the FREEDOM letter

NEW YEAR 1998 EDITION, VOL. 10

"God is love." (1John 4:16)

MIRACLES SHARED

From DeSoto Correctional Institution, “My sexual addiction began at age 5. The first time anyone ever touched me sexually I was hooked. By age 8, I was using the control I had over people to blackmail love from them, men, women, boys, and girls. I walked the ave. in Tampa hitch hiking to pick up partners. If it was a man, I allowed him to abuse me as I abused women. Never in all my life had I ever known love or friendship. Well your book didn’t release my addiction. There was a good contribution to the bank of knowledge God has provided. My compliment? Tom! My Friend! Tom’s hugs, smiles, and personal interest in all the lonely men inside these fences. By God’s grace, I have won the victory in Jesus. It has been a jigsaw puzzle of many pieces - Tom Lomas, “40 Days,” Tom Lomas, Kairos, Tom my friend, all little pieces of it. However, as you know in such a puzzle, only that piece will fill the space allotted. Only that individual shaped piece. So my friend, you are my compliment. You gave me what no one else on earth could. Your hand, your smile, your love.”

From the Jefferson Correctional Institution, “Today is the 1st of January 1998; and I am starting my forty days to a new beginning with my Lord and Savior; and I am using your book as a guide.”

From Columbia Correctional Institution, “I’m writing to inform you about how your book and God have helped me overcome my addiction. Mr. Lomas, in your book you tell us to defeat our biggest addiction first then the rest will fall in place. Well I have done what you suggested; and thank God, I can now tell you I’m free. I have smoked cigarettes since I was about six years old. I was sexually molested as a child and smoking gave me the comfort I needed to keep my secret hidden (so I thought). I was very much dependent on them. Satan had me hooked, lined, and sinkered. You came to our institution and brought a great message in how God helped you overcome your sexual addiction. I listened very attentively to your message. God touched my heart that day and let me know that your book “40 Days to Freedom” could help me. Don’t get me wrong. I had been praying that somehow God would deliver me from cigarettes. I tried cold turkey (didn’t work). I tried cutting back (just smoked more); but then you and your book came along. I got your book and I wanted to jump right in and try to quit myself using your book (didn’t work). Then I submitted my addiction over to God, stepped back and let God fight the battle. It wasn’t easy. There were times I wanted to get my feet dirty and join the fight; and there were times I just wanted to give up. But I would pick up your book the next day and another day had passed. I want to thank you for sharing this book with me. Without it I’d still be smoking. God has told us His words hold the keys to everything. I truly believe that.”

From Jefferson Correctional Institution, “Your presentation at this institution was a blessing to many people, especially me. Your book is also an inspiration. I went on a forty day fasting; and the words were like food for my soul. Sir, I am learning to pray and leave it in the hands of the Lord. I am also getting closer to the Lord and understanding His words. This is the beginning of the end; the end of this journey (incarceration) is almost here. I am asking you to keep me in your prayers so that whenever I leave this prison I am able to keep the faith and peace I found in Christ. I am asking you to keep these ladies in this prison in your prayers. After your visit, it was like a revival in this prison. A lot of these ladies are now into fasting and prayer.”

From Martin Correctional Institution, “I received one of your books “40 Days to Freedom” and I got a big blessing out of it; and I passed on the blessing to my child’s mother; and she got a big blessing out of it also. I thank God for people like you that share their blessing with other people. I love that book. It’s helping me of my growth in Christ.”

From a fellow Kairos Prison Ministry team member, “.... a wonderful tool for healing in the form of a book. Not just any book but an instructional text with specific instructions for it’s use. A step by step manual for healing. This is what we need more of! Hurting people should not be made to figure out their own cure any more than a doctor’s patient should have to heal himself; Lord knows, enough of that goes on anyway. Look at some of the great books that have brought about healing: the Bible, A.A.’s Big Book or the book of the prophet. They all administered to the suffering one’s needs. But unlike the Bible or the Big Book, you saw the need to keep it simple and masterfully you only had to incorporate all of Christianity’s simple message of grace. “Amazing!” That is where the beauty of the Forty Days’ message lies. Like the Twelve Steps of A.A. in the knowledge that we are powerless. Except you so reassuringly and clearly help us to understand where that Higher Power comes from and how to use it. This I believe was the goal our Lord Jesus Christ set before us when He told the apostles they would do even greater works than He. It was to simplify the message and the method so that a greater number of souls could be reached more effectively with longer lasting results. Your book almost has a built in support system. Hallelujah! It’s as though, if you keep it with you, that you have someone to turn to in the midst of a stressful day. That, I believe, is the presence of the Holy Spirit who commissioned you to do this book. You can feel His loving presence with power and grace. Also, never before, like our three day Kairos weekends, has a recovery tool caused us to focus so intently for as long a time. This prescription is the one our Father in Heaven gave our Brother Jesus. It is a devine remedy given to all of us through the Bible and now so clearly through the revelation given to you, Tom, in your book “40 Days to Freedom”!

