Rhema

Does “wine” in the Bible means “grape juice”? In the ancient Near East, with its scarcity of water, wine was a necessity rather than a luxury, so it came to symbolize sustenance and life. Due to its close relationship to the ongoing life of the community, in association with grain and oil, wine is also representative of the covenant blessings   God   promised to Israel for obedience, and which He would withhold for disobedience. Finally, wine also represents joy, celebration, and festivity, expressing the abundant blessings of God. Potentially, wine can generate either positive or negative results. Negatively, wine can be abused, causing a person to lose self-control. "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise" ( Proverbs 20:1 ); and "do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation" ( Ephesians 5:18 ). When   Jesus   made the water into wine, He did not intend for the wedding guests to get drunk. He provided th...

What is faith ? The dictionary defines faith as “belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof.” It also defines faith as “belief in and devotion to God.” Real faith is believing in what Christ has done for us. "So now, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith in his promises, we can have real peace with Him because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us."   - Romans 5:1, TLB. Faith is trusting God in everything. "And those whose faith has made them good in God's sight must live by faith, trusting Him in everything. Otherwise, if they shrink back, God will have no pleasure in them."   - Hebrews 10:38, TLB. Unearned Gift Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it clear that faith is a gift from God, not because we deserve it, have earned it, or are worthy to have it. Examples of faith. Hebrews chapter 11 is known as the “faith chapter” because in it great deeds of faith are described....

The Greek word 'dunamis' is used 120 times in the New Testament. Loosely, the word refers to “strength, power, or ability.” It is the root word of our English words dynamite, dynamo and dynamic. Dunamis is not just any power; the word often refers to miraculous power or marvelous works (such as in Matthew 7:22; 11:21, 23; Mark 5:30; Luke 5:17; 9:1; 10:13; and Acts 8:13). The Greek term exousia [ejxousiva] is most often translated "power" in the King James Version but it is almost always translated "authority" in modern versions. Power is an inherent characteristic of God ( Rom 1:20 ). It is the result of his nature. God's kind of power is seen in his creation ( Psalm 19 ; 150:1 ; Jer 10:12 ). His inexplicable power is the only explanation for the virgin birth of Jesus ( Luke 1:35 ). Power is always a derived characteristic for people, who receive power from God ( Deut 8:18 ; Isa 40:29 ; Micah 3:8 ; Matt 22:29 ; 1 Cor 2:4 ; Eph 3:7 ), from political p...

Matthew 10:7 "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Matthew 28:18-20 ESV And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The biblical definition of hope is "confident expectation." Hope is a firm assurance regarding things that are unclear and unknown (Romans 8:24-25; Hebrews 11:1, 7). Hope is a fundamental component of the life of the righteous (Proverbs 23:18). Without hope, life loses its meaning (Lamentations 3:18; Job 7:6) and in death there is no hope (Isaiah 38:18; Job 17:15). The righteous who trust or put their hope in God will be helped (Psalm 28:7), and they will not be confounded, put to shame, or disappointed (Isaiah 49:23). The righteous, who have this trustful hope in God, have a general confidence in God's protection and help (Jeremiah 29:11) and are free from fear and anxiety (Psalm 46:2-3). HOPE HAS REWARDS AND BLESSINGS (1) It gives us joy and peace. Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 5:2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into ...

Stephen was a Jew who had lived outside of Israel. He accepted Christianity and became one of the seven deacons chosen by the disciples to take care of the widows and the needy people in Jerusalem (Acts 6:1-5). Stephen is described as a man who was unusually full of faith and the Holy Spirit. Introduction Acts 6:5 introduces a faithful man of God named Stephen: “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.” It is noteworthy that there have always been those faithful believers whose love for and commitment to the Lord seem to shine through so greatly that others around them notice, and Stephen was such a man. Nothing is known about the personal life of Stephen—his parents, his siblings, or whether he had a wife or children; however, what is known about him is what is truly important. He was faithful, even when faced with certain death. Stephen found himself in the middle of a conflict between the Jews who still embraced the Jewish culture and those who had turned more toward the Gree...

Peter’s Life Before Christ Peter was originally named Simon. Jesus was the One Who changed Peter’s name. Peter means “rock" or literally Petra. Peter was born in Betsaida (in Galilee, Israel.)   By profession, he was a fisherman.  His father (also a fisherman) was named Jona; his brother, the apostle Andrew. Peter was married. He and his brother (Andrew), along with their partners (the apostles James and John) were fishermen on the Sea of Galilee.  Zebedee (the father of James and John) was also a partner. The house in which Peter lived, in Capernaum, is still standing; in the 5th century AD, however, a Christian church was constructed over it. Peter’s journey with Christ Peter left everything behind to follow the Lord (verse 11). Peter was perhaps the very first disciple that Jesus called along with His brother Andrew. For the next three years, Peter lived as a disciple of the Lord Jesus. Being a natural-born leader, Peter became the de facto spokesman for t...

There are many parts of the Bible that mention light (or Light). Usually, these verses are talking about God, holiness, truth or faith. Light is usually a positive symbol. Light is good Darkness and light are evocative words in Hebrew. Darkness evokes everything that is anti-God: the wicked ( Prov 2:13 ), judgment ( Exod 10:21 ), death ( Psalm 88:12 ). Light is the first of the Creator's works, manifesting the divine operation in a world that is darkness and chaos without it. While light is not itself divine, it is often used metaphorically for life ( Psalm 56:13 ), salvation ( Isa 9:2 ), the commandments ( Prov 6:23 ), and the divine presence of God ( Exod 10:23 ). In the first creative act, "God saw that the light was good" ( Gen 1:3 ). God Is Light. If light represents goodness in antithesis to the evil associated with darkness, it is a natural step for the biblical authors to understand God, the ultimate good, as light. Light symbolizes the holy God. Light signif...

The Apostle Paul’s Birth & Education 1) A.D. 6 Born a Roman citizen to Jewish parents in Tarsus 2) 20–30 Studies Torah in Jerusalem with Gamaliel; becomes a Pharisee 3) 30–33 Persecutes followers of Jesus of Nazareth in Jerusalem and Judea During the closing years of Caesar Augustus’s reign, a boy was born to a Jewish family in Tarsus. The family traced its descent from the tribe of Benjamin, and they named their son after the most illustrious member in their family’s history: Saul, the first king of Israel. As a Roman citizen, the boy had three names, by one of which he became famous: Paulus. Though born in a center of Greek culture, Saul was sent to school in Jerusalem, where he studied the Jewish scriptures and religious law under renowned rabbi Gamaliel “the Elder.”Gamaliel was a member of the Jewish ruling council (the Sanhedrin) and grandson of the famous rabbi Hillel. Saul – The Persecutor of the Church Before becoming the great missionary evangelist, Paul was known ...