THE BOLD CONFESSION

Some of you may be wondering if Covenant Rewards would still be around after the launching of my new blog, Screemin' Eagle. The answer is yes, and here is the next post below. Politically, I have a lot to say, and sometimes I feel that what say about politics may offend some of you simply because you don't agree with me. So I have decided to have two blogs, one for Christians, and one for Conservatives. Also, I feel that politics should be left at the front door when entering a church as I'm certain many of you feel the same way. However, I must make it abundantly clear that I am a Christian first, and no matter what happens politically, my Lord is going to take care of me and you, too. I must say however, that when I step up to the voting machine, I am a Christian who's voting. My Christian beliefs influence the way I vote as it should with you as well. The overwhelming majority of political conservatives are Christians, and that's the big reason why conservatives are regarded with such contempt and disdain by the liberals and the left in this country. I must recognize however, that there are some liberals that are Christian, at least they claim to be Christians, or maybe think of themselves as being Christian Lite. I am reminded of a verse in the book of Revelation when the Lord is addressing the Seven Churches. He referred to the Church at Laodicea as "you are lukewarm, being neither hot nor cold, and I will spew you out of My mouth." I can think of a number of mainstream denominational churches that are lukewarm, and they have been steadily declining and evangelical churches are thriving and growing. I am not going to be the one to say that they are wrong and that only we are right, because God in His infinite wisdom will be the judge of that.

Right now, our country is divided almost right down the middle and as the scripture says, "a house divided cannot stand." There are two distinct philosophies that are warring for control in this country, liberals and conservatives. These opposing philosophies are present in both polictial parties, for there are conservative Democrats and there are liberal Republicans. For many of us, we are going through some hard economic times, and paying four dollars for a gallon of gasoline is making things worse, and the politicians are not doing anything to fix the problem. This causes a lot of trouble within the family, especially when you can't pay your bills, or the mortgage company is about to foreclose on you, and you're about to lose your home. Money problems are the main cause of divorce in the country. God never intended for His children to do without. He gave us the instruction book on how we can rise above our circumstances just by knowing who we are.

I am a firm believer in the power of prayer. Prayer by friends and family have brought me through some difficult times. Twice, I had life ending heart attacks. If I had been somewhere other than the hospital in each instance, I would have died, and as a matter of fact, I had some what I think were life after death experiences. The doctors say that the drugs they gave me can cause hallucinations and I may have had the experience of an over active imagination based on stuff I read about others having a similar experience. I don't think so. Nevertheless, I had one miracle after another. I had a heart transplant back in 1996 which is why I'm still around, but that wasn't the miracle. I had one miracle after another miracle that kept me alive long enough for me to get a heart transplant. If it weren't for the prayers of literally thousands of people praying for me, I wouldn't be here, today.

Not only do I believe in the power of prayer, but I believe in the power of the tongue. Our words have power and usually we get what our tongues are saying. For instance, if we are constantly saying that nothing goes right for me, or I can't do that, then that's precisely what the end result will be. If we are always going around repeating gloom and doom, then that's really all we can expect. We usually end up getting what we fear most. On the other hand, if we walk by faith and not by sight, and the words coming from our mouths are positive, our point of view will start a transformation in our attitude, and I firmly believe that attitude is everything. For starters, we need to know and be reminded of who we are in God. One way, in my opinion the best way, is the word confession. We have a word confession that we recite in our church service at Living Way from time to time. Below is a very detailed confession, what I call, the Bold Confession. All of the words in this confession are based on scriptures from both the Old and New Testaments, and are the teachings of the Apostle Paul and the Old and New Covenants. Recite this confession every day, and more than that, get it memorized and written down in your spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the truth of everything that it is in this confession; believe it with all your heart, and do not doubt. You will soon see your attitude beginning to change, and one by one, the stone idols that were standing in your way will topple over.

I AM OF A CHOSEN GENERATION, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, AN HOLY NATION.

I AM A CHILD OF GOD, A JOINT HEIR WITH JESUS, A BROTHER TO ALL IN CHRIST,
AND I HAVE BEEN ANOINTED WITH AND HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT LIVING WITHIN ME.

I AM THE BLESSED OF GOD. I AM THE HEAD AND NOT THE TAIL. I AM ABOVE AND NOT BENEATH.

I AM BLESSED IN THE MORNING, AND I'M BLESSED IN THE EVENING.

I AM BLESSED IN THE CITY, AND I AM BLESSED IN THE COUNTRY.

I AM BLESSED IN THE FIELD, AND I AM BLESSED IN THE MARKET PLACE.

I AM BLESSED IN MY GOING OUT, AND I AM BLESSED IN MY COMING IN.

I AM BLESSED IN MY LYING DOWN, AND I AM BLESSED IN MY RISING UP.

I AM BLESSED IN EVERY AREA OF MY LIFE FOR MY GOD HAS OPENED THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN AND POURED OUT BLESSINGS MORE THAN I CAN RECEIVE. I HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED, I HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH, FOR MY GOD SUPPLIES ALL MY NEEDS ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY IN CHRIST JESUS.

I AM THE FAITHFUL OF GOD. I HAVE THE FAITH TO MOVE MOUNTAINS THEREFORE NOTHING TO ME IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR WITH GOD, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.

I AM MORE THAN A CONQUEROR FOR I CAN OVERCOME ANY OBSTACLE OR STUMBLING BLOCK PLACED BEFORE ME BY THE ENEMY. NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST ME WILL PROSPER.

I AM A SUCCESS WITH GOD IN EVERYTHING THAT I SET FORTH MY HAND TO ACCOMPLISH. EVERYTHING THAT MY HAND TOUCHES SHALL PROSPER FOR I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME FOR I HAVE BEEN ANOINTED TO WIN, EMPOWERED TO PROSPER, AND I AM IMPOSSIBLE TO CURSE. I WALK BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT.

