Revelation 1

Hi all,
The #1 request I hear from people is 'How do I hear from God?' I'd like to help with that today.

Foundational
When Peter proclaimed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus told him he received that revelation from the Father, not of earthly sources. He went on to say this revelation was the rock upon which he would build his ekklesia, his church. (Mt 16:16-20)

You and I each received the exact same revelation from the Father. If some examine Jesus from earthly means they say he was merely a prophet, a teacher, or maybe a magician who did tricks, but for the seeking heart, those truly seeking answers to life and truth, the Father reveals by the Holy Spirit who Jesus is and draws them to himself. Those who respond believe on him, and are born again.

Because the body of Christ is built upon this revelation, revelation related to Jesus being Lord, revelation is the way the Father communicates to us today. It all flows from that initial revelation from heaven.

Books and books
I would venture to say most every book and music CD in Christian bookstores is geared towards bringing us closer to the Lord. We have devotionals, word studies, versions upon versions of the Bible, maps, commentaries, cultural helps and so much more at our disposal.

I once had a missionary give me a list of 21 names of people who wanted to work with his ministry. He asked that I pray over the list and see what the Father told me. I asked why he didn't just take time to pray about it and he said this: "I'm too busy doing the work of the ministry to take time to pray".

If we focus just on books about the Lord or being busy for the Lord, they can lead to us not spending time with the Lord to get revelation. We learn about him when we actually need to know Him.

Personal revelation
Peter's revelation, and yours and mine, were both personal. Books can help, ministering to others helps us see aspects of the Lord at work and Him in the lives of others, but nothing replaces personal revelation.

Sometimes scriptures that appear to be blanket statements are not, yet when we read them because they appear as blanket statements yet aren't true in our lives, we wonder if scripture is lying. Such is this:

"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you." (John 15:7)

This verse has sent more people running to memorize a verse a day than any other. We think that if we just hide his word in our heart we can have Carte Blanche with God - ask anything and it's done for us, oh that I could be that holy, that close to God that I could ask what I want and it would be done!

But Jesus actually said something very different, yet completely consistent with the flow from Peter's revelation, that rock of revelation the body is built upon.

Jesus used the Greek word "rhema" for "words" in this passage. Unlike the word "logos" which means the whole word of God from Genesis through Revelation, or for the totality of the person of Jesus Christ the Word made flesh, rhema is very different.

Rhema is a specific word spoken by God to you.

We read the verse like he said logos - "If you abide in me and the whole of my Word is in you, you can ask what you will..." But he actually said this:

"If you abide in me, and the words that I speak specifically to you abide in you, then you can ask whatever you want according to the specific word spoken to you, and it will be done."

Whoa Nellie, back up the truck!
That's right, a whole industry and a good many churches are built on getting the word into people - here is a daily reading plan, come hear this teacher, be on our 28 day prayer focus to change your life, etc.

Yet Jesus was very narrow here - and if you look at your life you will understand it.

When things went well for you acting in faith, was when you were acting on a word the Lord spoke to you, showed you, communicated through peace in your spirit even - but you received some revelation and when you asked for something related to it, it was granted. It goes smoothly when we do that. If we try to 'stir up faith' and push our way, it's hard. But when moving on revelation, the way is provided.

Romans 10:17 says faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Can you guess the word for 'word' here is rhema, not logos? Right. Faith doesn't come by memorizing scripture. Faith comes by hearing a specific word (revelation from heaven) directly to you. The grace to do that word flows with it.

Back in 1979 my wife and I were moving from Charlotte, North Carolina to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. She was 3 months along with our first child, and we didn't want to live in an apartment with a new baby; we wanted to rent a house. This is what I heard: "You can rent a house when you're in Tulsa, and after that I'll give you a ranch." (the ranch didn't come until 19 years later with many houses in between)

So I had the revelation from heaven, the rhema. Now I could ask whatever I wanted related to that word, and it would be done. Barb and I made a list: 3 bedroom, 2 bath, earth tones, fireplace, wood mantle, 2 car garage, window over kitchen sink, refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher provided.