From a Catholic Priest, “Great to meet you and your great work. Your book has been a God-send during recent trials.”

From a prison employee in Pennsylvania, “I work with women in prison and have read a lot of books; but this book of yours is WONDERFUL!! It is blessed! It is annointed! My friend needs a copy to help her -- it is helping me so I can continue to help others.”

PRAYERS REQUESTED

Brothers and sisters in Christ, please pray for me. Pray that I will continue to focus on God’s will and not my own. Pray that I will continue to trust God to provide the financial support for this ministry. As the last of my savings and retirement is now being spent, I need the strength of Jesus to trust our Father now more than ever. The income to Freedom Ministries in 1997 totalled $9,942.59. This is a small fraction of what we truly need in ‘98 to minister to prisoners and distribute 10,000 miracles through 40 Days to Freedom.

My ability to supplement the ministry’s income has now ended. Office rent of $416 per month and two salaries of $350 per week are needed. Peggy and I have no other means to provide for our personal needs. My residual income from the investment business is now paid to the man who serves my previous clients.

Each quarterly newsletter costs approximately $1000. I could be tempted to end the newsletter. I certainly did not want to use the last of my savings for this issue ahead of schedule; but God commanded and I obeyed. His blessings demand to be shared. Add in travel expenses, the miscellaneous expenses of running an office and printing the next 25,000 books and our necessary expenses for ‘98 will easily reach $100,000.

Finally, Freedom Ministries is and will continue tithing from every dollar received. This I do not consider an expense but rather an investment made in God’s work through other ministries dedicated to serving the unloveables of the world, to serving Jesus Christ.

PRISON MINISTRY

Early in 1996, after calling this ministry full time, God told me that 40 Days to Freedom will “blanket the earth.” He also told me, when I started to question how we would be financially supported, to distribute the books and He would take care of the rest. Therefore, I know distribution of 40 Days to Freedom will succeed either through me or others to come after me. My role obviously includes ministry and distribution in prisons according to His direction and our warm reception by both chaplains and inmates. The doors to 30 prisons have flown open to us by the grace of God. We anticipate many more in ‘98.

ORGANIZED CHURCH MINISTRY

God also told me of the many people attending organized churches who are finding breaking Satan’s chains of addiction and habitual sin an impossible task. Here we have not succeeded. In most of the relatively few churches where we have given our testimony and books, we were invited by lay members not clergy. It would seem the pastors are blind either to the needs of their people or to the miracle of 40 Days to Freedom or both. This is nothing new as Jesus also found “blind guides” (Mat 23:16).

All the preaching in the world is wasted on the ears and eyes of those who are chained to habitual sin. This is why the churches of this country are filled every Sunday with people who agree that Jesus spoke the truth; and they get all warm and fuzzy during their services. Then as soon as they leave the church grounds they return to their real gods of anger, gluttony, lust, materialism, lies, and so on.

PASTORS, THOSE PEOPLE CANNOT SEE OR HEAR THE TRUTH YOU PREACH BECAUSE THEY DON’T RELATE YOU OR YOUR TRUTH TO THE REAL WORLD!

They are deceived children; and your preaching and complex Bible study cannot help them. These beloved children of your flock are estimated to number two-thirds of your congregation. They need to be shown (not preached to) that Jesus’ way of life is the only way to live in the world today. They need to be shown that Jesus gave us the way to overcome the frustration and dispair of chasing false gods, or addictions, or demons (one and the same). And they need to be shown by people who have walked in their shoes, who have visited and been imprisoned in the depths of hell, who have been truly reborn in the smashing of Satan’s chains of bondage.

If you don’t invite these freedom fighters to minister to your flock, you will lose your church as God will not support those who minister His words to support their own life styles. Certainly, if you are allowing two thirds of your congregation to go to hell, you need to do something radical.

