Foundation Scriptures: Romans 1 verses 21 – 32

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22. Professing themselves to be wise they became fools, 23. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24.Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves. 25. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change that which is against nature; 27. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one towards another; men with men working that which is unseemly; and receiving in themselves the recompense of heir error which was meet. 28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29. Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30. Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedience to parents, 31. Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32. Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

 

Some people think that the Word of God is “old-fashioned.” It is old – it has been in existence forever – but it is definitely not old-fashioned. God’s Word was present before creation. It is eternal and it is forever applicable and appropriate in any age. Sin has been around for generations, but the Word of God has been around longer than creation. The word contains eternal rules and principles that never change – they are always the same – and are violated at the sinner’s own risk.  The Word of God can even tell us what is happening in the world today – it is like reading the headlines of your local newspaper. Any time a nation honors God, they will be blessed with peace and prosperity, but whenever they forget about God and begin to serve the passions of their flesh, the Word clearly spells out the negative consequences in the hearts and minds of that rebellious generation, no matter what century they live in!

 

The Bible tells us that in the last days, people will be corrupted by sin resulting in a reprobate mind – a mind void of judgment. Verse 31 talks about people being without understanding, without natural affection – covenantbreakers. This is exactly what is happening today in families and relationships. I am amazed at how people can just throw away a relationship that they have had for many years over some petty disagreement. Marriages have come to an end because of an individual’s pride and inability to humble himself/herself when they are wrong.

 

I heard it said once that when you counsel a couple, undergoing a marriage breakdown, you would get his side, her side and the right side. It is the same with friendships that break up. People treat relationships like they are infinitely disposable. They would rather be right than happy. They would rather be right and drive the friend, spouse or family member away, than to humble himself or herself, check their own heart and attitude, compromise, and forgive, in order to save the relationship. Some of the perceived “offences” are nothing more than misunderstandings and/or figments of their imagination.

 

Let’s look at the word “covenantbreakers.” What does this mean? In order to understand the word, “covenantbreakers,” you must first understand what a covenant is.  A covenant, according to the Bible and ancient history, is a promise that is considered unbreakable by both parties. It is not entered into lightly and is broken only on the pain of death. You are only as good as your word and when you give your word and then break that word – your reputation is shot! God considers a covenant-promise as binding, into eternity, and so should we. The problem is that a society that rejects God also rejects the sanctity of the covenant promise.

 

Marriage is a covenant cut between two people – a man and a woman – in the presence of God. I heard a friend of mine tell the young man, who asked him for his daughter’s hand in marriage, that if he ever left his daughter he would die – because the marriage vow declared, ‘Until death do us part!” I know that this was tongue-in-cheek, however, but that is exactly what a covenant promise is – it is binding until death. Unfortunately, too many people take it too lightly. They enter into marriage too quickly, putting too little thought or prayer into the commitment they are making, and they don’t commit to work at maintaining the relationship for the long term. When they hit a snag, they look for the exit sign. They don’t stop to think of the devastation that follows in their wake – both in their lives and in their children’s lives. Even parents and friends are negatively affected. It is better to be single than to make a commitment that you are not committed to.

 

Malachi 2:16 says that God hates divorce and marital separation. Sometimes couples get a divorce because they should have never married in the first place, but divorce is not a solution and the end of a problem, but it is the beginning of a whole new set of problems. People have a tendency to try to lay blame on others, but if you will take responsibility for your own mistakes and wrong choices, then there is hope for your future. You might say, “Well, what happens if I have already broken covenant? Is there any hope, is there any forgiveness for me?” Yes, assuredly yes. God loves you and will forgive you if humble yourself. You need to repent of that sin: tell God what you have done, that you know that it was wrong, that you have no excuse, and then ask Him to forgive you. You will feel a huge burden roll off of you! Humble repentance is the only way you can get free from that covenant-breaking spirit.

 

Break the cycle now – so that this spirit will not be able to follow you all the days of your life.

