Soul Winning Testimony

Greetings, We just wanted to share that we are continuing to go out soul winning in Cincinnati, OH. Last year, our church lead over 650 people to the Lord in 2007. Prior to that, we are sad to say that we were not a soul-winning church. This past weekend, we took three teams out on Saturday to a nearby apartment complex that is very multi-cultural and we lead 24 people to the Lord in about 2 hours. We use the script and we have ordered the DVD’s to give out and we give each person a dvd after we have lead them to the Lord. We also insert one of our local church business cards into the dvd packet and hand the person a flyer with information about our church and invite them to attend. Because it is so multi-cultural where we have been going, we know we are touching the nations. Just this past Saturday, we prayed for Hispanics, Americans, West Africans, Muslims and a man from Ghana. What a blessing to see these lives changed. My team personally talked to 15 people and 12 received Jesus as Lord! Also, this past Friday night, my husband Dave Kelly and I were in a Johnny Carrinos restaurant and ended up praying with our waitress. It was so interesting. She just started to tell us her life story and we knew it was a set-up by God. We asked her if she knew Jesus and we asked her if she wanted to pray to make sure. Then we got to minister healing to her for MS and we told her we wanted to hear the report later. She came back to our table and said, I wasn’t in a bad mood before, but this is so strange. I feel so happy. I feel like I want to cry, but I just feel so happy and feel something all over. We knew it was the joy and anoiting of the Lord. Then another waitress came to our table and started telling us her life story and the first waitress came back and said to her, “Hang around these two, there is something coming off of them,…like an aura or something. Of course we knew it was the anointing. She needed healing too for cysts, so we prayed with her at our table and asked if she knew the Lord and prayed rededication for her and declared healing as well. WOW…what a fun and exciting weekend! So anyway, we are sending teams out every Saturday, and some through the week, doing the training first like Eric and Jennifer, and giving them the same tools and then going out. Please, please bring the Great Awakening Tour to Cincinnati!!!! Our city needs this so much. We are going and doing it, but we really want our whole region touched. Please, please come and thank you so much for this effective tool and of course the most awesome FIRE of the Holy Spirit. Blessings, David and Donna Kelly, Sr. Pastors Passion and Fire Worship Center

Donna K
West Chester Ohio United States

Children are a blessing from God. Many people treat them as if they are anything but a blessing. They will be more of a blessing if you apply God’s Word in the way you raise them. Rodney Howard Browne teaches us to stand on God’s Word for your family. Believe His promises.

For He has strengthened the bars of your gates; he has blessed your children within you.  Psalms 147:13 NKJ

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. 5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate.  Psalms 127:3-5 NKJ

The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him.  Proverbs 20:7 NKJ

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your table.  Psalms 128:3 NKJ

A wise child is an incredible blessing, but a foolish child will bring years of pain and grief. Foolish, undisciplined children disrespect their parents. Your children will give you the respect due you as a parent if you discipline, correct, teach and train them as the Word of God instructs. Rodney Howard Browne teaches us to protect your children and be careful over their friends and whom they associate with.

A wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish son is a grief to his mother.  Proverbs 10:1 NAS

A wise son makes a glad father, but a self-confident and foolish man despises his mother and puts her to shame.  Proverbs 15:20 AMP

A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her who bore him.  Proverbs 17:25 NKJ

Whoever keeps the law [of God and man] is a wise son, but he who is a companion of gluttons and the carousing, self-indulgent, and extravagant shames his father.  Proverbs 28:7 AMP

The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise child will delight in him. 25 Let your father and your mother be glad, and let her who bore you rejoice.  Proverbs 23:24-25 NKJ

Take responsibility for the raising of your own children. You shape their future! Eli got in trouble with God because he allowed his sons to do whatever they wanted to do. Rodney Howard Browne warns that undisciplined, untrained children lose out on their inheritance —spiritual and material.

Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it.   Proverbs 22:6 AMP

A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully, and will share in the inheritance among brothers.  Proverbs 17:2 NAS

Don’t be shocked when your kid does dumb stuff. They are kids! You will need patience and you will need to be consistent in your discipline and training ­—not just for a day —for at least 18 years!