TURNED AWAY

Early in this ministry, I approached a pastor friend I knew through athletic endeavors. I suggested he allow me to give my testimony of addiction and healing and give copies of my book to his congregation. After supposedly reading 40 Days to Freedom and much procrastination, he said the thought of transferring a miraculous healing to others through my little book was too radical. I wonder how he would have responded to the concept of loving one’s enemy two thousand years ago.

Perhaps the concept of God revealing, to a man imprisoned by the “masterful instinct” of sexual lust for forty years, the key in scripture to complete freedom from all addictions is radical. We offer, without cost, a 160 page book focusing on that single scripture, recorded in three of the four Gospels of the New Testament. It includes a journey preparation, the healing process of the forty day walk in the desert of one’s soul, and a true rebirth, for with God’s glorious freedom, He gives us the eyes and heart of Jesus.

Is it more practical to hand to the spiritually blind and deaf a Bible, the encyclopedia of our faith and say, “here, go heal yourself!”? That is exactly what we do with our little book; and it works! Radical? Pehaps, but you see I serve a radical God and His radical Son, Jesus. His Holy Spirit was was the author; and I was the priveledged typist (hunt and peck). Those accolades you read in “MIRACLES SHARED” belong to God, not to me. He used a non-author, healed sinner, to create a great work (literary critics probably wouldn’t agree but ask those set free). Radical? Or, has He done that before?

800 EXCLUDED

We excluded 800 pastors from our last mailing of this letter as we felt our words falling on deaf ears if most of them even bothered to open our letter. With some of the pastors we approached we found interdenominational bigotry and even untruths being spread. This does not please God! This is not of Him! This is not of Love!

Remarkably, in prison ministry, I have experienced mostly an absence of such pettiness, not only between denominations, but also between religions. One of the quickest to accept the miracle of 40 Days to Freedom was a chaplain of other than the Christian faith. Indeed, during the three years of this ministry, I have observed some non-Christians to be more Christ-like than some professing to be Christians.

I have seen much truth in a radio broadcast, I recently heard, where the minister (not of my denomination) proposed that there are four categories of people in this issue of being “saved.” There are those who know they are saved who are saved. There are those who know they are not saved who are not saved. There are those who don’t know they are saved who are saved. Finally, there are those who know they are saved who are not saved. Interesting concept; don’t you think?

By the way, when I speak with prisoners, I encourage them to, immediately upon release from prison, join a church. I tell them the denomination isn’t important; and its okay to shop to find a church that nourishes your relationship with God

SECOND+ CHANCE

As our magnificent God is a God of second or seventy times seven chances, He (my Boss) has decided to include the 800 for this mailing. I challenge those 800 pastors to not simply accept what I have said here but to “believe the miracles” (Jn 10:38) in the testimonies here and in our previous newsletters and recorded at our web site (www.40days2freedom.org).

We also challenge you, as in the past, to examine God’s word in 40 Days to Freedom remembering that He is a God of simplicity, not complexity, as we often attempt to make Him. As John so ably stated, He is simply “love”(opening scripture quote). If you find anything in our book which contradicts that basic, simple truth, please bring it to our attention as we would qualify as the foulest of false messengers.

To the three pastors who did invite and welcome me to their churches, who dared to allow this radical to minister to their flocks, I thank you for the people served. One, who personally used the procedure, testified (previously published testimony) that he had gained a greater insight into his role as a pastor (“the eyes of Jesus” / 40 Days to Freedom). Praise our awesome God!

YOUR HELP NEEDED

We encourage lay members of organized churches to continue to invite my testimony and God’s miracles through 40 Days to Freedom as you will probably continue to be our greatest asset in serving your fellow members who are in bondage. Personally, I would not have gone to the expense of including previously non-responding pastors of over a year in this mailing. Thank God, I’m not the boss here!

To the blessed prison chaplains, who use this ministry to heal and nourish their flocks, we hold you in the greatest respect, love, and admiration; for you are living examples of the light of the Gospels in serving the least of His brethren; and be certain you cause far more rejoicing in Heaven than your counterparts on the outside. Truly, though you act out of unselfish love, your reward will be great. Our printing of “TREASURES” is for you as well as your flocks.

