Creflo Dollar - Achieving Long Life Over Death
Well, welcome to another night of study and tonight we're gonna start a series on something that you don't hear a lot about and because you've not heard a lot about this subject, it has been the area where the body of Christ has suffered the most defeat in this area, right here. We're gonna talk about achieving long life over death. In other words, there are some requirements, if you will, or some things that you need to understand where long life is concerned.
And I know just by me saying that, there are people who think, "Well, you know, wait a minute, you can't have anything to do with when you're gonna die. It's just when your number comes up, it just comes up and there's nothing you can do about it". Well, is that really the truth? And because we've not heard enough about it, and we've not really examined the Scripture on this, we've been defeated a whole lot in that area. You know, Jesus has made everything available that pertains to life and godliness. But he's also made available victory over death. And there are some things we need to talk about. There are some things that we need to make you aware of. What does the Word of God have to say about victory over death? Why is it that people die before their time? It's more than the number came up, your number came up and so therefore you have no choice of the matter.
Now, what happens is my people are destroyed because of lack of knowledge, it's because of what you don't know that puts you in a position of suffering or going through something where Jesus has already given the victory for you to have victory in that area. So let's lay the foundation here. Revelations chapter 1 and verse 18 and let's see what has to happen. Achieving long life. I believe it's God's will for us to live a long life and for us to enjoy long life and to live as long as you wanna live. So let's get into this. Let's just find out what the Word says. If you would, just dismiss your ideas or fables or your opinions about it, and let's dig deep in God's Word over the next few weeks and let's discover some things that I pray will give you victory over death.
Revelations 1 and 18 says: "I am he that liveth, and was dead". And so, if anybody knows Jesus, he said, "I'm the one that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive". So he said, "I lived, I died, and behold, I am alive for evermore, amen". And now notice this part. And he says, "And I have the keys of hell and of death". Now, that word "hell" is translated grave. So he says, "I have the keys of the grave and of death". Jesus said, "I have the keys of grave and the death". Now, don't forget that now. When I ask the question, "Where are the keys to death? Where are the keys to the grave"? Jesus says, "I have the keys of grave and death". He says, "I lived, I died". Of course, he rose from the dead, obviously with the keys of grave and death.
Now, look at 1 Corinthians 15, verse 55. 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 55. Now, notice here he says, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory"? Now, are you ready to live? I need you to just think about this. Are you ready to live? Do you want to fulfill your days? Now, these are important questions. I want you to think about just those two questions: are you ready to live, number one, and are you ready to fulfill your days.
Please understand this, that long life is not a special offer. It's a covenant right. Long life is not a special offer; it's a covenant right. So that means the day you get born again and you make Jesus the Lord of your life, and you're no longer a stranger to the covenants of promise, long life is no longer some, and it's never have been really, but it's not a special offer. It's a covenant right. If you want to take advantage of that covenant right that you've been given as a born again believer, long life is a covenant right.
You see, victory over death is an unusual and often-avoided subject in the Christian faith that you won't hear a lot about victory over death. And no wonder, it's where we have recorded the most devastating defeat. The most devastating defeat in the life of Christian people is this area of death. And so, it's important that we look at this. You know, once again, my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. They are destroyed because of what they don't know. And I don't wanna continue to look at life through the eyes of worldly people and look at life through the eyes of the world. I wanna look at life through the eyes of the one that created it. I wanna look at life through the eyes of God's Word, through the eyes of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
In fact, look at Psalms 82 and 5. I wanna look at it in The Message and then the NLT. Look at what he says here. You know, and this is for people who, you know, "I trust man more than I trust God," "I trust the experts more than I trust God". And you're trusting humanity and not really putting any trust in God. Well, look what he says here. He said, "Ignorant judges! Head-in-the-sand judges! They haven't a clue to what's going on. And now everything's falling apart, the world's coming unglued," hah. He says, "Okay, if these guys are so awesome, if they're so great and they know so much, why is everything coming apart"? He says, "Why is everything coming so unglued"? He refers to the judges in the world as those who have their head in the sand.
