I AM A WORD OF FAITH PERSON ARE YOU?
King Solomon reminds us that there us “nothing new under the sun”, and yet in the Christian life God continually is revealing “new” things to us. I guess that is, if we are asking and seeking.
Five hundred years ago this year God through Martin Luther RESTORED the awesome truth the JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH, and since then has continued to restore truth to His Church. I love RESTORATION THEOLOGY and am glad I am alive in 2017 and can look back over these 500 years and thank God that he brought the Church out of the DARK AGES and has been restoring truth to us since that time. We also see, that sadly, some REJECTED the restored truth, praise God many embraced the truth, and again sadly people took the truth to extremes which caused many to reject the truth and “throw the baby out with the dirty bathwater”.
The RESTORED TRUTH I want to write about today is what is commonly called the WORD OF FAITH, and FAITH CONFESSION. This emphasis came in the 1970’s and many took the truth too far, and the critics described it as “Blab it and grab it” teaching.
HOW DO WE RECEIVE FAITH?
Paul tells us “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” Rom.10:17 NKJV. Theologians have no problem with the fact that the Greek text uses two words for love Agape and Phileo which clearly express two forms or aspects of love. But many Theologians react almost violently when it is mentioned that there are two words in the Greek text for the word word. Logos and Rhema. The Greek words are at times uses interchangeably at times in the Greek text, so some feel not to emphasise one word above another. Logos is clearly the written word of God, and it is also used of Christ in John 1:1. But the Greek word used in Romans 10:17 is Rhema, The Holy Spirit does not waste words, I believe it is significant. It means a spoken living word. we have all had the experience (and I believe we can have it regularly) that as we read and meditate on the Scriptures, a verse or verses springs off the page and it becomes a PERSONAL WORD for us, and linked with it is the faith to believe it will come to pass. Can I encourage you to look at your Strongs Concordance and see the times the word Rhema is used, every time it is very significant.
The Bible also speaks of the “still small voice of the Spirit” where we believe we hear God speak to us, either:
from within
From the preached word
A word from a brother or sister
A word of prophecy.
LET ME SAY THAT WORD MUST ALWAYS LINE UP WITH THE WRITTEN WORD
Then I think it is IMPORTANT and ESSENTIAL that we confess that word.
Let me give you an example. In January 2005 as I was sitting in church hearing sermons on making New Year resolutions, I spoke out of my heart and said.
“Jesus I want to love you more and have a greater love for South East Asia”. I then began praying and confessing it every day. In May 2005 we had our Hillsong Staff camp. There were about 600 people involved ( with husbands and wives) and during an early session Brian Houston stopped preaching and spoke to me personally and said “John you have a dream, and it is time to see that dream fulfilled. After I returned home, Margaret and I talked (and prayed) and I tendered my resignation concluding at the end August 2005 at the end of term 2. Within weeks of my resignation being given I received an invitation from a Ministry friend in Asia, saying he would arrange all the ministry I needed in S.E.Asia. This began some ten years of the most fruitful and blessed time of ministry in my life. Which included many preaching and teaching visits to East & West Malaysia, Taiwan, India and especially Indonesia. I REALLY LIVED THE DREAM AND THANK GOD FOR THIS UNBELIEVABLE TIME OF BLESSING AND FRUITFULNESS FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD. Only physical challenges caused this to come to end.
THIS ALL HAPPENED BECAUSE GOD PUT A WORD OF FAITH IN MY HEART AND I CONFESSED IT UNTIL IT CAME TO PASS..
I believe the Apostle Peter calls the Rhema word a “seed” 1 Peter 1:23 which in the Greek is sperma. God plants His divine sperm into the womb of our heart and in the gestation period we are confessing that word until it comes to pass. Our first Rhema word was when we were born again, and if we will daily meditate on the written (Logos) word God will give us a living personal (Rhema) word, that will take us forward and deeper in our relationship with the Lord.
The writer to Hebrews tells us we must ‘HOLD FAST OUR CONFESSION” Heb 4:14 & 10:23).
The wisest man in the world (Solomon) tells us (Prov. 18:21) “Death and life are in the power of the tongue”. In the past we may have sadly “killed” people’s reputations by the things we have said, but now we realise our words produce life and power. My current confession is Psalm 27:1 THE LORD IS THE STRENGTH OF MY LIFE.
I trust this simple blog will bless and encourage you, and that you will spend an extra 10 minutes a day chewing over and meditating on the Word of God letting it become a “divine sperma into your spirit, feed it by confession and see it come to pass, and take you to a new level of victory and purity and power in your walk with God and in your ministry,