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

 

4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected,

 

5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”

 

6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

John 12:3-6 NIV

 

Judas was a thief – he was stealing from the treasury bag that belonged to Jesus and the other disciples. He saw how Jesus looked into people’s hearts and knew their thoughts. How he think that he was getting away with it? Obviously sin makes you blind and stupid!

 

When you steal from someone – your boss, your parents, or any other person – you demonstrate that you have no respect for others – not because there is something wrong with them, but because there is something wrong with you! You are supposed to be respectful of authority – spiritual and natural authority. Your disrespect for authority is a tell-tale sign that something is wrong in your life. 

 

Then one of the Twelve-the one called Judas Iscariot-went to the chief priests

 

15 and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty silver coins.

 

16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.  Matthew 26:14-16 NIV

 

Because Judas had stolen from Jesus; because he did not respect Him; he was offended when the woman anointed Jesus with the very expensive perfume. Forgetting who Jesus was (the Son of God), forgetting all the wonderful things and mighty miracles He had done, forgetting all the wise things He had said, forgetting how Jesus had loved all of them and served them, and demonstrating an utter lack of respect for the Spirit of God, Judas went straight out of the house to the betray Jesus to the chief priests. You can try to hide your disrespect, but sooner or later it will be manifested for all to see.

The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus.  John 13:2 NIV

 

If you make a mistake, if you give in to the devil’s temptation and you commit sin, you heart will convict you. Listen to your heart, immediately repent and shut the door on the devil. If you refuse to repent and you justify your sin, your heart will become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13).

 

This unwise choice signals the beginning of your end. It’s all downhill from there. Everything you have worked for and built in your life will be lost. Judas opened the door to the devil through his unrepentant sin. Now the devil was the one pulling the strings and controlling Judas. Judas was no longer in charge. Judas was merely a pawn of the evil one.

 

As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. 28 “What you are about to do, do quickly,” Jesus told him.  John 13:27-28 NIV

At the Passover meal, Jesus told them all that one of them would betray Him. Judas knew that Jesus knew that it was him and he could have and should have changed his mind at that point, but he still went out and did it. His sin and his terrible attitude of disrespect brought Judas to such a place of self-deception that he never came around out of his “trance” until after he had betrayed his Lord with a kiss, for a mere 30 pieces of silver. When the devil was finished with Judas, he left him. The scales of self-deception fell off his eyes and he regretted everything he had done.

 

When he saw the result of his actions – the arrest and brutal treatment of Jesus, an innocent man – he was completely distraught. He tried to give the money back, to tell them that Jesus was innocent, and to beg them to let Jesus go, but it could not be reversed. The only thing he could think of to do was to end his own life. Judas did not have to die and go to hell. He could have been filled with the Spirit and preached with Peter on the day of Pentecost! What a sad end – and it all began in such a “small” way – stealing out of the bag. Sin makes you blind and stupid and will be the cause of the ruin and the premature end of your life.

 

Guard your heart. Watch over the small things. Don’t allow the devil to tempt you with sin. Don’t give him any place in your life. Always do the right thing. It may be harder to work than to steal. It may take longer to earn it than to take it, but in the end you will be blessed and you will have heaven and not hell in your future.

 

Watch therefore [give strict attention and be cautious and active], for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come. 14 For it is like a man who was about to take a long journey, and he called his servants together and entrusted them with his property. 15 To one he gave five talents [probably about $5,000], to another two, to another one–to each in proportion to his own personal ability. Then he departed and left the country. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he gained five talents more. 17 And likewise he who had received the two talents–he also gained two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came and brought him five more, saying, Master, you entrusted to me five talents; see, here I have gained five talents more. 21 His master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys. 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, Master, you entrusted two talents to me; here I have gained two talents more. 23 His master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys. 24 He who had received one talent also came forward, saying, Master, I knew you to be a harsh and hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you had not winnowed [the grain]. 25 So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is your own.26 But his master answered him, You wicked and lazy and idle servant! Did you indeed know that I reap where I have not sowed and gather [grain] where I have not winnowed? 27 Then you should have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent away from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will be furnished richly so that he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away. 30 And throw the good-for-nothing servant into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.  Matthew 25:13-30 AMP

