Creflo Dollar - How to Connect to Long Life
Tonight, we're gonna talk about how to connect with long life and I just wanna have a little quick review from last week. If we'll begin to... let's begin in Revelations 1 and verse 18 in the New Living Translation. Revelations 1, verse 18 in the New Living Translation. And then 1 Corinthians 15 and 55, and then Matthew 27:52-53. I want you to understand that this is an area of our lives that we really have to get a hold of and achieving long life over death is not only possible, it is something that we should be releasing our faith for. And so it's not been talked about a lot and that's why I'm spending time on this so that we can really get it.
So let's read this in Revelations 1 and 18, the New Living Translation. 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". So according to verse 18, Jesus, not Satan, holds the keys of death and the grave. Satan used to hold them but when Jesus died on the cross Satan turned over the keys and now this is important for you to recognize that Jesus holds the keys to death and the grave and he will use that to our favor. And now, let's go to 1 Corinthians 15:55. Now, understand this question. He says, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory"? And we know that the keys are in the hands of our Lord Jesus Christ. So long life is not a special offer. It is a covenant right.
Now, I want you to think about that. Long life is not a special offering. It is a covenant right. Now, victory over death is an unusual and often-avoided subject in the body of Christ amongst Christian faith. No wonder it is where we have recorded the most devastating defeat. We've recorded the most devastating defeat in this area where long life is concerned. And so people, the Bible says: "My people are destroyed for," what? "For lack of knowledge". And so when people hear that you have authority and that you can receive long life, I mean, they pull up the whole fable of, "Well, when your number comes up and God picks your number, then you've got to go," but that's not how that works. It depends on who had the keys and today, in our lives, Jesus has the key of death and the grave.
Let me show you what happened at his resurrection. If you go to Matthew 27 and verse 52 and 53. These keys, when Jesus got them he used these keys to open the graves of the dead saints who walked in the streets of Jerusalem. Not many Christians even recognize this but there was a time where saints who were dead got up from their grave and they walked in the streets of Jerusalem. Look at this, verse 52: "And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept," see, saints sleep. "Many bodies of the saints which slept, they arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection," so Jesus was raised, and he had the keys of death and the grave and when Jesus was raised, they were raised after Jesus was raised, "and they went into the holy city, and," watch this, "they appeared to many".
Think about this. Think what would happen if you were somewhere and somebody appeared to you that you know that they're dead and you went to their funeral and they appeared to you. This is something that actually happens. But there are some Christian organizations who will never ever even show you that Scripture. And what I'm about to show you is that Jesus has the keys of the grave and death and that it is possible for you as a Christian, as a believer, to receive long life. And so now, I'm gonna declare that over you right now. I declare long life over you right now. Is it just gonna happen? No, nothing just happens. As Christian people we know it is our release of faith that we take hold and we take possession of things through the faith that we have. And this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.
Now, I wanna take some time to show you some examples in the Bible, scriptural examples, not just telling you but I wanna show you. Something about knowing that's in the Bible. Something about knowing that Matthew 27:52-53 is in the Bible and reading it, it kind of helps you, like, "Man, we need to look at this a little long". So let's look at some lives that were extended and they lived long lives. Let's, first of all, look at Abraham, Genesis chapter 15 and verse 15. Old age is a gift. It's something that God wants you to have, and he says, "And thou shall go to thy fathers," talking to Abraham, "in peace; and thou shall be buried," how? "In a good old age". Not in a young age. "In a good old age" you shall be buried.
And then look at Genesis 25 in the ESV version. Genesis 25, verses 7 through 8. It tells us now how old Abraham was when he died, and he says in verse 7, he says: "These are the days of the years of Abraham's life, 175 years old". Verse 8: "Abraham breathed his last and he died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people". So we see that Abraham enjoyed long life 'til 175 years. I'm telling you, man, this is a gift from God. It is a covenant right. Abraham is a covenant man and he had a covenant right to have a long life and to die in a good old age, full of years.
Well, let's look at his son, Isaac. Now, Isaac is... you'll notice that these are covenant people. This is a covenant right. And so Isaac is a part of this covenant of Abraham. Let's see if it was gifted to him as well. Genesis chapter 35, verses 28 and 29, we'll talk about Isaac. He says, "Now the days of Isaac were 180 years". One hundred and eighty years. Verse 29: "And Isaac breathed his last, and he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And his son Esau and Jacob buried him". Now, so he's 180 years. Not only did he live a long life, but he lived five years more than his father Abraham.