I don't wanna be a Christian that's got my head in the sand and I'm judging everything based on the world's philosophy and the world's way of doing things, and I'm not going to see what the Word of God has to say. And then there are certain things the Word of God has made available to me that I'm not taking advantage of because I didn't know it, or because I've been so convinced by the world that that's not how things happen. That I can't have victory over worry, that I can't have victory over oppression, I can't have victory over sickness. That I can't have victory over death 'cause the world says, "It's just impossible. That's just how things are". And he says, "You're gonna pay attention to these guys? They don't have a clue what's going on".
You see, that's what happens when you view things through a worldly view. You view things through an intellectual view. I mean, you only know what mankind designed in a curriculum to teach you in high school, in college, and so forth and so on. And it's like, you know, if you don't get into the spiritual realm and understand what the Word says and God and Jesus, you don't understand that, you don't have a clue what's going on. And we keep paying attention to people who don't have a clue. They don't have a clue. And then, when you try to tell people what, you know, about spiritual things, and spiritual things are not carnal things, and spiritual things won't be worldly things. Spiritual things are on a whole 'nother level.
And so I'm here tonight talking to you about spiritual things. I'm here tonight talking to you about a covenant thing. It won't line up with the world's way of doing things. It won't line up with the world's perspective. Don't even have a clue to what's going on. I don't wanna be in that category. I don't wanna be so worldly, so carnal, so intelligent according to the world's standard, that I have no clue of what's really happening. And then he says, "And now everything's falling apart". Boy, that's very relevant for today. "Now everything's falling apart". All these smart people, the whole world, their view, their intellect, everything's falling apart. Go on to the bottom there. He says, "Everything's falling apart, and the world's coming unglued".
Boy, I tell you, that's the truth. Look at that in the NLT real quick. He says, "But these oppressors know nothing; they are so ignorant! They wander about in darkness, while the whole world is shaken to the core," wow. So, you know, just that one Scripture there says to me, why would I listen to the world try to explain something to me like death? Why would I even listen to anybody that's worldly that doesn't understand God who created everything? Why would I take it to the bank what they tell me? That's my challenge to you tonight. Why would you take it to the bank?
Let's go back to the Word. Let's believe the Holy Spirit for revelation, and let's dig into this subject over the next several weeks so you can have authority and victory over death and achieve long life over death because it is your covenant right to do that, amen? Now, I guess the first place we need to start is let's locate the keys to death and in Revelations 1 let's go Revelations 1:10 through 18 in the NLT. Revelations 1:10 through 18. All right now, watch this. "It was the Lord's Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast".
So John, here, the writer of Revelation, is gonna give us the revelation of Jesus Christ. That's what this book is. It said, "Write in a book everything you see, and send it to seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea". He says, "And when I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as the snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, 'Don't be afraid! I'm the First and I'm the Last. I am the living one". He says, "I am the living one. I died, but look, I'm alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave". "I hold the keys of death and the grave".
So, obviously, here, John's given us a description of Jesus and there are spiritual things that are being revealed to him, spiritual things that he could see, but one of the things that he heard very clearly was Jesus saying, "I hold the keys of death and the grave". So I submit to you that the keys are no longer in Satan's hands. Jesus holds the keys of death and the grave. So 1 Corinthians 15:55, let's examine that a little bit more. Jesus has the keys of death and grave. I wanna re-emphasize this. And so Jesus now possessing the keys of death and grave, here's the question: "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory"? Ah, the question's asked because the keys have been turned over. The keys were used to open the grave of the dead saints who walked in the streets.