To all the readers of this Freedom Letter, we seek your help in referring the miracle of 40 Days to Freedom to others, both those in the need of healing and those who want to participate in the spreading of healing from addictions and habitual sin. To date, prisoners have been our greatest source in both categories and we thank, with all our heart, these courageous brothers and sisters in Christ. Certainly their letters to me are a constant fueling of the holy fires of this ministry.

Please remember, there is no cost to have our blessed little book sent to others. We trust God for our financial as all our support. We believe that your referrals will make the distribution of 10,000 books this year and, in God’s time, the “blanketing of the earth” a reality. We believe this is God’s will as a part of the preparation for His Son’s second advent, soon coming.

 TREASURES by Bill Yount

      It was late and I was tired, wanting to go to sleep, but God wanted to talk. It was about midnight, but God does not sleep. His question made me restless. "Bill, on earth where does man keep his most priceless treasures and valuables?" I said, "Lord, usually treasures like gold, silver, and precious jewels are kept locked up, somewhere out of sight, with guards and security." God spoke, "Like man's, My most valuable treasures on earth are also locked up." I then saw Jesus standing in front of seemingly thousands of prisons and jails. The Lord said, "These have almost been destroyed by the enemy, but these ones have the greatest potential to be used and to bring forth glory to My Name. Tell My people I am going this hour to the prisons to activate the gifts and callings that lie dormant in these lives that were given before the foundation of the earth. Out from these walls will come forth an army of spiritual giants who will have power to literally kick down the gates of Hell and overcome satanic powers that are holding many of My own people bound in My Own House. Tell My people that great treasure is behind these walls, in these forgotten vessels. My people must come forth and touch these ones, for a mighty anointing will be unleashed upon these for future victory in My Kingdom. THEY MUST BE RESTORED."

     I then saw the Lord step up to the prison doors with a key. One key fit every lock, and the gates began to open. I heard and saw great explosions which sounded like dynamite going off behind the walls. It sounded like all-out spiritual warfare Jesus said, "Tell My people to come in and pick up the spoil and rescue these." He began walking in and touching inmates who were thronging Him. Many instantly had a golden glow over them. God spoke to me, “THERE'S THE GOLD!" Others had a silver glow around them. God said, "THERE'S THE SILVER!" Like slow motion they began to grow into what appeared to be giant knights, wearing the entire Armor of God, and every piece was solid gold! Even gold shields! I heard God say to these warriors: “Now go and take what Satan has taught you and use it all against him. Go and pull down the strongholds coming against My church." These spiritual giants then started stepping over the prison walls with no one to resist them, and went to the very front line of battle with the enemy. I saw them walk right past the Church, and big-name nninisters known for their power with God were surpassed by these giant warriors, like David going alter Goliath! They crossed the enemy's line and started delivering many of God's people from the clutches of Satan while demons trembled and flew out of sight at their presence. No one, not even the Church, seemed to know who these spiritual giants were or where they came from. All you could see was the Golden Armor of God, from head to foot. There was great victory and rejoicing. The gold shields, and silver and precious treasures and vessels were brought in. Beneath the gold and silver were the people that nobody knew: REJECTS OF SOCIETY, STREET PEOPLE, THE OUTCASTS, THE POOR and THE DESPISED. These were the treasures that were missing from His House.

     The Lord said, "If My people want to know where they are needed, tell them they are needed in the STREETS, the HOSPITALS, THE MISSIONS and PRLSONS. When they come there they will fmd Me and the next move of My Spirit, and they will be judged by My Word in Matthew 25:42: ‘For I was hungry, and you gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and you took me not in; naked and you clothed me not; sick and in prison, and you visited me not."

     The preceding was reprinted with the permission of Bill Yount who received this vision from God after receiving a calling to God’s service similar to the calling of Abraham, the human father of our faith. Since that calling, twenty-one years ago, Bill has continously served God in prison ministry. He wished to add to this newsletter this observation: “If even the Son of God, at the beginning of His ministry, had to go into the desert to purge Himself from Satan’s influence, what chance do we have if we don’t follow His example?”

THE SCRIPTURE CONNECTION

In many issues of the Freedom Letter, we connect a quote from 40 Days to Freedom to Holy Scripture. If you have a question or comment about anything stated in our message of freedom, please let us know and we will endeavor to answer through this column.

