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

Give, and [gifts] will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will they pour into [the pouch formed by] the bosom [of your robe and used as a bag]. For with the measure you deal out [with the measure you use when you confer benefits on others], it will be measured back to you.  Luke 6:38 AMP

If you don’t have “receiving faith” – knowing how to believe God for His provision – you won’t have “giving faith” – faith to give more. People who are afraid to give have no faith in God’s promise to provide.

But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth]. 23 For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his [own] natural face in a mirror; 24 For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like. 25 But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the [law] of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience).  James 1:22-25 AMP

So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead). 18 But someone will say [to you then], You [say you] have faith, and I have [good] works. Now you show me your [alleged] faith apart from any [good] works [if you can], and I by [good] works [of obedience] will show you my faith.

James 2:17-18 AMP

Your giving is a measure of your faith in God and your trust in His Word. Tithing is where you start. If you do not or will not tithe – you are demonstrating a complete lack of faith in God. If you say, “I don’t tithe, but I do have faith,” then you are deceived, because faith without works is dead. You are a hearer and not a doer and you have betrayed yourself into deception by reasoning contrary to the truth.

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “LORD, who has believed our report?” 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 10:14-17 NKJV

Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. If you are not hearing, receiving, believing, and doing the Word of God – then your reasoning process will be faulty and you will make wrong decisions for your life.

Some people sit where the Word of God is preached, but they never allow it to make an entrance into their heart. They never soften the soil of their heart to receive the seed of the Word – or they allow the weeds of greed to choke their seed!

Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.  Malachi 3:10 AMP

Tithe – so that there will be meat (food) in the house of God for you. The “closedness” or hardness of your heart that causes you to shut out the message of tithing and giving will cause you to shut out the rest of the Word as well. Your may hear it, but you will not grasp it or understand it. You won’t be eating the meat of the Word – you will barely be manage to swallow the milk!

Make a decision today to receive God’s Word concerning giving, make a decision to act on the Word, and become a giver. Don’t just give – become a giver! And watch the hand of blessing increase in your life!

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

So six days before the Passover Feast, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had died and whom He had raised from the dead. 2 So they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those at the table with Him. 3 Mary took a pound of ointment of pure liquid nard [a rare perfume] that was very expensive, and she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. And the whole house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, the one of His disciples who was about to betray Him, said, 5 Why was this perfume not sold for 300 denarii [a year’s wages for an ordinary workman] and that [money] given to the poor (the destitute)? 6 Now he did not say this because he cared for the poor but because he was a thief; and having the bag (the money box, the purse of the Twelve), he took for himself what was put into it [pilfering the collections]. 7 But Jesus said, Let her alone. It was [intended] that she should keep it for the time of My preparation for burial. [She has kept it that she might have it for the time of My embalming.] 8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.  John 12:1-8 AMP

Six days before the Passover Feast, Mary takes a pound of ointment of pure liquid nard – a rare perfume that was very, very expensive – and she pours it on Jesus’ feet and wipes them with her hair. The whole house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. Judas Iscariot throws a fit over the “waste” of this perfume, insisting that it could have been sold and given to the poor! The only problem was that Judas did not care about the poor one iota and it looked like he did not care about Jesus either. What he did was to reveal his own evil motives and his disrespect for Jesus.

Jesus was one of his closest friends. They traveled everywhere together, along with the other eleven disciples. Jesus had spent every single day of about three years with him. Judas had seen Jesus’ miracles and heard His anointed teaching. You would think that Judas would think that Jesus was worth a years worth of wages. You would think that Judas would be blessed by the blessing that Jesus received. But he was not. Instead he was quite angry and upset. In fact, in Matthew 26:6-16, after the woman emptied her alabaster box on Jesus head, Judas was so bent out of shape that he went straight out to negotiate with the chief priests over his planned betrayal of Jesus!

How did Judas come to this place in his life that he could go out and make such a terrible choice – to betray a beloved friend? The answer lies in what was hidden – not so deep – in his heart. His responsibility was to keep the treasury bag, which belonged to Jesus and the disciples, but instead of guarding it, he was stealing from it. He was stealing from his closest friends; he had given in to temptation; he had become covetous, selfish, greedy and a liar.

