Do Not Be Offended By Persecution

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

“I have told you all these things, so that you should not be offended (taken unawares and falter, or be caused to stumble and fall away). [I told you to keep you from being scandalized and repelled.] 2 They will put you out of (expel you from) the synagogues; but an hour is coming when whoever kills you will think and claim that he has offered service to God. 3 And they will do this because they have not known the Father or Me.”  John 16:1-3 AMP

After Jesus has told His disciples “all these things” in John chapters 14 & 15, He tells them, in the opening verses of John 16, that He told them “all these things” so that they would not be offended by the persecution which would inevitably come. He had started off in John 14:1 AMP by exhorting them with these words, “Do not let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me.”  

His emphasis is on trusting the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit because they will protect and provide for you–spirit, soul and body–always–no matter what you are going through. He talks to them–and us–to focus us on God and His Word and not what we are experiencing in the flesh. He talks about Himself–the Way, the Truth and the Life; about the Father–if you have seen Me you have seen the Father; about praying to the Father in Jesus’ Name; about the Comforter and Helper–the Holy Spirit–who would be in you and with you and never leave you; about what was to come–His death–the laying down of His life and returning to the Father; about the importance, and also the benefits, of obedience and keeping His commandments; about how they–and we–would be witnesses of Jesus and everything He did and said; about the persecution that would result from our commitment to Him and our preaching of the Word.

Jesus told them, “If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would treat you with affection and would love you as its own. But because you are not of the world [no longer one with it], but I have chosen (selected) you out of the world, the world hates (detests) you. 20 Remember that I told you, A servant is not greater than his master [is not superior to him]. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word and obeyed My teachings, they will also keep and obey yours. 21 But they will do all this to you [inflict all this suffering on you] because of [your bearing] My name and on My account, for they do not know or understand the One Who sent Me.” (John 15:18-21 AMP)

Persecution will inevitably come to the child of God, who walks in obedience to His will and His Word. Jesus warns us about it so that we are not surprised and especially so that we are not offended by it. The Greek word translated “offended” in John 16:1 is “skandalizo”, which means “to stumble, to cause one to begin to distrust and to desert the one whom he ought to trust and obey.”

It doesn’t take much to offend some people. The devil has a real easy time with people who are not deeply connected into the Word of God–they immediately blame God, instead of the devil, for the discomfort they experience when the persecution starts. Mark 4:16-18 AMP says, “And in the same way the ones sown upon stony ground are those who, when they hear the Word, at once receive and accept and welcome it with joy; 17And they have no real root in themselves, and so they endure for a little while; then when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Word, they immediately are offended (become displeased, indignant, resentful) and they stumble and fall away.”   

Matthew 13:21 AMP says about the man who is not solid in the Word of God, that, “when affliction or trouble or persecution comes on account of the Word, at once he is caused to stumble [he is repelled and begins to distrust and desert Him Whom he ought to trust and obey] and he falls away.” The devil uses persecution at every level to cause people to back away from God and the Truth. Even the disciples were scattered, scared and tempted to deny Jesus when He was arrested. Jesus forewarned them in Matthew 26:31-34 NIV: Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “’I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” 33 Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” 34 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”

The first purpose of persecution is to get you to get mad at God and mad at the Word of God so that you will cut yourself off from God and backslide. Jesus said, in Matthew 24:9-10 AMP, “Then they will hand you over to suffer affliction and tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended and repelled and will begin to distrust and desert [Him Whom they ought to trust and obey] and will stumble and fall away and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred.”

The second purpose of persecution is to get you to get mad at your fellow Christians and even to betray them and to turn around and persecute them along with the ungodly. There are many people who will do anything to someone else if they think it will save their own skin. They would throw their own family “under the bus” to prevent any discomfort from coming their way.

It is only those who know their God and know His Word; who have committed their lives into His hands; who have given up–lost–their own lives and found His; who trust God with their life; who can say with Paul, “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain”; who will be willing to endure the hardships of persecution for the joy of what lies before them.

