Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 – February 18, 1546) was a German priest and professor of theology who initiated the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God’s punishment of sin could be purchased with money, he confronted indulgence salesman with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517. His refusal to retract all of his writings at the demand of Pope Leo X in 1520 and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms in 1521 resulted in his excommunication by the pope and condemnation as an outlaw by the emperor.

Luther taught that salvation could not be purchased, nor could it be earned by good deeds, but salvation is received as a free gift of God’s grace through faith in Jesus as redeemer from sin. His theology challenged the authority of the pope of the Roman Catholic Church by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge

And whether we like it or not, the influence of this same Catholic Church still has a residue of influence today in thinking of the protestant church as a whole. (To which all non Catholic Christians belong)

We say we are saved by grace through faith alone but in our thinking we still think we need to be good enough. We need to do something to earn God’s favor and love. We need to be HOLY.

We know we are going to heaven. But is that all there is to the “Gospel of Grace”? is it just a ticket to heaven? Does God’s grace stop when we get saved? Does our salvation end when we say a sinner’s prayer of repentance?

Let’s look again at Romans 5:10. I want to draw your attention to the “much more” part of this verse.

Romans 5:10 (NKJV)
For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

It seems that Paul is drawing a distinction between us being enemies and reconciled to God and us having a “saved” life after we have been reconciled. And this “saved” life is also by the same grace that reconciled us to God. Look at this verse from a few different translations.

Romans 5:10 (AMP)
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more [certain], now that we are reconciled, that we shall be saved (daily delivered from sin’s dominion) through His [resurrection] life.

Romans 5:10 (MSG)
If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son, now that we’re at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his resurrection life!

Romans 5:10 (TLB)
And since, when we were his enemies, we were brought back to God by the death of his Son, what blessings he must have for us now that we are his friends and he is living within us!

Apparently God has so much more in store for us after we get saved than before. And the much more that He has for us is all by His grace too. It starts with this word reconciled. Here we have another one of those words that means one thing in our everyday thinking, but when we bring it into the church we somehow assign a different meaning to it.

What does reconciled mean?

The Greek word here means to be transformed or exchanged: to be mutually changed.

The tense here indicates that it is a statement of fact and the “we” are the recipients of the reconciliation and that it exists without reference to time past present or future.

Christ came and took our place. Of this is no dispute. However this word is weightier it implies an exchange. Not only did Christ take our place, but He also gave us His place. This is the gospel of grace.

Webster’s says to restore to relationship or harmony.

What type of restoration do we receive in Christ? It all goes back to Genesis. God restored us back to the type of relationship that Adam had in the garden before the fall; a relationship of acceptance, approval, love, trust and intimacy.

I try to avoid drama at all costs. And I mean drama of any kind. I think most people do. Except to me anything that is not what I want I classify as drama. Even though I know that this is an unrealistic expectation, knowing this alone does not stop me from thinking this way. And this thinking is not at a conscious level. I mean, if you were to ask me if I have unrealistic expectations, I would say no. If you would ask me if I thought I was avoiding things that I didn’t want to happen and calling it drama, I would say no. If you were to ask me if I thought I was in Denial. My immediate first response would be emphatically NO! Why? Because I will do anything to not have to deal with the feelings I get when things don’t go the way that I hope. It often brings up uncomfortable feelings of hurt and feeling less than. Feelings like; I am not good enough, or I can’t do anything right. I am continually seeking approval and usually not from those who God has sent my way to give me what I am seeking, but instead I seek it from those who don’t have it to give.

Have you heard the story about the man who didn’t know how to swim and was caught in a severe flood? The water was half way up to his roof. He was standing on his roof praying and crying out to God. “Lord, please help me. Please save me” And a man floats by on a make shift raft and asks if he needs help. He replies, “No, God will take care of me.” The water is now up to his roof. He cries out again. “God help me. Please save me.” A woman comes by in a little boat and asks if she can help. “No, God will take care of me.” The water is now covering the roof and he is standing waist deep in the water on top of his roof. He cries out to God. “Please help me. Lord, please save me.” A helicopter comes by and a man jumps out and asks if he can help. “No God will take care of me.” The man ends up drowning right there. When he gets to heaven he asks the Lord, “I cried out to You. Why didn’t you save me? You know I can’t swim.” I’m sure you know the response. The Lord says “I sent you a raft, a boat and a helicopter.”

