SEEING JESUS AS HE REALLY IS
Rodney Howard Browne shows us Jesus as he really is.
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. Rodney Howard Browne explains that 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. Rodney Howard Browne shows us that 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!
THE BLOOD
The Blood of Jesus Redeems us from sin.
- Redeem—to clear by payment; to buy back or pay off; to recover; to exchange; to save from sins; to restore the honor or worth of; to recover ownership of by paying a specified sum; to obtain the release or restoration of, as from captivity, by paying a ransom; deliverance by payment of a price; to deliver from sin and its consequences by means of a sacrifice offered for the sinner.
- In the New Testament, redemption refers to salvation from sin, death, and the wrath of God by Christ’s sacrifice.
- We are redeemed from our own works. We are redeemed from religion and tradition and the Curse of the Law.
- 1 Peter 1:18-19 AMP – You must know (recognize) that you were redeemed (ransomed) from the useless (fruitless) way of living inherited by tradition from [your] forefathers, not with corruptible things [such as] silver and gold, 19 But [you were purchased] with the precious blood of Christ (the Messiah), like that of a [sacrificial] lamb without blemish or spot.
- Our sins are forgiven and no longer held against us.
- Ephesians 1:7
- We are purchased by the Blood of Jesus.
- Acts 20:28
Blood has to be shed or there can be no remission of sins.
- Hebrews 9:22 AMP – [In fact] under the Law almost everything is purified by means of blood, and without the shedding of blood there is neither release from sin and its guilt nor the remission of the due and merited punishment for sins.
- Under the Old Covenant, blood sacrifices had to continually be made for sin.
- Hebrews 10:1-4 Under the old Covenant the blood of animals was shed to atone for sins. The blood of these animals only covered people’s sin. The Father looked at the blood and counted them as righteous. The animals were a type of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus became our “Sacrificial Lamb” (1 Peter 1:19). The Blood of Jesus cleanses us from sin and cleanses our conscience from dead works.
- Hebrews 9:12-15
- Under the New Covenant, the Blood of Jesus completely washes away our sin.
- Colossians 1:14 AMP – In Whom we have our redemption through His blood, [which means] the forgiveness of our sins.
- Isaiah 43:25
- Psalms 103:12
- Revelation 1:5
- Since Jesus shed His Blood, no more blood needs to be shed.
- Hebrews 10:18
The Blood of Jesus reconciles us to the Father.
- We cannot stand before God on our own merits. Our righteousness is like filthy rags.
- Isaiah 64:6
- Romans 3:23 NKJV – For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
- Through the Blood of the Cross, God has made peace, reconciling all things to Himself, once and for all.
- Colossians 1:19-22
- We are reconciled back to the Father.
- Ephesians 2:13 NKJV – But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
The Blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.
- The Blood of Jesus cleanses us from ALL sin—the sin we committed before and after we were saved. If we make a mistake and repent, His Blood cleanses us every time.
- 1 John 1:7 NKJV – But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
- As the old song says, “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the Blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.”
- The Blood of Jesus gave us a new and better covenant.
- Hebrews 8:6
The Blood of Jesus allows us to come boldly before the Father.
- When you come to God, you come boldly by the Blood of Jesus. You don’t enter by your own name. You don’t enter by your good works. You are bold because you know that His Blood gives you the right to come into God’s presence to ask for help.
- Hebrews 10:19-23
- We have a new and living way. We draw nigh unto God boldly, by the blood, with faith and a clean conscience.
- Hebrews 4:15-16
The Blood of Jesus gives us the power to overcome.
- Revelation 12:11 NKJV – And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
- Talk about what God has done for you. Your testimony is a living thing—when you share it, you relive it.
- 1 Corinthians 15:57
The Blood of Jesus is held in honor in heaven.
- We reign as kings and priests on the earth through the blood of Jesus.
- Revelation 5:9-10 NKJV – And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”
- No one is left out. The Blood of Jesus paid the price for every man, every woman, every tribe, every tongue, every people, and every nation!
