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

I will go into Your house with burnt offerings; I will pay You my vows, 14 Which my lips have uttered And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble. 15 I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals, With the sweet aroma of rams; I will offer bulls with goats. Selah 16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, And I will declare what He has done for my soul. 17 I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue. 18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear. 19 But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. 20 Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!  Psalms 66:13-20 NKJV

David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). He had a deep reverential fear of God and a whole-hearted commitment to his Lord. He put God first and himself second in everything for most of his life. He made some mistakes and some bad decisions, but he also repented immediately when God dealt with him and submitted with humility to the consequences of his actions.

There are always consequences! When you make a decision or a choice, you should be willing and prepared to live with the results of your actions – whether good or bad. Too many people want to eat their cake and still keep it at the same time. People want to make selfish decisions and then they expect God, or their parents, or their teachers, or their boss or their friends, or their spouse, to let them off the hook, bale them out, and save their skin. They want the best of both worlds. They are selfish and they want to have everything go their way – no matter what. This does not work in real life!

People treat God like they treat people – they use Him, lie to Him, take advantage of Him and try to manipulate Him. But you can’t lie to God – He is looking right into your heart – and you will find out that what you dish out will come back to you – on every wave! You cannot escape it. You cannot make a promise to God and then not do it – no matter how pressured you were when you made the promise. Some people wonder why nothing ever works out for them and why God is not blessing them, but they have all these rash promises floating out there that need to be kept. God is waiting for them to do what they said they would do when they were in trouble. If you are afraid of people’s response to you not keeping a promise – what about the Creator’s response?

People call on God – He hears their promise – He rescues them – and now they go merrily on as if a promise was never made. They act like they got themselves out of the predicament they were in and that they did not need God’s help. That is what you are saying when you refuse to acknowledge God with your promised gift. That might seem to work for you for a while, but only until the next lot of trouble you get yourself into. Then who are you going to call? If your car breaks down and you call for a man with a tow truck and then you don’t pay him – you are not going to be able to call on him ever again – at least not until you pay him what you owe him.

Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil. 2 Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few. 3 For a dream comes through much activity, And a fool’s voice is known by his many words. 4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed — 5 Better not to vow than to vow and not pay. 6 Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. But fear God.  Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 NKJV

Some people treat people better than they treat God – they pay their bills because they are afraid of the trouble they will get into if they don’t – but they have no problem owing it to God forever. They have no fear of God and no respect for His kindness. Some people see kindness as a weakness and even though they ask God for His help, they disrespect Him by forgetting their promise. It may seem like you are getting away with not keeping your promise and not paying your vow, but you will be held accountable and you will have to stand and face Almighty God eventually and give an account for your words, together with every other person who ever lived.

It would be better to not open your mouth and utter a rash promise than to promise what you have no intention or ability to fulfill. Think about what you are saying before you make a promise. Make a decision to do as you have promised at your earliest opportunity and do not quit until it is all done! Start paying your vow even before you are out of trouble! If you will pay your vows promptly, and keep your promises exactly, then God will be able to bless you as He loves to do. God is no man’s debtor – He does not owe you anything. He wants to bless you, but He is only able to bless you as you keep your word and do as you have promised to do.

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

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.  Revelation 2:1-7 NIV

In the Book of Revelation, John recorded a message to each of seven churches, from Jesus Christ, Himself. The first message was to the Angel of the Church at Ephesus. Ephesus was built near the sea, with a marvelous climate. It was “the Light of Asia.”. Its harbor was crowded with vessels and it had access to the whole interior continent because of the junction of roads which met there. It was wealthy and prosperous. It was even the fashion capital of Asia at that time. In Paul’s time it was the residence of the Roman proconsul and its degenerate citizens would do anything to maintain the favor of Rome.