Now, this doesn't come up a lot in Bible studies but I wanna show you in Matthew chapter 27:52-53 that when Jesus obtained the keys of death and the grave, one of the first things you see is that you see people who were dead leaving their graves and walking in the city after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Somebody says, "Say what"? Yes, people don't talk about that much but let's show it to you. This is what this is about. This is about you resigning from the world's view right now and just paying attention to what the Word has to say. Matthew chapter 27, verse 52: "And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and they went into the holy city, and appeared unto many".
So get the picture here. Jesus now has been raised from the dead. The keys of death and grave are in his hands, and Jesus now uses the keys to open up the grave and death, I believe, to just let people know that Satan no longer possesses the keys and saints who were dead after Jesus was resurrected, they got up out of the grave after his resurrection and those dead saints went into the holy city and they appeared unto many. Imagine somebody who was alive and they see somebody that they went to their funeral, and now they're walking around in the city. Why don't we talk about that? I mean, the very power of Jesus's resurrection and he's got the keys of death and grave and that was recorded, praise God. "Oh, I don't believe that".
Now, wait a minute now. There you go, pickin' and choosin'. You believe this part of the Bible, but you don't believe that part of the Bible. Again, we're digging into spiritual things, all right? Notice in John 19 and 30, let's just dig a little bit more. So the keys were used to open the graves of the dead saints who walked in the streets of Jerusalem. That's kind of interesting. I wanna throw something out to you, but listen, that's pretty cool, that's pretty interesting. I believe God loves us so much, I believe he loves us so, so, so much, that some of you, I don't know, some of you are still having problems believing, you know, who's to say... let me say it like this. Who's to say he won't do that again? Who's to say he won't do that again? But see now, if you're judging all of this based on world's view and perspective and philosophy, then you're limited and you can't see spiritual things.
John 19:30 says: "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and he gave up the ghost". It is finished, he bowed his head, he gave up the ghost. And I'm gonna talk about that and just for a moment because when he gave up the ghost, I believe that's when the devil gave up the keys. When he gave up the ghost, I believe that's when the devil gave up the keys. I said, "When Jesus gave up the ghost, I believe that's when the devil gave up the keys".
Now, look at Hebrews chapter 2:14 through 15, because the keys of death and grave are no longer in Satan's hands and Jesus demonstrated the defeat in an open show. I'm gonna read this in the King James and in the NLT. Now, look at this: "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death," he had the power of death, "that is, the devil". So the devil had the power of death but Jesus got the keys. And then he "delivered them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage". So this is powerful here. This is powerful.
Now, look at this in the New Living Translation, and then we'll make some comments on it. "Because because God's children are human beings, made of flesh and blood, the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death". So Jesus had to become a human being because he could only die as a human being.
See, think about this. You know, God's so cool. Jesus had to become a human being because the only way he could die was to die as a human being and he had to die in order to get the keys of death. And the Bible says: "Who had the power of death". He says: "For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death". "Who had," he doesn't have it anymore. "Who had". Look at the next verse: "Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slave to the fear of dying". "All who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying".
In the name of Jesus, I command you be delivered from the fear of death. Why? Because Jesus has the key of death and he will use it to favor us, not to go against us like the enemy did. He'll use it to favor us. I said, "He'll use it to favor us," amen? Now, so the keys of death and the grave are no longer with Satan, and Jesus demonstrated the defeat in an open show. Now, let's look at Matthew chapter 27 and just back up a little bit. That's where we see the dead saints being raised. Verse 50 and let's read from verse 50 on into 53.
Now, this is something so important. 27 and let's start at 50: "Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, he yielded up the ghost," okay? "And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many". That's powerful, that's powerful. Now, watch this open show again, in Colossians 2:15. Colossians 2:15. So, when Jesus gave up the ghost, Satan gave up the keys. Verse 15: "And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it".
