NOW FAITH #4: Living the Rhema

“Substantial things seen, through hope, make the unseen plainly visible.”

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WORDS

Lord’s Prayer – 66 words
Gettysburg Address – 286
Ten Commandments – 179
Declaration of Independence – 1300
Pythagorean Theorum – 24
Archimedes’ Principle – 67
U.S. Government Regulations on Sale of Cabbage – 26,911
 

Psalms 91:3,4.  Surely Yahweh shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust.

Hebrews 11:3 By faith, we understand that the universe has been framed by the word (rhema)of G-d, so that what is seen has not been made out of things which are visible.

James 1:16 (RSV).  Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.  17.  Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.  18.  Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.  19.  Know this, my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,  20.  for the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God.  21.  Therefore put away all filthiness and rank growth of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.  22.  But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

James 1:16-22 (New Jerusalem Bible with modifications in italics)  Make no mistake about this, my dear brothers and sisters:  all that is good, all that is perfect, is given us from above; it comes down from the Father of all light; with him there is no such thing as alteration, no shadow caused by change.  By his own choice he gave birth to us by the message of the truth so that we should be a sort of first fruits of all his creation.  Remember this: everyone should be quick to listen but slow to speak and slow to human anger; God's saving justice is never served by human anger; so do away with all impurities and remnants of evil. Humbly welcome the implanted Word that can save your souls.  But you must do what the Word tells you and not just listen to it and deceive yourselves.

John 5:1-7 (KJV). AFTER THIS there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2.  Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Bethzatha, which has five porticoes.  3.  In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed.  4.  For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.  5.  One man was there, who had been ill for thirty-eight years.  6.  When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”  7.  The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled, and while I am going another steps down before me.” 

Review

   In the first message of the series, we redefined the word “faith” based on Hebrews chapter 1 as “Substantial things seen, through hope, make the unseen plainly visible.”  This concept encourages us to order up the kind of world we want, including the kind of people we want to be and associate with.  We learned that we may, with tenacity and prayer, birth big ol’ faith-babies and help build the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

   The second message taught us that just as Elohim created the world through the spoken word, we may recreate our world through the word.  Even when we feel unable or helpless or powerless, the strength of our Master is made complete in our weakness.  Nothing is impossible for him nor for us who are in him, no matter how we feel.  We speak the word in hope and our word comes to pass through faith.

   In the third message, we consulted doctors of the spoken word, including linguists and a neurologist.  We learned that, in the eyes of science, the spoken word actually creates the mind.  Then we consulted with doctors of the church including Dr. James, Dr. Paul and Dr. Cho.  They all agree that we should be doing miracle ministry – speaking forth the word of faith to change our own minds and the reality we perceive.  We found that we could use affirmations to build our faith and, through their words, change our minds.  Our minds may be renewed in Messiah and become HIS mind.

   For this last message in the set, we’re going to go back to the spoken word once again and differentiate between the word we read and the spoken word of faith. 

 

Incubating Words

  Once a boy drilled a hole in the ice between two veteran ice fishermen.  The vets hadn’t caught a thing all day, but the boy began catching fish almost immediately.  The old-timers stared in disbelief until one dropped his pole and went over to the boy.  “What’s your secret, boy?  I been here all day and hadn’t caught a thing.”   The boy looked up and mumbled, “Y-u-m-m-m-oh-h-h-w-a-a-arm.”  The old-timer didn’t understand and said, “Whadyasay kid?  I’m a little deef.”  The boy said it again, “Y-u-m-m-m-oh-h-h-w-a-a-arm.”  The old timer screeched, “Now whadyasay again?”  This time the boy set his pole down, cupped his hands in front of his mouth and spit a big glob into them.  Then the boy said plainly, “You gotta keep dem worms warm, dude.”

   Incubation is the secret to the boy’s fishing success.  Likewise, we seek out the word from the Holy Spirit – ¿what are we to conceive? – what good is to come forth from our efforts? – what miracle does he have for us to do?  We listen – then when we hear his word clearly spoken, we carry it, nurture it, let it grow within us, let it gestate – and we build our faith and expectation until we’re ready to give birth through our spoken word of faith.  That’s keeping the worms warm.  Then our word goes forth; it doesn’t return void, but it accomplishes that which we please, and prospers in the thing whereto it’s sent (re: Isaiah 55:11b).  This is our secret to successful fishing – for men and women, boys and girls.

  

Creation Spoken Out 

   {Optional:

Genesis 11:1  And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. 