When people do things they know are wrong, their own conscience convicts them. At that point they do one of two things: stop, repent and make restitution, or they push their conscience away, hardening their heart, justifying their own actions, and finding fault, instead, with the very people they are sinning against! When Judas gave in to his covetousness and he stole money out of the bag, his conscience was compromised and his judgment skewed. He was now fully in deception. It did not concern him at all that he had betrayed an innocent man, until it was too late.

Covetousness is defined in Luke 12:15 (Amplified Version) as the immoderate desire for wealth and the greedy longing to have more. Covetousness will lead you to and cause you to commit sin. The more you yield to covetousness, the more it takes hold of you and the more covetous you become. The more covetous you become the worse your choices become. It is a vicious cycle. Your reasoning is faulty because your paradigm is distorted. Covetousness is destructive to you, your life, and the life of others. A human life is far more precious than material possessions. Possessions can be replaced, but a life can not. Covetousness will make you blind and stupid – it will cause you to value material possessions above a human life. Covetousness causes some people to even commit murder – something they would never do otherwise.

What leads to strife (discord and feuds) and how do conflicts (quarrels and fightings) originate among you? Do they not arise from your sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members? 2 You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your desires go unfulfilled; [so] you become murderers. [To hate is to murder as far as your hearts are concerned.] You burn with envy and anger and are not able to obtain [the gratification, the contentment, and the happiness that you seek], so you fight and war. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3[Or] you do ask [God for them] and yet fail to receive, because you ask with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives. Your intention is [when you get what you desire] to spend it in sensual pleasures.  James 4:1-3 AMP

It is vital that we eliminate a selfish, covetous spirit from our lives, and the only way to do it is to move in the opposite spirit by being a blessing; working with our hands, earning money, and giving to God and others.

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

But now your kingdom shall not continue; the Lord has sought out [David] a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince and ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.

1 Samuel 13:14 AMP

God called David “a man after His own heart.” What made David a man after God’s own heart? Firstly, David was a humble man and his heart did not change or become arrogant, even after he ascended to the thrones of Judah and Israel. He was the youngest of eight sons and the least regarded. As a young man, he served his father as a shepherd and when the prophet, Samuel, asked for all Jesse’s sons to be brought to him, his family did not even bother to call David. God chose David though. He chose him, not for his stature, but for his heart, and anointed him to be king in Saul’s place.

David spent his time with the sheep, practicing with his sling and writing worship songs to the Lord. He was not afraid of the lion or the bear. When they came to kill his father’s sheep, he killed them and gave the glory to God. He did not take the credit himself. When he killed Goliath, it was in the Name of the Lord. When David, as king, brought the Ark of the Covenant back from the Philistines, he removed his kingly robes, and put on the robes of a priest. He danced wildly as he worshipped God before the Ark. He was not ashamed to lower himself before his subjects as he honored his God. His wife, Michal, a true daughter of Saul, was offended by his humility, but he pledged to humble himself even further to honor his Lord. Michal’s attitude caused her to be barren for the rest of her life.

O LORD, you have searched me [thoroughly] and have known me. 2 You know my downsitting and my uprising; You understand my thought afar off. 3 You sift and search out my path and my lying down, and You are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word in my tongue [still unuttered], but, behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. 5 You have beset me and shut me in–behind and before, and You have laid Your hand upon me. 6 Your [infinite] knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high above me, I cannot reach it. 7 Where could I go from Your Spirit? Or where could I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol (the place of the dead), behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning or dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 Even there shall Your hand lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me and the night shall be [the only] light about me, 12 Even the darkness hides nothing from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You. 13 For You did form my inward parts; You did knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I will confess and praise You for You are fearful and wonderful and for the awful wonder of my birth! Wonderful are Your works, and that my inner self knows right well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You when I was being formed in secret [and] intricately and curiously wrought [as if embroidered with various colors] in the depths of the earth [a region of darkness and mystery]. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days [of my life] were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them. Psalms 139:1-16 AMP

David had a revelation of the greatness: the omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience, of God. He had a revelation that he owed everything to God. He knew that God knew everything and that nothing was hidden from His sight. Except for the Bathsheba incident, David lived his life like a man whose life was laid out bare before God’s eyes. He practiced integrity publicly and privately. He lived like a man who would need to give an account of his life. His deep love and respect for God is unfeigned and unapologetic.