I AM THE REDEEMED OF GOD FOR I HAVE BEEN PURCHASED FOR A PRICE, PAID FOR BY THE BLOOD THAT WAS SHED FOR ME AT CALVARY. FOR MY GOD HAS SHOWN ME HIS SALVATION AND HAS GIVEN ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE BORN AGAIN INTO HIS KINGDOM. HE HAS FORGIVEN ME ALL OF MY SINS AND HAS GIVEN ME THE FREE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH HIS SON, MY LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.

I AM THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN CHRIST; NOT BY ANY WORKS THAT I SHOULD BOAST, BUT BY HIS GRACE, AND HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR ME.

I AM THE HEALED OF GOD. FOR HE SENT FORTH HIS WORD, HIS LIVING WORD, THE WORD THAT WAS MADE FLESH AND LIVED AMONG US. THE ONE WHO BORE MY SINS AND MY SORROWS, WHO WAS WOUNDED FOR MY TRANSGRESSIONS, WHO WAS BRUISED FOR MY INIQUITIES, WHO TOOK MY CHASTISEMENT UPON HIMSELF, AND BY HIS STRIPES, I AM HEALED!

I AM HEALED FROM THE TOP OF MY HEAD TO THE SOLES OF MY FEET. I AM HEALED FROM THE OUTSIDE IN, AND FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THERE IS NO SICKNESS, DISEASE OR INFIRMITY ANY WHERE IN MY BODY. ALL MY BODY PARTS AND INTERNAL ORGANS ARE WORKING HARMONIOUSLY TOGETHER. MY HEART IS BEING RENEWED DAY BY DAY. ALL MY VEINS AND ARTERIES ARE CLEAR OF PLAQUE AND ANY OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS, AND HEALTH GIVING BLOOD FLOWS FREELY THROUGHOUT MY BODY, DOWN TO THE SMALLEST VESSELS IN MY TOES.

I HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE PEACE THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING, FOR THE JOY OF THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH, FOR WITH HIM I HAVE EVERYTHING AND WITHOUT HIM I HAVE NOTHING. THE LORD IS MY ROCK, MY FORTRESS, AND MY DELIVERER, FOR HE IS A MIGHTY WARRIOR, WHO CAN SMITE THE NATIONS WITH A WORD. HIS WORD IS TRUTH AND HIS TRUTH IS A TWO EDGE SWORD. HE IS MY BANNER, HE IS MY VICTORY, HE IS MY CHAMPION, MY GLORY AND THE LIFTER OF MY HEAD. IT IS IN HIM THAT I LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE MY BEING.

I AM GOD'S COMPLETE PERSON, FOR HE HAS GIVEN ME THE KNOWLEDGE, WISDOM, POWER AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORD OF GOD AND OF THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. I HAVE SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT IN ALL MATTERS. I HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE AUTHORITY TO USE THE NAME OF JESUS TO CALL INTO EXISTENCE THOSE THINGS THAT ARE NOT AS THOUGH THEY ARE, AND WHEN I PRAY WITHIN HIS WILL AND IN HIS NAME, ALL THAT I PRAY FOR WILL BE DONE FOR ME, AND WHEN I LAY HANDS UPON THE SICK, THEY SHALL RECOVER.

I AM THE RECIPIENT OF GOD'S COVENANT BENEFITS FOR I HAVE ALL THE BLESSINGS AND NONE OF THE CURSES. I HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE TALENT AND THE ABILITY TO MAKE WEALTH, NOT SO THAT I CAN LAY UP TREASURE FOR MYSELF, BUT TO BE A GIVER AND A BLESSING TO OTHERS SO THAT HIS COVENANT CAN BE ESTABLISHED IN THE EARTH.

Whenever I have difficulty sleeping, or I wake up and can't go back to sleep, I sit on the edge of my bed and I repeat this bold confession. There are very few days that I don't repeat this confession, but there are other times that I repeat it more than one time a day, for instance, when I go to the doctor for my twice a year checkups. I will even repeat it when I'm in the examining room waiting on the doctor. When I was waiting for my heart transplant at Emory, I saturated myself with scripture, and I recited a rough form of this confession several times a day. The transplant was text book perfect with no complications. My heart was given to me through a prophesy by an evangelist from England who told me that God was going to give me a new heart. He didn't know me from Adam's house cat, but in two months, I had it. I no longer take the organ anti-rejection drugs and I wouldn't be surpirised if they did a dna test on my heart, it would have my dna.

This time a year ago I was in a bad way. My health had declined to the point that I didn't think that I would last another year. I had acute bronchitis, sleep apnea, and congestive heart failure with difficulty breathing associated with all three maladies. I no longer have the acute bronchitis where I was coughing up blood, and the sleep apnea where I was fearful that if I fell asleep, I wouldn't wake up because I had stopped breathing. My congestive heart failure can be controlled with a diuretic when I get bloated, and I usually get bloated when I've eaten or drank something I shouldn't have. However, I can still manage to go grocery shopping and mow the grass with a push mower, taking some breaks, and I'm able to function in my television duties at the church, and of course write two blogs and a novel. There's a lot of people my age that can't do as well I can, and I'm thankful that I can do as much as I do. I feel that I am getting stronger and the last few days, I've been feeling pretty good. I am believing that when I go to Israel this September, I will be able to do all the walking required without having to stop and rest every five minutes.

You owe it to yourself to take this Bold Confession and apply every word of it to your life, but its not enough to have the faith, but you need to worship and praise God daily, to delve deep into His Word and soon you will see a change remarkable enough that you'll be testifying to others about it. Dan Casey Friday June 13, 2008