Confession is faith's way of expressing itself. Faith's confession creates reality. It is always possible to discover a person's belief by what he says. According to Jesus: "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." If a man's confession is wrong, his believing is wrong. If his believing is wrong, his thinking is wrong. If his thinking is wrong, it is because his mind has not been renewed by the Word of God. All three -- believing, thinking and saying -- go together. God has given us His Word both in the Bible and in modern revelation to get our thinking straightened out.
Confession, then, is affirming something we believe. It is testifying to something we know. It is witnessing from a truth we have embraced.
1. In what way is the Word to be given to the lost? (Mark 16:15) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It is through our confession or preaching of the Word that the world hears the Gospel. If we do not carry the Word to the world, then we waste our time praying for God to do something. If we could just pray and get people saved, we would not need to send missionaries all over the world. In obedience to Jesus' command, the disciples went forth preaching the Word everywhere.
2. As the disciples went forth and preached the Word, what did the Lord do for them? (Mark 16:20) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
God did not do anything until the disciples preached the Word; then signs followed. Notice also that the signs did not follow an individual but followed the preaching of the Word.
There is no faith without confession. Paul wrote: "And how shall they believe in Him Whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher (confessor)?" Likewise, in our daily lives and conversation, confession is faith's way of expressing itself. Faith, like love, is of the heart and of the spirit. We know what there is no love without word or action. We cannot reason love into people, nor can we reason love out of them. It is of the heart. There is no faith without confession. The confession of the believer fixes the landmarks of his life.
3. What did Jesus say about our confession? (Mark 11:23) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
According to the words of Jesus, if we believe what we say, it will come to pass -- whether it be success or failure, sickness or health, weakness or strength. The reason the majority of Christians are weak is that they never dared to make a confession of who they are in Christ. The confession of a believer fixes the landmarks of his life. In the Old Testament, we find this truth illustrated in the lives of the twelve Israelites who were sent to spy out the land.
4. What confession of faith did the 10 spies make? (Numbers 13:25-33) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. What confession of faith did Caleb and Joshua make? (Numbers 13:30; 14:6-10) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. What landmark did the 10 spies fix in their lives because of their negative confession? (Numbers 14:36-27) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. What landmark did the congregation of Israel fix in their lives through all their grumbling and complaining? (Numbers 14:27-29) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. What landmark did the fathers fix in the lives of their children? (Numbers 14:31-33) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. What landmark did Joshua fix in his life through his confession? (Numbers 14:38; Joshua 1:1-8) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
10. What landmark did Caleb fix in his life through his confession? (Numbers 14:24; Joshua 14:6-14) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The New Covenant Church of God has as one of its main calls the task of establishing 12 Zionic communities around the world, which call it first received in Great Britain in 1988. The first prototype or preparatory firstborn community was established in Sweden in 1997 as a gathering point for the elect of the 10 tribes of Israel dispersed in northern Europe. Others are/will be located in Great Britain, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Asia, Australia and Polynesia. Each one has been/is being/will be gathered out of the world in much the same way as the ancient Israelites were gathered out of Egypt. Each individual called up to Zion in these last days must pass through much the same spiritual terrain as their forefathers did. For every 12, 10 will be negative and never inherit the Promised land, and 2 will be positive and take possession of it, no matter what the obstacles, because they believe in the Word of modern revelation. You, the reader, are called to gather to Zion. What will your response be? Will you complain, murmur and be unfaithful, and wander around in the world for "40 years"? Or will your confession of the Word of the prophets be positive? What will your landmark be? What will your children's inheritance be -- the world, or Zion? Write down your hopes and fears, and the resolutions you intend to make in order to qualify to enter Zion? Be prepared to discuss these resolutions in Sunday School: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
11. What is in the power of the tongue and with what will man be filled? (Proverbs 18:20-21) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
12. What are we exhorted to do as believers in light of Israel's failure? (Hebrews 3:16-19; 4:1-2) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
13. Why did the Word of God not profit them? (Hebrews 4:2) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Amplified Version of this reads: "...but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not mixed with faith (that is, with the leading of the entire personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom and goodness) by those who heard it."
If we find ourselves at the bottom of life's ladder, it is because that is all we have believed for. There is a Godward side and a manward side to every battle, every victory, and everything that we receive from God. We have our part to play. If there is any failure, it has to be on our part. God is not going to fail. If we see to it that we do our part, then we can be sure that there will be an answer and a victory.
