Rodney Howard Browne God’s House

In Revelation 2:2-4 the Lord spoke to the church in Ephesus:

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. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. NIV

In the Bible, God gives us our standards and our priorities. If we pay attention and do things God’s way, we will prosper and He will see to it that our dreams and desires are fulfilled. Our first priority is God, Himself – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is – or should be -Number One in our lives. We should worship, praise and exalt Him above all others. We should make His words the standard we live by – above the words of all others. We should carry out His will for our lives and ignore all other voices that speak contrary to His word. He is our first love!

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?’ or `What shall we drink?’ or `What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:24-34 NIV

Rodney Howard Browne shows us that we must seek first the kingdom of God. That means that we must turn the focus of our attention away from the world, and its pull, and turn it toward God and His word. We must focus our energies toward finding His will for us and then walking it out in our actions. God tells us that the things that we think are so important – are not important at all. We think that we must spend all our time and talent in striving for and accumulating things, but He says that those things are not important – there are other things more worthy of our time, attention and effort. God’s kingdom is where our time, energies and resources should go. As for those other things that we think are so important – God says, “That’s not a big deal! Every day I feed the birds and clothe the flowers and you are way up on My priority list! You see to it that you do My kingdom work and leave the rest to Me!” Of course, we all know that when God does something – He always does a far better job than we could. He blesses us way more than we could ever hope to bless ourselves. Don’t sell yourself short – give God a chance to take care of you for a change!

This is what the LORD Almighty says: “These people say, `The time has not yet come for the LORD’s house to be built.’” Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the LORD. “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the LORD Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands.” Haggai 2-11 NIV

Rodney Howard Brown teaches that we must make building God’s house a priority and then He will make building our house a priority! If we focus only on our own needs and build only our own houses, then all our efforts will produce little or no results.

We will work hard and yet never seem to have enough. We will save and yet never have much left over. I don’t know about you, but I want God to build my house! He will do a much better job than me, any day. He will take the little I have and turn it into much.

We must let God set the level of prosperity in our lives. We must purpose to give what we have to build God’s house. Then we will always have our fill and be satisfied with good things!

Rodney Howard Browne Purity part 2

To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. Titus 1:15-16 NKJ

Matthew 12:34 says that, “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” If your heart is pure then your words will be pure and your works will be pure. 1 Samuel 16:7 says that, ”the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” God is always concerned primarily with our heart condition because as Proverbs 4:23 tells us that we should keep our heart with all diligence, “for out of it spring the issues of life.” The condition of our heart determines the course of our life and our eternal destiny. That is why we should guard carefully what we allow to enter our mind and heart through our eyes and ears and make sure that it is pure.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. Philippians 4:8-9 KJV

Before you were born again you allowed all kinds of things into your life. Your heart and mind were callused and hard. But when you were born again, God gave you a soft and sensitive heart. For instance, before Jesus, you cussed up a storm, but afterward, when other people used the Lord’s Name in vain, you felt like someone had punched you in the stomach. Now that you are a citizen of Heaven and a child of the King, you need to filter the information that enters your eyes and ears, because what you know that what you hear and see is what you will be thinking on. You need to be meditating and thinking on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and a good report if you want to walk in the peace of God. Isaiah 26:3 says that God will keep the person whose mind is stayed on Him and who trusts in Him, in perfect peace.

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:13-18 NKJ

The earth’s wisdom is envious and self-seeking, resulting in confusion and evil. However, the wisdom that comes from God above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. God is pure and honest and His motivation is pure and honest, putting others first. We are made in His image, and when we see Him, we will be like Him. We will not walk in any degree of peace in our lives unless we walk in the purity and honesty that He walks in! Peace follows when we are in the will of God in every area of our lives, especially our attitude.

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. I John 3:2-3 NKJ

Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22 NKJ

When the Holy Spirit and the Word of God have purified your heart, you desire to please God, you desire righteousness, faith, love and peace and you actively pursue them. When you allow God to do a purifying work in your life, as you submit to everything that He tells you to do, then you will begin to have pure desires. You cannot walk in purity and allow unclean desires to rule in your flesh at the same time. Whatever your age, whether you are eight or eighty, you need to flee the lust of the flesh and pursue righteousness with a heart that is pure, and you will walk in peace and blessing all the days of your life.

2 Timothy 3:14-17 (NIV)14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have be come convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Pastor Rodney Howard Browne tells us that Millions of people, across the nations, have never seen a Bible. However, there are also countless numbers of people who do have Bibles, yet they never, ever open them up, nor do they apply God’s principles or commands to their lives. People are deceived into worshiping the Bible as a holy object that they proudly display in their homes, but the power and the glory of the Word can only be manifested in one’s life if the Book is opened and read and received and acted upon! Having a Bible in your house won’t help or save you. Having the Word in your heart and acting upon it, allowing it to work in you, is what will make the difference in you. Rodney Howard Browne wants us to know that the devil would like to keep Bibles out of people’s hands. The Bibles that people do have, he would like to keep closed. If the Bible is kept closed, then it will have no impact on lives and families. Whole so-called “Christian” denominations all over the world have forbidden their members to read Bibles, telling them that the leaders of the “Church” will interpret the Bible for the masses. While there is nothing wrong with having someone explain and clarify the scriptures, the Bible stands on its own, with no explanation necessary. The Holy Spirit is our teacher, instructor and guide (1 John 2:27). He is the one who unveils God’s Word to our hearts.

Rodney Howard Browne teaches us that the Bible is not hard to read or understand, unless you are reading with a veil over your own face (2 Corinthians 3:13-15). Even children can receive God’s Word and understand the Bible. The Bible should not be read with religious glasses and should be taken as literally as possible. God says what He means and He means what He says. You can take Him at His Word and you can believe everything He tells you.

2 Corinthians 13:1b (NKJ)1 “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.” The Bible is not a book written by mere man, like so many other publications that people regard as sacred. Man recorded the Bible, but it was breathed and inspired by God. Scholars have determined that even though many men wrote the Bible over a period of several thousand years, it fits and flows and agrees together so perfectly, that for it to have been fabricated by man, every man, who wrote a book of the Bible, would have had to write his book last! Any one with half a brain should realize that this is not a credible scenario. The Bible is undoubtedly the work of God and not man.

Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.God’s Word is not dead words on dead pages. It is real, alive and powerful. It will deeply impact and radically change your life, if you will give it the pre-imminence it deserves and if you will it allow it to have an influence on your heart and life!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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