CONFESSION

Greetings. What's on your LIP? What's spewing out of your pie hole? When you open your mouth...do you have to take out your foot before you begin to speak...or do you try to cram the other foot in your mouth? In the words of the theme song to MIDNIGHT COWBOY..."every body's talking..." The question is...what are we talking?

In the church world...the word CONFESSION has become a negative word. We have pictures of people frothing at their mouths...trying to "name it and claim it"...and "blab it and grab it" as they try to manipulate God into giving them what they want by "confessing" over and over and over again until God comes through. If you want a Cadillac...utilize your "Cadillac Faith"...and speak it until it "manifests".

Well..."don't throw out the baby with the bath water,"

I am a true believer that CONFESSION is a good thing...especially when you are CONFESSING what God has already said. The word CONFESSION is from the word HOMOLEGOS. That would be HOMO (same) LEGOS (word). CONFESSION is merely saying the same word that God says. If he says you are a sinner...then you confess...I AM A SINNER. If He says that by the blood of Jesus and Jesus' probationary sacrifice that you are THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN CHRIST...then you confess...I am the righteousness of God in Christ.

I know that it is a simplistic approach to what is coming out of your mouth...but where you are dwelling...will be telling...by what you speak.

UNRESTRAINED THOUGHTS (what you think) produces UNRESTRAINED WORDS (what you speak/confess) resulting in UNRESTRAINED ACTIONS (what you do).

I have printed up a little sample of things that you can CONFESS. An example of this confession thang...is found in Romans 4. Abraham (aka the Father of Faith, the Father of Believers)...had a promise...a word from God...and became too old to fulfill the promise by his own physical means. The promise was a son. The reality was that the seed was dry and Sarah's womb was a tomb.

"In hope against hope...he BELIEVED...in order that he might become a father of many nations...according to that which had BEEN SPOKEN...So shall your descendants be. And WITHOUT BECOMING WEAK IN FAITH...he contemplated (thoughts) not...his own body...now as good as dead...since he was about 100 years old...and the deadness of Sarah's womb..." (Romans 4:18-19)

NOTE: Abraham had a word from God...but his body was not lining up with the Word. In the face of reality (his body and Sarah's womb)...he DID NOT BECOME WEAK IN FAITH. His mind could be dwelling on reality...and his mouth speaking defeat.

"YET (in contrast to the reality and facts)...with respect to THE PROMISE OF GOD....he DID NOT WAVER IN FAITH...giving glory to God...and being FULLY ASSURED....that what He had PROMISED...He was able to perform it." (Romans 4:20-21)

NOTE: As believers...we need to learn to walk in the YET FACTOR. That is where we are face with reality and facts....and we realize that God's Word is truth...and truth trumps reality. We don't consider our bodies, the economy, the situation, the circumstances, the doctor's reports, etc...but YET....with respect to THE PROMISE OF GOD...HIS WORD...we DO NOT WAVER IN THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN OR REVEALED TO THE SENSES. We walk in assurance that what God promised...He is able to bring to pass.

Charles Capps...a farmer from England Arkansas talks about how when we want our dog to come to us...we don't go to the front porch and yell out..."here kitty kitty...here kitty kitty." We call out who we want to come....the dog...not the cat. Sometimes we are standing out on the front porch of our lives...and we want healing...and we are calling out...here flu flu...or here My arthritis. We constantly CONSIDER OUR BODIES...and come into agreement with our bodies instead of God's Word.

Abraham had some insight in to how to believe and speak...

"As it is written...A Father of many nations have I made you...in the sight of Him (God) whom he (Abraham) believed (had faith in)...even God...Who GIVES LIFE TO THE DEAD...AND CALLS INTO BEING THAT WHICH DOES NOT EXIST." (Romans 4:17)

This is God's Modus Operandi (M.O.)...and Abraham was merely imitating God's M.O.

I would encourage you...to begin to filter your thoughts before you speak them out...and begin to SPEAK THE SOLUTION more than you SPEAK THE PROBLEM. Don't deny the reality of the problem...but don't give the problem dominance over the solution. Begin to get on your front porch...and call out what you want. Begin to speak the solution...come into agreement with the SOLUTION MAKER.

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!

Again...don't start a church based on CONFESSION...but do start to CONFESS THE WORD OF GOD. If we could ever understand that we can NEVER manipulate God into being our servants...but at the same time...God wants to BLESS US INDEED....and we don't have to convince Him with or manipulative words...we would begin to really walk in ABUNDANT LIFE.

I suggest that you go back to the picture of the confession...click on it to enlarge it...and start CONFESSING. I think that each one...is the WILL OF GOD FOR OUR LIVES.

Love and Positive Confession Kisses
Rodney "Restraining Thoughts, Words, and Deeds" Boyd