And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.  Matthew 10:22 KJV

The Goodness Of God – Part 3 by Rodney Howard Browne

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THE GOODNESS OF GOD AS REVEALED BY HIS LOVE

“Yes, God’s riches are very great! His wisdom and knowledge have no end! No one can explain what God decides. No one can understand his ways. 34 As the Scriptures say, “Who can know what is on the Lord’s mind? Who is able to give him advice?” 35 “Who has ever given God anything? God owes nothing to anyone.” 36 Yes, God made all things. And everything continues through him and for him. To God be the glory forever! Amen.” Romans 11:33-36 ERV

All of creation originated with God. He made it – every intricate, complicated, exquisite atom of it. We are such a small particle in the great universe and our finite minds are totally inadequate to even try to begin to understand even a little bit of God’s great handiwork! There is no way we can ever know or understand everything there is to know about God – we know only a very, very little and understand even less. We cannot say that we know what He is thinking and we certainly cannot begin to think that we could ever advise Him. There is nothing that we could give back to Him that He did not personally make and that He does not already own.

The things that God wants us to know about Him are revealed by the Holy Spirit and recorded in His mighty word. Above all else, He wants us to know just how much He loves us. He tells us in Genesis how He created the entire earth and the universe just for us. He made everything, saw that it was good, formed man in His image and likeness and then gave it all to man to take care of and enjoy. Man was God’s crowning creation!

The Garden, Adam and Eve respected God, but were not afraid of Him. They did not need to be afraid. He was their creator – they knew Him personally and therefore they knew only His goodness and His complete love and acceptance. They had never experienced sin, fear, guilt, pain or death – therefore they had nothing to hide and no one to hide from – they were naked and unafraid.

“If anyone imagines that he has come to know and understand much [of divine things, without love], he does not yet perceive and recognize and understand as strongly and clearly, nor has he become as intimately acquainted with anything as he ought or as is necessary.” 1 Corinthians 8:2 AMP

“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:8-11 NKJV

“So we know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love. God is love. Everyone who lives in love lives in God, and God lives in them. 17 If God’s love is made perfect in us, we can be without fear on the day when God judges the world. We will be without fear, because in this world we are like Jesus. 18 Where God’s love is, there is no fear, because God’s perfect love takes away fear. It is his punishment that makes a person fear. So his love is not made perfect in the one who has fear.” 1 John 4:16-18 ERV

God does not just love – He IS love. All He knows is love. All that motivates Him is love. His goodness is revealed in His acts of love. Even if you have memorized the entire Bible, if you do not understand this fact – that God is love – you will not understand the Word of God. God has placed great importance on these facts – that He is love, He loved us first and He sacrificed everything to restore us back into His love. Because we know He loves us, we trust His love for us and therefore we do not fear Him. Rodney Howard Browne said that the person who is afraid of God does not know God’s love. He/she is either a sinner, or a Christian who has not come to know God or His nature and character very well yet.   He/she fears the punishment reserved for the sinner. There is no fear of death and punishment for the believer. As we are perfected in God’s love – being made complete in His love – we lose all fear. We learn to trust God and His love completely.

This is how much God loves us: Zephaniah 3:17 KJV says, “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” And in the ERV it says, “The Lord your God is with you. He is like a powerful soldier. He will save you. He will show how much he loves you and how happy he is with you. He will laugh and be happy about you, like people at a party.”The Father rejoices over you – yes you!

God is good. God is good to His people. God is kind and good toward even sinners. God is good to ALL.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd Who Leads and Protects His Sheep

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.  2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.  3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.  5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”  6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them. 7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.  8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.  9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.  10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.  12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.  13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.  14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.  15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.  16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.  John 10:1-16 NKJV

Eastern shepherds spent a lot of time with their sheep. They gave their sheep names and the sheep came when they were called – they knew and responded to their shepherd’s voice. Even when two or more flocks were mixed together, the sheep could be called out by their own shepherd. The shepherd knew his sheep and the sheep knew their shepherd. The sheep would always follow their own shepherd, and would pay no attention to strangers. Jesus is our Good Shepherd – if we are His sheep then we should hear and know His voice. Jesus is called the Word of God. The more we come to know the Word of God, the more we come to know Jesus and His voice. We will not follow the voice of the stranger – the voice of the devil.