 

According to Jesus, when we use what we have been given, then we are being faithful. Some people think that they are actually taking good care of something if they keep it to themselves, if they keep it hidden away, and if they don’t use it – but the Bible says that they are unfaithful. God says that you are being faithful only when you use and multiply what you have been given. In this parable, the servants were given property – money – to administrate. We can see from the Word that God expects us to be faithful with everything that has been given into our charge, whether it is money, knowledge, or abilities. He expects us to do something with them and multiply them.

    

The Lord does not automatically start you off with five talents – He will give you one at first. Then it is up to you – what you do with your one talent determines whether or not you are given any more after that. People who are lazy with the things which have been given to them are not given any more. Some of these same people are unjustifiably jealous of others who have more than they do. This is because they have not taken responsibility for their own poor choices and actions nor have they realized that faithfulness brings more blessing, more responsibility and more authority, but unfaithfulness will cause them to lose the little they do have.

 

He who is faithful in a very little [thing] is faithful also in much, and he who is dishonest and unjust in a very little [thing] is dishonest and unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the [case of] unrighteous mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions), who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not proved faithful in that which belongs to another [whether God or man], who will give you that which is your own [that is, the true riches]? 13 No servant is able to serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (riches, or anything in which you trust and on which you rely).  Luke 16:10-13 AMP

 

When you are faithful with money and worldly things, then God can trust you with His Spirit and with the anointing. Being faithful means that we are not paralyzed by fear. Being faithful means not hoarding, but rather being generous and giving it away. So faithfulness has to do with both using and giving what we have been given. In this way we will be pleasing to our Master. 

Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His precepts, and His statutes which I command you today, 12 Lest when you have eaten and are full, and have built goodly houses and live in them, 13 And when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all you have is multiplied, 14 Then your [minds and] hearts be lifted up and you forget the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.  15 Who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, but Who brought you forth water out of the flinty rock, 16 Who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. And beware lest you say in your [mind and] heart, My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth. 18 But you shall [earnestly] remember the Lord your God, for it is He Who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.  Deuteronomy 8:11-18 AMP

 

Verse 18 does not say that God gives you wealth – it says that He gives you the power to get wealth. There is something that is required of YOU. You are the one who get the wealth – by the power of God! Some people think that they need do nothing while God does everything, but God requires your willingness and your obedience.

 

The first thing you must do in order to prosper is to work. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says that, “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” The second thing you must do is to give to the Lord – your first-fruits, your tithe and your offerings. Malachi 3:8-10 says that you are robbing God and under a curse if you do not bring your tithes and your offerings to God’s storehouse.

 

However, when you bring God your whole tithe, there will be food in His house and blessings on you that you won’t have room for! Tithing and giving are not optional to the child of God, they are required. The moment you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, you are washed in His blood and His covenant of blessing is established in your life.

 

You are in covenant with Almighty God – what is His is yours, what is yours is His. One tenth of your income is a very small offering compared to what God gave you – His all and His only! The Lord gives you the power to get wealth in order that His covenant with you would be established or fulfilled. God will never owe anybody anything – He always pays what He owes and gives what He promised to give!

