“Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” Luke 24:49
The Holy Spirit was sent to teach us, to reveal the deep meanings, and make known God’s Word to us. We read in Proverbs 1:23 “…Behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.” I remember when I began to thirst for the knowledge of the Word of God. I wanted the Holy Spirit to make His Word known to me.
If you study the word “word“ in the Greek, it’s the word “logos”, which means “God revealed” and “written word.” Now, Jesus is the Logos of God. He is THE Revealed Person of the Godhead. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word [logos], And the Word [logos] was with God, and the Word [logos] was God.”
If you study the Bible further, you’ll discover another Greek word used for “word.“ It’s the word Rhema. The first time rhema is used in the Bible is when Jesus was tested in the wilderness. In his greatest hour of temptation and physical weakness, Jesus rebuked Satan and said to him, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word [Rhema] that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3)
It’s important to note that Jesus didn’t use the word logos; He was the Logos! But being the logos of God wasn’t the weapon Jesus used to successfully defeat Satan. Nor did He automatically overcome in the hour of weakness simply because He was the Son of God. It’s the same for you and me – Nothing is automatic for us just because we are children of God.
Jesus used the word – the Rhema – when rebuking Satan, and it was the sword of the Spirit! Ephesians 6:17 tells us to “take… the sword of the Spirit, which is the word [Rhema] of God!”
According to some definitions, Rhema is “quoting (SPEAKING) the word of God.” It’s the Rhema Word of God that imparts faith (Romans 10:17). Rhema is the sharp, two-edged sword of the Spirit that goes not out of the hand, but out of the mouth! It has spiritual power that exceeds all the power of the wicked one! It is also a specific word that is spoken into time.
Speaking the Word is Power
Many people read the Bible – the logos – all their lives and don’t have an ounce of faith! Why? Because they never speak the Word, the rhema of God! They carry the logos with them to church, lay it on the coffee table, pick it up and read it once in a while, but they never learn the power which is Rhema. Many weaknesses exist in the church because believers don’t know the value and the power of speaking God’s Word! Even the devil doesn’t care what you believe as long as you don’t speak it! Luke 1:37 says, “For no word [rhema] from God shall be void of power.” (ASV)
RHEMA IS GOD’S CREATIVE POWER!
Hebrews 11:3 says that “…the worlds were framed by the Word [Rhema] of God…” Jesus has authorized us and empowered us to speak, quote, and release the power of God’s Rhema Word in times of weakness and temptation. It’s the same Spirit of God who lives in us, who empowers us to frame our world with the Rhema Word of God! It’s mightier than any weapon the devil has and that Word lives and abides in you – BIG TIME!!
With Love,
Pastor Tom