How precious and weighty also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I could count them, they would be more in number than the sand. When I awoke, [could I count to the end] I would still be with You. 19 If You would [only] slay the wicked, O God, and the men of blood depart from me– 20 Who speak against You wickedly, Your enemies who take Your name in vain! 21 Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And am I not grieved and do I not loathe those who rise up against You? 22 I hate them with perfect hatred; they have become my enemies. 23 Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalms 139:17-24 AMP

David submitted himself to God and tolerated no one who set themselves against God. He loved God and he loved the Word of God. He valued and treasured God’s Word—it was extremely precious to him. He opened up his heart to receive the Word of God and he also opened up his own life to be scrutinized by God. He invited God to check out his heart, to bring correction to his life, to set him straight, and lead him in the way he should go.

If you want to be called a man or a woman after God’s own heart, follow David’s example. Humble yourself before God; love Him; love His word; submit yourself to His word; honor Him; obey Him; and unashamedly worship Him alone.

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

I covenant with God to treasure my wife and be faithful to her
I am a man of integrity
I am the husband of one wife
I am wholly committed to my wife
I confine myself to her
I live joyfully with her
By the grace of God I am the head of my home
I am the priest and prophet of my home
I am submitted to God as I lovingly lead my wife and family
I love my wife as Christ loves the church
I give my life for her
I love my wife like my own flesh
I provide for her
I carefully protect her
I remember that God gave her to me
She is my grace gift
She is my “good thing” – the evidence of God’s favor on my life
I live considerately with my wife
I intelligently recognize our marriage union
I honor my wife as physically the weaker
However, I realize that spiritually, we are equals
We are both joint-heirs of the grace of life
We are both joint-heirs of the unmerited favor of God
I do this so we can pray effectively
I do this so our prayers will not be hindered or cut off
I remember that she is more sensitive and tender than I am
I am affectionate and sympathetic toward her
I am patient and kind toward her
I am sensitive to her needs and desires
I am never harsh, bitter or resentful toward her
I humble myself to be compassionate, courteous, and tenderhearted toward her
I belong to my wife and my wife belongs to me
My body belongs to my wife and my wife’s body belongs to me
I make it a priority to please and bless my wife
I make it a priority to try to meet her needs
My earnest desire is to please her
I rejoice in my wife
She is a blessing to me
She is my best friend
Thank You Lord for my wife

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

Thoughts on Stewardship
Lesson No. 9 from Deuteronomy

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

The Lord gave me this psalm for the Church in January 1999 and I felt it was still appropriate for 2010. So we are sharing it here today.

I PREDICT FOR 2010!

I predict for 2010—a harvest of the spiritual kind
Souls plucked from the jaws of hell
As men the good news of the Gospel do tell
This is the former and the latter rain
That was spoken of by the prophets
Again and again

The glory of the latter house will be greater
Than the former—you will see
The harvest will be greater than you’ve ever dreamed
Though the world will get worse and worse it will seem
Wars, rumors of wars, only talk of peace
Droughts, weather upheavals, disease will not cease

Nations will fall and nations will rise
But it’s getting closer and you would be wise
To prepare your heart for the coming of the Lord
For He will come swiftly and with a sword
To judge the living and the dead
Sinners and those who’ve rejected Him will dread
The great white throne—where all men will see
Those who are righteous, those who are free

Rise up now, this army of the Lord
Run, run, run, with His Word
The time is short—the end is at hand
The glory of God will be seen in this land

By Rodney M. Howard-Browne
(A psalm is a spiritual poem or an ode.)

The Bible says that no man knows the day or the hour that Jesus will return, as promised by the two angels the day He ascended into heaven after He was raised from the dead (Acts 1:9-11), but we know that God always keeps His word. We should be always ready to meet Jesus, whether He comes first to us or we go first to be with Him. Even as things in the world get worse, in Jesus things get better and better as we trust in Him and His word. If your trust is not in God, you will be afraid in the uncertain times. The good thing about uncertain times is that men begin to look for God, and when we stand firm, we will be there to point them in His direction! May God richly bless you this coming year and as you pull in closer to Him, may you know His love, joy, peace and provision in every area of your life.

God bless you abundantly. We love you.
Pastors Rodney and Adonica Howard-Browne

But understand this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear]. 2 Timothy 3:1 AMP

Who shall ever separate us from Christ’s love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword? 36 Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long; we are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us. Romans 8:35-37 AMP

Foundation Scriptures: John 1:1-14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1-14 NKJV

l. If Jesus were around today, He would be kicked out of most churches.