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy one of Israel: I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way that you should go. 18 Oh, that you had hearkened to My commandments! Then your peace and prosperity would have been like a flowing river, and your righteousness [the holiness and purity of the nation] like the [abundant] waves of the sea. 19 Your offspring would have been like the sand, and your descendants like the offspring of the sea; their name would not be cut off or destroyed from before Me.  Isaiah 48 17-19 AMP

 

The Lord is the One who teaches you to profit – if you will pay attention to Him and His Word. First, do what you know to do – work and give. Then pray. Ask God for wisdom. Use your faith to trust God to open doors for you and give you favor. Trust Him to give you ideas and innovations. Be faithful with everything God gives you – starting with the small things and moving on to bigger and bigger things. If you – the Church – will put the Kingdom of God first, if you will obey God and give, if you will reject covetousness and embrace generosity, then God will teach you to profit and your peace and prosperity will be like a flowing river!

 

8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.  Romans 13:8-10 NKJV

Under the Old Covenant, God’s people spent all their time trying to fulfill the law. Of course, they never managed to keep the law one hundred percent of the time and that was the whole point of the law: to give them a standard to live by, to make them aware that they were incapable in their own power of living up to that standard, that they needed a Savior and to point them toward Jesus Himself as Savior and Lord.

17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.  Matthew 5:17-18 NKJV

Jesus did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it and to deliver us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13). Out of His own mouth He gave us a new standard to live by.

34 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.  Matthew 22:34-40 KJV

He did not tell us that we do not have to obey God’s commands once we are born anew from above, but He did give us an easier way to obey the commands of God—walk in the love of God. Romans 5:5 NIV says that, “God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” Our righteousness, as believers, had nothing to do with what we have done, but with what Jesus did for us. We are washed in His blood, saved sanctified and redeemed! Now, with the help of the Holy Spirit we walk out our righteousness in obedience to God’s Word. It is love that fulfills the law and it is God’s love in us that enables us to keep God’s law and obey it. We do not obey God’s commands because we are afraid of Him, but because we love Him. Because we love Him, we also love our neighbor as He has commanded us to.

If you love God, you will keep the Ten Commandments. If you love God, you will put Him first in all things. You will not worship any other god or any other earthly thing, like money or possessions. If you love God, you will not take His Name in vain. You will take time to honor Him and to spend time in His presence. If you love God you will honor and respect your parents. Even if they were not perfect, the love of God in your heart will forgive them and begin to appreciate them and see them as valuable and precious. When you forgive them, you will not repeat their mistakes and where there are generational curses, they will lose all their power over you. As far as God is concerned, all curses are broken on the day you are born-again. You activate this power of God in your life in this area by walking in the love of God.

If you love God and your neighbor, you will not murder your neighbor—either in your thoughts, with your mouth or with your hands. If you love God and your neighbor, you will not commit adultery. You will honor the other person by not allowing the lusts of your flesh to triumph. You will not do anything that dishonors your neighbor and their current or future spouse. If you love God and your neighbor, you will not steal—you will not take something that belongs to your neighbor. You will work with your hands and earn your living honestly and you will give to the Lord and your neighbor according to the blessing of the Lord on your life.

If you love God and your neighbor, you will not lie about your neighbor nor accuse them falsely. You will always tell the truth. If you love God and your neighbor, you will not covet your neighbor’s possessions. You will not be jealous or envious. Instead, you will be blessed by the fact that your neighbor is blessed and you will sow your own seed and you will expect God for a harvest of blessing to come to your life in due season. When you love God and your neighbor, you are sowing seed for blessings to come back to you, good-measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over!

When you walk in love towards your neighbor, you have fulfilled the law.

1 If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God.  Deuteronomy 28:1-2 NIV

 

11 The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity–in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground–in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you.

 

12 The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.  Deuteronomy 28:11-12 NIV

 

God is a God of abundance. Anything He does, He does in a big way. He says that if we will obey Him in all things and if we will carefully follow all his commands, then He will bless us and open up His good treasury to us. Not only does He promise to bless us, but He also promises us that He will abundantly bless us.

 

The Amplified Bible says that the Lord will make you have a surplus of prosperity. This word “good” is also translated as bounty, bountiful, graciously, joyful, kindly, precious, prosperity, wealth, welfare, well favored.

