Revival Across Florida

In prior days, we studied the tenet of gaining liberty by knowing God’s Word. For us to take in the truth, we must do more than simply read or memorize Scripture ; we must also meditate on it - then the Holy Spirit will teach us to apply the Word to our lives.

God does not simply free us from old negative thought patterns and feelings of inadequacy ; He frees us to serve Him with our entire being. When we become overly worried about what the people next door think about us, whether we are secure enough, or which things we are lacking, then we have tiny to give away to anybody else. But the Lord wants His people pouring their lives into those that are suffering and wounding. His limitless love releases us to accept others in their present condition.

Godly liberty carries responsibility. We are responsible to our siblings and sisters who are in need. If we think the Lord has liberated us for ourselves, then we have didn’t understand, and we aren’t actually free. God has saved us, provided us, and armed us with His love so we can carry out His universal goal : to bring to everyone the good news that Jesus Christ is Lord. In a total reversal of the Earth’s system, our liberty has roots in our obedience to God’s purpose for our life. We’ve got a choice to accept His love for us, and we must decide whether to communicate that love with others.

Will you opt to share His love today?

To obey God requires getting his point of view on our life each day. It implies being replenished in our thinking (Romans 12:2) so our perspective and actions respect Him.

It also suggests being reminded of who we are apart for Him (John 15:5) and who we are with Him.

When we have His point of view, it takes bravery to obey: courage to give up what we like to do what He asks; courage to do stuff that might bring unwelcome results; bravery to arrange our schedule to match His plan; bravery to like the unlovely, pardon the plausibly unforgivable, and “give” when we wish to “keep.” Bravery grows out of a deepening faith in God.

As we think we know the Father more closely, our confidence in Him increases and we are going to find it simpler to obey. If we think we know the God who gave the commands, then we’ll be able to trust that His plans are for our good and His glory.

We may depend on the Holy Spirit who guides us into understanding divine direction.

With our eyes fixed on our Savior Jesus rather than on our circumstances, we will step forward boldly. We shall not fear the effects that will arise from our actions. Instead we’ll look for the blessings that God wants to give us and other people. Obedience involves knowing the commands of God and facing any temptation with a dedication to obey. Furthermore, it suggests drawing courage from our trust in Him and accepting the implications as God-sent. Pray that obedience will mark your life.

Rodney Howard Browne delivers a wonderful message on Joy!

And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 
Luke 1:41-44 NKJV

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  Luke 2:8-10 NKJV

When they saw the star, they were thrilled with ecstatic joy. 11 And on going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then opening their treasure bags, they presented to Him gifts—gold and frankincense and myrrh.  Matthew 2:10-11 AMP

Rodney Howard Browne teaches us that the whole Christian message is based and rooted in JOY.

Even in the womb, the baby John, who would become known as John the Baptist, leapt for joy in the presence of the unborn baby Jesus.

• The angels announced glad tidings of great joy to the world, singing and worshiping the Lord. This word “great” here in the Greek is “megas” and means: exceedingly, great; greatest; high; large; loud; mighty. (We get our word “megaphone” from the same root word as the word “great” here)   
• When the wise men saw the star they were filled with ecstatic joy. The KJV says exceeding great joy. The Greek word for “exceeding” means: vehemently; in a high degree; much. The word “great”, as in the previous scripture, means: exceedingly, great; greatest; high; large; loud; mighty.
• So their joy was as big and loud as joy can get!

ll.  Wherever the presence of the Lord is, there is JOY – whoever the Lord touches is filled with JOY. 

• Psalms 16:11 AMP - You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.
• Acts 2:28 AMP - You have made known to me the ways of life; You will enrapture me [diffusing my soul with joy] with and in Your presence.
• Psalms 2:4a NKJV - He who sits in the heavens shall laugh.
• Job 5:22a NKJV - You shall laugh at destruction and famine.
• Acts 13:42 Wuest - And the disciples were continually filled with joy and controlled by the Holy Spirit.

Rodney Howard Browne shows us that Jesus faced and endured the cross for the JOY set before Him.

• 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.
• Acts 2:23-28 NKJV - Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. 25 For David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. 27 For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. 28 You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’
• No matter what Jesus had to endure, He chose to obey His Father. He knew that He would face death, but His hope was in the fact that the Father would never let Him remain in the grave. He knew what great joy lay on the other side of obedience and He expected to experience that joy!
• Matthew 25:21-22 NKJV - His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
• Eternal joy awaits the faithful, in the presence of the Lord. 

lV.  Those who know and serve the Lord have many reasons to be full of JOY.

• Luke 10:21-22 NKJV - In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.
• Luke 10:20 NKJV - Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.
• The source of your joy is not in yourself, or your accomplishments, or even in the fact that devils run from you. Your joy is in the fact that Jesus has saved you from death and destruction, brought into fullness of life and that your name is written in His book of life!
• Isaiah 61:10 AMP - I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

V.  God’s Kingdom—here on earth—is a JOYFUL, JOY-FILLED Kingdom.

• Romans 14:17 KJV - For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
• In God’s kingdom, what we eat and drink is not what matters to the Lord. What does matter is a right way of life, peace, and joy, which all come by and through the Holy Spirit.
• Galatians 5:22-23 AMP - But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, 23 Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].
• The greater the work of the Holy Spirit in you, the more of the fruit of the Spirit will be manifest in your daily life, including the fruit of joy. A joyless religion is just that – religion. Serving Jesus means a life full of the joy of the Lord!
• 1 Peter 1:8 AMP - Without having seen Him, you love Him; though you do not [even] now see Him, you believe in Him and exult and thrill with inexpressible and glorious (triumphant, heavenly) joy.  
• Our joy comes from the fact that the blood of Jesus has eternally saved us from sin and death. No matter what else happens in our life, we need have no fear of death, hell or the grave ever again.

