Round Rock Chapel Youth Camp 97

Raising a Prophetic Generation

Sin & Confession

Mark Jobe

These are just my notes and any points that stuck with me from this session. Mark is an excellent speaker and I am not even attempting to capture his his talk or its tone. I wish I could!

Mark started with some basic criptures:

I Jn 3/4 : Sin is transgression of the law
Js 4/17 : When you know what is right and don't do it, you've just sinned.
Jn 16/8 : When the Holy Spirit has come, He'll convict the world of sin & righteousness, and judge it.
Some effects of sin:
1. Sin shuts off heaven from us (I Kings 8/35)
2. Sin makes us vulnerable to Satan (II Chron 6/24)
3. Sin enslaves you (Jn 8/34)
4. It ultimately kills you and destroys those around you (???)
I can't hide any sin from God, who sees it all. If I acknowledge my sin and deal with it, God takes it away and forgets it. (Ps 32/5)
When revelation comes, we must make radical adjustments to our lives.
We need to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another, so that we may be healed. (Js 5/16)
``Bless the Lord, He forgives and heals...'' (Ps 103)
Look how often in Jesus' life He forgave and healed - and how often healing followed forgiveness.

The idea here is that whatever needs healing in our lives, whether the problem is spiritual, physical, emotional or whatever, if we haven't dealt with our sin, if we haven't given it to Him and let Him forgive us, why do we expect healing? Too often we demand healing, don;t get it, and then we blame God, when we haven't complied with even the most basic requirements!

This isn't saying that if you aren't healed, it's because you have unconfessed sin in your life. It is saying that confession, prayer and forgiveness are essential, and that healing often follows.

I know that the night Mark spoke on this, I saw some real emotional wounds healed. I know that in our breakout session, we had some major relationship problems healed as a direct result of confession and forgiveness. The confession and forgiveness and prayer went on for about an hour. Jeff and Amy were invited to a reception for the youth pastors, but as Amy said, ``How can you leave during this?''

Several of the youth had major chips on their shoulders that had caused them to be jealous or angry at some or all of the rest of the group, or at the leaders. It was especially great to see these being dealt with. One girl who had been really cool to me came up afterwards and confessed to me why, and we talked things through and prayed, and now we are brother and sister again, instead of strangers.

Sibling rivalries and hatreds were dealt with and forgiven. Some people had really let others down. Hypocrisy was dragged into the light and destroyed. It was, honestly, one of the most intense, meaningful, awesome, cool, incredible hours of my entire life.

I hate repeating some of these words so much, but I just can't find the words to express this without sounding erudite. 8^)

Last updated: 04 February 2002

Miles O'Neal <roadkills.r.us@XYZZY.gmail.com> [remove the "XYZZY." to make things work!] c/o RNN / 1705 Oak Forest Dr / Round Rock, TX / 78681-1514