And All the People Said, "Amen" - Denise Pass
Photo Credits: www.youtube.com
2 Corinthians 1:18-22
18 But as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the one who was proclaimed among you by us – by me and Silvanus and Timothy – was not “Yes” and “No,” but it has always been “Yes” in him. 20 For every one of God’s promises are “Yes” in him; therefore also through him the “Amen” is spoken, to the glory we give to God. 21 But it is God who establishes us together with you in Christ and who anointed us, 22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment.
1 Chronicles 16:36
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, From everlasting even to everlasting Then all the people said, “Amen,” and praised the LORD.
Psalms 72:19
And blessed be His glorious name forever; And may the whole earth be filled with His glory Amen, and Amen.
Revelation 1:7
BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.
I did not grow up as a Christian. We went to church here and there, but it was not until I was 19 years old that I came to know God. I remember the first time I went to church after being saved and hearing people shout, “Amen!” It was as sincere as was their fervor for God. This was not what I had experienced at church before.
I remember getting sweaty palms when rote sayings or prayers were spoken congregationally. Moving my lips to the word, “watermelon, watermelon”, I hoped no one would notice. Then came my moment of relief – everyone knew that we all said “Amen” at the end. (Pronounced “ahmen” if you were more proper and “Aymen” moreso nowadays). (o:
Despite momentarily having good feelings after a church service, religiosity is not able to give a lasting peace and confidence that a relationship with God can. In this uncertain world, we long to cling to something that is sure. Someone Who we can trust implicity. Placing this confidence in man leads to discouragement and hopelessness. No one on this earth can meet our every need or be counted on always. But God is. He IS. ALWAYS. FAITHFUL. Amen.
God’s action requires a response from us. Will we lukewarmly sit by when He proclaims amazing promises and fulfills them in His word? Or will we shout from the rooftops, “Amen!” when He, our Creator, comes to us and relates with us?
Saying “Amen” is affirming that what God says is true. Truth has a way of evoking such a response. It is refreshing, appealing. Reliable. He is faithful and worthy of praise. Amen. The repetition of the word “Amen” is not just reserved for use during a sermon, but a part of interaction with God and His Word in daily life, appearing 30 times in the Old Testament and over 77 times in the Gospels, alone. Why is the term, “So be it” so significant? Because it is God’s people acknowledging and experiencing God.
If nothing else, hopefully today’s blog serves to awaken us to the components of a church service as not dead ritual, but living responses to the King of kings and Lord of lords. So be it.
Oh God, my God! Thank You that Your promises are true and eternal. Thank You that we can know You and be certain of our salvation. Amen.