Then [Jacob] blessed Joseph and said, God [Himself ], before Whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac lived and walked habitually, God [Himself ], Who has [been my Shepherd and has led and] fed me from the time I came into being until this day.  Genesis 48:15 AMP

Eastern shepherds did not drive their sheep – they led them – they went before their flocks to lead them to the good grass and water. Psalms 23:1-3 says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.” Jesus is our shepherd – leading us and providing for us.

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.  Psalms 23:4 NKJV

But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.  27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.  30 I and My Father are one.  John 10:26-30 NKJV

Jesus is our Chief Shepherd and we are His sheep. In order to receive eternal life, we must believe, we must hear His voice, and we must follow His voice. When we choose to follow Him in obedience, we are covered by His hand – His protection is on our lives and no one can snatch us out of His hand – or the Father’s hand. Both of them watch over us and hold us in their hands. We can trust in the Lord – we need have no fear – no matter what we have to walk through, we can know that He is with us and His hand of protection is upon us – to see us through anything and everything.

Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a well (spring or fountain), whose branches run over the wall.  23 Skilled archers have bitterly attacked and sorely worried him; they have shot at him and persecuted him.  24 But his bow remained strong and steady and rested in the Strength that does not fail him, for the arms of his hands were made strong and active by the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob, by the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.  Genesis 49:22-24 AMP

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!  Psalms 80:1 NKJV

He will feed His flock like a shepherd: He will gather the lambs in His arm, He will carry them in His bosom and will gently lead those that have their young.  Isaiah 40:11 AMP

For the Lamb Who is in the midst of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to the springs of the waters of life; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.  Revelation 7:17 AMP

Confess this today: Jesus is the Good Shepherd. I hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and I follow His voice. The voice of a stranger I will not follow.

Matters of the Heart

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The human heart is a fascinating muscle. Every time I hear about how everything works physically in the body, I get so amazed. But the most fascinating this is still not the physical heart, but the heart in which God can put dreams and visions.Proverbs 4:23 tell us to “Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life”. This means that what we have in our hearts affects our whole lives. You can try to be someone else or try to come across as a better person than you really are, but at some point, your heart will reveal the real you. In Matt 16:27 it says that you’ll have to give an account to God (for your life, your attitude, your thoughts, your words, your deeds…). And how you handle these things in your life depends on what you have in your heart.

No one has the perfect heart – we all need to check what we actually have in our hearts and deal with things all the time. If there are things you have in your heart that you know you should deal with, but don’t, it’ll be a hinder for God to talk to you or do what he wants to do in and through you. For it is not about the word that goes out, but the heart that receives it. This means that God can talk to you, but you might not be able to receive it because your heart is filled with other stuff that’s in the way for God.

Psalms 24 tells us that the one that can come in to Gods presence is the one with clean hands and a pure heart. God wants us to surrender everything and let him clean us white as snow. He wants to have access to all of my heart.

One Flock and One Shepherd

I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.  15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.  16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.  John 10:14-16 NKJV

Jesus said: “I am the Good Shepherd. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold. They will hear My voice and there will be one flock and one Shepherd.” Jesus was Jewish and salvation was offered first to the Jews, but ultimately it was intended for ALL people – ALL tribes and ALL nations. “This fold” refers to the Jews and those “not of this fold” are the Gentiles. Jesus laid down His life and died for Jews AND Gentiles – He died for the sins of the world! People are always trying to restrict God’s salvation to their own little group, but Jesus said that anyone who hears His voice is included in His flock. There is ONE flock and ONE Shepherd!

I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;  21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  John 17:20-23 NKJV

Jesus loved us before we were born! He prayed to the Father for His disciples and also for each one of us, in succeeding generations, who would believe in Him through the testimony of His disciples and His Word. The glory of God in our lives makes us all ONE in Him. The Father’s plan was for us to be made perfect together, as ONE body. The Father’s plan is for the whole world to know that He sent Jesus and that He loves each one of us as much as He loves Jesus!

Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh — who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands — 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. 19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.  Ephesians 2:11-22 NKJV

Jesus came and preached peace to you who were afar off (Gentiles) and to those who were near (Jews)! We can ALL belong to Jesus’ flock through faith. We don’t need to be born into the “right” family; we don’t need to belong to a particular nation or a particular denomination; we don’t need to do certain works or rituals; we just need to believe in Him. Jesus is our Peace! He broke down any and all walls of separation between man and God – and man and man. He reconciled all of us to God in one body through the cross. We ALL have access to the Father through the Spirit of God. Jesus is our Good Shepherd and our Chief Cornerstone! We are no longer strangers and foreigners, but we are citizens of God’s Kingdom and also members of the household of God! We are brothers and sisters of the same Family!

For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”  12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  Romans 10:11-13 NKJV

WHOSOEVER calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved – whether Jew or Greek (Gentile)! The same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him!

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free — and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.  1 Corinthians 12:13 NKJV

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  Galatians 3:28 NKJV

By ONE Spirit we are baptized into ONE body! Your station in life has no bearing on your salvation – Jew or Greek; slave or free; male or female – we are ALL His flock; we are ALL His children. Every man, woman, or child who ever lived, has the same privilege and opportunity to become God’s child. God’s Kingdom is the great equalizer!

Suffering For The Cause Of Christ by Rodney Howard Browne

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You have been granted [the privilege] for Christ’s sake not only to believe in (adhere to, rely on, and trust in) Him, but also to suffer in His behalf.  Philippians 1:29 AMP

The Bible speaks about Christians suffering with and for Christ. This is not the undeserved suffering of sickness and disease as some misinformed, religious people have taught, because that is unscriptural.  The only suffering that is appropriate and even inevitable for a true Christian is persecution and the pressures and opposition that come from obedience and yieldedness to God’s will. Opposition and persecution come from the devil and demons and from ungodly people. Sometimes, even lukewarm or backslidden Christians are the ones who are used by the enemy to persecute those who are living godly lives and who are on fire for God. Persecution is a consequence of faithfulness toward God and His word and being a doer of the Word and will of God.

1. It is not strange or unusual for Christians to suffer—godliness attracts persecution

1 Peter 4:12 AMP – Beloved, do not be amazed and bewildered at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality, as though something strange (unusual and alien to you and your position) were befalling you.

2 Timothy 3:12 AMP – Indeed all who delight in piety and are determined to live a devoted and godly life in Christ Jesus will meet with persecution [will be made to suffer because of their religious stand].

2. You should rejoice when you become a partaker ofthe sufferings of Christ­—you are not alone—and great is your reward

1 Peter 4:13 AMP – But insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, rejoice, so that when His glory [full of radiance and splendor] is revealed, you may also rejoice with triumph [exultantly].

Matthew 5:10-12 NIV – Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

3. The greater the suffering you experience, the greater also your joy and glory

Romans 8:17-18 AMP – And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory. 18 [But what of that?] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time (this present life) are not worth being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us and for us and conferred on us!
4. Not only is there a greater glory that is to come, but Christians also have the Holy Spirit upon them now to help them and enable them to endure

1 Peter 4:14 AMP – If you are censured and suffer abuse [because you bear] the name of Christ, blessed [are you—happy, fortunate, to be envied, with life-joy, and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of your outward condition], because the Spirit of glory, the Spirit of God, is resting upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.

Romans 8:26-27 AMP – So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance. 27 And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the [Holy] Spirit [what His intent is], because the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God’s will.

5. Christian sufferings glorify God and it is an honor and not a shame, to suffer as a Christian

1 Peter 4:16 AMP – But if [one is ill-treated and suffers] as a Christian [which he is contemptuously called], let him not be ashamed, but give glory to God that he is [deemed worthy to suffer] in this name.

6. Christians should patiently bear sufferings according to the will of God, realizing that God is always faithful  toward those who are His own, in the midst of their sufferings

1 Peter 4:17-19 AMP – For the time [has arrived] for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will [be] the end of those who do not respect or believe or obey the good news (the Gospel) of God? 18 And if the righteous are barely saved, what will become of the godless and wicked? 19 Therefore, those who are ill-treated and suffer in accordance with God’s will must do right and commit their souls [in charge as a deposit] to the One Who created [them] and will never fail [them].

