Rodney Howard Browne: Check ID’s at the Door

Have you ever read the scripture where God says He will take out the heart of stone and put in a heart of flesh? As a young Christian I really did struggle with that concept. I didn’t understand why God would want us to have something that is “FLESH.” Some of you are like what are you talking about? What I am trying to get at is, we all know that we are not to live by the flesh but by the spirit. That was my struggle, if God doesn’t want us to operate by the flesh, then why give us a heart of flesh? At least stone is harder to break right?Recently I read a teaching by Rodney Howard-Browne about “Hungry Hearts.” This teaching starts off talking about spiritual hunger is the number one ingredient for revival and then what I must do to develope a hungry heart and so on. The points of the teaching were hitting me like a ton of bricks. The Lord brought to my attention Prov 4:23 “Keep your heart with all dilegence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” BOOM! At that moment when I read that scripture I understoud what a heart of flesh was all about.When we give our hearts to the Lord, we literally do just that. WE give him our HEART! Because out of it flows all of life. IF our heart is bad, then life is bad. IF that heart stops, then LIFE stops. Our hearts must be flesh, so that it can be pliable in His hands, so He can shape it and mold it into the Life that He created you to Have. I must protect what or who I allow into my heart. WHy? Because I want to protect with all diligence the relationship that I have with God. My heart is my life source to my natural Body and to my Spiritutal being. I only have true life in HIM and only when HE owns and operates my heart. I’ve only got one life to live on earth and I want it to count for all eternity!When I was younger I got into the club scene. And while I am not proud of that, I did learn a few things. When you go to a club there are always really big dudes at the door checking ID’s and making sure that you are allowed into that Club. See, not everyone is allowed in. You must meet certain criteria. Its the same thing with our heart! Before we allow anything in, we must check the ID’s at the DOOR! Not just ANYONE can come in…Rodney Howard Browne and His staff at the River at Tampa Bay Church have been some of the most influential people in my life. Rodney’s stance on holiness and living a life of purity is extremely encouraging to me as a young minister. I am so thankful for sound, biblical teaching. He does not teach from his own opinion or from the opinions of other people. He is not influenced or swayed by what the “WHO’s WHO in the Charismatic Zoo” is doing!! He is directed soley by the Holy Spirit. Thank you Pastor Rodney…..Make sure to check out the Teaching on the 12 Pillars of My Faith! They are life changing!