness. The thing is – we are totally dependent on God. So our only recourse is to chuck our pride and humble ourselves.

Proverbs 29:23  (NKJ)

23      A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.

James 4:6  (NKJ)

6        But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Titus 3:3-7  (NIV)

3        At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

4        But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,

5        he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,

6        whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,

7        so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

It doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, it doesn’t matter what you’ve done, Jesus has reached out His arms of love to you and offered you His mercy. If you have not been washed in the blood of Jesus – today is the day – recognize the fact that you need Him to save and redeem you. Even if you are a believer – you need God’s help every day. You make mistakes and you need His grace. Humble your heart – acknowledge your need – and receive His life and forgiveness.

“For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Luke 6:43 NKJ

The fruit a tree bears is a direct reflection of the condition of the tree itself – good tree: good fruit – bad tree: bad fruit. Fruit cannot grow by itself, without a tree. Nor can a tree produce good fruit when it is in bad shape. You could say that the fruit is not the problem, it is the evidence of the problem. If you are unhappy with your fruit, you will have to do something with your tree.

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. John 15:1-5 NKJ

Jesus is the trunk of the tree, God is the Gardener, and we are the branches. If we want to bear good fruit we will have to hook up with Jesus and allow God to water and prune us, too. We must live in His presence. We must live in His Word and His Word must live in us. The fruit we bear is not a result of our own efforts. We don’t work to produce good fruit, but we work to press in to the Lord and to seek His face. The fruit is produced as the Word and the Holy Spirit are allowed to do their work in our hearts and our lives.

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:16-21 NKJ

Galatians 5:19 in the NAS translates “the works of the flesh” as “the deeds of the flesh” and the NIV translates it as “the acts of the sinful nature”. The works (deeds) of the flesh – acts of the sinful nature – are the manifestation of sin that is allowed to grow unchecked. Sin grows from the fleshly, carnal nature like weeds. It chokes our lives and destroys everyone and everything around us.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-25 NKJ

When the Spirit of God is allowed to work in us as we yield to the Spirit and walk in the Spirit, then the fruit of the Spirit becomes manifest in our lives. Like sap in a tree, we do not see how the Spirit is moving and working in people, but as the fruit is produced and grows on their branches, we are seeing God at work in their lives. You cannot fake fruit. The manifestation of fruit is a very honest reflection of a person’s heart. The fruit of the Spirit is sweet and delicious to us.  Like good, healthy, delicious fruit growing on a fruit tree, the fruit of the Spirit is not only a reflection of our heart, but it also blesses us and all those who are around us.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.  Isaiah 9:2-7 NIV

When sin entered the world in the Garden of Eden, so did darkness. The eyes of man’s understanding were darkened and wisdom and knowledge ebbed away. The truth became hidden to everyone except to those who hungered for it. While sin may be pleasurable for a season, it wreaks havoc wherever it is entertained. Sin will kill you. God created you for nothing less than truth and righteousness and therefore your spirit cannot be satisfied while any lie or any unrighteousness exists in your heart. Your heart hungers to be at peace with God, your creator. Jesus is the light we long for. We may look everywhere else, except the right place, for that light, but Almighty God has revealed to us the true light who lights every man – Jesus!  When we find Him – we experience His light and we know that He is alive and real.

When you find Jesus, the Light of the world, you find peace and you find joy. Joy follows Him like a shadow. Where He goes, joy goes. Everyone His presence touches is filled with joy. Angels brought the shepherds good tidings of great joy when they announced His birth. The Wise Men rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. The people He touched, healed and delivered were all filled with joy. His disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit, despite severe persecution. In his presence is fullness of joy!

Jesus is our victor. There is no reason for us to fight or shed blood again. There is no battle we face where He has not gone before us and defeated our enemy already. We simply go boldly in to the enemies’ camp to divide the spoil! We need never to fear an enemy again. We need never to be oppressed by an enemy again. We just enforce the enemy’s defeat.

Jesus is the child, born into the earth to conquer our enemy. He is the Son, given generously by the Father, to be a sacrifice and an offering for sin – sent to die as a ransom for many. The government is on His shoulders and His throne is established forever. He will rule and reign eternally in justice and righteousness. He is highly exalted – the King of kings and Lord of lords! He never changes – He is eternally the same.

But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” He also says,

“In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.” To which of the angels did God ever say, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?Hebrews 1:8-14 NIV

Oh worship Him forever all ye people. He is worthy of our praise! At Christmas and every day of the year.

We pray God’s richest blessings on you and your precious family and we trust that you will have a blessed Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

With much love – Pastors Rodney and Adonica, Kirsten, Kelly and Kenneth

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

The wages of the righteous bring them life, but the income of the wicked brings them punishment.  Proverbs 10:16 NIV

Our righteous labors will result in wages that bring life and blessing, but the profit of the wicked leads to further sin and the resultant punishment.

And you shall grope at noonday, as a blind man gropes in darkness; you shall not prosper in your ways; you shall be only oppressed and plundered continually, and no one shall save you. 30 You shall betroth a wife, but another man shall lie with her; you shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it; you shall plant a vineyard, but shall not gather its grapes. 31 Your ox shall be slaughtered before your eyes, but you shall not eat of it; your donkey shall be violently taken away from before you, and shall not be restored to you; your sheep shall be given to your enemies, and you shall have no one to rescue them. 32 Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, and your eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all day long; and there shall be no strength in your hand. 33 A nation whom you have not known shall eat the fruit of your land and the produce of your labor, and you shall be only oppressed and crushed continually.

Deuteronomy 28:29-34 NKJV

When you are rebellious and disobedient to the Lord, everything you have worked for and everything that is precious to you will become the property of others. You will become a slave to your enemy.