The covenant which God has established with the New Covenant Church of God is very similar to that established with ancient Israel, though within the new Christian Dispensation. It is a Church led by God through apostolic and prophetic ministry. It receives the Word of God today as it did anciently in both Old and New Testament times. The faith it requires is no different from the faith required of the first Christians and the ancient Israelites.
Unlike Israel, which took possession of land from various pagan tribes and established a unified theocratic state, the New Covenant Church of God is a network of 12 colonies or communities, with associated local congregations, within existing states. Unlike ancient Israel which took over the Promised Land by force of arms, the New Covenant Church of God has purchased, or will purchase, theirs.
Finally, whereas Israel consisted of one central government under one Law (of Moses), the New Covenant Church of God consists of 12 autonomous governments under three different degrees of New Covenant Law. You, the reader, if you are a member of a local colony of the New Covenant Church of God, are subject to the Law of the Outer Church. If, after a period of time, you demonstrate true faith and are consistent in your Christian discipleship, you may be called to a preparatory community where you can experience communal living for the first time. These colonies come under the government of the Holy Order or Chavurah Bekorot. If your faith is perfected in this level of the Gospel, and your discipleship comes to fruition, you may be called into one of the 12 firstborn colonies which comes under the government of the Church of the Firstborn, or New Covenant Church of the Father, or the Chavurah Bekorot. These are the 12 colonies which will pass through the Great Tribulation unscathed during the terror of the Antichrist.
The purpose of the New Covenant Church of God is to help you develop true, Zionic faith according to the pattern laid down in the Bible. Unlike the ancient Israelites, who had only one "boundary" to cross (the Jordan), you have three (Membership in a Local Colony, Priesthood calling, and the Holy Order), each of which becomes progressively more difficult.
The faith maturing process in the New Covenant Church of God is a gradual one allowing disciples to move in proportion to their faith. Many come to the local colonies, fewer to the Priesthood and even fewer to the Chavurah Bekorot.
Jesus taught that when He returned, only a tiny remnant people would have true faith. It is that remnant that the Church is training up. Are you willing to be a part of that remnant people? Which Church do you intend to be a part of? Will it be in one of the New Covenant Churches or in another Christian denomination? Why? What are your goals? Can you identify where your faith is weak? How will you work with it? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
14. A certain woman who had been sick for 12 years came to Jesus for healing. What is the first thing that this woman did? (Mark 5:25-34) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
So we see that the first thing the woman did was to say what she believed. She could have made a negative confession instead of a positive one. She could have said that it was no use and that it was best for her to die. But she spoke positively. If we are defeated, we are defeated with our own lips.
15. What is the second thing the woman did? (Mark 5:27) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Our actions either defeat us or they cause us to overcome. According to our actions, we either receive or are kept from receiving. The woman acted out her faith.
16. What is the third thing she did? (Mark 5:29) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Notice that the feeling and the healing followed the saying and the acting. Many people fail to receive because they want the feeling and the healing before they are willing to say it and do it.
17. What is the fourth thing the woman did? (Mark 5:33) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Jesus also desires for us to tell others that they, too, might receive from Him.
We see these four steps also demonstrated in the life of David as he fixed the landmark of his life and possessed the confession of his mouth.
18. What was the first thing David did when he went to fight Goliath? (1 Samuel 17:45-47) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
David had faith, not in his own strength, but in God's power and might. He was not trusting in himself. He was trusting in the Lord. He confessed what he believed in his heart.
19. What was the second thing that David did? (1 Samuel 17:49) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
David acted upon his faith. If David had been led by his natural senses, if he had listened to human reasoning, he would have known that it would be impossible to kill a giant with a shepherd's sling. He was tuned to the inner voice of faith, not to the outer voice of human reasoning.
20. What was the third thing David did? (1 Samuel 17:50) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
David received the victory for the Israelites over their enemies, the Philistines.
21. What was the fourth thing that David did? (1 Samuel 17:54) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
David published the news of the victory throughout the land.
In doing this, we can fix the landmarks of our lives for good and win victories for the Kingdom of God, ourselves and our brothers and sisters in the Lord both in our Church and in other denominations. Out of weakness we will be made strong and will be able to put to flight the armies of the evil one.
Write and memorise the following scripture: Mark 11:23
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