 

31 This is the way he governs the nations and provides food in abundance. Job 36:31 NIV

 

11 You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.  Psalms 65:11 NIV

 

When you obey God and keep His commandments, there will always be blessings on your life. God blesses His children when they love righteousness and also when they are cheerful, generous givers. When you have done everything you know to do to please God – there is a blessing coming your way!

 

Sometimes, however, you are doing everything you know to do and yet it seems as if nothing has happened for you yet. Remember that the blessings of the Lord almost always arrive unexpectedly. If you keep your faith activated – even though one moment you may see nothing, the very next moment the blessing will be pouring out of heaven!

 

This is how it works: You could be hiking in the canyons in the western United States on dry ground with not a cloud in the sky, but 30 miles away there is a sudden downpour. Because you are downstream, all that water is coming your way! It is called a flash flood!

 

One moment you are walking on dry, dry ground and the next moment you are being swept away by a wall of water! When the blessing of God is headed your way, it might seem as if one moment nothing good is happening to you, but the very next moment, you could be overtaken and overwhelmed by the blessing of God!

 

25 They captured fortified cities and fertile land; they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished; they reveled in your great goodness.  Nehemiah 9:25 NIV

 

When we serve the Lord, He blesses with an abundance of all things. We will eat and be well nourished. The Scripture says that the Lord will open up His good treasure, the storehouse of His bounty, to us. Why? Firstly, He blesses us because He loves us, and secondly, He blesses us with more than we need, so that we can pass the blessing along to others.

 

13 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality.  2 Corinthians 8:13-14 NIV

 

The Lord God has promised His obedient children a surplus of prosperity. He will show Himself abundantly generous toward us if we will be generous toward others.

 

Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Genesis 12:1-3 NKJV

When Abram was seventy-five years old God took him out of his own land, separating him from his family and his people, and made him a promise. Abram had no children at that point, but God promised to make a great nation of him and to bless him and those who blessed him.

Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying:

4 “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.

5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.

6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. Genesis 17:3-6 NKJV

Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.

16 And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.”

17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”

18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!”

19 Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.

20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.

21 But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.”

22 Then He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. Genesis 17:15-22 NKJV

When Abram was ninety-nine, God changed his name to Abraham – “father of many nations.” God changed his wife’s name too, from Sarai to Sarah. God began to call her “mother of many nations.” Because Sarah and Abraham had tried to take things into their own hands, they produced Ishmael, whose mother’s name was Hagar, Sarah’s maid. Sarah was Abraham’s wife. God planned for Sarah to bear the son He had promised to Abraham. If God makes a promise – He keeps it. We should not try to make it happen – we should keep our eyes on the promise and let God bring it to pass. There is an appointed time for the promise to be fulfilled and it will happen without your “help”!

And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken.

2 For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him–whom Sarah bore to him–Isaac. Genesis 21:1-3 NKJV

It took twenty-five years from the first promise to the fulfillment of that promise, but God did exactly as He said He would. Rodney Howard Browne teaches that if God has spoken a word to us – then He will not let us down. He will fulfill the promise exactly as promised! Stay in faith. Continue to rejoice. Thank Him for the promise fulfilled.

I will cry to God Most High, Who performs on my behalf and rewards me [Who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them]!

Psalms 57:2 AMP

So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.

1 Corinthians 3:7-8 NIV

God told Noah that for every seedtime there would be a harvest (Genesis 8:22). God is also a rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him out (Hebrews 11:6). We plant, we water, but God gives the increase. He rewards us according to our labor. It is God’s garden. He knows what He wants and where He wants it. We are responsible to find out what our job description is and to do it. God is the One who will pay us our wages at the end of the day.

One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person

according to what he has done.Psalms 62:11-12 NIV

“I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.”

Jeremiah 17:10 NIV

Nothing you do for God is forgotten or overlooked. God is watching us. He is searching our heart and examining our mind. There is a reward and He rewards us according to what we have done. We choose the reward we receive according to our deeds, our works and our acts of service.

