Words cannot describe how much God has moved in my life since I became a student at the River Bible Institute. Within just a few weeks God has shown so much to me. Even though I was raised in church my whole life, I felt I had been missing the true work of God and the Holy Spirit in my heart. One of my first services at the River, Pastor Rodney spoke on the farmer and seed parable in Mark 4. The message of the seed representing the word of God and the ground representing the heart of man revealed how important it was for me to truly study and receive God’s word in my heart. There are a number of times in my life where I have brushed off the word and not received it like the seed falling on the footpath, or where I initially received with joy but failed to establish “deep roots.” I fell away as soon as I encountered problems, like the seed falling on rocky soil. The part of the parable I most relate to is the seed falling among the thorns. This describes the enormous presence of worry and depression that has tended to overtake my life and cloud my daily walk with God. It was when I heard this message that I prayed for a receptive heart free from worry or depression. Since then, God has given me a freedom that I have desired my whole life. I now read God’s word wanting to be sown into and I have cast all cares toward my heavenly father. With this new heart spiritual fruit has flourished in my life, particularly with JOY and PEACE. I pray that God continues to soften my heart and to mold me into his perfect servant. Hallelujah!

–Cory

Since being under this teaching by Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne I have realized how very important it is to keep our hearts right because it is the soil in which the seed; the Word of God has to take root. We have to continually do weeding in the area of our hearts. We are the gatekeeper of our hearts. We have to guard our hearts against offence. Offences will always try to come our way as soon as you deal with one here comes another. This is how Satan tries to rob us of the Word producing a harvest in our lives. Tribulation and persecution will also come for the sake of the Word. We must not only be hearers of the Word but doers also hearing with the ear of our heart. God has personally been dealing with me and doing a work in the area of the soil of my heart. I understand now why in Proverbs 4:23 says “To keep thine heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” We have to constantly allow God to deal with us in the area of the soil of our heart. We have to keep a pure heart like walking in love with those around us; family, etc. We can’t give place to the enemy. I have seen so many changes in me over the last six months since I’ve been here. I know that God’s Word will produce a harvest when continually applied to a situation or circumstances. I can’t wait to see what else God does in me and through me on a daily basis.

–Regina

When we were asked to write about what God has been doing in us since we got here for school, I have to say I was a bit at a loss. Not because God hasn’t been doing things in me, they just haven’t become concrete yet. I know for sure that this season is a season of demarcation in my life. From when God first called me out of California and the apathetic, backslidden life I had allowed myself to degenerate into, to this day, I can, in fact, see the fruit of this decision.

Tonight Pastor Eric was giving an alter call and a sentence he spoke summed up my life in California exactly. Drinking, smoking pot, living in sensuality, and yet yearning constantly for God to change me. I knew all of those things were empty and futile, but I felt alone, had no community, no body of believers or even friends to spur me on to what was right. At every turn people were encouraging me down that road of self fulfillment, of instant gratification. Thanks be to God that He spoke clearly enough for me to hear Him in the state I was in to FLEE California.

There were many acts of supernatural provision made by Him just to get me here. I had no idea, at all, what was in store for me. I had never even heard of Pastor Rodney Howard Brown or any of this ministry before my mom started watching in the early spring. I saw the transformation in her life, and she planted the seed in my head to come here.  Frances H.

I arrived with no place to stay and the Lord blessed me with a nice house that is 5 min. from the church with two roommates. The rent on my room is only $365 a month. I paid $385 for just one week when I arrived at the extended stay motel. I also got the master bedroom with my own bath. My new landlord called me on my last day in the extended motel so I was able to move my things into my new room the next day.

My awareness of the anointing has increased and my boldness level has increased since I have arrived at the River. I have got to learn to tap into the anointing for strength in my body. I know that if I can drop 50 lbs. off my temple I will be able to run the race that the Lord has called me to run. I am also finding out that I must pray in tongues more for strength in my body and for wisdom so I will know my next step. I must have the Fire of God in my life every day or I will not be the vessel that the Lord can use to set the people free. I got to have more of the Fire of God….Gary C.

When I first got here I was ready to go back home but then when, I was touched by the power of God everything changed. God was doing a work on my heart. Ever since that day I just have been pressing in to what God has for me. I been getting downloads from heavens and releasing the power of God. When the power of God touched me I was like a vibrator. The fire of God was shooting through my bones. One Thing God Cleary told me was, “I touch you it the power so that you can release that same power, I touch you with.” So I went in the streets and release the power of God on these three young ladies and it hit he woman downstairs from us.

The power of God has changed so many lives including mines, the power of God just made me want to do and seek him more. Since I have been growing, I have just been plugging into everything of God. I see it clearly now. I thought I had it all to gather but God has been changing my heart. He has been burning things out of me and filling me with things of him. My mindset has changed since being hit with the power of God. It’s about seeing nations shaken people getting delivered people getting healed people getting set free souls getting snatch out of hell and raising up revivalist for the kingdom of God….Deon B.

I’m a second year student, now attending River School of Worship and like always being under the fire here at RMI has cause such a growth in my walk with Christ. I can once again say I will never be the same. There has been such a transformation on the inside of me that has caused a fire that is impossible to put out.  I walk as if I’ve been dipped in gasoline and set a blaze, and ever where I go I walk with this look on my face. A look every devil in hell knows, as if they have a plaque on one of hell’s walls of the most dangerous Christians on earth.