Look at verse 16, same thing. Go back, let's start this at verse 14. Let's read 14 through 15. Colossians 2:14. He says: "Blotting out the handwritings of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and he took out of the way, he nailed it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them". So, he did something on the cross to take the power away from these demons. Now, let's look at verse 14 and 15 in the NLT. Verse 14 and 15 in the NLT. Man, this is something. This is what we call rightly dividing the word, amen? All right, here's what happened: "He canceled the record of the charges against us and he took it away," he took all the charges against us and he nailed it to the cross. "In this way, he disarmed spiritual rulers".
So, the charges that were against us was all of that stuff under the law. All of the things by the law that condemned us. He took it away. He disarmed spiritual rulers and authority. So without the law, principalities didn't have any powers against you. "He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross". He shamed every demon and every principality by his victory on the cross. And so it was a open show right there. So these are things that took place spiritually that if you don't rightly discern the word and seek for spiritual things, you'll just completely go past this and not see what's going on.
Now look at 1 Corinthians 15:26. 1 Corinthians 15:26. Glory to God. He says, "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death". "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death". "It is finished". When Jesus said, "It is finished," it means the terror of death is over. The bondage of the fear of death is over. You don't have to be afraid to die no more. It means that the last power that the enemy has is over. Jesus took the keys of grave and death. "It is finished". Oh, my God. So no Christian person who has a covenant with God, first of all, you need not be afraid of death. You need not be afraid of the grave because Jesus has it.
And when Jesus came out of the grave, he declared something that we need to pay attention to. What did he say when he came out of the grave? Matthew chapter 28, verses 18-19. "And Jesus came and he spake unto them, saying, 'All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and in the name of the Holy Ghost.'" He made sure that we understand this one thing, "All power has been given to Jesus". Satan has been stripped and all power is now in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ. So Jesus has the keys, not Satan. Jesus has the keys, not Satan. And Jesus has the keys, watch this, for your favor and not for your enemy's favor. Jesus has the keys for your favor, not for the enemy's favor, for your favor.
Now, I want you to say this out loud, right where you are at home, say this out loud, "Jesus now has the keys of hell and of death and is holding it for my favor. So Satan, you can't kill me. Jesus has the keys. He gave me his life so he can freely give me any other thing". Praise God, praise God. He has given you his life, praise God. You don't have to be, listen, whatever the devil thought he could do to you, he can't do it to you no more. He's not gonna do it. He can't kill you. He can't do any those things to you. Look at Romans chapter 8 and verse 32. This is so important because he's given you all things which includes long life.
Watch this, "He that spareth not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things"? And I believe that long life is a part of that all things. Freely give you all things. Long life is a part of those all things. It's one of those things that if you ignore, if you don't pay attention to, if you don't release your authority over, if you don't release your faith for it. I mean when Jesus has already done a thing, it still requires your faith to take possession of it. And my question to you is have you used your faith to take possession of this covenant right to have long life? Have you released your faith to take possession of this covenant right called long life? Death is under your feet. Say that. Say it. Say, "Death is under my feet". Say it again, "Death is under my feet". Say it one more time, "Death is under my feet".
Now look at Romans 16:20. Romans 16:20. "And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, amen". "The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly". I mean Satan is under your feet. Satan, if you have red bottoms, Satan is right under there where those red bottoms. Wherever the tag or the title of your shoe is under your feet, that's where Satan is. He is under your feet. You've got to understand that. That simply means he has no authority over you. He is under your feet which also means that death is under your feet. Satan came to kill, steal and destroy. Jesus took the keys and says, "I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly".
All right, now watch this, go to Luke chapter 10, verse 19. You're familiar with this. Luke chapter 10, verse 19. He said, "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by in any means hurt you". What a powerful Scripture. "Behold, I give unto you power". That word power is authority. "I give unto you authority to have mastery on serpents and scorpions". So any kind of demonic force you have authority over, any type of demonic force, serpents and scorpions, and over all of the ability of the enemy. There's nothing that Satan has that you don't have authority over. There's nothing that Satan has that you don't have authority over. And he says, and watch this, he says don't ever forget this, "Nothing shall by in any means," there's no way, no way, no way, "nothing shall by in any means hurt you".