The civilization of the city was a mix of Greek and Oriental. It was the headquarters of the magical arts and various superstitious. The great temple of Diana, the Oriental, not the Greek divinity, was ranked among the Seven Wonders of the World, and Ephesus was her headquarters. The Asians worshipped her first and the Greeks adopted and accepted her. They considered her the great mother of the gods. She represented the nourishing and replenishing powers of nature. Sexual impurity was normal to their worship and their culture.

Next to Rome, Paul put the most effort into Ephesus – he devoted three years to that city – the center of the circle of churches established by him in Ionia and Phrygia.

Jesus says to the Ephesian church, “I know how hard you have worked and persevered with patience. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, including those who claim to be apostles but are not; that you have tested them and realized that they were false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for My Name, and have not grown weary.”

The members of the Ephesian church had been ungodly heathens, but now they were saved and set free. Paul taught them the Word of God and how they ought to live and walk. Over time, they had focused on doing good works, working hard and not tolerating evil in their midst, but they forgot to maintain a close, personal relationship with Jesus, Himself.

Jesus goes on to say, “However, I have somewhat against you. You have forsaken your first love. Remember where you have come from – the height from which you have fallen. Repent and go back to doing what you did at first, when you first fell in love with Me.” He is talking about the first enthusiastic devotion of the Church to her Lord and Savior.

He adds, “If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place!” The KJV says that He will, “remove thy candlestick out of his place.” Indeed, its candlestick has been for centuries removed out of his place. Obviously, they did not listen to the warning. This was a center of Christianity and now there are no Christians left there. It is a mass of shapeless ruins, the harbor is a reedy pool, and the marshes are stagnant and full of malarial mosquitoes. There is almost nothing to indicate that this was a once such a wealthy ancient civilization.

Jesus says one more thing to them, “But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” These Nicolaitan heretics were hated and expelled by the Church of Ephesus, but were, unfortunately, tolerated by the Church of Pergamum (Pergamos).

The Nicolaitans were a sect which sprang from Nicholas a proselyte of Antioch, one of the seven deacons of Jerusalem, who perverted the truth of the Word of God, and became the founder of an Antinomian Gnostic sect. They appear to have been characterized by sensuality, seducing Christians to participate in the idolatrous feasts of pagans, and to sexual immorality. The Nicolaitans taught that, in order to master sensuality, one must know the whole range of it by experience. Therefore they abandoned themselves, without reserve, to the lusts of the body, since they believed that it involved only the body and did not touch the spirit. This is not very different from the way some ungodly people behave today! But the scripture tells us that sexual sin is sin against your own body. Sexual impurity definitely negatively affects your spirit and your soul as well as your body.

What can we learn from the Ephesians? Keep the main thing, the main thing. It is good to live a godly life and to keep yourself pure, however, at the same time, do not forget to put JESUS FIRST. Whatever else you do, spend time with Him yourself, walk closely with Him, and allow Him to speak into your life, every day.

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

He who is faithful in a very little [thing] is faithful also in much, and he who is dishonest and unjust in a very little [thing] is dishonest and unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the [case of] unrighteous mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions), who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not proved faithful in that which belongs to another [whether God or man], who will give you that which is your own [that is, the true riches]? 13 No servant is able to serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (riches, or anything in which you trust and on which you rely). 14 Now the Pharisees, who were covetous and lovers of money, heard all these things [taken together], and they began to sneer at and ridicule and scoff at Him. 15 But He said to them, You are the ones who declare yourselves just and upright before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted and highly thought of among men is detestable and abhorrent (an abomination) in the sight of God.  Luke 16:10-15 AMP

The Pharisees, religious leaders, appeared “holy” on the outside, but, in reality, their hearts were far from God. They were covetous and lovers of money, therefore, they were offended at Jesus’ words. They loved mammon more than they loved God.

If you read all of Jesus’ words taken together, you will see that He never says that you cannot have or enjoy material possessions. He does make it abundantly clear that material possessions should not have you!  You cannot serve God and mammon, and every person must make their own choice for God or material possessions. God must be more important to you than your possessions – after all, everything you own is His first. Only when you recognize that your blessing comes from God, and not by your own power alone, can you truly enjoy the things He gives you.

