Dear Partner,
Let’s begin today by praising our great and Good God for the freedoms we have in Christ Jesus. In John 8:36, Jesus said:
- If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Look at that. YOU SHALL BE FREE INDEED!
Now, let’s go to 1 Corinthians 15. There are 58 verses in this wonderful and powerful chapter. The bottom line is in verses 54-57:
- So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
- O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
- The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
- But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our LORD Jesus Christ.
Victory over what? DEATH! But not before the greatest battle and victory that ever took place. Jesus of Nazareth died on that awful cross. He then went to hell and suffered more than any man. But then, right there in hell itself, He WAS MADE ALIVE in the Spirit or, born of the Spirit.
Let’s look at that in 1 Peter 3:18, Amplified Bible, Classic Edition:
- For Christ [the Messiah Himself] died for sins once for all, the Righteous for the unrighteous (the Just for the unjust, the Innocent for the guilty), that He might bring us to God. In His human body He was put to death, but He was made alive in the spirit.
Now let’s back that up with other verses of Scripture. In Romans 8:29, He is the Firstborn of many brethren. Then, in Colossians 1:18, He’s again referred to as “the Firstborn.” Let’s look at it in the AMPC:
- He also is the Head of [His] body, the church; seeing He is the Beginning, the Firstborn from among the dead, so that He alone in everything and in every respect might occupy the chief place [stand first and be preeminent].
Jesus, our LORD and Savior was, and is, the Firstborn, and we are joint heirs with Him according to Romans 8:17.
Now, let’s think about this. What if you had never heard any of this? Remember Romans 10:13-14:
- For whosoever shall call upon the name of The LORD shall be saved.
- How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Let me give you a perfect example of this. On Sept. 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring freedom for all slaves. Then, a terrible war was fought which ended in 1865. But listen to this: Most, if not all, slaves in Texas were unaware of their freedom. No one can act on something they don’t know about! That all changed, however, on June 19, 1865, when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger read General Order No. 3, announcing the Emancipation Proclamation. Glory to GOD! Freedom! That’s the reason we celebrate what is now known as “Juneteenth,” in recognition of the abolition of slavery.
When were the slaves DECLARED free? Sept. 22, 1862. When did it become law? When the war ended on April 9, 1865. When did the people in Galveston hear about it? Two months and 10 days later. Had someone died a few days earlier, that person would have never heard the wonderful news of their victory.
Well, it’s easy to see where I’m going with this. Let’s go back to Romans 10:6:
- The righteousness which is of faith speaketh.
Most Christians don’t know that.
Now, let’s read verse 8:
- But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach.
Did you notice the phrase “word of faith, which we preach”? We do preach the Word of Faith. I said “we” because you and I are Partners together in the calling of this ministry.
Verse 10 is the key to our freedom. The word translated salvation (Greek: soteria) is absolutely ENORMOUS! It means “to save, make whole, heal and be whole!” For instance, I know you remember what Jesus said to the woman who was healed of the issue of blood in Mark 5:34: “Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole (related Greek word: sozo). James 5:14-15 says:
- Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of The LORD:
- And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and The LORD shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
The prayer of faith shall save (sozo: heal) the sick. Does this same principle of faith apply to our finances? Sure it does. Look at what 1 Thessalonians 5:23 says:
- And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our LORD Jesus Christ.
Wholly (complete), not holy. In this verse, spirit indicates being born again and filled to overflowing with the Holy Ghost, speaking with other tongues; soul means the intellectual part of us; and body refers to everything pertaining to the natural part of our lives.
Jesus Himself said that in Matthew 6:33:
- But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
And, of course, there is the statement made by the Apostle Paul to his partners in Philippians 4:19:
- But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
How many of your needs? ALL YOUR NEEDS! What did he say in his letter to the Thessalonians? All our needs—spirit, soul and body! Then Jesus’ most trusted apostle wrote to a very close friend named Gaius and said, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (3 John 2).
As you sow your BLESSING seed this month, shout this about your freedom: “The Son of The living God has delivered me from the power of darkness and has translated me into the kingdom of the SON of His LOVE!” How did it all happen? You and I know the truth, and His truth has made us free. The battle—the WAR—was His, and THE VICTORY is ours! Victory over DEATH, HELL and THE GRAVE! That’s our message—yours and mine. And we’ll continue preaching it from the top of the world to the bottom and all the way around the middle!
Gloria and I love you, GOD loves you, and Jesus is LORD!
P.S. SOW IT FORWARD! Be a blessing. Pass this letter on to a family member or friend.