That's powerful. You have to receive that. You have to appropriate that with your faith. You got to spend some time with these Scriptures and realize, and wait a minute, just because the world says it's one thing, that's not what the Bible says. And you have to appropriate and take possession of this with your faith, amen. You have the victory over death. Say that, "I have the victory over death". Amen.
1 Corinthians 15:55, one more time. 1 Corinthians 15:55. You have the victory over death. "O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is thy victory"? I tell you, you have the victory over death. Jesus gave it to you. You have the victory over death. That's powerful. That's a powerful thing because now there's something about your faith appropriating this so that you can receive it in this life. Your faith appropriating this so you can receive it in your life. It's one thing to read about it in the Bible. It's another thing to take possession of it and getting it in your life.
Now look at Romans 11:29. Romans 11:29, "For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance," or God's not going to change his mind about the gift and about the calling. You know, one of the things that I don't think people realize is that gift is without repentance. The victory is a gift from God. The victory that God gave you is a gift from God. You didn't do anything to earn it. So the victory that God gave you is a gift from God. But now, remember what he said, this is the victory that overcometh the world, even your faith. So this victory that has been given to you by God and that God doesn't plan on changing his mind about, this victory has to be possessed by faith. This is the victory that overcomes the world. How? Even by faith, even your faith.
And so, I have victory over death. I have victory over sickness. I have victory over poverty. I have victory over all of these things. And somebody says, "Well, where is it? I've not seen it". He says, "Your faith is what's responsible for appropriating this". And you find very few Christians who put faith in long life, to who put faith that I will live and not die. And if you do that, this is the victory that you have, and that victory the Bible says is given without repentance. Satan lost when he, we say that, Jesus said, "Satan has come to kill, steal and destroy". He says, "But I came to take the keys from him". That's the part I missed out.
I used to, you know, just read the Scripture, "that Satan comes to kill, steal and destroy, but I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly". And now, I put this in the middle, "Satan has come to kill, steal and destroy but Jesus took the keys and now, through Jesus Christ, he has given us life and given it to us more abundantly". And so, Satan lost the power to kill. Jesus has the key and would not use it against us. Satan has lost, that's something. Satan has lost the power to kill. Now, there you go, you're looking at it through the world's eyes. "Now, well, well, well, well how come that happened? Why did that happen"?
Let me tell you, it's the same reason why somebody gets sick. They don't release their faith to be healed. It's the same reason why somebody ends up into some situation. They don't use their faith to get what Jesus has already given us. We go around here and try to act like we're confused, and that the Bible contradicts itself, and the whole time the thing we're looking for has finished. But no faith, no faith. You remember Hebrews 4, he says the Word was preached but a lot of things couldn't happen because what was preached wasn't mixed with faith. And I am saying now, not only know that Jesus has made everything available including long life and victory over death, but now your part is to release your faith to take possession over these victories, over this gift that has been given without repentance. And so weeping time has got to be open. And I say to you right now, here's the Word of the Lord to you right now, "Weep not".
Let me show you what I'm saying. Luke chapter 7:13, "Weep not". Luke 7:13, he says, verse 13, "And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and he said unto her, 'Weep not.'" "He said unto her, 'Weep not.'" Back up to verse 12. He had compassion and he says, "I'm here, don't weep. I'm here, don't weep". "Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, and the only son of this mother," so you can get context. So this mother is at a funeral. She is burying her son. Her son is dead. And Jesus interrupts a funeral procession. "And she was a widow, and much people of the city was with her". All right. "And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, 'Weep not.'"
