Winter Campmeeting 2008

I have been saved since I was 16 years old in the old fashion Pentecostal way. I NEVER Knew how easy it is to tell the gospel to the lost until I have been watching you for about a year now. I am a PK kid and was a pastors wife. Still married to the man God gave me but we are no longer pasturing. I was watching your telecast one day and got so hungry to witness to someone about Jesus. I did not have a car to go any where. It was to cold outside to walk around especially with all the loose dogs in my neighbor hood. OK, I Let the cold and the dogs frighten me. Shame on me. God knew my heart and situation. An hour later there was a knock at my door. It was a man and a little boy. I started to cry and asked him if he knew where he was going to go when he died. He said he was saved. God gave me a prophetic word for him and his child that day. WOW!!!! Jesus cared enough to show me he sees my hearts desire, to minister to the lost and hurting and knowing I was stuck in my house that he sent someone to me. GLORY GLORY GLORY!!!!! My husband retires in 2 years and 8 months we want to sell our home and go back into the ministry. We do not know where when or how. Keep us in prayer that we listen for the right direction and hear his voice. Who knows we might see you guys soon!!!! Praise God. Love and prayers Diane

Diane D
Barstow California United States

The River Church and attending services as a member

I have been praying and asking the Lord Jesus to help me be a soul winner. I have not been winning people to Jesus, and I REALLY WANT TO BE A SOUL WINNER! So, lately I have been crying out to God to help me in this. Well, a couple of weeks ago my son, Ben, and I were in the truck going home and witnessed a car accident. It wasn’t too bad, and the people involved were all hanging around talking to the police or waiting to talk to the police. We stayed at the scene of the accident in case the police needed a testimony from a witness. So as the police were taking statements from people, I noticed the older lady, Joanne, who was at fault in the wreck, standing there looking very upset, and she was crying. Suddenly, I had tremendous compassion for this lady, and almost started weeping. This feeling of great compassion was not normal for me. I believe it was God letting me feel His compassion and love for this lady. I went over to her and asked her if she was alright, and I wanted to encourage her. Then I asked her if I could pray for her, and she said yes. So I started to pray for her and then it occurred to me to ask her if she had ever asked Jesus into her heart and given her life to Him. All she could say was that she was baptized. I then asked her if she wanted to pray and ask Jesus into her heart, and she said yes. So I led her in the sinners’ prayer, right there at the side of the street with the police and onlookers hanging around, and she gave her life to Jesus. During the time we were praying, no one bothered us or interrupted us at all. I was so excited about leading her to Jesus. God is answering my prayers. I want to lead more people to the Lord. It’s such an awesome experience!

Debby G
Dade City Florida United States

Winter Campmeeting 2008

I, Donna, am Andrew’s, Mom, He is attending the camp meeting all this week. I prayed twice over the net this week for his deliverence from depression and manic depression. When I talked to him today he testified to me that while he was driving home to his tent last night and he knows he cast out of himself the spirit of insanity and infirmity. He was bubbling over as he told the story, so I believe him because he is usually very serious and uncertain. Praise God. AS for myself Thursday and friday I was hit with laughter and singing in tongues both nights.

Andrew and Donna
Osceola Wisconsin United States

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

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.”

The people of this world are starving for true hope while, as believers, each of us is filled with hope and the light of God. It is up to us to be available so that we can share our message with unbelievers.

Rodney Howard Browne teaches that there is absolutely no hope in this life, or in the life to come, apart from a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ. Because of Christ, we have righteousness before God and the promise of resurrection—all because Jesus died in our place. All the hope we need for living in this life and eternity comes through Him.

According to Romans 5:6, Christ died for the ungodly—each and every person who will ever live. So what was Jesus’ plan for getting His message of salvation to all of these people? In Matthew 28, He commissioned the saved to share the Good News with the lost. In fact, spreading the word of God through people is the only method given in the Bible. Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (v. 19). His disciples went without question. The Lord is still calling us to go, whether our field is a faraway country or our own workplace.

When God calls us, He doesn’t want excuses or pleas to wait; He wants our obedience. If we are surrendered to Him, the only thing we can answer when He calls us is yes. Could it be that God wants you to lay aside your plan for your life and take up His call—spreading hope to a rapidly changing world?