A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself. The wicked man earns deceptive wages, but he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward. The truly righteous man attains life, but he who pursues evil goes to his death. Proverbs 11:17-19 NIV

Misfortune pursues the sinner, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous. Proverbs 13:21 NIV

There are no shortcuts in God’s kingdom, no get-rich-quick schemes and no manipulation of the system. You cannot step on other people or abuse them, neither can you lie to God or fool Him. He sees, He knows and He rewards you justly according to your deeds. You must follow His plan and His directions. You must accept His way and follow His path. Then you will be blessed and you will reap the harvest you deserve.

Hebrews 13:16 says, “Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” and Titus 2:14 says that Jesus Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”

Jesus redeemed us from all wickedness and purified us so that we would have a heart change and be eager to do good. God is pleased when we do good and He rewards our good deeds.

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.Hebrews 11:24-26 NIV

Moses, one of God’s great leaders, chose to step down from his exalted and privileged position as Pharaoh’s daughter, to obey and serve God. He took his place with his brothers, choosing to suffer mistreatment and disgrace rather than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking forward to God’s reward. The highest reward you can receive in heaven and on earth is God’s reward.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.Matthew 16:24-27 NIV

You could own the whole world with a gold fence around it, but it could not compare with God’s reward for those who have laid down every thing for Him and given Him their every thing. If you want God’s reward, you must lay down your life and you must place it in His hands. God is your rewarder!

October 19, 2008 – October 21, 2008

Rodney Howard Browne will be at the Community Church of Joy in Glendale Arizona, Sunday October 19, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. through Tuesday October 21, 2008. Saints in Arizona and across America are invited to attend this 3 day event.

Speaker: Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne
Community Church of Joy
21000 N. 75th Ave.
Glendale, Arizona 85308
United States
(623) 561-0500
(602) 285-1777

Join us at this location for 20 days of Power Evangelism October 6th-25th @ 9 AM.
All classes will be conducted in English and Spanish.

Rodney Howard Browne shares a teaching on The Tribes of Israel.

He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes. Psalms 105:37 KJV

Rodney Howard Browne shows when God brought the twelve tribes of Israel out of the land of Egypt; He was delivering them because He loved them and had a plan for them. However, at the same time everything He did for them is a type and shadow of what He has planned for us all. Before He delivered Israel from Egypt, He had them do specific things, representing the form that their ultimate deliverance would take. They celebrated the Lord’s Passover. They sacrificed a spotless lamb and shed its blood and roasted it without breaking any bones. Then God totally delivered them from their enemy, Egypt. Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God, shed His blood, gave His life and rose again for our deliverance. Jesus delivered us from our enemy, Satan, defeating him totally. The devil no longer has the right to impose sickness, disease or lack upon us. This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover. “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn– both men and animals– and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD– a lasting ordinance. Exodus 12:11-14 NIVNow the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. Exodus 12:35-37 NKJ God brought Israel out of their captivity healthy and blessed. When God brings us out of the captivity of sin, He brings us out with health and with blessing. Jesus is not only our Savior and Deliverer, but He is also our Healer and Provider. The way we receive the benefits of His sacrifice is by our faith in Him and His word. We can receive healing, deliverance and provision from the Lord at the same time as we receive salvation! When Jesus celebrated His last Passover before giving His life for us, He broke the bread, representing His body being broken for our healing. The wine represented His blood, shed to wash away our sin. For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 1 Corinthians 11:23-30 NIV We suffer under the burden of our sin unless we find out that Jesus’ blood can wash us clean and we repent and receive his forgiveness. Likewise, we suffer with sickness and disease until we find out that “by His stripes we were healed” (1 Peter 2:24) and we accept His healing power into our bodies. Jesus body was broken so that you can live in divine health. Decide today that you will march out of the bondage of your “Egypt” and receive your healing today.