1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV – No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Jesus suffered major persecution and when we accept Him as Lord and Savior, that is what we sign up for as well—whether we like it or not. But for those who endure and don’t buckle under the pressure—there remains great rewards from our Father in Heaven! You will not be tested beyond your ability to endure—God’s grace is always enough for you. So don’t back off; don’t give in, keep hanging in there and praising God, and you will finish your race and win your prize!

THINGS I CANNOT COMPROMISE

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  Romans 1:16 KJV

[My precaution was] because of false brethren who had been secretly smuggled in [to the Christian brotherhood]; they had slipped in to spy on our liberty and the freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might again bring us into bondage [under the Law of Moses]. 5 To them we did not yield submission even for a moment, that the truth of the Gospel might continue to be [preserved] for you [in its purity]. Galatians 2:4-5 AMP

Rodney Howard Browne teaches that Jesus is the Only Way for Salvation.

  1. John 14:6 AMP—I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.
  2. 1 Timothy 2:5-6a
  3. John 3:13-18
  4. 1 John 5:20


Rodney Howard Browne teaches that The Word of God is the Only Truth.

  1. Truth is absolute. A partial truth is a lie. For something to be called true, it must be completely and thoroughly true.
  2. In the Old and New Testaments, truth is a fundamental moral and personal quality of God. It is impossible for God to lie.
  3. 1 Samuel 15:29
  4. Hebrews 6:18—It is impossible for God to lie.
  5. Titus 1:2—God cannot lie.
  6. God is true and He cannot lie, God’s Word is truth and is no lie. God’s Word is also called the Word of Truth.
  7. John 8:32 AMP—And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.
  8. John 17:17 NKJV—Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
  9. Ephesians 1:13
  10. Psalms 25:10
  11. Psalms 111:7-8
  12. Psalms 119:142—Your law is truth.
  13. Psalms 119:151—All Your commandments are truth.
  14. Psalms 119:160


Rodney Howard Browne teaches that Repentance is the Only Way.

  1. Luke 13:3
  2. Acts 3:19-20—Repent therefore and be converted.
  3. Acts 17:30-31—God now commands all men everywhere to repent.
  4. Revelation 3:19—Be zealous and repent.


The Belief in the Cross, the Blood, the Resurrection and His Lordship.

The Cross

  1. John 3:14-15—Jesus was lifted up on the cross to impart eternal life.
  2. Hebrews 12:2 NKJV—Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
  3. 1 Corinthians 1:18 NKJV—For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

The Blood

  1. Matthew 26:28 NKJV—For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
  2. Ephesians 1:7 NKJV—In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.
  3. Ephesians 2:13—You have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
  4. Colossians 1:19-20—Having made peace through the blood of His cross.
  5. Hebrews 9:12-15
  6. Revelation 5:9-10—You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood.

The Resurrection

  1. John 11:25-26a—“I am the resurrection and the life.
  2. Romans 1:3-4
  3. 1 Peter 1:3

His Lordship

  1. Acts 2:36—God has made Him both Lord and Christ
  2. Acts 10:36—Jesus Christ is Lord of all.
  3. Philippians 2:9-11—Every knee should bow and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.


The Gospel—What is it?

  1. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
  2. Romans 3:21-25
  3. The wages of sin is death—the gift of God is eternal life.
  4. Romans 6:23
  5. Whosoever calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved.
  6. Romans 10:8-13
  7. The Gospel is Good News.
  8. Luke 2:10-11
  9. Romans 2:4-5

The Lord is Calling to Us

A whistle can get our attention quickly, can’t it? Whistles are used to manipulate uncontrollable behavior, signal the start or finish of an event, or interrupt the action. Blown by a sports referee, a teacher on a playground, or a police officer at a junction, the sound is a signal for us to stop and learn why the whistle was blown. What does God use to get our attention? Occasionally it’s a twitchy spirit. Rodney Howard Browne tells us that it can appear as an obscure dissatisfaction with our life. Other times God uses somebody’s words to help us recognize he is talking to us. Blessing us in a bizarre way is another method God employs. ( Romans twenty-four ) In each case, we are to stop and ask, “Lord, are You making an attempt to say something to me?”