   The Old Testament is translated into English primarily from the Hebrew language.  In Genesis 11:1, the Hebrew dbar (dawbar rbd Strong’s 1696) is first used.  In the KJV, it’s translated “speech” but means literally “a word.”  Genesis 11:1 might better be translated as “the whole earth was of one (spoken) word.”  Dbar is also used in

Genesis 15:1: a word of Yahweh came unto Abram in a vision. 

That’s a correct use of dbar – it means simply, “a word.”  Yet the King James Version translates dbar into more than ten different English words in its pages.  The New American Standard Bible, a translation that noted for its literary accuracy, translates this one word over a hundred different ways.  This proves two things – (1) that we would understand Yahweh’s word much clearer if the world still spoke one language, and (2) that Bible translators take an incredible amount of liberty with Sacred Scripture.  Biblical Hebrew is a very rich but simple language, and the word dbar, which means “word” can mean the spoken word of Yahweh or it can mean a simple word on a page.

   We have the opposite problem in the New Testament translation.}

   The words of the New Testament are translated from ancient Greek.  Greek has at least two words that mean “word.”  One of those words you’ve heard many times is logos (logoV).  A great example of the use of this word is found in

Luke 8:11  [Jesus explains the parable of the sower] Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of G-d.   

   (In the spiritual context with which we’re now dealing,) The logos word refers to the written word of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation.  We get the word logic from logos.  By reading or hearing the logos, one can receive all the logic needed to understand the Father, the Son, their history, commands and promises.  Whether it’s taught from a religious or secular context, it’s still logos. 

   Just as there is the pure, true logos, there is also the false.  The true logos, like the Almighty, never changes.  For example, we call the Ten Commandments “The Decalogue,” which means “the ten words.”  They’re published on stone tablets because, in their pristine form, the words never change.  What we hope they become within us when we study them is a different matter – and a different word.

 

Rhema / Hrema

   The other Greek word translated “word” is rhema (`rhma).  We find a good example of that in

Matthew 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word (`rhmati) that proceedeth out of the mouth of G-d.

Rhema refers to the special word that goes forth to do or to become.  Rhema is “that which has been uttered by the living voice” (Dr. Strong).  It’s the saying or speaking word: the word of power and anointing (Dr. Ironside).  It could be a specific prophetic word to a specific person in a specific situation (Dr. Cho).  The difference between logos and rhema is indicated by the way the authors of the New Testament used these words. 

   It’s the rhema word that we’re concerned with today – the word consumed in faith: for rhema is the oracle of Elohim (Hebrews 11:3), the ingredients from which the world was made and the energy that holds the world together (Hebrews 1:3a).  His rhema word can never be nullified nor can it fail (1 Peter 1:24bf.).  It’s our spiritual food (Matthew 4:4b), our offense and defense against evil, our helmet and sword (Ephesians 6:17).  Rhema is also the substance from which our faith is created (Romans 10:17), a personal word to the individual or group differing from individual to individual, group to group (2 Corinthians 12:3-4).  Through it we can know our future (Matthew 26:75).  Careless use of rhema will bring strict judgment  (Matthew 12:36).

   As Yahweh created by the spoken word, we produce miracles.  Logos is the impersonal word; but rhema is the personal.  {Put manuscript over your face:} This is the logos {take it down} but this is the rhema.

 

Rhema in Action

   One of the most dynamic personal testimonies of the logos becoming the rhema word was told to me over thirty-five years ago.  Aunt Myrtle was a missionary to orphans in Kowloon, China during the W.W. II.  The Japanese invaded and were going house-to-house, arresting or executing intellectuals, government officials and foreigners, taking anything they wanted in the meantime.  When they came to Aunt Myrtle’s, they weren’t interested in the orphans or Chinese.  They wanted the missionary woman who they thought was a spy.  Aunt Myrtle had no place to go but into a tiny closet on the third floor.  She found a feather pillow in there that held it over her head. 

   While she listened to the Japanese destroying everything on the floors below, the Holy Spirit spoke this Scripture into her mind:

Psalms 91:3,4.  Surely Yahweh shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust.

In a few moments, this Psalm went from being logos, the written word of Yahweh, to rhema, the implanted word of Yahweh.  There was no time to tarry.  When the Japanese reached the third floor, Aunt Myrtle was no longer fearful, for her fate was sealed.

   Suddenly, the closet door burst open, and Aunt Myrtle’s eyes met those of a half-dozen Japanese armed with rifles and bayonets.  She was right before them, ridiculously holding that bag of feathers over her head.  But the bloodthirsty soldiers merely turned around and left.  She was invisible under the feathers of the Almighty’s wings.  Faith could someday save your life also.

