Amen and Awoman

 

Prayer has been a bedrock in our country since it was founded, and that includes using it to open each new session of Congress. It was nothing new when Representative Emanuel Cleaver was asked to open the 117^thCongress in prayer last January, but it was the final two words of the invocation that raised some eyebrows. Instead of the traditional amen, the Missouri democrat added the words “and awoman” to the end of his prayer (inasmuch as we can call “awoman” a word).

 

The reason for this inclusion was the new rule set by the Speaker of the House that eliminated what she calls gendered words. Words such as mother and father, son and daughter, and grandmother and grandfather have been banned in the House of Representatives, and Cleaver must have thought that the last three letters of amen made it a gendered word. By adding “and awoman” Cleaver attempted to include the other gender into his prayer.

 

Is this what we should all be doing? The last thing we want to do is exclude women from our prayers or from Christianity in general. In Orwellian fashion, are we now to add awoman to the eleventh addition of the Newspeak dictionary? Is it chauvinistic if we stick to the traditional “amen”? 

 

The m-e-n at the end of amen does not make it a gendered word any more than the m-a-n in the middle of Emanuel makes the congressman’s name gendered. Amen isn’t even English. It is the transliteration of the Hebrew word that means “verily, truly, or so be it.” It is a term of agreement. That is why a congregant may shout it out when he agrees with the preacher, and why a believer says it at the end of her prayers. When we close our petition with the word amen, we are asking God to make it so, hoping that He will grant our request.

 

That is why it is fitting that amen is the final word of the Bible, not just our prayers. Revelation 22:21 says “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” The preceding verse says “Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus!” In the context of the Bible’s final book, there is a big amen stamped across the bottom, verifying not only the Revelation of Jesus Christ, but the sixty-five books that come before John’s vision as well. More specifically, we say amen when Jesus promises to return for His church. We say amen when He promises to bind Satan and cast him into the lake of fire. We say amen when He promises to bring heaven to earth and establish His kingdom. We say amen when He promises there will be no more curse, and nothing unclean will ever enter the city. 

 

We say amen because we are agreeing with God that this is the best end, and that we want Him to come back quickly. We do not need to add a fake word, but both men and women can heartily say amen at the end of our prayers and God’s promises because our trust is settled in our living Lord. He always keeps His promises, and to that we can all say amen!

 

 

Your Destiny

 

Most people are familiar with the two atomic bombs that helped bring about unconditional Japanese surrender and the end the of World War II. You might remember the name of Robert Oppenheimer, the leader of the Manhattan Project and the man credited with building the “big one.” You might remember the name of Colonel Paul Tibetts, the pilot who dropped the first bomb over Hiroshima from his plane, the Enola Gay. President Franklin Roosevelt gave the okay to begin the project, and President Harry S Truman gave the final green light to unleash the weapon and change the world. 

 

With as much attention that those four men received, there are some who are not usually mentioned in the telling of the beginning of the nuclear age. The men aboard the USS Indianapolis played a vital role. The ship seemed like a ship of destiny; when the Japanese launched their surprise attack that brought America into the war, the Indianapolis was on its way to Pearl Harbor, safely 700 miles away from the bombing. In 1945 the ship survived a kamikaze attack when a Japanese suicide bomber successfully landed his plane into the Indianapolis. The ship had to return home for repairs, and thus helped play a major part in American history. Once the repairs were completed, orders were given to transport a special container to Tinian Island that was so top secret, the ship’s skipper, Captain Charles McVay III, did not even know the contents. 

 

The contents were the components of the atomic bombs. 

 

Without knowing that they delivered A-bombs, the Indianapolis went back out to sea, where a Japanese submarine delivered a fatal blow to the American ship. The torpedo’s damage eventually destroyed the vessel. Of the 1,195 men on board, almost 400 died from the blast. 800 jumped into the water, where they were floating dinner for sharks. 316 were rescued, but the guilt led McVay to eventually take his own life after he was court-martialed and blamed for the attack. 

 

A ship that survived Pearl Harbor and a kamikaze attack eventually was destroyed by a submarine just before the war ended. Imagine if the torpedo had hit the Indianapolis on the way to Tinian Island as opposed to on the way from it. Regardless of what you might think about the ethics of dropping these bombs, they certainly shortened the war. General Douglas MacArthur was preparing for a land invasion of Japan, and he estimated that 500,000 people would die. As horrific as the bombs were, and we can certainly debate their morality, they brought an early end to the war. 

