Now we have not received the spirit [that belongs to] the world, but the [Holy] Spirit Who is from God, [given to us] that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts [of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly] bestowed on us by God. 13 And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the [Holy] Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit]. 14 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]. 16 For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart. 1 Corinthians 2:12-16 AMP

You, who are born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit, have been separated from the world by the work of the Holy Spirit. You are no longer deceived by the lies of and/or blinded by the devil. Your eyes have been opened and you now see the truth. If you will continue in God’s Word, the devil will never again be able to blind your eyes. It is the Holy Spirit Who reveals to you all the wonderful things that God has done for and in you and all the magnificent gifts He has so lavishly and freely bestowed on you, so that you might comprehend them and also appreciate them. The more influence the Holy Spirit and the Word of God have in your life, the more aware you become of spiritual things and the more spiritual you become. Not religious—spiritual—conscious of God.

The person who is not born again, not filled with the Spirit, and who is not open to the Word of God, is carnal, natural, and non-spiritual. He cannot perceive the truth that is right in front of him—he is oblivious to things of the Spirit. The gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God are spiritually discerned, estimated, and appreciated. Because of this, they are meaningless nonsense to the carnal person and so he does not accept, or welcome, or admit them into his heart. Everyone who is spiritual can easily discern the carnal man’s state and his situation. Although the spiritual man discerns all things, no one can discern him—no one can appraise or get an insight into him. In other words, the spiritual man can see into the heart and life of a non-spiritual person, but the non-spiritual person cannot figure the spiritual person out.

In the same way, you don’t know everything there is to know about the Lord. No matter how much you learn of spiritual things, you will never know enough to be able to advise Him. That is just not your job or your place—it never will be. But when Jesus lives in your heart, when the Holy Spirit has burned the junk of the world out of your life, and when God’s Word has become alive in you, you grow to be more like Jesus every day. You begin to walk like Him, talk like Him, think like Him, see like Him, feel like Him, and act like Him. You have the mind of Christ; you hold the thoughts, feelings, and purposes of His heart. You are not God, but you represent Him to the world.

Beloved, we are [even here and] now God’s children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be [hereafter], but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall [as God’s children] resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He [really] is. 3 And everyone who has this hope [resting] on Him cleanses (purifies) himself just as He is pure (chaste, undefiled, guiltless). 1 John 3:2-3 AMP

I have heard a person say, “I have the mind of Christ, therefore every thought I have is from Christ.” This is not totally true. Your thoughts come from your head, not from heaven. You cannot trust every thought you have to be a godly thought. Sometimes the devil will place thoughts in your mind. Of course, you ought to resist and reject those thoughts! Remember that godly thoughts and inspirations come primarily from your heart—your regenerated spirit. The Spirit of God will speak to your heart—you need to train yourself to recognize His voice. Your mind, on the other hand, is a work in progress until you see Jesus face to face. When you see Him, you will be like Him, but until then, you are not perfect by any means. You need to renew your mind to the Word of God, regularly and consistently. You need to humble yourself and lay down your agenda.

As you yield yourself to Him, as you make yourself available to Him, to be used by Him, He will work in you and through you to do His will, and you can safely say, “I have the mind of Christ!”

Just then a religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. “Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?” 26He answered, “What’s written in God’s Law? How do you interpret it?” 27He said, “That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence–and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself.” 28″Good answer!” said Jesus. “Do it and you’ll live.” 29Looking for a loophole, he asked, “And just how would you define “neighbor’?” 30Jesus answered by telling a story. “There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. 31Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. 32Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man. 33″A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him. 34He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. 35In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, “Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill–I’ll pay you on my way back.’ 36″What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?” 37″The one who treated him kindly,” the religion scholar responded. Jesus said, “Go and do the same.” Luke 10:25-37 MSG

Practice hospitality to one another (those of the household of faith). [Be hospitable, be a lover of strangers, with brotherly affection for the unknown guests, the foreigners, the poor, and all others who come your way who are of Christ’s body.] And [in each instance] do it ungrudgingly (cordially and graciously, without complaining but as representing Him). 1 Peter 4:9 AMP

Withhold not good from those to whom it is due [its rightful owners], when it is in the power of your hand to do it. 28Do not say to your neighbor, Go, and come again; and tomorrow I will give it–when you have it with you. Proverbs 3:27-28 AMP

Do not forget or neglect or refuse to extend hospitality to strangers [in the brotherhood–being friendly, cordial, and gracious, sharing the comforts of your home and doing your part generously], for through it some have entertained angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2 AMP