Jesus was not religious and did not fit in with the religious crowd.
Jesus was radical. He was unpredictable. He did not do what people thought He would or should do.
1 Corinthians 2:14-15 AMP – But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated. 15 But the spiritual man tries all things [he examines, investigates, inquires into, questions, and discerns all things], yet is himself to be put on trial and judged by no one [he can read the meaning of everything, but no one can properly discern or appraise or get an insight into him].
Jesus was led by the Spirit of God in everything He said and did.
John 3:34 AMP – For since He Whom God has sent speaks the words of God [proclaims God’s own message], God does not give Him His Spirit sparingly or by measure, but boundless is the gift God makes of His Spirit!
Jesus is not physically here on earth where He can be seen. The only Jesus the world will ever see is in born-again believers, children of God, filled with the Holy Spirit.
The only way that people can see Jesus in your eyes, hear Jesus in your voice and feel Jesus in your touch is if you allow the Holy Spirit to do a work in you as you obey Him by walking in the love of God toward others and by doing the works of Jesus.
To get a picture of what Jesus is really like—read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

ll. There are so many different opinions and theories out there about Jesus, but the Gospel portray Him as He really is.

Jesus said what He meant and He meant what He said.
The significance of Jesus’ words and actions get lost when people try to interpret the bible allegorically or figuratively, instead of literally.
At the end of his account of Jesus earthly ministry, John says, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did. If they should be all recorded one by one [in detail], I suppose that even the world itself could not contain (have room for) the books that would be written.” (John 21:25 AMP)
The things we need to know about Jesus are written in the four Gospels.
His Birth; His Life; His Earthly Ministry; His Death; His Resurrection; His Ascension.
His Birth: Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin. He was 100 percent God and 100 percent man.
His Life: He led a sinless life even though He was tempted with everything that anyone of us are tempted with.
Hebrews 4:15 AMP – For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning.
His Earthly Ministry: Jesus spent 30 years preparing for an earthly ministry that began when He was baptized in water and the Holy Spirit at the River Jordan.
His earthly ministry lasted about 3 ½ years and 70 percent of that ministry was healing the sick and casting out devils.
His Death: His death at Calvary was for the sins of the world—the whole world.
His Resurrection: Jesus was raised up from the dead and He stripped Satan of the keys of death, hell and the grave.
His Ascension: The angel told the disciples, “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11a)
John 14:12 KJV – Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Jesus sent us another Comforter—the Holy Spirit, who is just like Him—the same Holy Spirit that anointed Jesus.
This Comforter comes to live in us and with us. This Comforter would allow Jesus to live inside us and to have expression through us in the earth.
Christian means: little Christ; little anointed one.
Remember Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9) And also, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. 29 And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” (John 8:28-29)
1 John 4:4 NKJV – You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Allow Jesus to live big on the inside of you so that the world may know He is alive!

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

All of us have things we need or want. All of us have some changes we would like to see in our lives. What do we do about it? Do we just think about them and wish things could be different? Do we share our problems with other people or even whine and complain about them? There’s little or nothing they can do for us! Or do we talk to Someone who cares and Someone who knows how to move mountains? The Father wants us to depend on Him: He wants us to trust in Him; He wants us to look to Him for everything; and Him alone. He wants us to take time to come to Him; to talk to Him. There are many things in our hearts that are so personal they cannot be shared with others, but the Father already knows what’s in our hearts, so we can be transparent with Him. In fact, He wants us to be open and honest with Him; He wants us to tell Him what we need and He wants to be the one to meet that need. Father God is not bothered when you come to talk to Him, He is delighted. He created us to have intimate fellowship with Him.

But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. Matthew 6:6-8 NKJV

God is not moved by many words or repetitive words; He is not moved by begging or crying; He is moved by faith. People don’t like being nagged—the Lord doesn’t either. He just wants us to be straight and real with Him and ask Him for what we want. The Lord knows what is in our heart more than we do, but we still need to tell Him what that is. Purposefully asking God is a demonstration of our faith and trust in Him and His Word. A very helpful tool in your prayer life, on the road to purposeful and answered prayer, is a prayer journal—so that you can focus, write down and keep track of your prayer requests.