 

The Indianapolis was a ship of destiny. The crew was instrumental in ending the last world war. The ship’s story reminds of when people say, “God still has a purpose for you, or else He wouldn’t leave you here.” Once the purpose of the Indianapolis had been accomplished, the ship went down. I am not saying that was providential, but I do believe that is how it happens in life. As long as there is breath in your lungs, Christian, God still has something for you to do. As long as there is breath in your lungs, unbeliever, God is giving you a chance to repent and get right with Him. 

 

Whatever your purpose is—your destiny—then do it. God has left you here, so He has something for you to do. He is leaving you here until your destiny has been fulfilled. If you are still here, and you wouldn’t be reading this otherwise, then God expects you to be working for Him. Share the gospel, meet a need, teach a class, pray for the lost.

 

When writing I Corinthians, Paul said, “But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose (12:18).” The apostle was talking about spiritual gifts and how the Holy Spirit has gifted us according to His sovereign plan. If He has arranged us where He wants us and given us the gifts He has chosen, doesn’t it stand to reason that He also decides how long we are here and able to use these gifts? 

 

As long as you live, God expects you to work. We don’t retire until He calls us home. 

 

 

Constant Complaining

 

I heard about a young man that decided to become a monk. He wanted to live a life of self-denial, refusing many of the comforts of life. When he first joined the monastery he was shown to his new quarters, and then was told that as part of his vow of silence, he was only allowed to speak two words every ten years, so he better choose them wisely. 

 

At the end of his first ten years he was brought before a council of elders, where he was told he could say whatever was on his mind, or whatever his two words would allow. He didn’t need to think about it very long. “Room cold,” he said. After returning to his cold room the monk went on about his monastic lifestyle for another ten years. Then it was time to appear before the council again. This time the young monk used his two word allowance to say, “Food bad.” After another decade of silence he couldn’t take it any more. When he stood before the council he made another two word declaration: “I quit.” 

 

“Thank goodness,” replied the head monk. “You’ve done nothing but complain since the minute you arrived here.” 

 

Do you know anyone who seems to do nothing but complain? One hundred percent of the monk’s words over a thirty year span was negative. You probably use more than two words per decade, but your percentage may be just as high. People do not want to hear constant complaining; it brings the whole room down. More importantly, complaining is a poor representation of the God we serve. 

 

That is why Paul admonished to, “Do all things without complaining and disputing (Philippians 2:14).” The result, according to Paul, was that the church would become blameless in the eyes of a sinful world. Complaining is what the unsaved do; we do not want to sink to their level. If I didn’t know Jesus I would have a lot to complain about. I would see the world for all its faults, and there would be a lot to get me down. But as a Spirit filled Christian, I can look at the same world and see something completely different. 

 

Where the world sees hopeless, I see hope. Where the world sees destruction, I see the devil, but I know he is defeated. When its dark outside, I have a greater chance to let my light shine. People talk about how bad things are getting, but what’s the worst this world can do to me? If you take my life, you send me to heaven. 

 

There will always be things we could complain about, but then we are only adding to all the negativity. Instead, let’s stay focused on the positives. If you live this way, I promise you will be a magnet that draws people to you, and you will have opportunities to tell people the reason for the hope that lies within.   

 

 

 

 

DNA is God’s Signature

 

During the OJ Simpson trial in 1994 many of us learned about a three-letter sequence that would eventually change forensic science-DNA. Although the State of California did a poor job in explaining this relatively new science to the public, we have since come to understand it in a much better way. A person’s DNA is their own unique code, the blueprint that maps out a person’s physical appearance. Any DNA left at a crime scene today will almost certainly lead to that person’s conviction. Even still, many of us might not know some of the finer details of what DNA actually is. 

 

Deoxyribonucleic acid is basically a molecule that is composed of two polynucleotide chains that wrap around each other to form a double helix. Does that help? Under a microscope we can see that, in layman’s terms, DNA looks like a spring, or two strings coiled up with bridges in between them. Dr. Yeshayahu Rubinstein studied DNA and found a pattern in the bridges that run between the chains. He noted that there are ten acids and then a bridge; then five acids and a bridge; then six acids and a bridge; then five acids and a bridge. This pattern repeats indefinitely in all DNA. 