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.  Proverbs 22:15 AMP

The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left undisciplined brings his mother to shame.  Proverbs 29:15 AMP

Correct your son, and he will give you rest; yes, he will give delight to your heart.  Proverbs 29:17 AMP

Withhold not discipline from the child; for if you strike and punish him with the [reedlike] rod, he will not die. 14 You shall whip him with the rod and deliver his life from Sheol (Hades, the place of the dead).  Proverbs 23:13-14 AMP

He who spares his rod [of discipline] hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines diligently and punishes him early.  Proverbs 13:24 AMP (…disciplines him promptly NKJ)

Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.  Proverbs 19:18 KJV (…do not be a willing party to his death. NIV)

Correct your son, and he will give you rest; yes, he will give delight to your soul.  Proverbs 29:17 NKJ (…he will give you peace…NIV)

A child is accountable for his/her attitude and behavior just the same as an adult. “He’s just a kid” is a cop out. Kids are responsible for themselves and should be held accountable.

Even a child is known by his deeds, whether what he does is pure and right.
Proverbs 20:11 NKJ

Your leadership style in the home relates directly to your leadership style in other areas. You can act like you have it all together out there, but back home your kids know the real story! Your first responsibility is your own family. You cannot abdicate your familial responsibilities and then expect God to use you in the church. If you want a leadership role in the church you must be a leader in your home. Show some character and integrity in your home and you will be fit to minister to the Body of Christ!

He must rule his own household well, keeping his children under control, with true dignity, commanding their respect in every way and keeping them respectful. 5 For if a man does not know how to rule his own household, how is he to take care of the church of God?  1 Timothy 3:4-5 AMP

Let deacons be the husbands of but one wife, and let them manage [their] children and their own households well.  1 Timothy 3:12 AMP

[These elders should be] men who are of unquestionable integrity and are irreproachable, the husband of [but] one wife, whose children are [well trained and are] believers, not open to the accusation of being loose in morals and conduct or unruly and disorderly.  Titus 1:6 AMP (…wild and disobedient NIV)

Jesus is Abel’s sacrifice and Noah’s rainbow. He’s

Abraham’s ram and Isaac’s well. He’s Jacob’s ladder and

Ezekiel’s burden. He’s Judah’s scepter, Moses’ rod, David’s

slingshot, and Hezekiah’s sundial. He’s the Church’s Head and is

risen from the dead. He is a Husband to the widow and a Father

to the orphan.

To those traveling by night, He’s the Bright and the

Morning Star. To those in the lonesome valley, He’s the Lily of

the Valley, the Rose of Sharon, the Honey in the Rock and the

Staff of Life. He’s the Pearl of Great Price. He’s the Rock in the

weary land. He’s the Counselor. He’s the Everlasting Father. The

government is upon His shoulders. He’s Peter’s shadow, John’s

pearly white city. He’s Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of the Living

God.

He’s the One who owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He’s

the One who split the Red Sea. He’s the One who took the children

of Israel out of Egypt into the promised land. He’s the One

who humbled Himself, came to earth, healed the sick, raised the

dead, cleansed the lepers, opened the eyes of the blind, and

turned the water into wine.

He’s the One who fed the five thousand, walked on water,

and cast out devils. He’s the One who humbled Himself, once

again, and became obedient unto death — even the death of the

cross. He’s the One who died on the cross, rose from the dead,

ascended to the right hand of the Father, and ever liveth to make

intercession for us. And He’s coming back very, very soon.

He is Jesus Christ of Nazareth, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Jesus said, I and my Father are one (John 10:30). He

said, “If you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father.” (See John

14:9.) Jesus was God manifest in the flesh.

I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last…

And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And

being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks.

And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto

the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the

foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white

as snow; and his eyes were as flames of fire;

And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a

furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

And he bad in his right hand seven stars: and out of his

mouth went a sharp two edged sword,” and his countenance

was as the sun shineth in his strength.

And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he

laid his right hand upon me, saying” unto me, Fear

not; I am the first and the last. I am he that liveth, and

was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen;

and have the keys of hell and of death.

REVELATION 1:11-18

There are all sorts of ads on the radio and on television. Often, when it gets down to the fine print, the announcer speaks so fast that you can’t keep up with him. Why does he speak quickly? He’s reading the part the company would rather you didn’t hear. The important message: Buy it now.

Satan makes the same presentation: Don’t worry about the future; you can have immediate fulfillment now! Rodney Howard Browne explains that the strength of Satan’s temptations is that worldly things are available immediately. You can have them – for a price – and they will provide temporary gratification.

The Enemy doesn’t bring up tomorrow. He invites us to forfeit our future by demanding immediate fulfillment of our desires. There is nothing you or I “must have” now that is worth stepping out of God’s will or losing the privileges and opportunities He has prepared for us. Rodney Howard Browne teaches that God has a plan for our lives, and there is absolutely nothing that can compare with His will, His purpose, and His goals.