• 1.
• And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

• 2.
• And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

• 3.
• As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

• 4.
• Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

• 5.
• Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.

• 6.
• And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake , hearing and seeing the miracles which he did .

• 7.
• For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies , and that were lame, were healed .

• 8.
• And there was great joy in that city.

• 9.
• But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery , and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:

• 10.
• To whom they all gave heed , from the least to the greatest, saying , This man is the great power of God.

• 11.
• And to him they had regard , because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.

• 12.
• But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized , both men and women.

• 13.
• Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized , he continued with Philip, and wondered , beholding the miracles and signs which were done .

• 14.
• Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

• 15.
• Who, when they were come down , prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:

• 16.
• (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

• 17.
• Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

• 18.
• And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given , he offered them money,

• 19.
• Saying , Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

• 20.
• But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

• 21.
• Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

• 22.
• Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

• 23.
• For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

• 24.
• Then answered Simon, and said , Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.

• 25.
• And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

• 26.
• And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying , Arise , and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.

• 27.
• And he arose and went : and, behold , a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship ,

• 28.
• Was returning , and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.

• 29.
• Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near , and join thyself to this chariot.

• 30.
• And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said , Understandest thou what thou readest ?

• 31.
• And he said , How can I , except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

• 32.
• The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer , so opened he not his mouth:

• 33.
• In his humiliation his judgment was taken away : and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

• 34.
• And the eunuch answered Philip, and said , I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?

• 35.
• Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

• 36.
• And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said , See , here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized ?

• 37.
• And Philip said , If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest . And he answered and said , I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

• 38.
• And he commanded the chariot to stand still : and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

• 39.
• And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip , that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing .

• 40.
• But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.

Jesus inspired great joy from the moment He was born – everyone who believed in Him, approaching Him with an open heart, experienced great joy! On the night Jesus was born angels appeared to shepherds in the field. “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:10-12 KJV)

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem wise men from the east followed a special star, which went before them, until they found Him. “When they saw the star, they were thrilled with ecstatic joy. 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)

When the wise men found Jesus, they were thrilled with ecstatic joy. The KJV says that they rejoiced with exceeding great joy and the NIV says that they were overjoyed. They came a long way to worship and honor Jesus and it was all worth it. Rodney Howard Browne explains that they were overwhelmed and beside themselves with joy and they worshipped him with their heart and soul and then with their treasure. In that day, you always brought a special gift when you came before the king and they had come prepared with very precious gifts to give Jesus – gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Because the wise men honored Jesus as King, they were overjoyed to be in His presence and thrilled to shower Him with gifts. God loves to bless us, it gives Him great joy, and He would like us to feel the same way about Him!

[Remember] this: he who sows sparingly and grudgingly will also reap sparingly and grudgingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to someone] will also reap generously and with blessings. Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, “prompt to do it”) giver [whose heart is in his giving]. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 AMP

God loves a cheerful giver. The Greek word for cheerful is “hilaros” from which we get our English word “hilarious.” It means that you are happy and merry, but also prompt and willing. A cheerful giver’s heart is in his or her giving and they do it promptly without griping. There is a true saying, “Givers never gripe and gripers never give.” Your cheerful attitude sets the tone and the standard every time for your giving. People who are willing to give, are happy to give, and people who are happy to give, don’t hesitate, argue, or waste any time. They have already made up their mind to obey God and they are happy to do it. They don’t have to stop and wonder what to do next. They don’t argue with themselves over what to do. When the opportunity presents itself, they give with a happy smile.

We want God to answer our prayers promptly and to meet our needs on time and therefore we should bless Him by not hesitating to sow our seeds cheerfully and promptly.

And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]. As it is written, He [the benevolent person] scatters abroad; He gives to the poor; His deeds of justice and goodness and kindness and benevolence will go on and endure forever! And [God] Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your [resources for] sowing and increase the fruits of your righteousness [which manifests itself in active goodness, kindness, and charity]. Thus you will be enriched in all things and in every way, so that you can be generous, and [your generosity as it is] administered by us will bring forth thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:8-11 AMP

We should expect God to honor His word. This is faith in action. When you expect God to honor His word, you will not hesitate to DO His word! God promises that as you put Him first in your life and honor Him with your obedience in giving, He will grace you with every favor and earthly blessing so that you will have enough for your needs, your desires, and enough to share with others. God wants to bless you so much that you can be really generous in your giving. You will never have to give sparingly ever again!

