Balancing Rhema With Scripture
BALANCING RHEMA WORDS AND SCRIPTURE
Finding the Right Balance
Between Knowing the Bible and Knowing the Gifts of the Spirit
Rhema is just simply Words that He speaks to us through the many personal ways He speaks outside of the Bible, like for instance hearing His still small voice and the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Cor 12.
God speaks through the Bible as His spoken Word. And God also speaks through rhema as His spoken Word. Some people think the terms logos and rhema mean the written Word and the spoken Word. But in the Greek, they actually both mean spoken Word. {Strongs # 4487 & 3056} Both are ways God speaks to us.
The more you get to “know” people, churches, and movements, you will start to see that there are some who are predominately Bible people and others who are predominately Spirit people.
The Bible people find their relationships with God through studying and quoting scripture. Many are left brained people, who are more logical and receive most of their spiritual food through Bible study.
The Spirit people find their relationships with God through the gifts of the Spirit. Many are right brained people who receive most of their spiritual food through spiritual gifts, which are more on the creative side, In the past this could be recognized between the denominations of Baptists vs Charismatic’s.
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Now the line is not as easily drawn. There is a new breed of believers the Lord is raising up that are a marriage of both the Word and the Spirit. Bob Jones prophesied this back in the 90’s. And I have watched the move of the Holy Spirit bring those who were more Word people into flowing in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and those who were more gifts oriented, get back into the Word. There is a divine union taking place between the gifts of the Spirit people and the Word people who have expertise in the scripture.
1 Cor 1:22-24 NKJV
For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
In context to this lesson, consider this same verse paraphrased for today’s culture:
1 Cor 1:22-24
For Rhema people request a sign, and Word people seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Rhema people a stumbling block and to the Word people foolishness, but to those who are called, both Rhema people and Word people, Christ is both the power of God (rhema people) and the wisdom of God (Word people).
WARNINGS CONCERNING THE SUPERNATURAL GIFTS
The manifestations of the Spirit are FUN and God uses them to edify His people and also draw unbelievers to Himself. Remember Moses and the burning bush? (Ex 3:3) God uses signs to draw men aside and to get their attention.
John 6:2-3 NKJV
Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.
The rhema Words, or spiritual gifts have a strong drawing power because they are obtained through the supernatural. Because of the drawing power that God has placed inside of them, people’s tendency is to chase after or seek the supernatural…. and the zeal to do this can become a stumbling block:
1. People get lured into the supernatural experience and error not knowing scripture.
Matt 22:29-30 NKJV
“You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God….”
2. The zeal for having the gifts overpower the zeal to know God.
Rom 10:2-4 NKJV
For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge…
3. People seek the gifts and not the Giver.
Num 11:34 NKJV
Now a wind went out from the LORD, and it brought quail from the sea and left them fluttering near the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and about a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the ground. 32 And the people stayed up all that day, all night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered ten homers); and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. 33 But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was aroused against the people, and the LORD struck the people with a very great plague.
When you begin to be drawn into the spiritual gifts and God’s supernatural walk, the very most important detail is to never, never let go of scripture as your daily foundation. Every bit of rhema that you hear God speak to you MUST align with scripture, or it is not God speaking to you.
May the Lord open your spiritual eyes, ears and heart to receive His personal rhema Words to you, and may you always remain grounded in His holy scriptures, in Jesus Name.
2 Tim 3:16-17 NKJV
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
John 6:63
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Phil 1:9-10 NKJV
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent…
ASSIGNMENT: Take what you have heard or seen from God and find a scripture that connects with the theme. Find cross references in your Bible that connects that scripture with other scriptures. Pray over how the scriptures bring additional understanding to your original rhema Word.