 

This Week’s Rhema

   This week I received a rhema report from somebody right here.  A year ago, Sunday, June 22^nd, 2003 my message was titled “The FRAN Plan.”  At the end of the message, we wrote the names of a friend, a relative, an acquaintance and a neighbor in our bulletins.  We promised the Holy Spirit we’d pray for these people until something happened to them.  Mr. W wrote down a man’s name he’d known all his life, who was bitter cold toward the Good News.  He prayed continually that this man’s eyes would be opened.

   This week, Mr. W called his friend.  In the course of the conversation he learned that the man had recently started to church.  What a pleasant surprise!  His friend was excited about hearing Good News.  Now whether that logos becomes rhema for Mr. W’s friend is a matter of his own choosing.  But as for Mr. W, the logos incubated for a year, became rhema then came to pass.  A man’s soul may be saved because another was faithful to believe for him and pray him in.  And that’s a miracle we might all perform if we only will.

 

The Failure of the Logos

   If we’re to make Scripture our own, it’s simply not enough to take its promises for granted.  The logos word has no power in itself unless it’s incubated and converted into rhema within.  Nobody ever “got saved” by answering an altar call only – rather, faith has to reside inside until they’re born again – the rhema result of the logos word.  Yet many leave the altar rail with words and words only, claiming them from the written page but not having the rhema word of life.

   A tragic story of immature belief comes from Korea where a popular youth evangelist held a meeting for several villages in the Samgak Mountains.  Thousands of young people joined in, but during the week it rained and the rivers below overflowed.  The water was over the bridges and the current was too rapid for small boats.

   Three very poor girls who desperately wanted to attend decided that since “Peter walked on water and Peter’s Jesus is our Jesus and his faith is our faith, and since the Bible says he walked on water, and because we believe these meetings are G-d’s meetings and we believe the Bible, we’ll prove our faith and walk right over the water!”  The girls prayed, quoted Scripture, and claimed the power of Peter.  Off they went to the meeting on foot while the rest of their group watched them wade through the water. 

   Three days later the girls’ bodies were found in the open sea.

   The newspaper said “Their God Couldn’t Save Them,” unbelievers had a heyday and church attendance slumped.  These girls had stood on the logos word as though it were rhema, the written word as though it were the implanted.  They’d staked a claim but had received no personal assurance.  How could the Holy Spirit save them from their folly? 

 

A Stirring is Needed

   The logos word helps us gain understanding about Yahweh, to learn his history and ways.  But the logos word doesn’t always become rhema.  Take the oft misquoted words of Paul about salvation,

Romans 10:13.  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

I’ve heard this quoted by those who say that because they’ve called on the name of GOD or JESUS, they’re saved.  But Paul goes on to say,

Romans 10:16,17 They have not all obeyed the good news. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?  So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the rhema of G-d.

   No one can be saved by merely claiming promises or calling on Jesus.  To be saved, one needs faith the He exists, a desire to be obedient, then a born again experience.  We tarry and work out our salvation with fear and trembling. 

   Suppose the lame man shouted at the other infirm around the pool of Bethzatha, “You fools! What are you waiting for?  This is always the same pool in the same location with the same water.  Why just sit here every day?  I’m just going to jump in and be healed!”  He might have dived right in but he wouldn’t have been healed.  For it was only after an angel stirred up the waters that someone might wash and be healed.  Although it was the same pool in the same place with the same water, it was only when the water was stirred that it was therapeutic.

   The pool of Bethzatha is a type of logos, but the pool stirred by the angel is a type of rhema.  Only the one who perceives the stirring and jumps in gets the healing.  You can study the Bible, listen to sermons, watch Christian television until you’re blue but never be a part of a personal miracle of faith.  Only when faith brings life to words does your heart begin to warm then burn.  When that happens, you’ve got yourself a miracle.

   Rhema isn’t given arbitrarily.  Rhema is received by the one willing to incubate the logos and wait upon the Holy Spirit until the dead water is made living by a stirring.  My friend, if you haven’t time to wait upon Yahweh, if you’re life’s too busy with family, friends or doings – if you’re too busy for tarrying, then don’t expect him to tarry on you.  You must fit your need into his schedule; not vice-versa.