Jesus Glory and Goodness
With that miracle, Jesus showed forth His glory and His goodness. Rodney Howard Browne explains that the reason Jesus turned water into wine as His first miracle was because He wanted that to be a statement. Providing the wine is probably the least that He could have done.
First of all, Jesus came to save from sin and heal sick bodies. The last thing down the line would be to provide wine for a friend’s wedding. But I believe He’s trying to say, “I do the least thing I can do first, because I want to show you that there’s nothing in your life that I can’t take care of. If you accept Me as your Savior and your Healer, I’ll also be your Provider, so that when you have a need, you know I will supply everything that you need.”
In John 15:7, Jesus says, If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Whatever you need, ask, and He’ll give it. After this, Jesus went to the farther side of the sea of Galilee — that is, the Sea of Tiberias,
And a great crowd was following Him because they had seen the signs (miracles) which He [continually] performed upon those who were sick. And Jesus walked up the mountainside and sat down there with His disciples.
Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was approaching. Jesus looked up then, and seeing that a vast multitude was coming toward Him, He said to Philip, Where are we to buy bread, so that all these people may eat? But he said this to prove (test) him, for He well knew what He was about to do.
Philip answered Him, Two hundred pennies’ (forty dollars) worth of bread is not enough that everyone may receive even a little.
Another of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him,
There’s a little boy here, who has [with him] five barley loaves, and two small fish; but what are they among so many people?
Jesus said, Make all the people recline (sit down). Now the ground (a pasture) was covered with thick grass at the spot, so that the men threw themselves down, about 5,000 in number.
Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed to the disciples and the disciples to the reclining people; so also [He did] with the fish, as much as they wanted. When they all had enough, He said to His disciples, Gather up now the fragments (the broken pieces that are left over), so that nothing may be lost and wasted. So accordingly they gathered them up, and they filled twelve [small hand] baskets with fragments left over by those who had eaten from the five barley loaves.
JOHN 6:1-13 AMP
This is a very powerful miracle of provision. People are hungry so Jesus takes a little boy’s lunch and then He multiplies it. Now it’s one thing to hear that God provides food and drink in Bible times, but it happens now too. When my family was living in the Transkei region of South Africa, I heard of a miracle of provision among Baptist missionaries. About sixty people had gathered one night at the mission, and all they had was one chicken. But they prayed and God multiplied their one chicken. All sixty ate chicken and were filled!
God’s provision is not just for Bible times — it’s for right now. It’s for you and me. If we just believe God, He’ll make a way where there is no way. God wants His people to live in a higher realm of the supernatural. It’s time to move up and live in a higher realm of the provision of God in our lives. We’ve got to quit looking at our own resources. If we’re looking at our salary as our source of supply, we’re
going to be devastated if our company closes down tomorrow.
This has got to become real in your daily life. It’s easy to clap your hands and sing in church, “He’s my Provider.” But it’s another thing to really trust in Him when you’re in the middle of a problem. When you lose your job, suddenly you find out how much you really believe in the Lord’s provision
The Gospel Is Simple
Rodney Howard Browne teaches that if you
do any study on issues, try not to get side
tracked away from the simplicity of the gospel. Do not
run off on a tangent into something that does not produce
life.
You will always know if you are into false
doctrine when you begin to lose your joy and your peace.
The scripture says, “In thy presence is fullness of joy; at
thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm
16:11). Let peace be your umpire.
Allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you in
your study of the scripture. Remember that the Holy
Spirit is the teacher. He will take God’s Word and make it
alive for you. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Having a Hearing Ear
Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice. The voice
of a stranger they will not follow.” (See John 10:5, 27.) It
is interesting to find out that many Christians who have a
“quiet time” really have a quiet time because they never
hear from heaven. They never listen to see if God would
actually speak to them.
“As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are
the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). God will lead you by
His Spirit, but there needs to be a sensitivity to the
anointing and it only comes with spending time in His
presence. Only then do we recognize when God is
speaking to us and instantly obey. In other words, we
need to develop a hearing ear.
He That Has Ears to Hear
“He that has ears to hear what the Spirit is
saying,” is a phrase that is repeated throughout the New
Testament. It’s not talking about the natural ear, but the
spiritual ear.