Look at Galatians chapter 4, verse 28, because I wanna show you something here. You have to please remember this. Galatians chapter 4 and 28. You have to remember this, that long life is not a special offer; it is a covenant right. It is a covenant right. Verse 28 says: "Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise". You and I, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. Those of you who are born again and those of you who are in the covenant of Abraham, we are the children of promise, praise God, and one of those promises is the promise of long life. So you should expect that.
Well, let's look at Abraham's grandson, Isaac's son. Let's look at Jacob in Genesis 47 and 28. Genesis 47 and 28. Now, notice what he says here in verse 28. He says, "And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt 17 years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, was 147 years old". A hundred and forty-seven years old. Now, go to Genesis 47 and verse 9. Genesis 47 and verse 9. Now, notice here, he tells us something about him at 130. He says, "And Jacob said to Pharaoh, 'The days of the years of my sojourning are 130 years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning.'"
So now, his full days were 147 but I studied this out. He was still riding chariots at 130 years old, so we're not talking about, you know, a feeble 130-something. At 130 years old, he was still moving around and riding chariots. This is amazing. Why? It is not just some special offer; it is a covenant right. And Jacob being a part of the covenant of Abraham, he too experiences a long life. Now, not as long as Adam and Methuselah and all those guys. I mean, but, you know, you have a covenant right to walk and to believe for long life. Now, look at Joseph. Let's look at Joseph. We're still in his lineage. It's Genesis chapter 50 and verse 26: "And so Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt". And so Joseph lived 110 years old. You see, we're living in a time where we're thinking 70 is old. It's young. Eighty is... no, no, these guys, 110 years old.
And then let's look at Moses, Deuteronomy chapter 34 and 7. Deuteronomy 34 and 7: "Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eyes was undimmed, and his vigor was unabated". So at 120 years old, this guy was not some feeble, barely getting along guy. He was operating in a covenant right. And then finally, let's look at Joshua, verse 24. Joshua 24 and 29. Joshua 24 and 29: "And after these things Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, he died, and he was 110 years old". "Pastor Dollar, what are you trying to say? Why do you show us this"?
I'm showing you something today so that you can understand that you can take hold of it. I'm showing you a covenant right. It is a right that you have as covenant people to believe and to receive long life and to release your faith for long life. But there are just not many people who have done that because they have received the vocabulary of the world and completely have been ignorant of the vocabulary of the Word of God. And the Word of God is making it very clear that, you know, like everything that Jesus has made available, you don't get anything except by faith. Grace has made deliverance available. Grace has made healing available. Grace has made prosperity available. Grace has made all these things available but you don't get it without your faith.
You appropriate all of the finished works of Jesus, all of the rights that you have through covenant, by faith. You take possession of what you have a right to by faith. But when was the last time you heard somebody taking possession of long life? Psalms 91 talks about "long life I'll satisfy you". When have you heard anybody opening their mouth up and declaring, "I believe I receive long life"? Well, that's where it starts right there: "I believe I receive long life". You know, we're talking about how to receive, how to hook on to this long life. Go to Isaiah 51, verses 1 through 2. God makes a promise. He says that he's going to deal with Zion the same way he dealt with Abraham, which now makes them a part of this.
Look at what he says in 1 and verse 2. He says, "Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug". Verse 2, he says, "Look to Abraham your father, Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, that I might bless him and I might multiply him". As God dealt with Abraham, he's gonna deal with Zion. And then look over to Galatians chapter 3:13 through 14. Jesus now connects us to that Abrahamic covenant. And that's the key. It's being connected to that Abrahamic covenant and having covenant rights. Galatians chapter 3, verse 13 and 14. He says, "Christ has redeemed us from," what? "The curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree,'" why? "'So that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.'"
So because of Jesus, we have the blessing of Abraham. Because we're in Christ Jesus, Abraham's blessings are ours. They belong to us, and we have a right to release our faith. And again, a part of that blessing is long life. It's long life. Now, let's look at, you know, the fact that, you know, what happens to a Christian, a covenant person, when they die. These are issues we have to declare. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4:13-15. You know, what does the Bible give any description for a Christian that dies because I'm gonna tell you, right now, Christians don't die; they sleep. Christians don't die; they sleep.
Look at this. He says, "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are," what? "Asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope". Verse 14: "For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen," what? "Asleep". Verse 15: "For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen," there it is again, "asleep". So people who are born again, people who are saved, people who have made Jesus their Lord of their life, and become a part of this covenant, they don't die, Christian people don't die; they fall asleep. In the world, people die. In the church, they fall asleep. Those who are Christians and have this covenant right.