Thank you to everyone who has donated so much to help our neighbors on the Gulf Coast, who have been so devastated by Hurricane Katrina. By doing this, YOU ARE helping your neighbor and taking care of your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Keep believing God this week for doors to open to you to send more supplies to the Gulf Coast region. Extend your faith this week for favor with places of business to donate money towards the relief effort or goods that are needed so we can send in more trucks to the devastated areas. Believe the Lord this week to put you in the right place at the right time so you can be a blessing to your neighbors. You have the power within your hand to help your neighbor in their time of need. The Lord wants to use you everyday to help those around you, yield yourself completely to Him everyday and you can always expect the Lord to use you in a mighty way.

There will always be good causes that we can always donate to, but don’t wait for tomorrow – do what you can today. Don’t pass your neighbor by and wait until another day. Give what you have in your hand today and believe God to prosper you, so you might do more to help those around you.

All the commandments which I command you this day you shall be watchful to do, that you may live and multiply and go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers. 2 And you shall [earnestly] remember all the way which the Lord your God led you these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and to prove you, to know what was in your [mind and] heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 And He humbled you and allowed you to hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you recognize and personally know that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your clothing did not become old upon you nor did your feet swell these forty years. 5 Know also in your [minds and] hearts that, as a man disciplines and instructs his son, so the Lord your God disciplines and instructs you. Deuteronomy 8:1-5 AMP

You might think you know what’s in your own heart, but you do not really know until you are humbled by your circumstances – by life! When everything else is stripped away, what is left is the essence of YOU! The hardest things you go through will be the things that define who you are. How will you respond? Will you be bitter or will you be better? Will you allow God’s word to govern your life; your choices; your circumstances? The sword of the word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword and will cut down deep on the inside of you and reveal the thoughts, intents, and purposes of your heart (Hebrews 4:12).

You can only change the things you are aware of. The Lord will cause your own heart to be revealed to you – so you can change, so you can grow, so you can make the adjustments, so you can make corrections to your direction – so you can walk in liberty and in blessing.

Unless you have suffered hunger, and been fed with manna, you may not come to realize that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. If you do not remember that God is the One who took care of you when you could not take care of yourself, then when He blesses you and promotes you, you will think that your ability and talents brought the blessing. You will forget God; you will forget what He has done; you will forget that it is HE Who gives you the power to get wealth and the power to succeed. You will think that you did it yourself and forget that God is actually the One who has empowered you to walk in blessing and success as a fulfillment of a covenant promise He made with you. You owe Him your appreciation.

The ear that listens to the reproof [that leads to or gives] life will remain among the wise. 32 He who refuses and ignores instruction and correction despises himself, but he who heeds reproof gets understanding. 33 The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord brings instruction in Wisdom, and humility comes before honor. Proverbs 15:31-33 AMP

The reward of humility and the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life. Proverbs 22:4 AMP

When you are going through hard times, and you want to experience a victory, you will need to humble your heart before the Lord. The attitude adjustments you get when you humble yourself under the mighty hand of God during the hard times – if you remember the lessons learned – will carry you through the good times. You need to humble yourself even more when you are prospering and succeeding, so that you do not become arrogant and lose what you have – or worse – lose yourself, by moving away from and then rejecting the Lord.

I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want. 13 I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]. Philippians 4:12-13 AMP

Possessions, position and prestige are not the answer to all your problems. Some people are mad at God when they don’t have what they think they should have, as if it is His fault, but then they take the credit when they prosper and they forget all about God. These people are never truly happy or satisfied. Even when they have more than enough, they are not satisfied.

There are other people who rejoice, praise and thank God whether they have or not and God always seems to come through for them. These humble, thankful people do not think of themselves more highly than they ought. They know how to be abased and live humbly no matter what state they find themselves in, whether having more than enough or not quite enough, therefore they are always happy and joyful and they truly enjoy their lives and their relationship with the Lord.

I pray to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant me a spirit of wisdom and revelation, of insight into mysteries and secrets, in the deep and intimate knowledge of Him,

I pray that I would have the eyes of my heart flooded with light, so that I

can know and understand the hope to which He has called me, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints, His set-apart ones,

And so that I can know and understand what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength,

Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places,

Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named – above every title that can be conferred – not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come.

And He has put all things under His feet and has appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church – a headship exercised throughout the church,

Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all – for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere with Himself.

Paraphrased from Ephesians 1:17-23 AMP

Because of my faith in Him, I dare to have the boldness, courage and confidence of free access

Because of my faith in Him, I can unreservedly approach God with freedom and without fear.