We know the story of Samuel and how he heard
someone calling his name. He went to Eli and said, “You
called me.” Eli said, “I did not call you.” This happened
several times and then Eli realized that it was God who
was speaking even though he did not hear that voice (not
having ears to hear). He then said to Samuel, “Go lie
down and when you hear the voice, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for
your servant is listening.’” (See First Samuel 3:1-10.)
The Case of the Broken Telephone
We have heard the sayings, “There is none so deaf
as those who will not hear,” and “People hear what they
want to hear.” I am reminded of a story I heard of a
farmer who wanted God to speak to him, One morning,
as he was sitting on his front porch of his farmhouse, a
hand appeared and wrote in the sky the letters G P.
Instead of finding out any further information, the
farmer sold his farm and went on the mission field to
fulfill his heavenly direction. After failing hopelessly and
spending much time in prayer, he heard the Lord speak to
him. He said, “What is the problem, son?”
The farmer said, “Lord, I obeyed You. I did what
You told me. I read the letters in the sky and knew it
meant, Go Preach.” The Lord then said to him, “Son, the
letters did not mean, Go Preach; they meant, Go Plow.”
In this man’s zeal for God, he ran ahead and
misinterpreted the will of God for his life.
Perfect Timing
It is interesting to realize that most people don’t
miss God in the general direction of what God has called
them to do. Rather, they miss the timing, partly because
they don’t listen to what the Spirit of God is saying.
They have never developed their spiritual ear to
the point of hearing God’s voice more clearly. Instead,
they are led by circumstances and situations in their lives.
Blown by the winds of adversity, they wander around
aimlessly, never accomplishing the will of God.
Charismatic Gurus,
Have You Had Your Fortune Told Lately,
and Other Horror Stories
Another scenario is that some Christians gravitate
to so-called “prophets” ( charismatic gurus of the day ( to
get another “word from God.” But it’s always something
vague, something remote, and it never produces a
workable, tangible reality in their lives.
After several years, the individual has a large
collection of predictions, dating back over the years, and
not one has come to pass. But it’s another nail in the
religious coffin of death and bondage.
The truth of the matter is that prophecy is
confirmation, not information. The Bible says, “As many
as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”
It does not say, “As many as are led by the prophets are
the sons of God.”
TRUE WORSHIPPERS
My Worship
Foundation Scriptures: John 4:19-24
The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 4:19-24 NKJV
1. The differences between Old Testament worship and New Testament worship.
- Everything changed after the Cross, Resurrection, and Pentecost.
- 2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV—Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
- What changed everything? The veil of the temple was torn in two (Matthew 27:51), the Holy Spirit came out of the earthly tabernacle, made by the hands of man, to come and live in our hearts. We are His temple, made by His hands.
- True worship comes from the heart.
2. We can learn a lesson from the children of Israel.
- Exodus 32:1-8
- While Moses was in the Glory, they were building a golden calf and worshipping it.
- This sounds like the modern church.
- What is a golden calf in today’s context?
- Anything that takes away from the presence of the Lord.
- Anything that draws attention away from God Himself.
- We don’t need anything other than our hearts, our hands, our mouths, our feet and His presence.
- His manifest presence is what we look for.
3. A type of Pentecost.
- The priests could not stand to minister— 2 Chronicles 5:11-14 KJV—And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course: 12 Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:) 13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; 14 So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.
- The priests could not enter the room—2 Chronicles 7:1-3 KJV—Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house. 2 And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house. 3 And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
- The fire fell. The house was filled with the cloud of God’s glory. They worshipped, saying, “The Lord is good and His mercy endures forever”.
4. The Holy Spirit and worship.
- The Holy Spirit is our Comforter—our Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, and Standby
- Ephesians 5:18-20 KJV—And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Be filled with the Spirit.
- Speak to yourselves in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord.
- Give thanks always for all things.
5. New Testament worship is Spirit-led and proceeds from the anointing—not the flesh or the mind.
- Music that is anointed.
- Lyrics that glorify God.
- Word content—words of power, words of faith— not just mere words.
- Worship is about Jesus not about us.
- You cannot worship with an arrogant heart—true worship comes from a humble heart.