   {Have you seen “Magic Eye“ pictures?  If you glance at them, they look like redundant patterns of multi-colored ink encased in a glass frame.  But if you look into the “Magic Eye” intently for several minutes, you will see a hidden picture within the patterns that is three-dimensional – the inner picture pops out at you.  That is like logos and rhema: Looking diligently into the word with the intention of not quitting until you see the whole picture.  Discovering the hidden picture in “Magic Eye” art is take time and practice, but the discovery is very surprising and satisfying.  The same goes for rhema.)

           

Living the Rhema – A Guided Meditation

   When the Holy Spirit makes rhema of logos in your heart by faith, miracles are born.  When we receive the rhema, we receive answer to our prayers, direction for our lives, assurance of our faith, healing of our bodies, deliverance for our souls.  We want to live and thrive by the rhema word.  But how do we begin?  We start at the very beginning!

   1.  Shift into neutral.  Let’s be heart-calm.  Let’s wait upon Yahweh.  Let us say (and repeat after me), “Here I am, Father.  I’ll listen to your voice.  If you say ‘yes’ I’ll go; if ‘no’ I’ll not.  I don’t want to make decisions for my own benefit but according to your desire.  I’m ready to accept your guidance.”  This is what Dr. James means when he says, “Humble yourself in the sight of Yahweh and he will exalt you.”

   2.  Let us next ask Father to reveal his will through our desires.  Psalm 37:4 promises that if we will delight ourselves in Yahweh, he’ll give us the desires of our hearts.  Delight comes first, then desire.  Yahshua says in Mark 11:24 that whatever we desire when we pray, believe that we receive it and we will.  The focal point for the rhema word of faith is our sanctified desire. 

   So let’s pray, “Father, give me a burning desire for what I want and need.”  Keep praying until faith’s imparted by the Holy Spirit.  Wait a little longer, and test your desire.

   3.  Let’s screen our desires according to the Scriptures.  Is what we desire in accordance with Scripture and godly reason?  Here’s what I mean:

A fundraiser told me he saw millions of dollars flowing into our mission.  He said he’d received a vision of how to get that kind of money – through corporate grants.  “God” had told him that the money would soon flow in from companies like Philip Morris, R. J. Reynolds and Anheuser Busch.  I knew this couldn’t be rhema because these businesses profit on the suffering of others.  This idea couldn’t have come from god but greed. 

Is your desire in accordance with Father’s will?  If so,

   4.  Let’s ask for a sign.  Why do you deserve a sign?

1 Peter 2:9,10.  Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Our High Priest is generous with small signs of his favor, and signs are to follow us wherever we go.  Elijah asked for rain and Yahweh showed him a tiny cloud.  Sometimes His signs are overlooked, but once we have a burning desire, let’s be looking for signs!

   5.  Finally, let’s remember that Yahweh’s timing is different from ours.  When something’s done in the fourth dimension, the dimension of mind and spirit, then it often takes some time for the impact to break into our three-dimensional space.  When we receive the faith of assurance, then let us patiently, prayerfully and victoriously wait until the fruit bursts forth.

 

Wesley’s Aldersgate Experience (Optional)

   The young John Wesley was a missionary to the Indians in Savannah, Georgia.  It was his intention to convert them to faith through the logos of Scripture: that is, teach them the Bible and giving them a new set of moral standards.  But he didn’t make a single convert.  The logos doesn’t contain the power of conversion. Wesley believed he had faith because something was in the Bible – that was good enough for him.  But though he knew all the logoi of the Bible, he never the rhema.

   He ran away; back to England in 1738.  On the ship, he encountered Christians who claimed not just to have a head knowledge kind of faith, but a heart knowledge.  They had experienced saving faith, they claimed.  These Moravians said they’d had a personal experience with the Almighty – a rhema faith – and from it they received internal assurance.  It seems unbelievable today, but at that time, the church didn’t believe in personal experiences with G-d.  Wesley resisted the idea.

   But he opened his mind to the possibility of such a thing and then started to seek it.  At 5 in the morning he received the first of three little signs.  He opened his Bible to the words, “There are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, even that ye should be partakers of the divine nature.”  Again, as he was leaving,, he opened his Bible and read the words, “Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God.”  The third sign came in the afternoon church service, when the choir sang, “Out of the deep have I called unto thee.”

   Let me now read from his journal. 

In the evening I went very unwillingly to a meeting in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans.  About a quarter before nine, when he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed.  I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for my salvation; and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.

   Although Wesley had previously depended entirely upon the logos of Scripture for his salvation, he finally received the rhema of it – he felt personal assurance in his heart – and there could be no doubt whatsoever after that.

Jackson Snyder, February 21, 1995 Updated May 22, 2004