This is exactly how I am sometimes. I am looking for help in a certain or specific way and being so stuck on my own understanding, I actually miss how God has tried to help. I think “I don’t need YOUR help. GOD is going to help me.” Somehow in my mind if things don’t go the way I hope,  I interpret that as me being a failure and then I feel rejected. Now if I have the clarity of mind, at the time, to examine my feelings, I can usually get some perspective on them and realize that my character defect is what’s being triggered and that is why I am feeling this way. But this is not always the case. I think that is why God tells us that we need other people in our life. I know nothing snaps me back to reality quicker than someone asking me “What is your part?” Or “Which one of your core issues is being triggered here?”

You see this is that nasty and insidious thing called denial. And this is what makes it so dangerous; When I’m in denial I can’t tell that I am. And I can’t see denial because I’m in it. I will deny that I am in denial. This is the nature of denial. And this is what makes it so hard to break free from. And why we can’t do it by ourselves. Did you know that the Bible has much to say about this? I am comforted to know that I am not the only person who has these struggles.

 2 Corinthians 3:14 (NKJV) “But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ.”

Christ (Jesus) takes away the veil that keeps my mind blinded. I find it noteworthy that the apostle Paul says here that even in the reading of the Old Testament it remains unlifted. The Old Testament is the BIBLE. And at the time there was no New Testament yet. It was still being lived. So let’s remember that when it says Old Testament here, it means the BIBLE. That is all they had at the time. I find solitude in continually reading the scriptures, but it says here that there is still a veil in just reading the scriptures. Now don’t get me wrong. I believe that God’s word is the ultimate authority and the reed by which we measure everything against. But just reading, memorizing and quoting the word is not the answer. Listen to the astounding words that Jesus said.

John 5:39-40 (MSG) 39 “You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you’ll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! 40 And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren’t willing to receive from me the life you say you want.

He said that just reading and studying my Bible does not bring me life. It directs me to The Life – Jesus. Then I have to DO something. Am I WILLING to receive what I say I want? Or am I missing the forest for the trees?

2 Corinthians 4:4 (NKJV) “whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”

2 Corinthians 11:3 (NKJV) “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

 My mind can be blinded, deceived and corrupted. And as a result I end up avoiding just the thing that might give me an experience and a victory that I could share with and possibly help someone else. It takes the light of God’s word to shine on and expose it. And usually that comes through others. But then I still have to do something with what I hear. Will I accept it or reject it. You see I want the victory and want to be able to tell the story without having to go through the experience. And it’s not the experience itself that bothers me. It is the way that I feel when I have to face what I don’t want to happen. I am learning that it is only when I go THROUGH the problem or difficult situation that I am able to claim and get the victory over it. I used to CLAIM victory based on the promise in God’s word, and then do everything I could think of to avoid the inevitable consequences of my actions. What I found is that I was continually frustrated and unfulfilled.

Philippians 4:7 (NKJV) “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

 This verse says that God’s peace will guard my mind. Peace enters in my mind. When my mind is at peace I am at peace. When my mind is confused and spinning, I don’t have peace. Does this just happen automatically once I become a Christian? I don’t think so. I know there have been many times in my life when I have not experienced peace in my mind and have been spinning. But I got some clarity when I read Isaiah.

 Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV) “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.”

Notice that peace comes from having my mind stayed. The italicized words in the above verse are not in the original language. Listen how the New International version states it.

Isaiah 26:3 (NIV) 3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.

So if I can keep my mind steady or steadfast I will have peace. And that shows my trust in God. God expects me to do something with my mind. The spiritual battle that I fight is in my mind. And it’s up to m e to do something with my mind.

