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Great Awakening Tour City #20 North Miami Beach, Florida Extended

Great Awakening Tour City #20 North Miami Beach, Florida Extended

This was my first day. It was hard that so many people are ready and willing to pray and glad they did. In two hours I spoke to 19 people and 9 gave their life to Christ, 2 rejected it, the rest were believers thanking me for being out there.

David A
N/A Florida United States

Learn to Trust in God

rodney howard browne

Our trust in God is based on His unwavering personality. Scripture claims He solidly loves us, forgives us, and makes provision for our wishes. But many followers worry that God might reject them if they sin too much, don’t read the Bible each day, or displease Him in some other way. The fake concept that God will bin one He saved springs from a simplistic view of His nature. We incline to attribute one emotion to God at a time either he is indignant or loving. Instead, the Father’s nature is as complicated as our own.

We are able to love a kid completely while we are upset over their actions. The same is true of God. For example, the righteous hate that led Him to threaten the Israelites did not replace His care for them. Though His holiness desired justice for their sin of idol worship, His mercy heard Moses’ plea and pardoned them. Our heavenly Father has many feelings and traits, and He handles each circumstance according to His perfect nature. That is why we will say he is unchangeable. Even so, some folks point at passages like Exodus 32 to falsely prove that God changes His mind.

But God is omniscient. He knew Moses would intercede for his folks, just as He knows when we may stumble and how frequently we are going to fall short of His standards for goodness. The Father saved us from death any way and will not turn His back on us for whatever reason. The immutability of His nature means that God will adore us forever, even if we fail.

STAND AND RESIST

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. Hebrews 4:15 AMP

Rodney Howard Browne instructs us to resist temptation. Jesus, in His earthly walk, was tempted with everything that any one of us has ever been tempted with. The difference between Him and us is that He did not yield to temptation and He did not sin. Because He was born a man and because He was subject to the same temptations as us, He had a right to take our place at the cross representing Man. Because He was God in the flesh, He had a right to take His place at the cross representing God. Because Jesus never succumbed to temptation and because He never sinned, God had a right to raise Him up on the third day, with us in Him. An everlasting covenant was cut on that cross, between God and man, which can never be rescinded. Sin has no more dominion over you and me!

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But then what benefit (return) did you get from the things of which you are now ashamed? [None] for the end of those things is death. 22 But now since you have been set free from sin and have become the slaves of God, you have your present reward in holiness and its end is eternal life. 23 For the wages which sin pays is death, but the [bountiful] free gift of God is eternal life through (in union with) Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:20-23 AMP

God has provided you and me with an opportunity and a means to deal with sin in our lives and to get rid of it. Before Jesus died and rose from the dead, we had no way to overcome sin at all, but now we do.

Rodney Howard Browne teaches us not to give in to sin. If you yield to sin as a way of life, you may think that you are in control, but what you don’t realize is that sin is controlling you. You might think that you are becoming fulfilled by fulfilling your fleshly desires and yielding to sin and temptations, but in reality you become emptier and emptier. You don’t realize the more you yield to sin, the more you are being taken over by the devil and destroyed by him. Sin is deceptive and destructive. Sin hardens your heart and moves you further and further away from the presence of God. Ultimately, sin will destroy you completely. God’s desire for you is that you experience His eternal life rather than the death of sin and He has given you the ability to overcome sin by the blood of Jesus and with the help of the Holy Spirit.

In the days of His flesh [Jesus] offered up definite, special petitions [for that which He not only wanted but needed] and supplications with strong crying and tears to Him Who was [always] able to save Him [out] from death, and He was heard because of His reverence toward God [His godly fear, His piety, in that He shrank from the horrors of separation from the bright presence of the Father]. 8 Although He was a Son, He learned [active, special] obedience through what He suffered 9 And, [His completed experience] making Him perfectly [equipped], He became the Author and Source of eternal salvation to all those who give heed and obey Him. Hebrews 5:7-9 AMP

Rodney Howard Browne teaches us about obedience to the Father. Even though Jesus is God’s Son, He learned special obedience through the things that He suffered – facing temptations, persecutions, and outright attacks. He could have been respected just for Who He is – Almighty God – but He has also earned our respect, not only for Who He is, but for what He has done. When He walked on the earth He prayed and asked God for certain things and all His prayers were answered because of His respect for the Father and the fact that He shrank from the horrors of separation from the bright presence of the Father. If we reverence God and His presence, if our primary desire in life is to please Him, then we will have all the motivation in the world to turn and RUN away from sin!

Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds. 4 You have not yet struggled and fought agonizingly against sin, nor have you yet resisted and withstood to the point of pouring out your [own] blood. Hebrews 12:3-4

Jesus struggled and fought agonizingly against sin. He withstood sin and temptation to the point that He sweated blood. Most people just let sin have its way in them. They don’t even try to resist it. We have an obligation to God and ourselves to resist sin. We have an obligation to God because Jesus went to and through such extremes to bring us to this place, to give us the privilege and the opportunity to be able to say NO to sin. We have an obligation to ourselves to stop doing the things that bring death and destruction to our lives and to start to do those things that result in both life and peace.