Ten reasons why journaling is a good idea:
• It enables you to collect and articulate your thoughts more clearly and specifically before you pray.
• It provides a record of answered prayer to encourage you and remind of what God has done for you.
• It helps you look back on your own spiritual journey.
• It can prevent you mind from wandering while you pray.
• It helps you to dig deeper into your heart, to bring out your real dreams, desires and needs.
• It helps you sort through competing thoughts.
• It helps you realize and remember how blessed you are and gives you more reasons to thank and praise the Lord.
• It provides a measuring rod for your own consistency.
• It helps you to apply the Word of God to your everyday life.
• It promotes self-discipline.

One way to journal is to divide your page into two columns, one for your request and one for the answer. Fill in the date above each column of when you prayed and when it was answered. You can come back later and fill in the answer column when your prayer is answered. Underneath these columns, add space for a paragraph where you can praise God for something that the Lord did for you the day before. You could also use a “prayer card”, writing the prayer on one side and the answer on the other. You can have a special box to keep all your answered prayers.

“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.” Psalms 91:14-16 NKJV

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

Foundation Scriptures:

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 .They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. Mark 16:15-20 KJV

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:38 KJV

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Romans 6:3-6 KJV

1. Baptize

a. The word “baptize” means to immerse or submerge; to bury.

b. To go under.

c. Not just sprinkled.

d. If something dies, you do not sprinkle dirt on it; you dig a hole and bury it.

e. Babies are not baptized – they are dedicated.

2. Types of Baptisms in Scripture

a. Naaman the leper – dipped 7 times

b. John the Baptist – baptism unto repentance.

i. Not a New Testament baptism.

ii. Jesus had not died and risen yet.

iii. It was a baptism of obedience, signifying repentance.

c. Jesus set the example for us in His baptism of obedience.

3. Ours is a New Testament Baptism.

a. There are three kinds of baptism:

i. Baptism into the body of Christ at the New Birth – accomplished by the Holy Spirit – Ephesians 2:18; Titus 3:5.

ii. Baptism with water – man baptizes you in water – Matthew 3:11.

iii. Baptism in the Holy Spirit – Jesus is the Baptizer in the Holy Ghost – Mark 1:8; Acts 1:5.

4. Salvation, Baptism in Water, and Baptism in the Holy Spirit

a. Sometimes people pray a salvation prayer, but don’t let go of the past.

b. Baptism in water is a break with the past.

c. The devil does not want people baptized in water any more than he wants them saved or filled with the Holy Ghost. He will try to fight it or water it down with religion.

d. Christians, like the Anabaptists, paid a price for the restoration of the truth of water-baptism to the Body of Christ. They preached against baby “baptism” or sprinkling. They preached that baptism was only for a professed believer in Jesus Christ.

e. Some were drowned in their own baptismal waters by their enemies.

f. In Africa, you can pray with people for salvation, but when you begin to water-baptize them, all hell breaks loose. Witchdoctors don’t like it, because they will lose all their customers.

g. In religious churches, they preach a watered down Gospel and if you start water-baptizing, know that you will see the religious spirits manifesting.

In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Colossians 2:11-15 KJV

Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: 1 Peter 3:20-21 KJV

5. Water Baptism Doesn’t Save You, the Word of God Does

a. You must realize – grasp and understand clearly – what you are doing.

b. Mix faith with your action of baptism.

c. It is the beginning of the process of renewing the mind.

d. When people have backslidden, it is a point of contact for a new beginning.

e. A burial of the Old Man and a resurrection of the New Man.

f. Water baptism provides you with the answer of a good, clean conscience.

g. Stripping away the old carnal nature with its passions and lusts.

h. Circumcision of the soul.

6. It’s Time to Run to the Waters

The most valuable thing God has spoken to me thus far in internship is to be faithful.
The bible says in proverbs 28:20a that “a faithful man shall abound with blessings”. Faithfulness is very important in ministry. Faith unlocks the blessings and walking in it pours it out.
What does faithful mean? Loyal , constant, reliable.
I want God to know He can always count on me to get the job done , in excellence, with the right heart, and operating under the anointing of the precious Holy Spirit.
The Joy of The Lord fills my heart to think just for being faithful to such a faithful God , He rewards me with abounding blessings .
Abounding means overflow and blessings means God’s favor and protection.
So Alexis consistency shall cause her to overflow with God’s favor in protection.
Thank you Jesus!
A faithful Alexis shall abound in blessings , in Jesus name.