If you pursue God and put Him first in your life, trusting in Him and depending on Him, He will pursue you with blessings. You will not ever need to worry about whether or not you will be taken care of. However, if you put things first in your life, trusting in them and depending on them, you will spend all your time and energy on trying to acquire them and protect them, with no time to just enjoy your life.

Jesus says that if you want the blessing of God on your life, you should be faithful in three areas.

You must be faithful first in small responsibilities

The principles of faithfulness remain the same, whether in a big thing or a small thing. If you are faithful in very little things, you will also be faithful in the bigger things, and if you are dishonest and unjust in very little things, you will also be dishonest and unjust in the bigger things. It is not possible to suddenly be faithful in big things if you have not already been faithful in the small things! You always begin small, therefore, you must be faithful in small things; things that seem little, too easy, insignificant, unimportant, menial, not noticed, not obvious, taken for granted, expected, not valued by others, or “beneath you.” Only then, will you be given responsibility for bigger and more important things.

You must be faithful with money

Who would have thought that the way you handle your money would determine how you handle spiritual things – the true riches? Jesus says that the two are inseparable. You prove that you will be faithful with the things of God – His Word; His call; His anointing; His gifts – by how faithful you are with plain, ordinary money. Covetousness corrupts. If you are covetous, then you will allow your greed and selfishness to determine how you handle the things of God. You will put yourself first and you will manipulate people for your own ends, instead of lovingly serving them as Jesus did. You will do things for a selfish money motive, not allowing the Word of God or the Holy Spirit to lead you. You won’t be submitted to the Lord – you will set your own agenda. How should you show your faithfulness with money? Put God first where your money is concerned. Work, be a giver, be a person of integrity, do not take that which is not yours, and always pay what you owe.

If you want to be a good boss you need to be a good worker

Before you are given your own authority and responsibility you will be asked to take responsibility for that which belongs to another. Only when you have taken responsibility for someone else’s stuff and proven your faithfulness, will you be given your own responsibility and authority. Your integrity and faithfulness is what causes you to be promoted, in due time. The natural realm carries into the Spirit realm. The way you treat another man’s things is an indication of how you will handle God’s things. If you are faithful when you are under authority, it follows that you will be faithful when you are in authority. Even then, any authority you have is given by God and you are still responsible to Him. Every gift, talent, call, and anointing you have is God’s and is given to you for His glory – not yours!

If you make the decision to put God first in your life, before mammon, you will not find it difficult to be faithful in these areas, and you will be rewarded by the Lord in your due season. Remember – nothing you ever do for Him will go unnoticed or unrewarded!

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

Gracious is the Lord, and [rigidly] righteous; yes, our God is merciful.

Psalms 116:5 AMP

The Lord is [rigidly] righteous in all His ways and gracious and merciful in all His works. Psalms 145:17 AMP

For Christ [the Messiah Himself] died for sins once for all, the Righteous for the unrighteous (the Just for the unjust, the Innocent for the guilty), that He might bring us to God. In His human body He was put to death, but He was made alive in the Spirit. 1 Peter 3:18 AMP

Because of religious tradition, men have an erroneous image of God and His nature and character. They assign Him attributes that are way off the mark. In the mind of religious tradition, to be rigidly righteous is to judge sin and condemn and reject sinners – an image of punishment delivered. God may be rigidly righteous in all His ways, but He is also gracious and merciful in all His works. He is gracious and merciful toward those who least deserve it. Most people are not righteous in their ways and yet they feel free to judge others all the time, but God is personally rigidly righteous and yet merciful toward us at the same time!