"We must surrender any feeling or attitude of superiority over others realizing that we are all children of God." (page 40, 40 Days to Freedom)

We are constantly mystified and awed by God.  It would seem that many who have been challenged little by life place little value on their freedom to choose; nor do they have much patience or compassion for those have have made bad choices resulting in their loss of freedom. Yet Jesus is very clear about "more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."  (Luke 15:7)

A friend recently commented to me that this scripture had always bothered her because she felt that this was saying God loved sinners more than righteous people.  There are many scriptures showing God's immeasurable love for every one of us, sinner and righteous alike.  Luke 15:7 is instead focusing on the "rejoicing" in the saving of a lost soul.  The rejoicing should be shared by the righteous and reformed alike.  This reminds us of the Parable of the Prodigal (lost) Son (Luke 15:11-32) who had a jealous and judgemental brother.

If, instead of accepting the words of Jesus and seeking their truth as it applies to us, we tend to question or disagree, perhaps, as with the prodigal brother, we too are lost to a less obvious demon or addiction such as jealousy or judgementalism or unforgiveness. Though less obvious, according to our Savior, they are certainly just as deadly to our soul and its freedom and our eternal joy. Here also the example of Jesus can set us free. Jealousy and judgementalism and unforgiveness are ways we serve Satan.  Jesus' answer to this in the second temptation of His forty days in the desert (Luke 4:7) is to "worship the Lord your God and serve Him only." (Luke 4:8 and   Deut 6:13) Serve God only; not Satan; not man. How?  Love! Always! Everyone! Everywhere!  For "God is love." (1 John 4:16)  The answer is always the same.  That which is of love is of God.  That which is not of love is of the adversary, the deceiver, Satan.

Sure it's hard to change, even impossible for us but not for God if we truly desire to change, if we truly believe He can change us, and if we ask Him to do it.  And now, even before we ask, He's already given us the instrument to set ourselves free through 40 Days to Freedom.  What an awesome, mysterious and wonderful God we adore.  A God we can never repay for all the wonderful gifts He has given us especially the gift of his beloved Son and His example, “the way, the truth, and the life.” Praise God!

Respond to Freedom Ministries at www.40days2freedom.org or call (407) 332-0991 or fax (407) 332-0992.

IN CLOSING . . . .

We want to express our heart-felt thanks to our ministry partners who over the past three years provided prayers, referrals, testimonies, and financial assistance. Because of you, after just three years, this ministry now reaches out to lost souls in 37 states and 12 countries. As our distribution of God’s miracle blankets America, we believe that one day even the Satan-influenced media will not be able to ignore the awesome miracles of God’s freedom from bondage. We believe a point of critical mass will be reached and at that point belief in the miracle through the little book will explode throughout our country and then throughout the world. Then, just filling the demand will be a great challenge. Then each of our partners will be able to justly say, “I had a part in freeing the world from Satan’s addictions, demons, and habitual sin.” And you can be certain that, when you soon stand before Jesus and He asks you, “when did you serve one of these least of my brethren?”, you will have the answer; and He will respond, “well done my brother, my sister.”

We pray to our trustworthy Father, may He continue to use this ministry to “announce release to the captives and freedom to those in prison . . . . to proclaim that the time has come when the Lord will save His people and defeat their enemies.” (Isaiah 61:1-2) We ask Him to encourage and inspire and bless our ministry partners and help each to see with the “eyes of Jesus” that, just as no sin is too large to dent our Father’s love for us, no contribution is too small to make a difference and that every member of this blessed body will share in the glory of our all-powerful Leader. Amen

Wishing you a HAPPY and PROSPEROUS and BLESSED 1998!!!

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After you have been blessed by the message of 40 Days to Freedom, tell others of those blessings. If they would like a copy, send us their names and addresses. Please include your written testimonial of blessing through 40 Days to Freedom. There is no charge; however, a donation of any amount will bless prisoners; and it will return to you, “a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over” (Luke 6:38).

Yes, Tom, I wish to share my blessings with others. Please send 40 Days to Freedom to

_________________________________ (Name)

________________________________________________________________________ (Address)

_________________________________ (Name)

________________________________________________________________________ (Address)

Tom, please contact this church, prison, or organization for your presentation and free distribution:

_____________________________________________________ (Name: org. + person)

________________________________________________________________________ (Address)

Please mail this form to Freedom Ministries, Inc., 1855 W. State Road 434, Suite 250, Longwood, FL 32750. Freedom Ministries, Inc. is a Florida Not-For-Profit Corp. (#N94000005074). Qualified as Tax Exempt (IRS #585090062).

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