A
daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and
exhortation.
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
Friday,
May
29,
2020
Amish
roadside sales abound along the back roads of Lancaster
County.
This one is
especially colorful. Brooksyne found established
perennials @ $2.00 so she sure enjoyed shopping at this
spot.
Click
to enlarge
"Amen"
Message
summary: The next time you end a prayer or
express agreement to a sermon point by saying
"Amen"; you're proclaiming "I believe". Do you
really believe the Lord today? We sure do. Praise
God! He continues to credit His righteousness to
them that believe (Hebrews 11:6).
"Abram
believed the LORD, and He credited it to him
as righteousness" (Genesis 15:6).
This
week we have been featuring a song that has become
immensely popular all around the world during this
Pandemic season. It's simply called "The Blessing"
which is based on the Aaronic blessing from Numbers 6:24-26. I suppose you
could say it's gone "viral"! It has a verse
repeating a very common word over and over again:
As we receive, we
agree, amen
Amen, amen, amen
Amen, amen, amen (amen, amen)
Amen, amen, amen
Amen, amen, amen
Amen, amen, amen
Amen, amen, amen (amen, amen)
Amen, amen, amen
Amen, amen, amen
Amen
indeed
means "we agree", "it is so", or "so be it". It
is expressed in most circles at the conclusion
of a prayer and in many others to express
agreement with a sermon point. For several weeks
we've been attending a drive-in church service
where "Amens" are expressed with the beeping of
the horn. That's been fine but it does seem
there are a few who tend to get a little carried
away or perhaps their horns are louder than
others! Reminds me a little of a young man we
called "Hallelujah Frank" from our Bible College
days. When he would amen the preacher with his
"hallelujah" he shouted it not just for the
preacher but for the thousand or so in
attendance no matter where they sat! Frank had
been saved out of a very rough inner city
background with drugs and so forth so special
grace was given.
In
the church I attended growing up (Stephen) the
only time the word "Amen" was used was at the
end of a prayer. People were very quiet and
non-expressive during the sermon. Thus during my
childhood I took "Amen" to mean the prayer "the
end" and you can now open your eyes. I don't
suppose I am the only one that made that
assumption! Brooksyne however attended churches
with hearty agreement expressed as "Amen"
throughout the preacher's messages, and thus she
frequently affirms the preacher's message with
"amen".
Brooksyne
recalls a humorous memory of her dad, Brooklyn,
who frequently fell asleep in church, the kind
of sleep that comes with snoring; that is, until
her mom would kick his feet with her high heels
which got his attention. She tells the story:
Daddy
was sitting on the front row without my mom
and fell asleep. For some reason my dad, in
his sleep, thought he heard his name called
from the pulpit and woke him with a startle.
Assuming he was being called upon to close in
prayer he stood up and began to pray. After he
concluded the prayer with "Amen" he was
informed by the pastor that he was still in
the midst of his sermon, not yet ready for
closing prayer. Oops!
We've been around a few folks who may use it more out of religious habit than careful listening, since I've heard some "amens" in rather inappropriate places! I recall the story of the preacher who woke another rather sleepy member with a loud, "How many of you really want to go to hell?" to which the now awakened and startled member shouted "AMEN". Now I don't know whether this actually happened or was just an illustration.
I enjoy the study of words and their background which is known as etymology, not to be confused with entomology or epistemology!
Today
let us consider the etymology of the word
"Amen", one of the most frequently used words in
a church setting. It's interesting to me that
traditionally its use is pretty much limited to
church and spiritual settings.
Our daily verse is full of wonderful material for those with an interest in etymology. The late R.C. Sproul, asserts that this is his favorite Bible verse. "Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness".
Three key theological words are found here for the very first time in the entire Bible: "believed", "credited" and "righteousness." That's significant due to a basic principle of Bible interpretation known as "the law of first usage", which asserts that the first time a word is used in Scripture is very important in determining its meaning throughout the rest of the Bible.
Today, let's just consider the word "believe". It translates the Hebrew word "Aman" which is the basic root of "Amen". This is the very first time it's found in the Scripture and it lays a foundation for all subsequent uses. It is spoken to express solemn ratification or agreement. It means “it is so” or “so it be.” Amen is derived from the Hebrew āmēn, which means belief, certainty, truth, and verily.
Our daily verse is full of wonderful material for those with an interest in etymology. The late R.C. Sproul, asserts that this is his favorite Bible verse. "Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness".
Three key theological words are found here for the very first time in the entire Bible: "believed", "credited" and "righteousness." That's significant due to a basic principle of Bible interpretation known as "the law of first usage", which asserts that the first time a word is used in Scripture is very important in determining its meaning throughout the rest of the Bible.