In these bodies of flesh, we struggle to fully understand who He is and what He does, but if we will submit to His will and accept Him at His word, we can begin to put together a picture of Him, and when we do, we will realize how truly wonderful and precious He is, how great is His love for us, and how little we deserve it. Even though we are unworthy of His mercy, to turn Him down or to turn His gift down; would be nothing short of prideful. Knowing full well that we deserve no grace and no mercy, out of respect for Him, we must accept the gift He offers – the gift of His Son; His blood poured out; the sacrifice of the Innocent for the guilty, the Just for the unjust.

Since all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives. 24[All] are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy), through the redemption which is [provided] in Christ Jesus, 25 Whom God put forward [before the eyes of all] as a mercy seat and propitiation by His blood [the cleansing and life-giving sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation, to be received] through faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over and ignored former sins without punishment. 26 It was to demonstrate and prove at the present time (in the now season) that He Himself is righteous and that He justifies and accepts as righteous him who has [true] faith in Jesus. Romans 3:23-26 AMP

God demonstrates His righteousness by forgiving, justifying, and accepting as righteous, all those who have faith in Jesus. He did not expect us to keep the Law in order to be saved. He, more than anyone, knew that it was impossible for sinful man to keep the Law. Before He created us, He had a plan to rescue us. Before we sinned and fell from grace, He set in motion the plan to restore us by and to His grace!

But as for you, the anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction) which you received from Him abides [permanently] in you; [so] then you have no need that anyone should instruct you. But just as His anointing teaches you concerning everything and is true and is no falsehood, so you must abide in (live in, never depart from) Him [being rooted in Him, knit to Him], just as [His anointing] has taught you [to do]. 28 And now, little children, abide (live, remain permanently) in Him, so that when He is made visible, we may have and enjoy perfect confidence (boldness, assurance) and not be ashamed and shrink from Him at His coming. 29 If you know (perceive and are sure) that He [Christ] is [absolutely] righteous [conforming to the Father’s will in purpose, thought, and action], you may also know (be sure) that everyone who does righteously [and is therefore in like manner conformed to the divine will] is born (begotten) of Him [God]. 1 John 2:27-29 AMP

When we receive Jesus, we also receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit and thereby the ability to live for Him and to serve Him. We cannot hope to fix ourselves up to be acceptable to Him – we must come as we are and humble ourselves to allow Him to change and transform us from within. Jesus and His anointing change us from the inside out – there is nothing on earth that can change us from the outside in.

His anointing teaches us to abide in Him, live in Him, and never depart from Him. We must be rooted in Him and knit to Him. When we abide in Him, remaining and living permanently in Him, and He in us, we are able to be confident and bold in His presence. When we abide in Him, we will be like Him. We will neither be ashamed to stand before Him nor shrink from Him at His coming. Jesus Christ is absolutely righteous and He conforms completely to the Father’s will in every way – in purpose, thought, and action. You can know for sure that someone is born of God, and one of His children, if they do righteously and are just like Jesus, conformed to God’s divine will in their purpose, thought, and action.

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

At Summer Campmeeting in the Sun Dome in Tampa, July of 1996, Pastor Rick Shelton from St Louis, spoke a word from the Lord to Adonica and myself. The Lord showed Pastor Rick a church in the Sun Dome – our church. At that time we were not interested in starting any church. We were very busy with our traveling ministry, spending approximately 46 weeks of the year on the road. Sometimes we spent as many as 13 weeks in meetings, out on the road, before coming home for a few days off. A church was not in our plan, but it was in God’s plan.

We did not think about it again until we went on a short vacation for our wedding anniversary in the first week of October 1996. The Lord began to deal with me about a Sunday church service. We knew that God wanted us to have an auditorium for some meetings, but we were thinking that we would use it for some revival meetings, from time to time. When the Lord spoke to us about a regular service, we tried to talk Him into a Saturday or a Monday, but He wouldn’t hear of it! The Lord told us, “I want Sundays back!”

