I was thrilled to serve my house and Pastor’s Rodney and Adonica Howard-Browne with an awesome Super Sunday week-end [13th December] 09. Being apart of The River Tampa Bay church, as well as being a Bible school student has changed my life. The things God has shown me, taught me, etc have been life changing.
On the 13th of December, I had the privilege of working with The River Kids. Little did I know what a surprise I was in for. Growing up with parents who are pastors, travelling the world with them on revivals, I could say that I’ve had my fair share of attending more than 100 different children’s churches. But I can truly say that Sunday, the 13th of December, was something I had never quite experienced before, in a Children’s Church. At the age of 20, I truly wanted to be a child again.
I had never heard such a massive scream in my life, as to who loved Jesus – The boys against the girls. Competitions that even I found I couldn’t take my eyes off of. The children were truly captivated with the message Joe Manner had put across to them, using eggs, whipped cream, and water as a demonstration of sin and how God washes us clean. (I’m sure you can imagine how fun that would be.) The children learned about how God loved them – and watching 154 children give their lives to Jesus, in just 1 service, was powerful. We also gave away toys (including bikes), to all the children between the ages of 0-16years.
Never before had I seen such a change in children. They had walked in the doors of The River Kids in the morning with such a weight on their shoulders, to then them leaving with smiles, toys, and the joy. They, having had the most fun in a long time, with a message of how special they, are and how Jesus loved them. Children of all ages, backgrounds, and races; at the end of the service, all had something in common – that Jesus lived in their hearts. I’m beyond blessed to have helped out with The River Kids.
When we started the week taking the Matters of the Heart classes I was excited. I wanted to come away from that week of classes changed, and I am thankful for what was imparted into us by the Holy Spirit from Pastor Adonica. I know I’m not even close to being perfect, I know that there are still “kinks” in me that need to be right and that the Holy Spirit is burning away, but I also know now that we are all being “perfected”. He is working in us giving us the desire to do what pleases Him, and He will complete the good work that He has begun.
One of the main things that spoke to me during those classes was the spiritual principle of guarding our hearts. Everything we are, the very core and spirit of who we are springs from the heart. We are not our soul or our body, and it is so vitally important to guard your heart and not just leave it open for the enemies junk to infiltrate. One of the quotes from Pastor Adonica that I loved was this: “You are the Keeper of your own heart…keeping your heart is like keeping a garden. Attentively put work into guarding your heart.” We are not to be ones who “wear our hearts on our sleeves” or be swayed by our emotions, but we are to be ones who renew our minds with the Word, guard the precious gift that God has entrusted to us, and be filled only with that which is true, right, pure, and of a good report.
I also loved this quote from Pastor Adonica: “You may have thoughts come to you, but it’s your heart that speaks the truth…God speaks to my heart, but the devil tries to speak to my head. Trust what God has spoken to your heart.” So many times before I would battle with thoughts in my head. I would alway struggle with making decisions, second guessing if it was me or God that had that idea. But I know that since my spirit has been made new and one with God, He will speak to my heart, not my head, and give me His peace with every turn/decision that He leading me.
There was a lot more that I could say, but I am thankful for the time that we had in this class. And even though it was only one week, I believe what was imparted into the students was much more than that. I”m learning how to love, how to guard my heart, and operate with the anointing to the full potential that God has placed in me, and I’m so excited to see what’s going to happen in the days ahead.
As I was reviewing my notes to get a feel for this assignment, I came to the realize the amount of information that was just pumped into us in the short week that Pastor Adonica had to work with.
Before we started, it was told to us that we were going to receive a lot of information in a short time and this proved to be true.
What I got out of this week of teaching, on a very basic and personal level is to listen more to my heart and not to over think a decision. Also, to be sure that my decisions line up with the Word. The time taken should be used to be sure your decision is of God and not to satisfy the flesh.
This perspective is also taught in some of the other classes we have here at R. B. I., but I think I understood it more clearly through the teachings of Pastor Adonica.
Pastor used personal stories of instances in her own life which showed a very heartfelt teaching. This course was something Pastor Adonica lived, not jut learned through a book, which her presentation showed.
This particular teaching of Matters of the Heart came at an important time in my own life. I am at an important stage of my life in Christ. I had received a major criticism on a very personal level and did not react the way I thought I would have. This told me that my heart was not in the place I thought it was, which in turn tells me to check on what’s going in because out of the abundance of your heart…..
I realized I was being taught humility and what was the very next days topic…..Humility and Humbleness!
I couldn’t help but laugh and thank God for the opportunity to learn in a Godly setting, the lessons that life teaches you every day and the proper Christian way of handling any given situation.
For me, Pastor Adonica brought into clearer focus or gave me a better understanding what is being taught in other classes. The answers are all in the Bible and the Holy Spirit will help you find them. Just listen to your heart.
A woman at the retirement home was lying in the bed, not moving, staring into the air. I told her that God loves her, and that I wanted share some scripture with her which I did. I prayed for her then told her that as I prayed outloud for Jesus to come into her heart, that she should pray in her heart. As I finished up I said” Jesus thank you that you now live in her heart..” and she broke out into a big smile and I asked her if she prayed the prayer with me and she nodded “yes”. She seemed to literally come to life by the end of the prayer. It was a glorious moment!
Mark 16:17 in the nursing homes today as I began speaking to one of the men, the Lord began to deliver him from demons. He began to shout outloud his eyes were wild. When that began I told the demons to leave him, loose him and go in Jesus name. They left him. He prayed and received Jesus as Lord and Saviour and was filled with Holy Spirit. Another lady who received the batism began speaking in tongues. She could feel the Holy Spirit flowing out her belly. I gave her a script and told her to pray with everyone that came into her room.
