GOOD CONFESSION
We are looking at the teaching of Jesus as found in Mark 4.
THE JEWISH METHOD OF REPETITION
As we look at the teaching we see that there is some repetition, and this is because Jesus was always repetitious. He said that it is out of the mouth of two or three witnesses that everything is established. We see this throughout scripture. Nearly every significant event is recorded at least twice:
(1) The creation story is repeated in Genesis 1 and 2.
(2) Some of the lives of the patriarchs are found in Genesis and then repeated by the Deacon Stephen in the book of Acts.
(3) Exodus is repeated in Deuteronomy.
(4) Ist and 2nd Samuel and some of Kings is repeated in the books of Chronicles.
(5) Some of the Psalms are repeated.
(6) Much of the gospels repeats the same stories.
(7) Ephesians and Colossians have much the same teaching, as do Galatians and Hebrews, 2nd Peter and Jude.
It is a Hebrew custom to tell the same stories again and again. They will embelish the stories, although they will not lie. With each telling there might be the addition of some incidental thing which initially seems to be irrelevant but when you take another look, you find that it is very important to a more complete understanding of the story. So, when you look at any incident recorded in the Bible you have to ensure that you do not miss something out. There is not anything there which is just to pad the story out. Every word is significant and will show you something good.
Usually, when you find something which is out of the ordinary you will be pleasantly surprised as to how God has shown you an important concept which you needed to see. You don’t even need to be a minister or a bible college student to receive this revelation. Just look at ALL of the words and ask God as to why they are there. Also ask Him why there are slight variations between two narratives concerning the same story.
Mark 4:14. “The sower soweth the word.”
The word is the truth of the Word of God. You cannot achieve much by sowing some other word. Positive confession does not work. Only biblical confession works. Anything else may look like it is doing something important but it is not making any eternal difference.
THE IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD CONFESSION
Remember that confession does not only mean that you are parroting the words from the scriptures. It actually means that it comes out of your mouth naturally or automatically in your general conversation. It is not forced in any way. There are some people who say many scriptures but rarely speak the truth even when they are using them. I remember when a man came to see me for counselling. He really wasn’t too interested with anything I had to say, and I foolishly listened to him ramble on for four hours. Then I began to speak and he shut up. I spoke to him for twenty minutes and he was amazed at how the Lord was using me. Afterwards I asked him a question:
“You spoke to me for four hours, how many scriptures did you quote?”
“Oh, lots.” was his reply.
“I spoke to you for twenty minutes. How many scriptures did I quote?”
“None.”
“Who spoke the truth?”
“You did!”
Confession of the Word of God must come from the heart. Some of us have learned the scriptures almost to show-off but we do not have them in our heart. They have not become part of us.
Mark 4:15. “And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.”
When you consider confession it is interesting how some of us can do really good when we are in church, but as soon as we get outside we forget the confession we made. The prayers we prayed are cancelled. The words we agreed with in the heat of the meeting we now destroy by our bad words and even worse attitudes.
The devil is most active in church situations. Sometimes we think that he is most productive in the nightclubs and cinemas. However, his strategy in those kinds of places is simple. Set the thing in motion and leave it to unwind itself. In church he has to be more subtle. Sometimes he will offer us the good in place of the best. Other times we justify our sin of gossip or character assassination by such phrases as, “I am telling you this so that you can pray about it.”
All our good ideas and quality decisions in response to the Word of God can count for nothing unless we protect that which we heard and our response to it.
We should also remember that the devil is a highly qualified scholar of the Word of God. He knows how to abuse, misuse and confuse with God’s word. He did it in the Garden of Eden. He did it in the wilderness with Jesus. And he will do it with us if given a sniff of a chance.
Mark 4:16-17 “And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.”
The devil will declare war on those who wish to follow the word of God. They will find they come under ferocious attack for one reason: the Word of God. I can identify with this most easily because I remember making many decisions in response to anointed preaching, and then, a few weeks later, wondering what happened to my response. You feel that your own words are cheap when you fail to keep your own word. You can easily get into a cycle of hearing the Word, responding, failing to keep your word and then feeling guilty. You then hear it again and the cycle starts all over again.
Mark 4:18-19 “And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.”
The world is attractive. Even sin is attractive. Temptation would not be real if it were not offering something attractive. It is not the sin which puts us off, but the consequences of our sin.
