The month of May 2018, has been declared for us ‘Our month of Sacrifice’. But do these declarations mean anything to you? Or are they just words in the air?
The Bible uses two different Greek words to refer to the ‘word of God’ – logos, and rhema. Understanding the meaning of these two words can help us know and experience God in a deeper way.
The more commonly known of these two words is logos, which is used to refer to the constant, written word of God, which we have recorded in the Bible. How incredible that we have in our hands God’s written word!
Through the written word we learn about God and know His ways, and His plan for mankind. Without the logos, we would have no way to know who God is or how He operates.
Rhema refers to the instant, personal speaking of God to us. Our God is a speaking God. He wants to communicate with us not only through His written word, but also through speaking directly to us in our particular situations.
We receive God’s rhema when reading or praying with the written word. At other times, the Lord speaks a specific word to us, sometime during our day. Let’s look into how this happens.
Let’s say you are ill. All of a sudden, you remember …by His stripes you were healed. – 1st Peter 2: 24
“Wow, I have been healed, and you start confessing the word, standing on that promise in faith, in no time, your healing will manifest.
The Lord used the written word (logos) you’d previously read to speak an instant and personal word to you (rhema). The Lord’s instant speaking strengthened you to turn back to Him and supplied you in the midst of your circumstances.
The rhema imparts life to us and washes us so we can be inwardly transformed. The key for us to receive the Lord’s rhema is to exercise our spirit when we come to the Word of God. The best way to exercise our spirit is by prayer. By praying with the Word, we contact the Spirit in the Word and the words on the page are no longer simply words but become spirit and life to us. This is how the Word of God feeds and supplies us with life for our growth in Christ.
So, when you hear the declarations, IT IS GOD SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO US (RHEMA), as a congregation. You belong here, and so you have a right to participate from the promises, but there are conditions to fulfil. There is always an ‘if you…’ in the promises of God.
This month we are in the season of ‘Giving Sacrificially’, not just money, but ourselves, our time, our talents, and most especially our lives.
The offertory hymn – Yours Lord is the greatness taken from 1st Chron. 29: 11, is very well loved by all. But I wonder how many of us go beyond the music to the lyrics?
Whatever you give to Him, do you really think ‘All things come from Him and of His own have you given Him?
Think about it.
Your Vicar and Friend,