So I will not lose heart, I will not faint, or become despondent through fear,

Because of the greatness of this plan by which we are built together in Christ, I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

For Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named

I pray that He would grant me out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in my inner man by the Holy Spirit, Himself indwelling my innermost being and personality.

I pray that Christ, through my faith, may actually dwell, settle down, abide, and make His permanent home in my heart!

I pray that I may be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,

That I may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints, God’s devoted people, the experience of that love – what is the breadth and length and height and depth of it;

That I may really come to know, practically, through experience for myself, the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge without experience; that I may be filled through all my being unto all the fullness of God.

That I may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself!

Now to Him Who, by and in consequence of the action of His power that is at work within us, is able to carry out His purpose and do superabundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think, infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams–

To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen – so be it.

Paraphrased from Ephesians 3:12-21 AMP

These are two powerful, spiritual prayers that Paul prayed for the Ephesians and they apply to every Christian. These prayers reveal the will of God for His children. In Hosea 4:6 God says that His people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. This is not because God’s will is hidden – it is in plain sight, openly revealed in His Word – but because His people do not take time to read and study His Word and then take it personally.

Confessing (speaking out) God’s Word will personalize it for you and make it a reality, first in your mind and heart and then in every aspect of your life. Don’t just do it as a religious ritual, but as you pray these prayers, listen to what you are praying and make them yours. If you will pray these two personalized prayers on a regular basis, then you will begin to walk it out in your everyday life and reap the wonderful benefits of the life, blessing, and power of the awesome Word of God, that is more precious than silver and more costly than gold!

For immediate release

Rodney Howard Brown Palm Beach Florida

View the pictures of the power of God hitting the building tonight in a powerful Holy Spirit crusade. Over 13, 700 decisions were made for Jesus Christ. Over 250 people hit the streets, inviting hundreds to visit Tabernáculo Internacional church and get touched. The crowds are expected to grow even more during the week as the FIRE of GOD sweeps through Palm Beach Florida.

The Great Awakening Tour is not just another Christian Conference.  This is a radical campaign to REACH a radical generation—to impact your community with the life-changing message of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Many precious people have been praying for God to touch your city and this nation. We believe that The Great Awakening Tour is an ANSWER to those prayers.

This is your time, for your city…for your nation to have an encounter with heaven!

So kill (deaden, deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God).  Colossians 3:5 AMP

Idolatry is the deifying of self and other created things instead of God. Idolatry is the worship of created beings or created things rather than the worship of the Creator – the only One worthy of worship. What people don’t realize is that when they commit idolatry by worshipping an object or a person, they give it, or them, control over their life. The devil will jump at the opportunity to take control over you through your idolatry and you really don’t want him to have any influence over your life, because he is a thief, a liar, a murderer, and a destroyer! The Lord, on the other hand, is worthy of your worship. He will receive your worship and reach out to you to embrace you, to protect you from the devil, to bless you, and to restore whatever the devil has stolen or destroyed. The bottom line is that you choose your outcome by whom or what you choose to worship.

God gave us direction for our blessing and prosperity – spirit, soul, and body – through His commandments. In Exodus 20:2-6 AMP, God gave us His first two of ten commandments. “I am the Lord your God, Who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before or besides Me” and “You shall not make yourself any graven image [to worship it] or any likeness of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; You shall not bow down yourself to them or serve them…” If we keep these, we will be blessed, blessed, blessed!

There are people who would not dream of worshipping an idol of wood or stone, and yet they worship their money and their stuff! You might say, “I don’t worship my possessions,” but if they are more important to you than God is to you, then you are an idolater. If you can’t give anything away, if you are offended when someone talks to you about giving your money or your stuff away, if the thought of losing your stuff or giving it away makes you extremely fearful, then you have made an idol out of your money and stuff. You are no longer the master of your stuff – it has mastered you!

No servant is able to serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (riches, or anything in which you trust and on which you rely).  Luke 16:13 AMP

It is impossible to serve two masters. Every living person makes a choice of who they worship by whom or what is most important in their life. If you want to be blessed, if you want God’s blessing on your life, you have to realize that there is a choice to make and God’s word makes it abundantly clear which choice will result in your good and your blessing. If you are wise, you will take God’s advice and make Him your priority!