Because you did not serve the LORD your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, 48 therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the LORD sends against you. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you. 49 The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away, from the ends of the earth, like an eagle swooping down, a nation whose language you will not understand, 50 a fierce-looking nation without respect for the old or pity for the young. 51 They will devour the young of your livestock and the crops of your land until you are destroyed. They will leave you no grain, new wine or oil, nor any calves of your herds or lambs of your flocks until you are ruined.

Deuteronomy 28:47-51 NIV

You must serve the LORD your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity. When you are blessed of the Lord, you must appreciate your blessing and continue to serve and honor Him with joy and gratitude. If you are ungrateful and unappreciative, you open a door for the enemy to destroy that for which you have worked so hard.

For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham. 43 He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy;

44 he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for–45 that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws. Praise the LORD.   Psalms 105:42-45 NIV

When you turn to the Lord, honor Him and remember Him, you will reap what others have sown. They will do the work, but because of their disobedience, you will benefit.

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “When the plowman shall overtake the reaper, And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; The mountains shall drip with sweet wine, And all the hills shall flow with it. 14 I will bring back the captives of My people Israel; They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them;

They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them. 15 I will plant them in their land, And no longer shall they be pulled up From the land I have given them,” Says the LORD your God.  Amos 9:13-15 NKJV

When you obey God, everything you put your hand to will prosper. You will be blessed with the fruit of your labor.

The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”  1 Timothy 5:17-18 NIV

God’s plan is for you to get what you work for and to be blessed by your labors. Slavery is a result of disobedience, but every person should be able to enjoy what he or she deserves and to reap what he or she has sown.

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

What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 10 I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. 12 I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 13 and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor–it is the gift of God.

Ecclesiastes 3:9-13 NKJV

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, made the observation in the book of Ecclesiastes that nothing is better for us than to rejoice, and to do good in our lives. He also says that it is the gift of God for every man and woman to eat and drink and enjoy the good of all their labor. According to this – God wants us to enjoy our lives.

He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.   Ephesians 4:28 NIV

God expects us to work and to enjoy the fruit of our own work. We are not to take that which belongs to another – the things they have worked for. God wants us to work for our own blessing and He wants us to be very blessed so that we can share with others.

Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him-for this is his lot. 19 Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work-this is a gift of God. 20 He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 NIV

Many people think that acquiring wealth and possessions will make them happy, but this is not usually the case. They want what they don’t already have. Much of the time, people think that the grass is always greener on the other side, but they soon find out that it is not. Even though they have a lot – they want more and are never satisfied. It is truly a gift of God to be blessed with prosperity and to be happy and contented at the same time and this is God’s desire for us.

Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways. 2 You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Psalms 128:1-2 NIV

When you fear and honor God and walk in His ways then you will enjoy the fruit of your own labor and then blessings and prosperity will be yours.

You shall carry much seed out to the field and gather but little in, for the locust shall consume it. 39 You shall plant vineyards and tend them, but you shall neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them. 40 You shall have olive trees throughout all your territory, but you shall not anoint yourself with the oil; for your olives shall drop off. 41 You shall beget sons and daughters, but they shall not be yours; for they shall go into captivity. 42 Locusts shall consume all your trees and the produce of your land.  Deuteronomy 28:38-42 NKJV

If you will not honor and obey the Lord, then other people will enjoy the fruit of your labor – people you don’t even know or like. They will take your land and the fruit of your land. They will even take you and your family captive. You will be indebted to them because “the rich rule over the poor

and the borrower is servant to the lender.” (Proverbs 22:7)

Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. 6 Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters–that you may be increased there, and not diminished.

Jeremiah 29:4-6 NKJV

If we have been rebellious and disobedient in the past and if we have struggled and suffered because of it – then it is time to turn around, repent and become sold out for God.  When we repent, then God will restore what we have lost and add more to it besides. The Lord will bless us and increase us. We will once again enjoy the fruits of our own labor.

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

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.  Isaiah 9:6-7 KJV

I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.  Revelations 1:18 KJV

Jesus was sent from the Father to take back the authority of the earth from the devil and to give it back to man. Jesus has the ultimate authority, but He gives believers the right to use His Name in the earth to take authority over the devil and demons and over sickness, disease, poverty, death, and everything else that hell has to offer. As we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, we also celebrate His death – He was born to die in order to defeat the devil and to redeem mankind. Thanks be to God – Jesus fully accomplished the thing that He was sent to do.

And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. 16 And he came toNazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.  Luke 4:14-21 KJV

Jesus came to heal, deliver, and set us free. Jesus heals, delivers, and sets us free because it is His nature to heal, deliver and set free. He heals, delivers, and sets us free because He loves us. He healed, delivered and set people free while He was on the earth and He is still doing it today.

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.  Acts 10:38 KJV

God anointed Jesus, on the earth, with the Holy Ghost and power so that He could do good and heal all that were oppressed of the devil. Today, Jesus anoints us with the Holy Ghost and power so that we can do good and heal all that were oppressed of the devil. As far as God is concerned, healing and setting free is a good thing!

We can honor Jesus today by continuing to do His works on the earth today. There is a great attack on all things supernatural today. The devil is trying to suck people into the bondage of the occult and the demonic through psychics, witchcraft, speaking to the dead, Satanism and other ungodly religions. In the mean time, sadly, the Church is backing off of the Holy Spirit, the anointing and the display of the power of God. This is not a time for the Church to be wishy-washy and mealy-mouthed, but it is time for the Church to rise up in faith and power and take back what the devil has stolen. Let us honor Jesus this Christmas, and always, by following His example and doing His will and His works.