Vl.  No matter what you go through, you can still be filled with JOY.

• John 16:22 NKJV - Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.
• Happiness and joy differ in that happiness is dependent on circumstances and joy is not. Joy comes from a heart filled with the Spirit of God. 
• Job 8:20-21 AMP - Behold, as surely as God will never uphold wrongdoers, He will never cast away a blameless man. 21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter [Job] and your lips with joyful shouting.
• True joy can only be experienced by those who fully serve God. The sinner can never experience this joy; the backslider is the most unhappy person on the earth!
• Proverbs 14:12-13 AMP - There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but at the end of it is the way of death. 13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful, and the end of mirth is heaviness and grief. 
• Without Jesus in your life, your laughter is empty and your happiness is temporary.
• Psalms 5:11 AMP - But let all those who take refuge and put their trust in You rejoice; let them ever sing and shout for joy, because You make a covering over them and defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You and be in high spirits.
• Psalms 126:1-6 KJV - When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. 2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them. 3 The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. 4 Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south. 5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
• Philippians 4:4 NKJV - Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. 15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.  16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever — 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.  18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. 19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.  20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.  21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.  24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. 25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.  26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. John 14:13-26 NKJV

“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. John 15:26 NKJV

Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:  9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me;  10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;  11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.  15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. John 16:7-15 NKJV

Rodney Howard Browne teaches that The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the God-Head. He IS God

• He is omnipresent—every where
• He is omnipotent—all powerful
• He is omniscient—all knowing
• He is the One Who makes Jesus real to us. He is the Artist Who paints Jesus on the canvas of life

Rodney Howard Browne teaches about The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Life of the Believer

• You are born again by the Holy Spirit
• John 3:5-7
• The Holy Spirit bears witness to us that we are the children of God
• 1 John 5:10
• Galatians 4:6-7
• Romans 8:14-17
• We are baptized into the Body of Christ at the New Birth.
• 1 Corinthians 12:12-13
• The Holy Spirit seals the believer.
• Ephesians 1:13-14
• Ephesians 4:30
• The Holy Spirit sanctifies the believer.
• 2 Thessalonians 2:13
• 1 Peter 1:1-2
• The Holy Spirit helps us to mortify the flesh.
• Romans 8:5-13
• The Holy Spirit enables us to be transformed into the image of Jesus.
• 2 Corinthians 3:18
• The Holy Spirit produces fruit in the believer’s life.
• Galatians 5:22-23
• The Holy Spirit’s Work in Relation to Ministry
• He baptizes us, fills us and empowers us for service.
• Acts 1:8
• He reveals to us God’s will through His word.
• 2 Peter 1:20-21
• He helps us to pray.
• Romans 8:26-27
• Ephesians 6:18
• Jude 20
• 1 Corinthians 14:14-15
• He gives us the power to preach, teach and demonstrate the Gospel.
• 1 Corinthians 2:4-5
• 1 Thessalonians 1:5
• The Gifts of the Spirit are made available to us.
• 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

Rodney Howard Browne talks about The Comforter – Our Comforter

• John 16:7
• John 14:16
• He comforts us by leading us into Truth.
• John 16:13
• He not only teaches us, but He continues to remind us of God’s word and His promises.
• John 14:26
• He shows Himself TO us, He does a work IN us and He works THROUGH us.

Jesus was also a man’s man. If He walked in the door, your head

would turn; and when He spoke, He would get your attention.

People sometimes say to me, “Rodney just be nice. Just be like

Jesus.” I say, “Man, you haven’t read about Jesus!” He was

straight; He was right down the line with His message. There was

no gray area with Him; it was either white or black. He was merciful

to sinners, but to religious people His words cut like a knife.

 

For example, we see His incredible mercy in the Garden of

Gethsemene when Peter chopped off the ear of Malchus, the high

priest’s servant. Malchus was trying to arrest Jesus. But rather

than treating him as an enemy, Jesus bent right down, picked up

the ear, stuck it back on, and healed him.

 

On the other hand, when He was dealing with religious people —

the Pharisees and the Sadducees, the “wouldn’t sees” and the

“couldn’t sees” — He was extremely blunt. In Matthew 23 He

called them a generation of vipers. He called them blind leading

the blind and white-washed sepulchers, full of dead men’s

bones. He said, If you make any converts, (which He doubted)

you’re gonna make them twice the devils of hell that you are

(Matthew 23:27, author’s paraphrase). That’s Jesus!

 

We have this religious idea of what we think Jesus is like. But as

you go through the gospels, you begin to see Him as He really is!

If He walked the earth today, He would run cross-grain with religious

tradition. Religious tradition tries to keep Him on the cross

or in the crib. Jesus would be persecuted by many of today’s religious

leaders.

 

Take, for example, casting out demons. The religious Pharisees

and Sadducees told Jesus that He was of the devil and that He

cast out devils by the devil. Religious people are still saying that

today. So you’re in good company when people accuse you of the

same thing!

 

Many churches make the world think that whenever you come

around God, you’ve got to be morbid and sad. Too many religious,

traditional churches put people off from serving Jesus

because they have no life, no joy. But Jesus said, I am come that

they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly

(John 10:10). That’s the Jesus of the gospels; in fact,

that’s the Jesus of the whole Bible!