We had tens of thousands of people who were touched by our ministry in the central Florida area over the previous three years and many of them were not attending any of the local churches. We knew this because we would bump into them at malls and restaurants on Sundays and we would ask them why they weren’t in church and they would tell us that it was because they could not find a Holy Ghost church. When you have been touched by revival, it is hard to sit in a dead church. The Lord told us, “Go get your babies!” Our “babies” were all the people who had been saved, and all those who had come back to the Lord, under our ministry and who were hungry for God. We did not want people who were already committed to another church, we wanted those who were had been touched by revival and who were hungry for God. There are about 2.5 million people in the Tampa Bay/St Pete/Clearwater area. We need many good churches in Tampa Bay so that we can impact this region with the power of God!

Adonica asked me if we could wait a year to prepare for the role of pastor and I said, “Okay,” but as my feet touched the ground in Tampa when we arrived home, the Lord said to me, “Do it now!” So we did. On the first Sunday in December – December 1, 1996 – we started The River at Tampa Bay. In that first service, we had 575 people!

We did not stop our traveling ministry – we continued to travel during the week – but we made a commitment to not miss one Sunday morning service for the first year. I had to spend two weeks in Hong Kong that year and so I flew back to Tampa on the weekend, halfway through the meetings, to preach at The River and then flew straight back to Hong Kong to preach the second week! We are committed to The River at Tampa Bay! The first year, we had no nursery and no children’s church – the children sat through the services. We wanted everybody to get “Riverized” before they started ministering in the church. We want revival in every part of this ministry and you cannot give what you don’t have. Religion and tradition won’t cut it – we must have the freedom and liberty of the Holy Spirit in every aspect of what we do! By the time we started River Kids Children’s Church, those kids sure knew how to worship God! They were so filled with the Holy Spirit. Even now we encourage the children to enter into God’s presence and allow Him to touch them and fill them, and He does.

We are a local church with a vision to touch the world! Our heart for The River at Tampa Bay is that we would have a church that stays hungry for God and open to the move of the Holy Spirit. We want to see anointed praise and worship, anointed preaching, and anointed demonstrations of the Holy Ghost and power! We do not want to be people pleasers – we want to be God pleasers! In the process, many people have been, are being, and will continue to be powerfully touched and changed by the love of God and the power of God.

Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), 16 Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit. 19 Speak out to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, offering praise with voices [and instruments] and making melody with all your heart to the Lord.  Ephesians 5:15-19 AMP

Except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; except the Lord keeps the city, the watchman wakes but in vain.  Psalms 127:1 AMP

The Lord supernaturally blessed us with our current facility five years ago and as we move into this new phase, preparing to “rise and build,” we ask you, our River Family, to stand with us and lift up our hands. You are not here by accident and neither are we – God has called you here and He has called us here for such a time as this. Together we will do it!

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

Thoughts on Stewardship – Lessons from Genesis

Jacob’s Vow
Foundation Scriptures: Genesis 28:18-22

Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. 19 And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, 21 so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God. 22 And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”  Genesis 28:18-22 NKJV

1. Right after Jacob saw the vision of the ladder with the angels ascending and descending, he took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. Then he made a vow to the Lord – with some conditions. He asked this of God:

a. If God will be with me

b. If God will keep me in the way that I go

c. If He will give me bread to eat

d. If He will give me raiment – clothing – to put on

e. So that I come to my father’s house in peace – so that I die content and satisfied; in right-standing with God

2. Then Jacob made his vow. He spelled out his commitment to the Lord and what he promised to do in order to maintain his covenant with Almighty God:

a. He made a sincere, heartfelt, committed vow – a covenant promise that he would keep all of his life

b. Jacob promised God at least one tenth of all He gave him from then on. Jacob felt that if God would do these things for him then the least he could do would be to give God one tenth of his increase!

c. A covenant is a two-way street. God takes you at your word and expects you to take Him at His. When you make a promise or a vow, God acts to empower you to keep your promise. If you do not keep your word after God has kept His, it is like a slap in His face. Jacob kept his vow to God and so, even in the middle of an extreme seven-year famine, he and his family were protected and provided for.