45 All these curses shall come upon you and shall pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed, because you do not obey the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and statutes which He commanded you.

46 They shall be a sign [of warning to other nations] and for a wonder, and upon your descendants forever.

47 Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness [of mind] and heart [in gratitude] for the abundance of all [with which He had blessed you],

48 Therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord shall send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and in want of all things; and he will put yoke of iron upon your neck until he has destroyed you. Deuteronomy 28:45-48 AMP

Deuteronomy 28:1-2 says that if you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all His commandments, many blessings will come upon you. But verse 45 says that if you do not obey the Lord your God, keeping His commandments and statutes, that curses will come upon you, pursue you, and overtake you until you are destroyed.

Verse 47-48 says that you will end up serving your enemies if you do not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gratitude. Rodney Howard Browne teaches us that if you are going to serve God, you should do it with the right attitude. The right attitude of mind and heart is to serve God with joy and to be grateful for His blessings on your life.

The Amplified Bible says, that you should be grateful for the abundance of all with which He has blessed you and the NIV says that you should serve the LORD your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity.

If you are blessed, and you want to stay blessed, remember Whom it is Who blesses you and remember – do not forget – to be grateful and thankful to Him and to tell Him so!

However, if you don’t feel very blessed and you are struggling just to make it, it is hard to be joyful or grateful. After all, how can you be joyful or grateful when you have no blessings to be joyful or grateful for?

Of course, if you want to stay where you are, then you can continue to be grumpy and feel sorry for yourself, but if you want to lift yourself up and out of your situation, then you need to change your attitude and begin to thank God for His many blessings! You need to “count your blessings!”

Remember all the good things that God has done for you and it will begin to lift your spirits. You will begin to have hope and then faith and then you will begin to expect blessings instead of curses on your life.

It is a medically proven fact that even if you don’t feel good – if you make yourself smile – you automatically begin to feel better. In the same way when you change your perspective and count your blessings, your situation will begin to change for the better. If you change your attitude you could change verse 47 to “you will be abundantly blessed ‘because you served the Lord your God with joyfulness [of mind] and heart [in gratitude] for the abundance of all [with which He had blessed you].’”

11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. Luke 17:11-19 KJV

Ten lepers asked Jesus to heal them and all ten lepers were cleansed and cured, but only one, when he realized he was healed, turned back to thank Jesus and to give glory to God. Jesus was surprised that only one out of ten, a Samaritan at that, came back to thank Him.

Because the Samaritan expressed his gratefulness with joy, not only was he healed, but he was also made whole. The Greek word translated here as “whole” is “sozo” which means to save, deliver, protect, heal, preserve, do well, be whole or make whole. Ten were healed, but only one was made whole!

We would see so much more of God’s blessings on our lives, if we would only change our attitude and be joyful and grateful for the blessing that He has already poured out on our lives.

Thus says the Lord: Cursed [with great evil] is the strong man who trusts in and relies on frail man, making weak [human] flesh his arm, and whose mind and heart turn aside from the Lord. For he shall be like a shrub or a person naked and destitute in the desert; and he shall not see any good come, but shall dwell in the parched places in the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. [Most] blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads out its roots by the river; and it shall not see and fear when heat comes; but its leaf shall be green. It shall not be anxious and full of care in the year of drought, nor shall it cease yielding fruit. Jeremiah 17:5-8 Amplified

Rodney Howard Browne teaches that the man who believes in, trusts in and relies on the Lord is blessed. The Lord is his hope and confidence. He is like a tree planted by the waters—spreading out his roots by the river of God—drawing water and nourishment from the fertile soil of God’s Word and His Spirit. He will not feel the heat of the enemy’s attack and he will have no reason to fear it. His leaf is green all the time. He is not anxious and full of care in the year of drought, nor will he cease from yielding fruit.

On the contrary, the man who is strong in his own strength; who trusts in and relies on frail man; whose power comes from weak, human flesh and whose mind and heart turn away from the Lord is cursed with great evil. He is like a shrub—like a naked person—destitute in the desert. He will not see any good come to his life, but he will remain permanently in the parched places—in the wilderness—in an uninhabited salt land.

Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’–and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. Revelation 3:17 NKJV

You can put your trust in God and you can drink from the river or you can put your trust in yourself and live in a parched wilderness. You can choose to draw your life and your strength from the Lord or you can struggle out there on your own. When you put your trust in the Lord, you are not afraid of the weather, you are not afraid of what life may throw at you. When you trust in and rely on the Lord—no matter what comes your way it will not hinder or prevent you from prospering.

You can choose to serve God and honor Him, or you can serve your own interests and dishonor Him. You can choose to be blessed or you can choose to be cursed. You can be a big tree next to a river or you can be a little shrub in the hot desert. You can be gloriously attired in green leaves or you can be a naked, small bush. You can spread your roots out—increasing your capacity to receive nourishment, life, strength and blessing. You can tighten your grip on God and draw in closer to Him—your life can become ever more entwined in His life and it will be even harder to remove you from your foundation. But if you have little shrubby roots, they could just be ripped from the soil.

You can yield much fruit or you can be devoid of any fruit at all. You can have your roots in the water and your branches covered in green leaves and not be afraid of the heat or you can be dried up and destroyed by it. You can live in comfort, peace and safety or you can live in fear and anxiety—exposed to the elements, constantly fearing for your life.

You can be comforted in God’s presence or you can be destitute in the desert. The shrub in the desert has nothing to offer anyone—no shade and no food. But the tree planted by the river gives shade, protection and fruit. Those who trust in the Lord will be abundantly blessed and will be a blessing to all those they touch, but those who trust in themselves have nothing to offer anyone else because they are in need themselves. The blessed man only knows abundance, but the cursed man only knows lack.

Make up your mind to trust in the Lord, to look to Him for guidance and sustenance. Firmly plant yourself on the banks of His river, yielding to His will, His Word and His Spirit. When you remain in His presence, drinking the waters of life, you will live a long, prosperous life of peace and safety.

Titus 1:13-16 NKJ

Rodney Howard Browne talks about purity.  According to the word of God, the attitude of our heart determines how we perceive everything around us. We can look for the good or we can look for the bad in people and situations. We can look for the best or we can look for the worst. 1 Corinthians 13:7 says that love is “ever ready to believe the best of every person.” God believes the best of us. Even though He sees right into our heart, He still gives us the benefit of the doubt. When He speaks to us, He speaks to our future and when He speaks over us, He speaks life. He always sees what good thing that He can make of us. Of course we must be yielded to Him and not doing our own thing and going our own way. We need to give others the same benefit of the doubt and believe the best of them as much as possible.

There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. Luke 23:32

Paradise.”

Luke 23:39-43 NKJ

One criminal admitted his guilt and acknowledged the innocence of Jesus, crucified not for His own sin, but for ours. The other criminal, defiant toward God and man even as he faced death, mocked Jesus. The two completely different ways that the two men saw Jesus were colored by the attitude of their own hearts. One, with a soft heart, saw his Savior, but the other, with a hard heart, saw just a man hanging next to him. In Titus it says that to the pure all things are pure. When you have a pure heart you look for and see the good in things and people. You believe that even if people make mistakes, that they mean well. When your heart is evil, you think that everything you see is evil, too. You believe that people’s motives are as evil as your own.

This will be the third time I am coming to you. “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.”2 Corinthians 13:1 NKJ

Having a pure heart has everything to do with the way we perceive the word of God. A pure heart is an honest heart. If we have a pure heart we will receive the word and believe it exactly as it is. We will not twist it, pervert it, or ignore what we don’t like. We will not make it say what we want it to say. We will believe it in its entirety and not base what we believe on selected scriptures taken out of context.

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:22 NKJ

The Word of God must be honored in our lives. We must not try to change it to suit ourselves, but we must change to conform to it. The word is pure water that washes us clean and makes us pure again. Adam and Eve were originally pure and innocent, but sin corrupted them and their seed. Jesus restored to us the purity that they once had. It does not matter what you have been exposed to and how hard and corrupt you became. When you are born again, you are changed. The word of God and the Holy Spirit will begin to wash and change you and restore the purity and innocence you never thought that you would see again. The world says that once you lose your innocence, it is gone forever. But by the supernatural, transforming power of the Spirit of God and the blood of Jesus, our innocence can be restored and we can be like God – having a pure heart and looking for the good in every situation and in every person!