Today, let's just consider the word "believe". It translates the Hebrew word "Aman" which is the basic root of "Amen". This is the very first time it's found in the Scripture and it lays a foundation for all subsequent uses. It is spoken to express solemn ratification or agreement. It means “it is so” or “so it be.” Amen is derived from the Hebrew āmēn, which means belief, certainty, truth, and verily.
"Abram believed the Lord." This is a
fundamental description of the man known as the
father of faith. He believed the Lord. The
background of "amen" is foundationally belief,
faith or trust. It's absolutely significant that
the object of Abram's faith was the Lord. It's
not just belief but he believed "the
Lord".
Consider that the next time you end a prayer or express agreement to a sermon point by saying "Amen"; that you're proclaiming "I believe". Do you really believe the Lord today? We sure do. Praise God! He continues to credit His righteousness to them that believe (Hebrews 11:6).
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, like Abraham, who was not justified by
his own works, but by the righteousness of his
faith, so it is with those of us who believe, by
Christ's righteousness revealed to us by faith, and
received by faith. It is not by works of
righteousness that we have done, but according to
Your mercy that You saved us, so that,
having been justified by Your grace, we might
become heirs with the hope of eternal life while
we remain steadfast and faithful. Amen.
Consider that the next time you end a prayer or express agreement to a sermon point by saying "Amen"; that you're proclaiming "I believe". Do you really believe the Lord today? We sure do. Praise God! He continues to credit His righteousness to them that believe (Hebrews 11:6).
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, like Abraham, who was not justified by
his own works, but by the righteousness of his
faith, so it is with those of us who believe, by
Christ's righteousness revealed to us by faith, and
received by faith. It is not by works of
righteousness that we have done, but according to
Your mercy that You saved us, so that,
having been justified by Your grace, we might
become heirs with the hope of eternal life while
we remain steadfast and faithful. Amen.Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"The
Blessing" Video Hebrew version
dedicated to Messianic Jews all around the world
The
Blessing (Symphonic Version) Video Passion City
Church This is an amazing presentation made in early
May after the social distancing guidelines. We
wonder if this is what live presentations will look like
in the near future.
The sign on
the cooler offers asparagus, rhubarb, brown eggs and an
item not offered in the past: face masks!
Click
to enlarge
Making hay
before the rain (they hope!) It was already starting to
sprinkle.
Click
to enlarge
This couple
passed our house early evening yesterday. Both dogs
enthusiastically alert us to Amish traffic.
Finally
today:
Last night we
drove over to Bainbridge to ride a new section of the Rail
Trail along the Susquehanna River from Bainbridge to
Falmouth. Well, a small mom and pop type ice cream shop
was open so we indulged in some delicious Hershey's ice
cream before our bike ride.
We sure
enjoyed our ride on this new unpaved section with tall
trees on each side. Thus far it's not nearly as busy as
the older sections.
Send a message to
Stephen & Brooksyne
To receive the
"Daily Encouragement" each Monday-Friday
through email see this
page to subscribe to our email list. You can also
subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or
through a Wordpress email subscription.
(See the email subscription on the right side
after opening this page)
We want to thank all who
financially support our ministry. We
realize there are many fine ministries and
causes requesting support but if the Lord
would lead you we surely need and appreciate
the financial support from our readers and
listeners. Our ministry
labor is comprised of approximately half our
time to Daily Encouragement and the other half
to our chaplaincy ministry to companies for
which we receive compensation. Each of these
ministries essentially is the same as a
part-time job (20+ hours weekly) for each of
us. Our goal for many years is that each would
provide half of our ministry expenses and
income.
If you would consider making a donation to our ministry see here for more information.
To donate directly online here. This will open to a page that designates the offering to: WEBER,STEPHEN CHAP, Specialized Chaplaincy Ministry ID: 700001-237376
If you would consider making a donation to our ministry see here for more information.
To donate directly online here. This will open to a page that designates the offering to: WEBER,STEPHEN CHAP, Specialized Chaplaincy Ministry ID: 700001-237376
Please Note:
We also provide this easy option due to
the convenience, for international
supporters, and for those who may not be
concerned regarding receiving an official
tax deductible receipt.
Click
here to send an offering using
PayPal. This will open to a page that
states "Brooksyne Weber".Permissions:
Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and
distribute any material on Daily Encouragement
Net, in part or in whole, in any format,
provided that you do not alter the wording in
any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of
reproduction. It is our desire to spread this
material, not protect or restrict it. We do
request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription
information intact.
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
© Copyright 2020 Stephen C. & Brooksyne
Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA