July 2016 Partner Letter

Dear Partner,

I want to begin today by BLESSING you.

Be of good comfort, and cheer up! The Greater One who dwells within us is manifesting Himself in great and unusual ways all over the world. Gloria and I just returned from Canaanland, Nigeria, where I ministered in the International Ministers’ Conference, and in two Sunday morning services at the Faith Tabernacle Church. It was a marvelous experience!

In each service, the first which began at 6:30 a.m., the building was filled to capacity with 54,000 people, and 37,000 more in the overflow tents outside. We left to come home after the services, but I later learned that they had three more services which brought the total Sunday attendance that day to 394,000. The founder and senior pastor, Bishop David Oyedepo, and his wife, Faith, call Gloria and me their spiritual parents. So that means you, and all our Partners, have a part in every wonderful thing that happens there. Theirs is an awesome testimony of what The WORD of faith and releasing THE BLESSING of The LORD will do for anyone—whosoever—who will take God at His WORD.

Right in the middle of one of the poorest places on earth, financially, they have, by faith— debt free and with no American money—built well over $500 million worth of ministry facilities, including a major university. They have taught the people faith and the laws of prosperity. The result has been what many are now calling “the new Nigerian middle class.” There was no middle class in Nigeria until The WORD began to be taught. The WORD works—anywhere it’s put to work!

Let’s look at Romans 14:23:

23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Now, read that verse in The Amplified Bible, Classic Edition: “But the man who has doubts (misgivings, an uneasy conscience) about eating, and then eats [perhaps because of you], stands condemned [before God], because he is not true to his convictions and he does not act from faith. For whatever does not originate and proceed from faith is sin [whatever is done without a conviction of its approval by God is sinful].”

Whatever does not originate from faith is sin. Why is that? Well, think about it. If it does not come from faith, then it comes from fear. All doubt is fear based, and fear dependent. Remember what Jesus told Jairus when the death messenger came? Let’s read it in Luke 8:41-50:

41 And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus’ feet, and besought him that he would come into his house:

42 For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him.

43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,

44 came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.

45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.

47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.

48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.

49 While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.

50 But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.

Just reading that is nowhere near as dramatic as what actually happened. Jesus commanded Jairus to stop the fear. He said, “Believe only, and she shall be made whole.” She will be made whole! Fear contaminates faith. Fear tolerated is faith contaminated!

Now, where does that put worry? Worry is one of the worst sins a believer can commit. It is directly opposite of what The WORD has commanded us to do. Joshua 1:8-9 tells us, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” As I said, worry is just the opposite of that command. Instead of meditating on the covenant promises of God, it dwells and meditates on the lies of the devil. Remember what Romans 10:17 says: “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by The WORD of God.” The same is true of fear. Fear comes by hearing, and hearing by the lies of the devil that are everywhere.

So what does The WORD of God have to say about receiving deliverance from this terrible habit? Jesus put it in its place in Mark 4:18-19: “And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear The WORD, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke The WORD, and it becometh unfruitful.” The Amplified Bible, Classic Edition, says “cares and anxieties of the world.” The New Living Translation says “the worries of this life.” What’s happening here? Care or worry chokes The WORD, and it becomes unfruitful. Why? Because NO WORD equals NO FAITH. And NO FAITH equals a lot of trouble from the curse. Even though Christ has redeemed us from the curse it must be resisted by faith.

Read what Galatians 3:11-14 says: “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” How do we receive what THE SPIRIT promised to Abraham? According to verse 14, we receive it by faith.

So, where do we go from here? We start by obeying what our Father has said in His WORD. When Jesus told Jairus to stop the fear, He fully intended for him to do it. Jairus didn’t have to use his own strength. The power was in the words of Jesus. All Jairus had to do was, in his heart, say, “Sir, yes Sir!”

Obviously he did, because his daughter was made whole.

The command to you and me, as believers, is in 1 Peter 5:5-10:

5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

Now, go back and read verses 6 and 7 in The Amplified Bible, Classic Edition: “Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.”

First of all notice that, in God’s eyes, continuing to worry and carry care is pride! Why? Because He laid every care, sin, sickness, money problem and anything else that’s under the curse on Jesus! He doesn’t want you, me or anyone else to be burdened down with anything the devil has! Read verse 7 again:

7 Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

ALL your worries! ALL your concerns!

Now, look at His command: “ONCE AND FOR ALL on Him!” This takes obedience and commitment, because worry is a habit. It’s a deadly habit, but it will bow its knee to The WORD and to the Name of Jesus.

Take Communion, and lay every worry, care, problem or anything else that’s stealing your joy and peace over on Jesus—one at a time. Write them down and include the day you gave them over to Him. Remember, it’s once and for all!

The next step is found in Philippians 4:6-9, AMPC:

6 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

7 And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

8 For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].

9 Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you.

That’s the process. Make a covenant with God and His WORD to do what He says. When you catch yourself slipping back into those worry thoughts, stop right then and repent. Say out loud, “No, no. I don’t touch that care with my thoughts. I’ve put that in the hands of Jesus. He is taking care of it right now.” Speak to your mind and tell it to go back to the thought list in Philippians 4:8. Faith words dominate thoughts!

Finally, 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 tells us, “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience [of thought], when your obedience is fulfilled.”

This is what I just described. Every imagination, thought, dream, idea or anything else contrary to what you’re believing for in your life—whether it’s healing, finances, family—whatever it is, CAST IT DOWN! I don’t care if you have to do it every 30 seconds—DO IT! You’ll be shocked at how quickly your faith will rise and take command. That’s what THE GREATER ONE said in 1 Peter 5. He is exalting you over those cares and problems. He is making you perfect, establishing, strengthening and settling you! You’re on your way to Great Victory! Rejoice and praise like it’s already happened because, in the spirit, it has.

As you sow your financial seed this month, sow it for NO MORE CARE! NO MORE WORRY! NO MORE SIN! Declare, “The WORD, the NAME, and the BLOOD of JESUS have set me free—FOREVER!”

Now, praise like you’ve never praised before. Like you’ve heard me say many times, I just can’t tell you how much I don’t care! The devil has no defense for that kind of faith!

Gloria and I love you very much, and we pray for you every day.

Love,