Exodus 19

1In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.

   2For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.

   3And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;

   4Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.

   5Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

   6And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

   7And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.

   8And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.

   9And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.

   10And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,

   11And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.

   12And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:

   13There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.

   14And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.

   15And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.

   16And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.

   17And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.

   18And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.

   19And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.

   20And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.

   21And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.

   22And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.

   23And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.

   24And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them.

   25So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.

Exodus 1

1Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob.

   2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,

   3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,

   4Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

   5And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already.

   6And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.

   7And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.

   8Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.

   9And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:

   10Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.

   11Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.

   12But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

   13And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:

   14And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.

   15And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:

   16And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.

   17But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.

   18And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?

   19And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.

   20Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.

   21And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.

   22And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.

THE WHEAT IS GATHERED

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee and escape from the wrath and indignation [of God against disobedience] that is coming?

 

8 Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart];

 

9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, We have Abraham for our forefather; for I tell you, God is able to raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones!

 

10 And already the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

 

11 I indeed baptize you in (with) water because of repentance [that is, because of your changing your minds for the better, heartily amending your ways, with abhorrence of your past sins]. But He Who is coming after me is mightier than I, Whose sandals I am not worthy or fit to take off or carry; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

 

12 His winnowing fan (shovel, fork) is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear out and clean His threshing floor and gather and store His wheat in His barn, but the chaff He will burn up with fire that cannot be put out.  Matthew 3:7-12 AMP

 

Many people wondered whether John the Baptist was the Christ – the Messiah (Luke 3:15) – but he settled that issue when he told them that there was one coming who was mightier than himself. John baptized with water, but Jesus baptizes in the Holy Spirit and fire!

 

Every one of us has two choices. You can be baptized in the Holy Spirit and fire here and now and allow the Lord to do a purifying work in your heart, mind and life or you can resist the Spirit of the Lord and be consumed by fire in the Day of Judgment. It is far better to yield to the Spirit of God here and now and allow Him to cleanse you – no matter how painful it is on your flesh and your self-will – than to resist Him and His work in your life and have to burn in hell for eternity.

 

It doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter how important you are, how learned you are, how many degrees you have, how many titles you carry – or if you are nobody and have nothing at all – everyone has to go through the fire. You are the one who chooses which fire you go through – the fire of God now or the fires of hell later. The wheat will be gathered and stored in God’s barn – those who have placed their life in God’s hands will live with Him in His presence forever. The chaff will be burned up – those who have rebelled against God will burn in hell. Hell was not prepared for men, but for the devil and his angels, however, unless men submit to God and resist the devil, God has no choice but to leave them to their fate – the tormenting fires of hell.

 

Another parable He set forth before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.

 

25 But while he was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed also darnel (weeds resembling wheat) among the wheat, and went on his way.

 

26 So when the plants sprouted and formed grain, the darnel (weeds) appeared also.

 

27 And the servants of the owner came to him and said, Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then how does it have darnel shoots in it?

 

28 He replied to them, An enemy has done this. The servants said to him, Then do you want us to go and weed them out?

 

29 But he said, No, lest in gathering the wild wheat (weeds resembling wheat), you root up the [true] wheat along with it.

 

30 Let them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will say to the reapers, Gather the darnel first and bind it in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my granary.  Matthew 13:24-30 AMP

 

God allows the wheat and the weeds to grow up together, unhindered, but again, at the time of harvest, there is a separation – the wheat is gathered to be stored safely in the granary, but the weeds are pulled out and burned.

 

The [basis of the] judgment (indictment, the test by which men are judged, the ground for the sentence) lies in this: the Light has come into the world, and people have loved the darkness rather than and more than the Light, for their works (deeds) were evil.

 

20 For every wrongdoer hates (loathes, detests) the Light, and will not come out into the Light but shrinks from it, lest his works (his deeds, his activities, his conduct) be exposed and reproved.

 

21 But he who practices truth [who does what is right] comes out into the Light; so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are–wrought with God [divinely prompted, done with God’s help, in dependence upon Him].  John 3:19-21 AMP

 

Don’t wait until it is too late – come to the light now, come to the Lord now. Allow Him to do a purifying work in your life, allow the fire of the Holy Spirit to purge and burn your weeds and your chaff and make pure wheat out of you, so that you will be gathered into the presence of the Lord at the time of harvest and be stored in His granary – abiding in His wonderful presence forever, even throughout eternity!

 

Rodney Howard Browne GIVING THANKS

All these curses shall come upon you and shall pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed, because you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. 46 They shall be upon you for 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].  Deuteronomy 28:45-47 AMP

 

It is so very important that we maintain a grateful attitude toward the Lord at all times and in every situation and circumstance. When we are ungrateful, we open ourselves up to negative thinking, negative believing and negative speaking. When you become negative, you expose yourself to everything that can go wrong in your life. The devil loves to divide you from your Heavenly Father and bring in a wedge between you, because that is how he can destroy you. He cannot touch you when you are pressing into God’s presence. The devil may shoot his fiery darts, but your faith and trust in God allow Him to work and move on your behalf and protect you from the devil. Read Psalm 91 and you will see how pressing into God will protect your life.