Even the temptations which came Jesus way were attractive. Jesus WAS hungry. He had not eaten for forty days. The stones even looked like bread rolls. And we know that it was within Jesus’ capabilities to do this thing.
20. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
Always there is a harvest when seed is sown.
Jesus Himself is the great seed. And He is also the greatest evidence of what happens to the seed when it is sown. It has to die. Think about that. When you pray there is a time when you wonder if the thing is ever going to come to pass. It seems that the prayer or the confession has died. It is during this time that the work in the spiritual realm is being done. However, if you begin to doubt that those things which you prayed will come to pass then you may well stop that work. The spiritual forces who work for us can only work with faith. They need us to believe by using faith-filled words.
JESUS USED FAITH FILLED WORDS WHEN HE SAID THAT HE WOULD RISE AGAIN.
Rev Christopher Veerasawmy A BIBLE STUDY
GOD’S REVELATION OF HIMSELF THROUGH HIS NAMES
Looking in the Old Testament we would discover that God revealed His nature through His names. Most of the time the English Bible translate it as Lord. However analysing it from the Hebrew translation we discover that the word Lord has different and many meanings. These names help us to know Him better.
These are the three names of God in the Bible:
The first one is El, Elah and Elohim meaning the strong and translated as God. (Genesis 1:1, 11,26). Under it come also El Shaddai, El Elyon and El Olam. El Shaddai is translated Almighty God (Genesis 17:1), El Elyon is translated Most high God (Genesis 14:18-22) and El Olam is translated Eternal (Genesis 21:33) respectively.
God spoke to Moses in exodus 3:14 and the word God in Hebrew there is translated YHWH*. We don’t really know what vowels should be put to make it “Yohwoh” or “Yehwah”. So the Jews took the Hebrew name Adonai meaning Lord and put it in Yhwh to make it Yahovah pronounced as Jehovah. So Jehovah is a combination of Lord (Master) and God as Lord God. It also means the great “I am.” The Jews were afraid to pronounce the word YHWH. They thought it was too Holy to say. * Yahweh is expanded into three other names such as Yahweh or Jehavah translated the Lord God (Genesis 2:4) and Yahweh Saboath translated the Lord Almighty (1 Sam 1:3).
The third main name of God is Adonai meaning the Sovereign Lord or Master (Genesis 15:2).
However there are seven other names of god referring as covenant name and also God’s relationship with His people. They are as follows:
u Jehovah Jireh meaning the Lord my provider. Genesis 22:14
u Jehovah Rohi meaning the Lord is my Shepherd Psalms 23:1
u Jehovah Shalom meaning the Lord is my peace. Judges 6:24
u Jehovah Nissi meaning the Lord is my banner or my conqueror. Exodus 17:15
u Jehovah Tsidkenu as the Lord our Righteousness. Jeremiah 23:6
u Jehovah Shammah meaning the Lord is there. Exodus 48:35
u Jehovah Rapha meaning the Lord who heals. Exodus 15:26
However the Bible tells us more about God himself:
« God is spirit _ We can approach God with the help of the Holy Spirit. Our spirit will come to unity with His Spirit.. John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
« God is also self-existing _ God is the source of life. He created life himself and everything with it.. John 5:26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.
« God is external and unchanging _ He will always reign, forever and ever.. Genesis 21:33 And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree beside the well, and prayed there to the Lord, calling upon the Eternal God. Daniel 6:25 For his God is the living, unchanging God whose kingdom shall never be destroyed and whose power shall never end.
« God is Omnipotent and Almighty _ He was never created and was here in the beginning. He is the great El Shaddai.. Genesis 17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
« God is All Powerful _ God has the power to do everything He can. We can now do everything we want through Christ Jesus who strengthen us.. Psalm 29:4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
« God is Holy _ All men have sin and come short of the glory of God except Jesus. We are now Holy in Him.. Psalm 99:9 Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy.
« God is Righteous _ His righteousness has been given to us through Jesus so that we might be righteous before Him.. Daniel 9:14 Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.
« God is Truth _ God does not lie. If He does the lie will become truth. Lie is against His nature.. Exodus 34:6 And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.
« God is a Just Judge _ He will always be a righteous judge as He sees everything.. Exodus 5:21 And they said unto them, The Lord look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.
« God is Love _ His love is unconditional.. Deuteronomy 7:13 And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
