Empower Liberty

Hello again, my dearest Beloved Family!

I pray that your time together with each other on Sunday was glorious, transformative, and as impactful to you as it was for me. What an honor to, “do life,” with such wonderful and authentic people as you!

Something that has been stirring on my heart quite a bit lately is the tension or balance of the truth of Freedom. We are headed into, literally, the most glorious time that mankind has had an opportunity to experience, and it compels me to, “step up,” my own life, faith, and calling. I can see more clearly now, more than any time in the past, why I have been placed into this humble position as a leader and a voice to the Body of Christ. As we manifest more and more of this Great Awakening, it will be of utmost necessity for us all to grow and mature in the powerful and simple precepts of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

One of those truths is the dangerous reality of Divine Freedom.

This was the First message, by the First Son of Liberty, to the First church that was liberated by His message, life, death, and resurrection. Let me illustrate. When Jesus returned from the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the victory in the wilderness where He was tempted forty days and nights directly by the enemy, He went immediately back to His hometown, to His closest neighbors, into His local church (synagogue), and released one of the most important truths we all need revelation of:

Luke 4:18-19
The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

I could literally preach hours on these radical statements, but there is something I need to highlight for us as we become the most influential group of people in our region and beyond. We see twice in this small discourse the Lord of Heaven declaring that His purpose was, “deliverance to the captives,” and, “to set at liberty,” the people He was anointed to minister to… for the Divine purpose of declaring the, “acceptable year of the Lord.”

The terminology of, “acceptable year of the Lord,” is a direct reference to the Jubilee in Leviticus 25. Please go and familiarize yourself with that chapter when you have a chance… it is amazing! This is relative to us because this Great Awakening we are currently in is a direct fulfillment of those prophetic truths that have been desiring to manifest for two-thousand years… God’s people just have not been willing to fully believe it. But not anymore!

Twice, Jesus tells us, that this revolves around, “deliverance,” and, “liberty.” In the Greek, these two words are the same: aphesis which is translated, “a letting go, a release, pardon, complete forgiveness.” It is the pure definition of, “liberation.” Jesus was anointed and appointed to be the Liberator of mankind and has accomplished a GREAT Liberation for all who will believe!

Because of the Finished work of the Cross, we are free from sin and failure, sickness and disease, death and destruction, poverty and lack, oppression and depression… what a Glorious Gospel!

The dangerous reality of genuine liberation is that it also gives the newly liberated person an opportunity to use that new-found freedom to make destructive choices for themselves and others. I have watched it time and time again and it devastates my heart every time. How much more pain does it bring the Father who orchestrated this great plan of liberation to see the abuse of liberation.

Here is how Paul covered this tension to the church at Galatia.

Gal 5:1
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

ESV – For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

There is a difference between Liberation and Liberty. Liberation means that we are no longer under the bondage or, “yoke of slavery,” BUT we need to learn how to live, behave, believe, and think as a new race of people who truly use that new-found Liberty for it’s Godly intended purpose.

• Liberation is having ALL the shackles removed from our life…
• Liberty is knowing what to do with our now free abilities, actions, power, and authority…

Many folks use freedom as an excuse to serve their own carnal desires. It has become popular to hurt, cause pain, and even destroy life under the guise of, “freedom.” “My body my choice,” is the clarion call of the pro-abortion activists of murder. “I can do what I want,” is the mantra of the adult brats that fill the most sinister places, dark gatherings, and (sadly) some of the good gatherings. It has even insidiously slithered into the church and created a self-satisfying demand from God and the leaders of the church. Then when “self” is not stroked the way they clamor for, they are self-justified to throw away the church, the eternal promises, and even God Himself. I have seen it hundreds of times in my short time in ministry. We have been Liberated to empower Divine Liberty, not to empower the lusts of self.

Paul went on to say just a few verses later:

Gal 5:13-14
For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only [use] not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, [even] in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Peter understood this vital truth as well and cautioned the Church in the same manner:

1 Peter 2:15-16
For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using [your] liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

You have probably heard the repetitive resonation of the language of discipleship from the leaders here at Beloved… but it is going to get much louder. The reason is clear if you know Jesus’ very famous words:

John 8:31-32, 36
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free… If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

The ones who have truly experienced Liberation, have disciplined themselves in that truth, and live in authentic and Divine Liberty are DISCIPLES! Not all believers are disciples, but all disciples are believers. Not all Liberated folks are disciples, but all disciples are Liberated. Not everyone who claims freedom is free, but ALL disciples are able to be, “free indeed.”

I pray that you allow this powerful truth soak into your being and ask your Father what your personal response should be. The answer will likely be LIFE CHANGING!

I love you deeply and greatly,
Steve