I was reflecting on this verse in Acts about the Bereans,

Acts 17:11 (GW)
¹¹ The people of Berea were more open-minded than the people of Thessalonica. They were very willing to receive God’s message, and every day they carefully examined the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was true.

I always wanted to be like the Bereans. And thought that I was, because I examined the Scriptures daily to see if the things I believed were true. However this time, I was convicted by a couple of words in this verse that I had overlooked before. It says that they were more “open-minded because they were willing to receive the word they heard” and then went home and daily examined the Scriptures to see if those things that they had already heard and received were true. 

I had to honestly ask myself “Am I willing to receive things I don’t know or believe?” My conclusion was No I am not. I have always processed everything I heard through the filter of my own knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures. Although it seemed right, it was arrogant. According to this verse, I was not open-minded nor willing to receive. And consequently I was never open-minded to new ideas or thoughts. Did I really think that I knew everything? 

Now I try to receive what I hear first with willingness, then I go home and search the Scriptures to see if what I heard was true. This allows me to be open-minded to new ideas and thoughts and still have sound biblical doctrine for my beliefs. And as a result I have been able to accept new ideas and have new understanding of the things about God and His Word. And having examined the Scriptures, my faith is increased and I know whether the things are true or not. This would have never happened if I had only been willing to receive what I already knew.

Welcome to Written Rhema.

Written Rhema is the revelations, visions, dreams, prophecies and teachings that the Lord has given us to share with others. Our goal is to “Write down the revelations and make it plain so that those who read it may run.” Hab 2:2

For our very first post we will just look at this verse from a few different translations.

Habakkuk 2:2 (NKJV)
² Then the LORD answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.

Habakkuk 2:2 (NIV)
² Then the LORD replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. 

Habakkuk 2:2 (TLB)
² And the Lord said to me, “Write my answer on a billboard, large and clear, so that anyone can read it at a glance and rush to tell the others.

Habakkuk 2:2 (MSG)
² And then GOD answered: “Write this. Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. 

Habakkuk 2:2 (NCV)
² The LORD answered me: “Write down the vision; write it clearly on clay tablets so whoever reads it can run to tell others.

Habakkuk 2:2 (GW)
² Then the LORD answered me, “Write the vision. Make it clear on tablets so that anyone can read it quickly.  

When reading the different translations a couple of things jumped out at me.

1. Revelations, dreams, visions and prophecies need to be written down.
2. They need to be plain and easy for others read and understand.
3. Those who read need to be able to carry the message to others.
4. The writings need to be able to be read quickly

I especially like how The Living Bible says to “put it on a billboard”. I guess if it was written with today’s technology in mind it might read something like this; “Create a blog of the dreams, visions and prophecies that I give you and post them on the internet so everyone can read it”. 

The hebrew word for vision here is hāzôn Strong’s #2377, It means a sight (mentally), i.e. a dream, revelation, or oracle :- vision. It’s root word is  hāzâ Strong’s #2372 and it means: to gaze at; mentally to perceive, contemplate (with pleasure); specifically to have a vision of :- behold, look, prophesy, provide, see. (Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary)

This is referring to a prophetic word made alive. It can be a dream, vision, prophesy or revelation. Something perceived in the spirit.

This hebrew word is very similar to the greek word rhema Strong’s #3487, which means a spoken utterance (personal or corporate); by implication a matter or topic (especially of narration, command or dispute). (Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary).

Basically in everyday terms, it’s the word of God spoken to us either personally from the Lord or coporately through prophesying, preaching or teaching. It is when the word spoken becomes alive to us personally. (John 1:14)

1 Corinthians 14:6 says that when you come together each one has something to share, psalm, hymn, teaching, revelation or prophecy. We all can hear from the Lord and we all have revelation and things to share to help out each other and build each other up.  As the disciples in the book of Acts said  “We cannot stop talking about the things God has shown us”(Acts 4:20). That is the purpose for this blog.

Our prayer is that the writings we share will encourage, motivate and challenge you to be the best version of you that God intended. 

Ed and Dani