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.  1 Corinthians 6:8-11 NKJV

Covetousness is a hallmark of those who do not know Jesus, who are not yet washed in the blood of Jesus, who are not yet sanctified and made righteous by receiving Him as Lord and Savior. When you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are making a choice to love Him and serve Him. He gave His ALL to you; He gave His very own life! This is a covenant relationship. He gives you His life and you give Him your life – ALL of it and ALL of you! You now belong to Him and so does everything you own. You need to act like you belong to Him and He belongs to you by taking your hands off your stuff and by releasing it into His service.

It is like a marriage relationship – unless both partners give 100%, there are going to be problems. Selfishness in a marriage is always destructive to the relationship. Selfishness will cause you to hold back your heart, it will make your spouse feel unloved and devalued, and cause a breach in your relationship. There is nothing as awesome as a relationship where two people totally accept one another and give each other unconditional love. This is the only way to be truly fulfilled as God intended for you to be.

In the same way, selfishness in your relationship with the Lord will cause you to miss out on all the blessings of a committed relationship with Him. Everyone wants to get something from God without giving Him anything in return, but you need to realize that as committed as you are to Him, is as committed as He is going to be to you! Commit to Him, give Him your all, and allow Him to bless you exceedingly above all that you could ask or think!

For [simply] consider your own call, brethren; not many [of you were considered to be] wise according to human estimates and standards, not many influential and powerful, not many of high and noble birth. 27[No] for God selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame. 28 And God also selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is lowborn and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt, even the things that are nothing, that He might depose and bring to nothing the things that are, 29 So that no mortal man should [have pretense for glorying and] boast in the presence of God. 30 But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus, Whom God made our Wisdom from God, [revealed to us a knowledge of the divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as] our Righteousness [thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God], and our Consecration [making us pure and holy], and our Redemption [providing our ransom from eternal penalty for sin]. 31 So then, as it is written, Let him who boasts and proudly rejoices and glories, boast and proudly rejoice and glory in the Lord.  1 Corinthians 1:26-31 AMP

In the world, in secular realms, there is a great emphasis placed on talents, abilities, knowledge, learning, money, influence, power, and noble birth. That is because they rely exclusively on their own ability in every sphere of their lives. This causes them to be respecters of persons, rejecting those they deem inferior or unacceptable. God, however, is not a respecter of persons – He will use anyone who is willing and available.

And Peter opened his mouth and said: Most certainly and thoroughly I now perceive and understand that God shows no partiality and is no respecter of persons, 35 But in every nation he who venerates and has a reverential fear for God, treating Him with worshipful obedience and living uprightly, is acceptable to Him and  sure of being received and welcomed [by Him]. Acts 10:34-35 AMP

Humility is a quality not especially valued or esteemed in the world’s system, but it is highly valued in the kingdom of God. That is because a humble person does not find it difficult to yield to the Lord and can therefore be used by Him to the fullest extent possible. God deliberately chooses to use those who are foolish, weak, lowborn, and insignificant in the world’s eyes so that only His power can be seen and displayed; so that only He can be recognized and glorified.

Now when they saw the boldness and unfettered eloquence of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and untrained in the schools [common men with no educational advantages], they marveled; and they recognized that they had been with Jesus.  Acts 4:13 AMP

A beggar who had been crippled from birth was healed by the power of God through Peter and John, who proceeded to preach the gospel to the amazed crowd. When the Sadducees pulled them in for questioning, they were amazed at their demeanor and the power of their witness. They realized that they did not have the education, the ability or the power to do a miracle or to speak so eloquently. They marveled and recognized that they had been with Jesus. So God was glorified in their midst even though they refused to change their mind and acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus Christ.   

As for myself, brethren, when I came to you, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony and evidence or mystery and secret of God [concerning what He has done through Christ for the salvation of men] in lofty words of eloquence or human philosophy and wisdom; 2 For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified. 3 And I was in (passed into a state of) weakness and fear (dread) and great trembling [after I had come] among you. 4 And my language and my message were not set forth in persuasive (enticing and plausible) words of wisdom, but they were in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit and power [a proof by the Spirit and power of God, operating on me and stirring in the minds of my hearers the most holy emotions and thus persuading them], 5 So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men (human philosophy), but in the power of God.  1 Corinthians 2:1-5 AMP

Many preachers think that they need to preach in lofty words of eloquence or human philosophy and wisdom in order to be effective, but God does not want anyone’s faith to rest in the wisdom of men or in human philosophy, but in the power of God. The Lord wants you rather to be totally yielded to and dependant upon Him, He wants you to be personally acquainted with Jesus, and He wants to anoint you with His power, so that you can demonstrate His Holy Spirit and power as a sign and a wonder and a witness to the world!