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

We know we know the Lord because:

18. We have faith in Him

“Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”
1 John 2:23 NKJV

“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.” 1 John 5:1 NKJV

“He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.” 1 John 5:10 NKJV

We know God because we believe in Him and we believe His word. We know Him because we acknowledge that He is who He says He is. We know Him because we have made Him Lord of our lives, personally. We acknowledge Him before men and angels. We also know that we know Him because we receive His word in its entirety. We do not pick and choose which scriptures to take and leave. We are submitted to every word that proceeds from His mouth!

19. We confess Christ

“And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” 1 John 4:14-15 NKJV

“By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.” 1 John 4:2-3a NKJV

“Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.” 1 John 2:22-23 NKJV

“For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:10 NKJV

If we know God, we will say so – we will confess that He is the Christ; we will confess that He is Lord, God and Savior. Anyone who will not confess Him as the Son of God, the Lamb of God, the Christ, and the Savior of the world, is not His and does not know Him. Some people say that they believe in God, and yet, they cannot or will not acknowledge Jesus Christ. These people do not know God.

“For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” John 5:22-23 NKJV

20. We have received Christ

“He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” 1 John 5:10-13 NKJV

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” John 1:12 NKJV

Many people know about God, they know about Jesus, they know about the Holy Spirit, but they do not actually KNOW any of them; they are not personally acquainted with them. When we believe in Jesus and we receive Him as our personal Lord and Savior, we truly come to know Him.

21. He answers our prayers

“Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.” 1 John 3:21-22 NKJV

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
1 John 5:14-15 NKJV

God does not answer prayers arbitrarily. He is not capricious. He does not toy with us. His word never returns void and if He has made promises, He always keeps them. There is an area where prayers are answered. If we are inside that area, our prayers are answered; if we are outside that area they are not. We cannot sit where we are (outside the Word and will of God), doing what we do, and expect God to bend and come to where we are and do what we want Him to do. He is not our servant; we are His. God is where He is and we are the ones who must bend and change and move to suit Him. If we want answered prayer, we must keep His commandments, and continue to keep them, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. If we want answered prayer, we must ask according to His will. The fact that our prayers are answered is proof that we do know Him and that He knows us!

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

For thus says the high and lofty One—He Who inhabits eternity, Whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, but with him also who is of a thoroughly penitent and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the thoroughly penitent [bruised with sorrow for sin].  Isaiah 57:15 AMP

The Lord is high and lifted up—there is none like Him in the heavens and in the earth. He is the Creator—the mighty one —no one can stand before Him. He inhabits eternity—He has no beginning and no end—He is the great I AM. He is Holy and righteous. But one thing He is not—He is not proud or arrogant. Psalms 113:5-6 AMP says, “Who is like the Lord our God, Who has His seat on high, 6 Who humbles Himself to regard the heavens and the earth!” Even though He is so powerful, He chooses to humble Himself to reach down and see us, reach out to us and care for us. It is because of His great love­—God IS Love (1 John 4:8+16)!

For though the Lord is high, yet has He respect to the lowly [bringing them into fellowship with Him]; but the proud and haughty He knows and recognizes [only] at a distance.  
Psalms 138:6 AMP

The Lord says that it is only those who are thoroughly humble and penitent who will be permitted to dwell with Him in eternity. The Lord cannot forgive anyone—as much as He would like to—unless they repent. Repentance is an acknowledgement of God’s supreme authority over your life. Without acknowledging God’s authority—you will not receive His grace—because you are self-sufficient and don’t think you need Him, keeping yourself at a distance. True repentance is when you are broken with sorrow over your sin. Without it you cannot appreciate nor receive the grace, forgiveness and restoration of the Father. Then He will revive and strengthen the heart of the humble—those submitted to Him and to His Word.

Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility:] 6 Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained, 7 But stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being. 8 And after He had appeared in human form, He abased and humbled Himself [still further] and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross!  Philippians 2:5-8 AMP

Jesus did not go to the cross for His own benefit—He went for yours and mine! He humbled Himself and lowered Himself to be born in the body of a man, to suffer, to die and to give His whole life for us all. He is our example in humility. Just as Jesus humbled Himself to die for us, so we must humble ourselves to repent and accept the free gift of God poured out in His blood.

Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous—with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the poor in spirit (the humble, who rate themselves insignificant), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven! Matthew 5:3 AMP

The Kingdom of heaven will be filled with the humble-hearted. The proud will make their own way and be lost for all eternity. In Matthew 7:13-14 NIV Jesus says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”  How sad that so many people are too proud to consider or acknowledge what great things God has done and provided for them. There are no difficult or impossible things that God asks of us in return for eternity with Him in glory and peace and joy. All He asks is that we hear Him and humble ourselves to do it His way.

And said, Truly I say to you, unless you repent (change, turn about) and become like little children [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving], you can never enter the kingdom of heaven [at all]. 4 Whoever will humble himself therefore and become like this little child [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving] is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever receives and accepts and welcomes one little child like this for My sake and in My name receives and accepts and welcomes Me.  
Matthew 18:3-5 AMP

Some people are so busy being a “grown-up”, they have become closed and hardened. They have allowed the devil —the god of this world to blinded their minds, preventing them from seeing and receiving the truth of the Gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4). We must not be so stuck up—we must become as humble and teachable as children so that we can receive all the great blessings that the Father has for us through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Therefore [because He stooped so low] God has highly exalted Him and has freely bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, 10 That in (at) the name of Jesus every knee should (must) bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 And every tongue [frankly and openly] confess and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Philippians 2:9-11 AMP

Because Jesus willingly stooped so low—He became highly exalted. Now every creature in heaven, on earth and even under the earth must bow their knee to Him and confess Him as Lord! If we will humble ourselves, God will exalt us into His very family and His very presence—forever! How wonderful is that? What a blessing and a privilege!

But He gives us more and more grace (power of the Holy Spirit, to meet this evil tendency and all others fully). That is why He says, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace [continually] to the lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it).  James 4:6 AMP

So go ahead and humble yourself so that you will be able to receive all of God’s undeserved grace and mercy!