Rodney Howard Browne explains that God often allows our requests to stay unanswered to prompt us to sharpen our target Him. Or He may say no thanks to our request to gain our attention. Disappointments, problems, and disasters are sometimes used by Him for a similar reason.

If we are smart, we will swiftly seek Him out.

In crises, finance reversals, and physical affliction, God waits to determine if we are going to turn to Him and ask, “God, are You talking to me?” Rodney Howard Browne teaches us that God merits our complete attention, but we get engrossed. He waits to talk with us, but we are busy taking a look at our circumstances.

Permit the occurrences of life-both the agreeable and the painful-to prompt you to turn to God and ask, “Lord, are You asking for my attention?”. One more thing.

When We Are Lonely

Rodney Howard Browne explains that too often, believers in Christ are ashamed to admit that they struggle with loneliness. Some assume, “If anyone knows I’m lonely, they may not think I’m satisfied in my relationship with Jesus.” What a tragic mistake! Nowhere in the Bible does it say that it is a sin to feel lonely. The truth is, even the most committed Christians feel lonely from time to time.

Rodney Howard Browne show us that all throughout Scripture, we see godly men and women admitting their feelings of loneliness. Quite often in the Psalms, we see this of David. Psalm 25:16-17 shows David to be “lonely and afflicted,” while Psalm 102:7 reveals his sleepless nights due to loneliness. And this was a man who was famous for his relationship with God!

The apostle Paul struggled with loneliness during his travels as well. In 2 Timothy 4:16, he recounts a time of distress and remarks, “all [have] deserted me.”

Pastor Rodney Howard Browne shows us that these are all men who had unquestionably wonderful relationships with God, yet they admitted their loneliness. Even Jesus demonstrated the need for close relationships, as well as the heartache caused when they are ruptured. On the night of His arrest, He took His closest friends with Him to pray, only to sorrowfully discover that they had fallen asleep and left Him alone. (Matthew 26:36-46)

If you are struggling with similar feelings, do not be afraid to admit it to God and to your friends. Invite someone into the pain of your loneliness. That will be the first step on your journey out of it.

1.

Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.

2.

O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed , let not mine enemies triumph over me.

3.

Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed : let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.

4.

Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.

5.

Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

6.

Remember , O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.

7.

Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD.

8.

Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.

9.

The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

10.

All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

11.

For thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.

12.

What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose .

13.

His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.

14.

The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

15.

Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.

16.

Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.

17.

The troubles of my heart are enlarged : O bring thou me out of my distresses.

18.

Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.

19.

Consider mine enemies ; for they are many ; and they hate me with cruel hatred.

20.

O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed ; for I put my trust in thee.

21.

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.

22.

Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.

Living in Accordance with the Holy Spirit

With enticement swirling around us every day, it’s tough to walk in what we consider “holiness.” But that could be as we don’t truly understand holiness. We frequently compare holiness with a religious life, one lacking in sin at every point. But holiness is not a characteristic you earn. Holiness comes when you understand your position in Christ. After you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and ask God to pardon your sins, God’s Holy Spirit starts to dwell in you.

And one thing is for certain: God is holy. So, if God is holy and His Holy Spirit inhabits you, would not that make you holy as well? The instant you gave your life over to the Lord, you became holy. Peter reminds us of our call to live a holy life : “Because it is written, ‘You shall be Holy, for I am holy” ( one Peter 1:16 ) . God would not need us to do something that we could not do. Walking in holiness comes when we are now not OK with sin. As sin becomes more repulsive, we grow more attracted to His methods, His methods that are higher than ours. No longer should we wish to walk in the way of the ungodly, nor should it feel cosy ( Proverbs 1:15 ) . God has rescued us from sin.

And when we remember this and select His way every time enticement crosses our trails, we are going to walk in holiness.

Rodney Howard Browne bringing revival to Forth Walton Beach

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