It’s this confident look, this Holy boldness kind of look, the kind of look you can only get being in the presence of God. I’ve had every devil and they mama trying to  come at me with obstacles and distractions, but what they must be forgetting is I’m walking with the King of Kings and they come like door mats and I walk all over them. So much has change and just in this short time from boldness, to patients and a breakthrough in giving. I’m developing this faith inside to live off my giving and nothing else.

Trusting in the Lord completely and honoring him with my mind, will and emotions. I’ve come to a point in my relationship with my heavenly father to know exactly what it means to live as Christ to die is gain. What it means as said in Colossians chapter 3 that if YE then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  As well as how verse 3 of the same chapter saying for ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. So far this year has over passed anything I could imagine and I’m happy to say I’m living for Christ with all of me. He has giving me many visions and ideas, but I must keep my vision on the one who gave me these visions and ideas and his name is Jesus Christ.

Since the beginning of this year God has been touching me and changing me, but I have been especially touched and changed the past three weeks of the RBI/RSW revival. I am so happy I decided to come to RSW this year. The impartation from all of the pastors preaching and teaching during the student revival has been epic and life changing. God has been dealing with my heart a lot, taking out what is not of him and filling me up with more of him. I have been crying out in desperation for his touch, guidance and most importantly his fire so that I may be better equipped to fulfill the call of God on my life. As I have been seeking him he has been revealing himself to me and showing me the plans for my future.

Right before school was starting I was not exactly sure if I was going to follow through with attending school or not. I was currently finishing up my Associates Degree at a public college and thought that I should focus on that first before I attend RSW. However, I know that God has greater plans for my life than just some college degree. I was striving to get all this education so that I could start my own business and set my self up to be financially successful for the future. As I have been pressing in and developing a closer relationship with Jesus those desires to be what the world calls “successful” have been taken out of my heart completely. My heart now burns with the fire of God and all I want is more of him.

I know I am called to the full time ministry and to minister through praise and worship and I believe that I am in a time of preparation for what God has planned for me. My hearts sole desire is to please him and do what he has called me to do, to share the gospel and his love with the world. I know God has so much in store for me this year and I am so excited to learn more about praise and worship and to develop a better understanding of who Jesus really is and a more intimate relationship with him so that I can share him with others. He has been overwhelming me with his unending love and his peace that passes all understanding and he has been breaking my heart for souls. I know for sure that I am right where God wants me to be, in the right place at the right time. – Alicia G.

So this is my testimony of how coming to the River Bible School has helped me so far. A member who goes to the River Church presented the idea for me to go and so I thought to myself wow I never thought about doing that. I had alot going on and for the time put in on the back burner in my life. Well it kept coming to my mind about my going and was something I couldn’t get off my mind. Mean while I was attending the River church and kept being told by my friend that I needed to go to the school. The thought of coming scared me but excited me. I was scared to step out of my comfort zone and do things that I hadn’t done before yet. I was trying to trust God since I had changed churches but was struggling with not having my friends there. I was struggling with my relationship with God and had been for a while.

I then decide that I wanted a full relationship with God and not a half hearted one. I was praying God if it’s meant for me to go to the River School then the door will be open for me to go and if not then the door will be closed. So I prayed and asked God how to go about everything. In the mist of my praying things started to change in my life and things started to move and doors started to be opened. One of the Pastors from the River was put on my heart to go and talk to and so I did. I was so encouraged after my meeting and had the best new out look on things and was forever grateful for this Pastor. This Pastor helped me in many ways. I said to this Pastor that I wanted to go to the school but hadn’t fully decided yet. Naomi H.

On Sunday night God did a major work in my heart. It’s amazing how sometimes we think we’ve dealt with things in our lives when really we’ve just suppressed them. As I sat there in the evening service I just began to yield to the Holy Spirit, and I didn’t exactly realize what was happening, but things He wanted to work on in my life began to draw to the surface. I felt what was like electricity on me. Pastor Rodney gave an altar call for those whose wells had been blocked up, which is exactly what I knew had happened to me.

As hands were laid on me the power of God came on me very strongly and it felt like the Lord was just pulling stuff out of me. It’s impossible to put into words how incredible the Presence of God is! I know that was a major breakthrough because I felt different when I went home. I’m beginning to see how yielding to the Holy Spirit is really a matter of trusting Him, and then He can do the work He wants to do. He is so good – I am so thankful for His precious, wonderful Presence! -Victoria D

God has been doing some really awesome things through out the past week, and especially even more over this entire month. This is just the beginning of the great awakening we are going to see completely shake all of America. I am so glad that I got to be a part of it. I stayed home on Monday night and watched part of the service’s live broadcast on the television. I was watching the three teenagers from Missouri give all their testimonies from when they went soul winning, for the first time ever, and it completely pushed me to go soul winning right then and there.

Seeing their passion made my passion well up all over again. Today, (01/28/11) is officially one of the top five days I have had in my entire life. I got filled with the joy and I danced before my Lord like never before. Usually I get tired after dancing for only a few minutes but today I was so strengthened. I danced for around forty five minutes without being tired. I asked God specifically for strength last night for today. The joy of the Lord truly is my strength. I am so blessed to be involved in everything that is going on.

Being in the very center, the eye, of every thing that is going on at Revival Ministries International, which is affecting all of America, and many other parts of the world, is such a blessing. I am so thankful that God chose me to be one of the people to be a part of this all. Every one MUST experience the fire of God. America will be shaken by the power and fire of God and it is starting right here at The River of Tampa Bay!  -Rachel P.