Our relationship with God is the most important aspect of our existence. No experience at any time in our lives compares in the slightest with knowing Him. Yet every day, because we must “have it now,” we’re tempted to choose what Satan has to offer.

We sacrifice our future when we make irrevocable decisions in times of emotional weakness. Jesus Christ can help us face any temptation or trial Satan can throw our way. Rodney Howard Brown teaches that the Lord is there for us, and He will never leave us or forsake us.

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. You worship you know not what.

a.    This sounds like the modern-day church.
b.    As we have traveled around the world, it has been interesting – and in some cases, disturbing – to see what goes on in the “Church” under the guise of “worship”.
c.    Jesus said, in verse 23, that the Father is seeking TRUE worshipers. The Father is seeking people who will worship Him from their mouth AND their heart.
d.    You worship in vain if your mouth worships, but your heart is not submitted to God. Matthew 15:8-9 NKJV – These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.
e.    It is unprofitable to offer a sacrifice of worship from a disobedient heart. 1 Samuel 15:22 AMP – Samuel said, Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

2. Being a true worshiper.

a.    Worship is from the heart.
b.    Worship is not a religious act of posture, stance, or tone. It is the heart crying out. Psalms 42:7 – Deep calls unto deep.
c.    10 lepers were healed – only one came back to say thanks. Nine were cleansed, but only one was made whole. Luke 17:15-19 KJV – And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
d.    True worship does not spring forth only in “good times”, it springs forth out of and in the middle of the darkest seasons of life.
-    Jonah in the fish’s belly
-    The three Hebrew children in the fire
-    Daniel in the lion’s den
-    David tending sheep
-    Paul and Silas in prison
-    Jesus in Gethsemane
-    All circumstances don’t have to be the best for worship to be true worship. True worship originates from a heart; whose trust, hope and faith are in the Lord and not in a temporary situation.

3. Rodney Howard Browne teaches that true worship comes from a pure heart.

a.    A heart that is pure and holy.
b.    A heart that is ablaze – on fire.
c.    A heart full of passion.
d.    A heart full of faith.

4. Rodney Howard Browne teaches that true worshippers worship the Father in Spirit and in truth.

a.    There is a difference between Old Testament worship and New Testament worship.
b.    OT – God inhabits the praise of His people.
c.    NT – God inhabits His people of praise!
d.    Rejoice and give thanks – always – for all things! Ephesians 5:18-20 KJV – And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
e.    Worship will never stop – for all eternity we will joyfully worship Him!

5. Rodney Howard Browne teaches to let this month be a month of worship.

a.    Every day – thank Him and give Him praise for His goodness, mercy, and grace!

In order to become the people that God wants us to be, it is essential that we choose the right relationships. They are extremely important because without them, we will be unable to accomplish much in life. The relationships that we should pursue are ones that:

Build our confidence in God and in ourselves.

Encourage us when we are troubled and despondent.

Stimulate us to reach our full potential.

Energize us when we are weary.

Comfort us when we are hurting.

Defend us when we are attacked.

Forgive us when we make mistakes.

Love us unconditionally.

Confront us when we go astray.

Serve us when we are overextended.

It is good to ask ourselves if we have anyone in our lives who fills the needs mentioned on this list. It is also important to discover what relationships may be dragging us down or deflecting us from the path of godliness. When this happens, we may have to separate from certain individuals in order to maintain our standards. Rodney Howard Browne teaches that when separation is not an option—as when the unhealthy relationship involves a family member—we can still persevere to walk with God.

Now, let’s look at that list from a different angle. Ask yourself, Am I the person who lifts and steadies others in their walk with God? Rodney Howard Browne explains that we can determine to provide those qualities to those around us. Such relationships are among life’s greatest treasures.

We must be careful whom we trust in this world. People make promises they cannot keep, break confidences on a whim, and come out with statements that are untrue. But there is someone who keeps every promise, never lies, and refuses to break a confidence: almighty God.

We serve a faithful Father. Throughout Scripture, God guarantees His children He will pardon our sins (1 John 1:9), supply all our needs (Philippians 4:19), protect us (Psalm 91), answer our prayers (Matthew 7:7-8), and be with us. (Deuteronomy 31:6) With this set of divine guarantees, a promise can be applied to every aspect of our lives. In fact, we can probably remember many occasions when God has fulfilled one of these scriptural assurances. Rodney Howard Browne teaches that spending time recalling His faithfulness is an important exercise for believers because it strengthens our trust.

When we look back over the course of our life, we can also see the constancy of God. He does not change in His person or purpose. That means His faithfulness and trustworthiness are as true today as they were in Bible times, our parent’s generation, and yesterday afternoon. What great comfort we can draw from an unchanging Father during times of upheaval. Some of the most powerful metaphors in Christianity speak to this aspect of His nature—God the rock and God the anchor.

The Lord’s character is perfectly consistent with trust. Because of His love, He commits to fulfilling His promises to every generation of believers. We can trust God to do all He says He will do—and so much more. He will never fail us.

 ¹And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.

   ²And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:

   ³And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

   ⁴Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

   ⁵And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.

   ⁶And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:

   ⁷And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?

   ⁸And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.

   ⁹And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.

   ¹⁰And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.

   ¹¹And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

   ¹²I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.

   ¹³And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.

   ¹⁴And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.

   ¹⁵And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.

   ¹⁶This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.

   ¹⁷And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.

   ¹⁸And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.

   ¹⁹And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.

   ²⁰Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.

   ²¹And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.

   ²²And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.

   ²³And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.

   ²⁴And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.

   ²⁵And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.

   ²⁶Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.

   ²⁷And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.

   ²⁸And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?

   ²⁹See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.

   ³⁰So the people rested on the seventh day.

   ³¹And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.

   ³²And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt.

   ³³And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.

   ³⁴As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.

   ³⁵And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.

   ³⁶Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.

   ²And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.

   ³And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.

   ⁴And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.

   ⁵And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.

   ⁶And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.

   ⁷Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?

   ⁸And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother.

   ⁹And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the women took the child, and nursed it.

   ¹⁰And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.

   ¹¹And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.

   ¹²And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.

   ¹³And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?

   ¹⁴And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.

   ¹⁵Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.

   ¹⁶Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.

   ¹⁷And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

   ¹⁸And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day?

   ¹⁹And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.

   ²⁰And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread.

   ²¹And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.

   ²²And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

   ²³And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

   ²⁴And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

   ²⁵And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.

For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.

13 And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, naked and defenseless to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do.

14 Inasmuch then as we have a great High Priest Who has [already] ascended and passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith in Him].

15 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.

16 Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]. Hebrews 4:12-16 AMP

God’s Word is alive and full of power. It is active, operative, energizing, and effective. That means it works! God’s Word works when you work it. God’s Word works when you speak it and when you act on it. Rodney Howard Browne teaches that if you come into God’s presence in the boldness of the righteousness purchased for you at Calvary and standing on the authority of His Word – He has promised to help you and show mercy to you in your time of need.

So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11 AMP

God’s Word is powerful and accomplishes His purposes. That means that His Word always works for Him and produces the results He planned them to. God’s Word will work for you if you speak it with conviction – if you believe that it is true and that He says what He means and He means what He says. Rodney Howard Browne teaches that if you don’t actually believe God’s Word, you can speak it until you are blue in the face and nothing will happen.

Then Jesus was led (guided) by the [Holy] Spirit into the wilderness (desert) to be tempted (tested and tried) by the devil.

2 And He went without food for forty days and forty nights, and later He was hungry.

3 And the tempter came and said to Him, If You are God’s Son, command these stones to be made [loaves of] bread.

4 But He replied, It has been written, Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

5 Then the devil took Him into the holy city and placed Him on a turret (pinnacle, gable) of the temple sanctuary.

6 And he said to Him, If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, He will give His angels charge over you, and they will bear you up on their hands, lest you strike your foot against a stone.

7 Jesus said to him, On the other hand, it is written also, You shall not tempt, test thoroughly, or try exceedingly the Lord your God.

8 Again, the devil took Him up on a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory (the splendor, magnificence, preeminence, and excellence) of them.

9 And he said to Him, These things, all taken together, I will give You, if You will prostrate Yourself before me and do homage and worship me.

10 Then Jesus said to him, Begone, Satan! For it has been written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him alone shall you serve. 11 Then the devil departed from Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. Matthew 4:1-11 AMP

The devil came to tempt Jesus and to try to get Him to yield to him in His weakened state after His forty-day fast. Rodney Howard Browne explains that the devil is basically a coward – he waits until you are vulnerable and then he goes in for the kill. However, even though Jesus was physically weak, which made Him mentally more vulnerable than normal, His Spirit was strong. He had just spent forty days intensely fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit after spending thirty years meditating in the Word. He allowed the Word to rise up on the inside of Him and He spoke it out, “It is written!” and shut the devil up. Jesus did not defeat the devil on the basis of who He was – the Son of God – He defeated him with the Word!

If you are going to have any hope of defeating the devil and overcoming all the challenges that life throws your way, you will have to do it with the Word of God deposited and abiding firmly in your heart and coming out of your mouth with faith and boldness!