 

Your gratefulness is your faith in action – faith in God and faith in His love and provision. Gratefulness is an acknowledgement of God’s place in your heart and in your life and that He is the source of all the good things in your life. Your gratefulness acknowledges all that God has given you and all that He is giving you and all that He will give you. Gratefulness is not only being thankful for all that God has done, but it is a demonstration of your faith in His future provision for you. If you want to continue to be blessed, you must remain grateful.

 

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. 6 So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and [reverently] fear Him. 7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills; 8 A land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey; 9 A land in which you shall eat food without shortage and lack nothing in it; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper.

10 When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for all the good land which He has given you. 11 Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His precepts, and His statutes which I command you today, 12 Lest when you have eaten and are full, and have built goodly houses and live in them, 13 And when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all you have is multiplied, 14 Then your [minds and] hearts be lifted up and you forget the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, 15 Who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, but Who brought you forth water out of the flinty rock, 16 Who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. 17 And beware lest you say in your [mind and] heart, My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth. 18 But you shall [earnestly] remember the Lord your God, for it is He Who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. 19 And if you forget the Lord your God and walk after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. 20 Like the nations which the Lord makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 8:1-20 AMP

 

Don’t ever forget that it is God Who has blessed you – it is not just your own work, talents, wisdom or abilities that have brought you the blessing. Remember the Lord and all He has done for you by being thankful at all times and in everything and He will continue to bless you and provide for you above and beyond anything you could ask, or think, or imagine.

RELIGION OR RELATIONSHIP – PART 2

This is a special message from Pastor Rodney Howard Browne

“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Luke 6:27-31 NIV

Rodney Howard Browne differentiates religion from relationship with God. There is a big difference between having a religion and having a relationship with God. Religion is about what we can do and relationship is about God’s grace. Religion is about conforming on the outside with little or no regard for the condition of the heart, but when you have a relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ, it is your insides that He cares about and your heart that He asks for.

When you are saved, the change first takes place on the inside and then on the outside. First, your spirit is born again. Second, you continue to change and grow as you renew your mind and soul to God’s word. There is a different, higher standard for God’s children than the children of the world, and it is the Holy Spirit that works in you to change you.

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even `sinners’ love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even `sinners’ do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even `sinners’ lend to `sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Luke 6:32-36 NIV

When Jesus lives big in our heart, we are kind and loving even to those who don’t love us, expecting nothing back from them. We are merciful, just as our Father is merciful.

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:37-38 NIV

Religious people, obsessed with the outward, tend to be overly judgmental of others. None of us are perfect and it is not that hard to find fault with each other. Thank God, He does not judge us according to our behavior alone, but He looks at our heart. God does not want to judge us, but He does want to forgive us.

Religion does not want to forgive you, but it wants to make you conform to a set of rules. He also told them this parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. 41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, `Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Luke 6:39-42 NIV

When we just have religion, we have a tendency to judge others, whilst we do not judge ourselves. However, God wants us to judge our own heart and mind our own business. We need to let God take care of other people and we need to take care of ourselves. We must remember that every one of us will stand alone before God and give an account for our own life, our heart and our attitude. We need to show mercy if we want to receive mercy.

ANSWERED PRAYER – PART FIVE

The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].  James 5:16b AMP

 

When a righteous man prays a continued, earnest, heartfelt, prayer, there is a tremendous power that is released – a dynamic active power that effectively goes to work – producing the desired result. If you want your prayers to be answered, there are a few things that you must do to ensure the desired result – you must walk righteously before the Lord, you must pray sincerely and fervently and you must pray according to God’s will.

 

20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.  2 Corinthians 1:20-21 NIV

 

God does not make promises that He does not plan to keep. If He made a promise then He will keep it. If you come to Him to ask Him for the thing He promised, then He will give it to you. He guarantees His Word.

 

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!   Matthew 7:7-11 NIV

 

Jesus said that if you ask for something that God has promised, it will be given to you. If you seek God’s will, you will find the thing you seek. Knock on God’s door and it will be opened to you. Even human parents, who are imperfect, give their children the things they asked for. How much more will a perfect God bless you with the answer to your prayer and give you good gifts – not bad gifts. Your Father in heaven gives good gifts to those who ask Him.

 

12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. 15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command.”  John 14:12-15 NIV

When you have faith in Jesus, you will do what He did. If you love Him, you will obey what He commands. And then when you ask Him for anything, He will do it for you, so that He can bring glory to the Father.

 

7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.  John 15:7-8 NIV

 

If you remain in Jesus and His words remain in you, then you will bear much fruit and He will give you whatever you ask. 

 

13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.  John 15:13-16 NIV

 

When you do what Jesus has commanded you to do, then He considers you to be His friend and He calls you His friend. He chose you and appointed you to go and bear lasting fruit. When you bear much fruit, the Father will give you whatever you ask in Jesus name. 

 

22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.  John 16:21-24 NIV

 

If you have not asked the Father for anything, then you need to ask in Jesus’ name. If you ask in the name of Jesus, then you will receive from the Father the thing you asked for and your joy will be full.