Now look at verse 14, "And he came, and he touched the bier, and they that bare him stood still. And he said, 'Young man, I say unto thee, arise.'" Verse 15, "And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother". Now this is what Jesus was trying to give them a picture of. Jesus interrupted a funeral procession of a widow woman burying her son but when that funeral procession, excuse me, when that funeral procession encountered Jesus, he's laid hands, spoke to the dead and said, "Get up. I am the resurrection and the life. Get up". Victory over death. Victory over death. It happened here, and this same Jesus is the one that says, "You know what? I've made this available to you. I've made this available to you".
So if Jesus can interrupt a funeral procession, and if he can interrupt a funeral procession, and on her way, he turned her worst day into her best day. And I'm telling you in the name of Jesus, this is a picture of what he wants to do in our life. Weep not, is the verdict of redemption. Jesus has come to wipe tears off people's faces. And you know, death naturally provokes weeping. Jesus has got the answer in his hand. You know what he says? "So weep not". He's got the keys, so weep not.
Revelation chapter 5, verses 1-5. Let's look at that real quick. Jesus has got the keys, so weep not. Hallelujah. Revelation 5, verses 1-5. "And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne, a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals". Two, "And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, 'Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?' And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither look therein". Now, pause for a moment. Look at this, he says, "And no man in heaven". So, oh, oh, who's in heaven? A man. "Nor in earth, nor under the earth". No man in heaven, no man in the earth, no man under the earth was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
Now, man is on the earth right now, but dude, there are two locations where the Bible just identifies there's a man in heaven, there's men on earth, there are men under the earth. And he said, next verse, "And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, 'Weep not.'" See, that's the verdict of redemption. When Jesus redeemed us, the verdict is weep not. "Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof". Praise God.
Now Hosea 13:14. This really blessed me. This may have to be my last Scripture 'cause of time. Hosea 13:14. Now I believe this is something you can take hold of today. He says, "I will ransom them from the power of the grave. I will redeem them from death. O death, I will be thy plagues. O grave, I will be thy destruction. Repentance shall be hid from my eyes". That's a powerful Scripture. I mean this is a promise of the coming Lord Jesus that says I am going to take these keys. And you know what? It came to pass. I've been redeemed from death, hell and destruction, thanks to Jesus Christ.
Every untimely death, therefore, is by the conscience or the unconscious allowance of its victims. What? Listen to me carefully, every untimely death, I believe this with all my heart. I've been in too many situations where death could have occurred. I've been in a situation 20 years ago in Sacramento, California, terrible wreck where death could have occurred. I've Been in a situation where lost engine over Pacific Ocean. Death could have occurred. I've been in a situation where cancer hit my body. Death could have occurred.
I'm telling you right now, every untimely death, therefore, is by conscience or unconscious allowance of its victims. I don't want to be unconscious of the authority that I have over death, hell and the grave. And so, when you're not conscious of that, when you're ignorant of that, when you don't know that, when you hadn't released your faith for that, then certain things happen and didn't have to happen, but you didn't know no better. That's what he meant.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. You don't know no better. You didn't know you had victory over death. You didn't know you had victory over being killed. You didn't know that, so you never released your faith for that. You never believed that you'll received that. It was utterly ridiculous to even hear that you can do something like that. And so, this is important, every untimely death, therefore, is by conscious thought, consciously or unconsciously. Consciously, consciously something that happened. Something we allowed happened. Something that we did, some path we went down. You know, not knowing what to do, how to take care of ourselves, stressed out, didn't know what it would do to us.
Oh yeah, oh yeah. I don't believe in this pick a ticket; your day has come. Ain't nothing you can do about it. No, you have the authority, and the right and the gift to determine long life but you got to open your mouth up. I'm so glad that we get Psalms 91 equipped every morning. And those of you who joined me on those morning confessions, we get Psalms 91 equipped. Our lives have been redeemed from destruction. We get Psalms 91 equipped. We're using our words to walk in this gift and in this victory that's been given to us. The fear of death is a spiritual bondage that leads to the grave and that's why you shouldn't have a fear of it. The fear of death is a spiritual bondage that leads to the grave and Jesus came to set us free from that fear.