Kingdom Freedom

by Gale Sheehan

2018 brought an unusual prophetic revelation to me that I believe the Lord wants to birth in 2019.  This revelation began at the city of “Gettysburg” during a Christian International City Tour.  The conference hosts, who are of African-American ancestry, felt that Gettysburg was a strategic location.  Although they had a more established Campus elsewhere, they felt the Lord told them to move the event to Gettysburg.  They had also been stirred recently concerning the “underground railroad” and the path of freedom it brought to many who were confined to slavery. Gettysburg, of course, was known as a strategic battleground and was the location of President Abraham Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg address and declaration of the emancipation proclamation.

The very first night of the conference I ran into some friends of Asian ancestry.  They also said the Lord had been stirring their hearts concerning the “Underground Railroad” and had just been to the Mason Dixon Line to anoint it with oil and pray.  They had recently hosted 22 individuals that escaped from North Korea and stepped into a new freedom in both the natural and spiritual realms.  Reading their Bible and memorizing scriptures had been key components for this new-found freedom.  This confirmation of events concerning freedom began a three-month progressive prophetic revelation.

Our Gettysburg host told me he was originally from Rochester, New York, the home of Harriet Tubman, who was one of the most recognized agents of freedom leading many slaves from Florida and other southern locations through Gettysburg and to Rochester or Buffalo, New York and finally to Ontario, Canada.  Ontario was known to be the “Promised Land”, because it represented a location where one could not be captured and returned to slavery.  Slavery, of course, represents a horrific stain on our nation’s history.  This type of stain is not unique to the U.S., but we can find it replicated in many other nations.  It is an entrapment of the enemy that brings racial division, strife and war.

Shelly and I have an adopted African daughter from Trinidad.  Her perspective and experience of racial tension and strife is with different ethnic groups than in the US. This is also true of Asian nations and many others.  So, the common dark denominator of the root of all racial division is Satan and his group of fallen angels perpetuating this lie that all men are not created equal.  It is a season where Christians must see that they are of the same kingdom, the kingdom of light, regardless of race ethnicity, skin color or culture.

This Christian Allegiance should supersede any other allegiance.  Only then can the army of the Lord truly arise in the earth today, because this army is called to arise in unity where God commands a blessing.

What do we think of when we think of Freedom?  As one who has grandchildren, Freedom for a two-year-old is being just far enough out of your reach. 

When that happens, they feel free.  This new-found Freedom causes their eyes to light up with joy and their motive to do what they want to be released.  Just a few steps out of your reach can trigger this short-term freedom.  As years progress there comes a time when another type of Freedom is experienced.  About age 16 comes another type of Freedom.  As a teenager gets ready to get a driver’s license suddenly, without having to have parental rides, teenagers are able to go where they want seemingly unsupervised.  However, with today’s technologies, parents can put trackers on their cars that will not only reveal where they went but also how fast they went going there.  This makes me thankful this technology missed my teen years, or perhaps I would have had more limited vehicle privileges.  Finally, another age-related Freedom is when children are able to move out of their parents’ home.  This brings opportunity to begin making choices, whether good or bad, concerning the direction of their own household.

Now let’s look at the more literal meanings of Freedom:

Definition of Freedom

1. The ability to act, think or speak without outside limitations or restrictions.
2. The quality or state of being free, such as, Liberation from slavery or restraint from the power of another: Independence.

There are many references to freedom in both the Old and New Testament, but for the purpose of this Word we are going to focus on the New Testament.  Here are a  few scriptures that refer to Kingdom Freedom:

17 And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written,18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, 19 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” 20 And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:17-21, NAS)

31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.35 “The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.36 “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:31-36, NAS)

These are just a few of the scriptures that tell us Jesus is the reason for all the true freedom and apart from his Lordship, we can never experience “Kingdom Freedom”. In addition to any personal or natural freedom, there is also a spiritual Freedom in the Kingdom of God.  This freedom will ultimately change the earth and can now be available to those who choose to align their wills with the Lord’s will. The book of Romans highlights several scriptures that have to do with “Kingdom Freedom”.

 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also, we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:18-23, NAS)

This passage of scripture reveals that everything, including our natural bodies and creation, groans to birth the “Kingdom Freedom” that both will realize in the days ahead.

There is yet another passage of scripture that reveals an even more amazing analogy of freedom and slavery. This is recorded in the book of Romans.

16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.

20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. (Romans 6:16-21, NAS)

Here, the Lord gives us the true key to “Kingdom Freedom”.  If we truly want the supernatural freedom available to us, we must be freewill slaves or servants of righteousness and freewill slaves or servants in obedience to the Lord. In the way that human slavery represents injustice, oppression and ungodliness, being a freewill slave of the Lord brings “Kingdom Freedom”.  This prevails in justice, victory, and hope.  In due time, every knee will bow to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, some by force and some by choice.  We can be those that by our free will choose to be servants of the Lord in this season of time.  As we do, we will see the true Army of the Lord, the Church, arise.