We put our hands on the list, asked the Father to reveal his provision, asked him to send angels to make it so, took authority over the devil commanding him to keep his hands off, gave thanks, and that was that.

A 2 months later we had made the cross-country trip and were on our way to look at a house for rent, and my spirit leaped in me as we drove through the neighborhood, causing me to pull over and at the same time notice the 'for lease' sign in the yard of another house. I told Barb "This is it, I know in my spirit". (It was exactly what we'd asked for and more besides.)

How I study the Word
When I read the Word, I only read until I get a rhema. What I mean is that I rarely read the logos just to read the logos. I read with purpose. I treat it like its Christmas and the Father has a present waiting for me, and he is eager that I find it, its just up to me to read through until I find what present he has for me.

So when I read I am looking for a verse, a passage, a concept presented in the verse or passage, to jump out at me, to catch my attention, to make me want to dig further.

I've come to recognize these things as the start of a rhema, and I can receive if I'll just pause.

How many of us have read our 2 chapters a night and then couldn't tell anyone what we just read?!

I read until something hits me, makes me curious for more, or arrests my attention somehow. I feel a jump of recognition down in my spirit, an excitement, a curiosity, so I stop.

"Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out the mouth of God."

Can you guess which word is used? It's rhema - man is to equate hearing a rhema from God as our food. He doesn't say our logos, the whole of the Word is our bread, no, just the portion God speaks to our heart - either in print or about a future home to rent.

I treat the rhema in those pages or the revelation shown me in the course of my daily life, as being alive, living, and full of life. That means each rhema is equal to my daily food, which means I want to eat it and digest it until there is no more life (nutrition) to be had for that meal!

That means I have stayed on one passage or one subject in the Word for maybe 3 months, without ever going outside that verse or subject matter. For me, I'll immediately cross reference a verse that jumps out at me, and I'll think on those related verses for weeks and months.

I'll open the Word briefly, go to another related verse, flip back to the original chapter and verse, read the verses before and after, then close the Bible again for a couple days maybe. But all along I'm eating, I'm chewing, I'm digesting the rhema, the revelation I received - and my spirit man is stirring around, jumping with excitement, my mind going 100 miles per hour.

I stay on that rhema until there is no more nourishment in it for this season. In the ensuing 2-4 months I'll have been in a Vine's Dictionary of NT Words, various translations and paraphrases, a concordance, a couple word studies, maybe a commentary, and for sure cross referencing throughout the Bible, taking notes on paper and in the margins...until I'm full and can't take in any more. In fact, at times I have to stop just after one word study I get so full, so excited I can't stand it - I have to take time to digest the 'daily bread' from heaven.

Now multiply what I just said above times about 6 or 8 'rhema' passages all going on inside me at the same time, and you get an idea. That's my bread, that's what I live for. Whether revelation comes through conversational prayer with the Father, interpreting my own prayer language, or the Word - I live for rhema words.

Find the wavelength
When I was a teen I lived for revelation from the Father, as I do now. But back then I would receive something or hear his voice and then go about my business, wanting desperately to find that "wavelength" again. It was like tuning in a car radio (before digital precision). There were times I felt like I was just next to that wavelength and other times I was just spinning the knob on the dashboard.

What I'll share next week will help you find that wavelength, as I hope this week's "Thoughts" has.

But I wanted to share today what is SO key: #1, that we each have received and can now receive revelation, #2 that the Father communicates individually to each of us, #3, we are looking for a rhema, for that is where faith comes, where effective prayer starts, and #4 that each of us must start in effective Bible reading - just the rhema and only to the rhema - then stop, and chew until there is no more nourishment to be had!

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Blessings,
John Fenn
www.supernaturalhousechurch.org