Pastor Adonica’s Thoughts:
How many of us really, truly appreciate what God, through Jesus, has done for us? I am sure that if we really believed and understood God’s undying, unconditional, sacrificial love for us, we would do most things very differently. We would be much more committed to God; we would be much more willing and generous in all our dealings with Him; we would be more prompt to obey Him; we would be more grateful for all He has done for us. What do you think that God’s “love language” is? Do you speak His love language? Do you know that God is so thrilled when his kids really love Him and show it? How does God know that you genuinely love Him beyond your lip service? How do you demonstrate your love for God? Do you praise Him with your heart and lips? Do you spend time with Him? Do you obey Him? Do you love your neighbor? Do you tithe? Do you sow financially into His Kingdom? Your tithe is not just supporting the Gospel – your tithe is your covenant promise to God that enables you to remain blessed all the days of your life.

Pastor Rodney’s Thoughts:
There is something about a vow that causes God to respond – He responds to genuineness, sincerity and faith. Throughout the scriptures, we see men making various vows to God. We see that God always honored His part and kept His vows, but unfortunately the men who made vows to God did not always keep their vows or honor their part. In our lives, Adonica and I have made several vows to the Lord. We made vows of consecration – I first made this vow when I was young and single. When we were married, we made a covenant vow to God and each other that we would be committed to each other. I made a vow to God at my brother’s death-bed and another one at my daughter’s and I have endeavored with all my heart and might to keep every one of them.

Remember, that anything you ask God for must be something He already promised in His word. Once you make a vow, God watches to see what we will do. If we will keep our word, He will keep His; He will do what we have asked of Him. God will meet us on the basis of our vow. If you have never done this then take a step of faith and make a vow and see what God will do.

Prayer and Confession:
Father, I thank you that You honor Your word and that You watch over Your word to perform it. As I make my vows to You and as I purpose, with all my heart, to keep my part I know that you will watch over your word and bring it to pass.

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

In order for a covenant to be established and enforced, a sacrifice must be made. God has already done His part. Man must do his if he wants to reap and continue to reap the blessings of a covenant with our heavenly Father. We have a covenant of grace with God, our Father, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. No other blood needs ever to be shed again; neither will any other blood, shed as an offering, be accepted by the Father (Hebrews 10:8-10). The sacrifice God expects of His children, who are already washed in the blood of the lamb, is the sacrifice of obedience, thanksgiving and praise.

I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will not smell a savor or take delight in your solemn assemblies. 22 Though you offer Me your burnt offerings and your cereal offerings, I will not accept them, neither will I look upon the peace or thank offerings of your fatted beasts. 23 Take away from Me the noise of your songs, for I will not listen to the melody of your harps. 24 But let justice run down like waters and righteousness as a mighty and ever-flowing stream.  Amos 5:21-24 AMP

The Lord wants our sacrifice of obedience! God cannot and will not receive offerings or sacrifices from the wicked—those who pretend to serve God, but who are just in it for what they can get from Him! If we are not submitted to God in our heart attitude, our words and our actions, then our sacrifice is a stench in God’s nostrils and our singing and worship sounds so bad to Him, that He can’t stand to hear it.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
1 Corinthians 13:1 NKJV

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.
Ephesians 5:1-2 KJV

God requires justice; He requires that we obey Him and walk in His love. He will gladly accept worship and sacrifices from those who honor His word.

I will accept no bull from your house nor he-goat out of your folds. 10 For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills or upon the mountains where thousands are. 11 I know and am acquainted with all the birds of the mountains, and the wild animals of the field are Mine and are with Me, in My mind. 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are Mine. 13 Shall I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? 14 Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High, 15 And call on Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall honor and glorify Me.  Psalms 50:9-15 AMP

In verse 9, God says, “I will accept no bull from your house, nor he-goat out of your folds.” There is nothing we can offer back to God that He does not already own—all the animals are His—every beast of the forest and the cattle upon a thousand hills. We must bring Him an offering that He chooses—not an offering that we choose!  The Lord wants us to be exclusively dependant on Him and to look to Him for everything—for provision, protection and direction. He expects to have our full trust and devotion. The devil is always trying to separate us from God any way he can. He tries to get us to act independently—convincing us to look to ourselves and not to God—out of arrogance or out of a lack of faith in God’s willingness and ability to provide for us. Never think or act like you are a bother to God! Over and over, God reminds us to trust in Him, rely on Him, and ask Him for what we need.

Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.  Hebrews 13:15 AMP

The Lord wants our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving! Therefore, when we offer our offerings to Him, it should only ever be in a spirit of deep and genuine humility, with the gratefulness and thankfulness of a people who owe Him everything. When we recognize Him as our Lord and source of life, provision and blessing, then we cannot help but praise Him. Praise springs easily and readily from the heart and lips of a humble, grateful child of God. This you cannot do if you trust in your own strength, ability, and wealth; neither can you do it if you blame God for your problems! You must acknowledge His Lordship and His beneficence!

He who brings an offering of praise and thanksgiving honors and glorifies Me; and he who orders his way aright [who prepares the way that I may show him], to him I will demonstrate the salvation of God.  Psalms 50:23 AMP

Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.
Psalms 107:21-22 KJV

Oh that men would praise the Lord and glorify Him with their sacrifices of thanksgiving!

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

The Lord is good!

“Oh, how great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those who fear You, Which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men!” Psalms 31:19 NKJV

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads 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 You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs 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 Forever.” Psalms 23:1-6 NKJV

Expect His goodness

“[What, what would have become of me] had I not believed that I would see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living! 14 Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.” Psalms 27:13-14 AMP

David makes this exclamation: “What, what would have become of me, had I not believed that I would see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living?” In other words, “Because I trusted in God’s goodness I experienced it. I couldn’t have made it without Him! You need to expect Him too and He will take care of you!” God wants us to know how much He loves us and He wants to show us how good He really is. We need to get a revelation of His goodness – we need to expect His goodness.

Express gratitude

“Blessed is the man You choose, And cause to approach You, That he may dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Of Your holy temple. 5 By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us, O God of our salvation, You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth, And of the far-off seas.” Psalms 65:4-5 NKJV

Deuteronomy 28:47 (AMP) says that all these curses shall come upon you, “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness of [mind and] heart [in gratitude] for the abundance of all [with which He had blessed you].” Many of God’s people are not blessed – they are cursed – because they do not acknowledge God’s goodness toward them; they do not recognize that all their blessings have come from Him; they don’t appreciate what they already have and what He has already done; they are not satisfied with His goodness. They either take God for granted, or they think that He has not done enough for them, or they take the credit for the blessing. They walk on dangerous ground. God makes it very clear that He is the source of our blessing and it is vitally important that we serve Him with joy and gratitude.

Praise God for His goodness

“Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. 3 Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 5 For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.” Psalms 100:1-5 NKJV

“I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord And the praises of the Lord, According to all that the Lord has bestowed on us, And the great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies, According to the multitude of His lovingkindness.” Isaiah 63:7 NKJV

Because He is good – we can be good

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-24 NKJV

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:8-11 NKJV

“Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.” Romans 15:14 NKJV

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is also the character of God. The Holy Spirit imparts God’s character to us so that we can be like Him here on the earth. We are to demonstrate God’s goodness here to the world. We are to tell them and show them how good God is!

I will not jump out prematurally but I will step out when God telss me to do so. I know that my life is not a game, I am placed here for others , to tell them about Jesus and change lives for the Kingdom of God.

The areas I have been stretched in the past several weeks is my love walk and also in the area of submission to authority. I am learning that regardless what the man or woman of God asks me to do, I just submit to authority. I obey and rely on the grace of God to get the job done. Every day is another day to learn and work on my fruits. I remind myself daily my life is not my own. I have been bought with a price.