That I May Know Him! Logos/Rhema

THAT I MAY KNOW HIM…Logos/Rhema

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr Kyfingers@aol.com

I read a story from 100 years ago. A young student was studying ABRAHAM LINCOLN. The boy was reading all he could find to write a paper about Lincoln. The boy was talking to his grandfather about Lincoln. The Grandpa said: You have learned about Lincoln, I worked in the White House with Abraham. I KNOW HIM, I COUNTED HIM A FRIEND. He said grandson, you know about Lincoln, I KNEW THE PRESIDENT, HE WAS MY PERSONAL FRIEND.

Many people know about Jesus! I DON’T WANT TO KNOW ABOUT JESUS! I MUST KNOW HIM IN A PERSONAL WAY!

Philippians 3:10 (KJV) That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Philippians 3:10 (NIV) I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

Philippians 3:10 (NLT) I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,

Philippians 3:10 (MSG) I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself.

Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13 (MSG) Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. 14 I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.

You can read the Bible. You can be baptized until every minnow in the stream knows you by your name. You can sit hours in the garage but that does not make you a car! Do we KNOW JESUS IN A PERSONAL WAY? Jesus is about a personal relationship maintained on a daily basis.

HOW DO WE VIEW THE WORD OF GOD? DO WE UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LOGOS AND RHEMA?

*LOGOS: The written word, Accepting the word is inspired by God.

*RHEMA: The quickened word, To hear the word as personal, from the mouth of God to the heart. The Holy Spirit opens the word directly to the person. Life giving. Life changing.

We need both the LOGOS and the RHEMA word of God.

Romans 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

WHAT IS FAITH?

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Hebrews 11:1 (NLT) Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

Hebrews 11:1 (MSG) The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see.

HOW DOES A PERSON GET FAITH? FAITH BECOMES THE ANCHOR THHAT HELPS US DURING THE STORMS AND TRIALS OF DAILY LIFE.

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

BE HONEST ARE YOU GROWING IN THE FAITH? WHY OR WHY NOT? A 50 YEAR OLD MAN IN KINDERGARDEN IS SO SAD.

1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

WE MUST NEVER FORGET THAT LIVING LIFE EMPTY IS DANGERPOUS.

We had a friend that lived in rural northern Ohio. He had a heart attack and his wife called 911. An ambulance was dispatched and they loaded him and was rushing to a large city. About 15 miles down the road the ambulance ran out of fuel. There was another ambulance dispatched but by the time the second ambulance arrived, my friend was dead. EMPTY IS DANGEROUS?

Today we live in a world of EMPTY… EMPTINESS is dangerous! Spiritual emptiness seems to be accepted from the pulpit to the bar? How do we get empty? HOW OFTEN DO YOU FILL UP?

Matthew 12:43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.