Hello! Grace and peace be multiplied to you. May God bless you and prosper you in all you do! I pray that God gives you the eyes to see and ears to hear what He has to minister to you. May you search and see if the scriptures say what the Lord would have to say to you through this document.

The principle I will discuss was the biggest lesson God taught me in 1995. The lesson that has brought me more victory in my life than any other teaching, since I've been saved over 3 years before that time. That lesson is the Bible principle of "calling those things that be not as though they were" (Romans 4:17), or what some people that don't understant make fun of by calling it the "name it and claim it" teaching. Contrary to what some people think, it is not a "new" teaching. According to the book of Ecclesiaties, there is nothing new under the sun. This teaching, the faith confession teaching is an old principle that runs throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

Just because people hear a teaching in the Bible, gets zealous, and run with it saying it is a "new" teaching, because it is new to them, doesn't make it "new," nor discredits it. I know some people in have caught only a portion of the principle and run off on a tangent with it, but that doesn't totally discredit it. Yes, you can't go out and use the principle on unscriptural things because of greed, like a million dollars or an expensive car.

I have a tape from a service Charles Capps did in my church on April 19,1995. He teaches a well-balanced teaching on this subject. I wish I could share with you the whole teaching in this document. I took extensive notes, so extensive, I approximately have 20 steno notebook pages full of notes. When I finish typing them, I will put them on a Web page.

In the Fall of 1995, I was invited to a revival at another church, from a believer at school. The guest minister didn't understand the principle. He breifly spoke against the principle to make a point that "there is nothing new under the sun." Someone came up to him at a convention and ask him if he wanted to hear this new teaching, the "name it and claim it" teaching. He said he didn't want to hear it at all. He said there was nothing new under the sun. I forgive him for that. I understand that he had no knowledge of the teaching and was not open to recieve it, because of religious traditions, religious, manmade theology, that makes the Word of God of none effect.

I am glad I heard what the minister said because it did challenge me. I told God, if this is not a biblical principle, He show me in His Word. I studied that Charles Capps tape and my notes. Then, I searched and studied to see if the scriptures where so. I now know, without a shadow of a doubt, that it is. I am in a way thankful for the way God used what the minister said to challenge me. The words the minister said were like grains of sand irritating my heart, like sand irritating an oyster. What he said challenged me to study more in depth the principle to see if it was scriptural. I searched and found it so. The principle became the most valuable revelation I have received since I've been saved.

Charles Capps maked the same point the minister said, that you can't use it to get rich, nor just anything. You have to have scriptures to back up what you are believing and confessing for. Also, you must believe and doubt not in your heart (Mark 11:22-24).

In Genesis we see God operate in this principle. In chapter 1, God said "Light be!", then the light appeared. Also in Genesis, God gave the promise of a son to Abram. He went 24 years without the promise of Isaac coming to pass. Then God changed Abram's name to Abraham, meaning "Father of many nations."

Romans 10:17 says that "faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." God had to rename Abraham to build his faith in the promise. It worked, a year later Isaac was born. We don't confess the Word, just get something. We confess the Word so that our faith may be built up to receive the promises of God.

There are many examples in our daily lives of "calling those things that be not as thought they were." For example, if you go outside to feed your cat, don't you say "Here kitty, kitty, kitty"? You don't go out and say well the cat's not here, it must not be God's will. You call for the cat.

I know that many Christians believe in saying things like they are, or you are lying. If that was true then why would God lie about the light in Genesis 1? He wasn't because it is impossible for Him to lie, and also He was calling for the light. If people who believe in "saying it like it is," you can't say "Here kitty," when the cat is not here.

Let's say that someone really lived out that principle of "saying things like they are." Suppose they come home after summer vacation and it's 100 degrees. They would say, "Well, I believe in saying it like it is and I'll put this thermostat on 100 degrees." Well, it would stay hot. Suppose they call the air conditioning man and say their thermostat is not working. The AC person would ask "How hot is it?" The person would say "100 degrees." Then, the AC person would ask "What is the thermostat set on?" The person would say "Well, 100 of course, we always believe in saying it like it is." Then, the AC person would say: "Let's see. It's 100 degrees and the thermostat is on 100. It is working perfectly." Well, that's why many people say "Well, that healing and faith stuff don't work for me," but it really is; because Jesus said they would have what they say if they believe and doubt not in their heart.

I hope that you will search the scriptures to see if what I'm telling you is true. Don't take my word for it; study for yourself.

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