Now, let's go to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 7. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 7. I wanna show you the fact that, you know, when nighttime comes, we fall asleep. You know, our bodies are even made that way, you know. Your body produces melatonin. When nighttime comes, you fall asleep. Watch this: "For those who sleep, they sleep," what? "At night, and those who get drunk, they are drunk at night". And I looked at this and I, like, "Well, what is the Scripture saying"? He says, "Until your night comes, your sleep will never come". And that just simply means for a Christian when that time comes that you die, then that's when you sleep. That's when you sleep, because you die in the Lord. You are a Christian.
So you shall not be slaughtered, I declare right now. You shall not be slaughtered in a car accident in the name of Jesus. You shall not suffer an assassination in the name of Jesus, and you shall not die in a fire in the name of Jesus. You declare these things right now in Jesus' name, amen? Now, in Noah's day, listen to this carefully now. In Noah's day, the minimum covenant age was 120 years old. Look at Genesis chapter 6 and verse 3. He says, "Then the Lord said, 'My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years old.'" But now, you know what's happened now. So since Noah's day, he says man can live to 120 years old. He says, "You know, but with sin, when sin came, so did corruption".
So that the human nature began to deteriorate because of sin and now the minimum age is cut down to 70 years because of sin, because of bad decisions, because of the things and how people live and the stress and all, the minimum age is like 70. Let me show you some Scriptures: Psalms 90 and verse 10. So in that, we should be living 120 years old, but if you're all over the place and you're so distracted what's going on and you're in corruption and the human nature, it starts deteriorating, then that 120 drops to a minimum of 70 years. Look what he says: "The years of our life are 70, or even by reason of strength 80; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone," because of the toil and the trouble.
Now, here he says it's a minimum of 70, with strength, you know, 80 or more. Basically, you could live as long as you want to, if you understand with strength. And with strength I see that as people who are focused in God's Word, walking in God's Word. That's where our strength comes from. But if you're gonna live the life like the world and you're gonna be focused in on all that the world's focused in and you're gonna be focused in on their words and their vocabulary and their way of doing things, if that's gonna be your focus, it's gonna accelerate deterioration. Stress is a killer, you understand? It's gonna accelerate deterioration. You're not strengthened in the Lord and all these kind of stuff and so now you see people going at 40, 50, 60 years old, and the minimum being 70, when, you know, you could live to 120 years old. You know, unsaved people live 95. I know people who are not saved live 102, 103 years old. So much more is expected of you who are born again. Much more should be expected of you who are Christians.
I had an aunt who lived 120 years old. She was alive when Abraham Lincoln was the president of the United States and my parents used to make us go and sit with her, Aunt Sophie, and just to glean from some wisdom from her. I mean, you could just see the years in her eyes and I think the only reason she died then was, you know, she fell off the bed and broke her hip. And I remember her saying that she felt like she was trapped in her body, that she was in there so long. A hundred and twenty years old. And, you know, we buried her, I think it was 1977.
And so, you know, much more should be expected from Christian people but we've been devastated in this area because, you know, the world had you thinking, "Well, it's just utterly ridiculous for you to believe for long life. Why, you can't help that. You ain't got nothing to do with you living long". And people say that. "Well, if it's my time, then it's just my time". And we have gotten used to that. We've taken a hold of that. "Well, it's my time. It's my time". No, my time is based on my covenant rights. I can live and stay in strength and trust God to give me long life. And I receive that in the name of Jesus.
So the key here is... now, here's where we're going. Don't destroy yourself. The key is don't destroy yourself. I began praying a few years ago, "Lord, help me to not do something to hurt myself". And that's the key, is you don't destroy yourself. Look at Hosea 13 and 9. I wanna show you some Scriptures. And notice in this teaching, I'm using a lot of Scriptures because, you know, if you say you believe the Word then I'm showing you the Word, then you've got to make a decision to believe the Word over the world. And then you begin to take authority over this. You'd be surprised how you can elevate your life just by hearing God's Word and getting more and more of God's Word and understanding of God's Word and becoming even aware of the promises of God in your life.
Hosea chapter 13 and verse 9, he says, "The destruction", well, verse 9, he says, "He destroys you, O Israel, for you are against me, against your helper". "He destroys you, O Israel, for you are against me, against your helper". Read this in just the King James. Hosea, he says, "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself," you have destroyed yourself, "but in me is thy help". He says, "You've destroyed yourself but your help is in me". I don't wanna be like that. I don't wanna do something to destroy myself and not even know that my help is in God.