 

Dr. Rubinstein, who is Jewish, knew that every letter in the Hebrew alphabet has a numerical value, so he transposed the numbers ten, five, six, and five into Hebrew. This produced yod, he, waw, he, or YHWH. That is the Hebrew name for the God of heaven, what we commonly pronounce as Yahweh. It was by this name that God first introduced Himself to Moses at the burning bush as His way of distinguishing Himself from the generic word god: Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, ‘YHWH…(Exodus 3:13-14)’

 

This is remarkable. The Creator of the universe has slipped His holy name into every strand of DNA, the blueprints for life. All good artists place their signature into their work, and now we have found God’s signature in His piece de resistance. 

 

What is also remarkable about DNA is that it is present at the second of conception. A fertilized egg, called a zygote, is genetically complete, meaning the baby’s DNA is already locked in place. Some use terms to de-humanize the unborn, calling them a fetus (which just means “little one” in Latin) or a product of conception, as if they are a dime a dozen. But God has given each not-yet-born baby her own unique DNA the second He formed her in the womb.

 

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well (Psalm 139:14).”

 

Rowing the Ship

The Apostles were pretty important people, weren’t they? What words would you use to describe the faithful ministers who first preached Jesus and founded the early churches—remarkable, significant, maybe vital? Think about it: where would we be without those original missionaries who passed on what they had seen and heard when they walked with Jesus?

 

As much as we might elevate that group, the New Testament writers chose to undersell them. Consider what Luke said to Theophilus in the introduction to his Gospel: “…just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us (1:2)…” It doesn’t jump out at us in English, but that word ministers is interesting in Greek. The word literally means “under rowers,” and it referred to the people who sat in the lowest part of the ship and paddled the oars. That was not exactly a glamours job. In fact, most people that boarded the ship had no idea who was doing the rowing; that was not their concern, and they just took it for granted. 

 

The role of under rower was such a menial job that it was often reserved for the lowest servants that could do little else. These galley slaves, as they were called, had no rank. They were coequal, and they were equally last. No young Jewish boy hoped to become an under rower when he grew up. This job was filled by the lowest of the low. Yet that is the word that Luke chose to describe the eyewitnesses that passed on their testimony of the life of Jesus. Is Luke insulting the Apostles? Hardly; that is the same word that the Apostle Paul used to describe himself in I Corinthians 4:1 (translated as servants in that verse). 

 

That is the reality of all believers. We should view ourselves as galley slaves for Christ. He is in charge, and we just follow orders. Among the slaves there is no rank. The senior pastor is no more important than the youth pastor, and neither are more important than those not in vocational ministry. We do not want people to know our name, we want them to know the name Jesus. 

 

The under rowers move the ship from point A to point B. Passengers relied on those rowers, even if they didn’t realize it. In the same way, the unsaved rely on Christians to keep faithfully passing on the gospel message until the whole world hears. For some that happens in the pulpit, but for most it is conversations at work, the grocery store, or the classroom. Don’t think for a second that what you do is not as important as what Charles Stanley does. He is an under rower, and so are you and I. Together we will keep rowing this ship, moving the gospel from point A to point B, telling the world that Jesus saves.  

   

Honoring an Artist

When you think about a famous artist, do you think about their work? For example, when someone mentions the name Van Gogh, you might think of his painting Starry Night. When someone mentions Michelangelo, you might think of his sculpture of David. When someone mentions Beethoven, you might think of his Fifth Symphony. When someone mentions Shakespeare, you might think of his Twenty-third Sonnet. 

 

The best way to honor an artist is by appreciating their work. They want you to admire their paintings, to take in their sculptures, to hum their compositions, and memorize lines from their poetry. Over the years I have seen people applaud these artists, but they do so by emphasizing their work, not their tools. 

 

In school we read Shakespeare, but the textbooks never had a picture of his pen. I don’t think I have ever seen Beethoven’s piano, Michelangelo’s chisel, or Van Gogh’s paintbrush. If you want to honor the artist, you highlight their work, not their utensil. 

 

Because God is the Creator (Genesis 1:1, John 1:1), we can rightly call Him an artist. His works cause all others to pale in comparison, and Christians should want to honor His work. Like a professor of literature joyously reciting lines from Hamlet, we should jump at the chance to brag about God’s handiwork. But to quote John MacArthur, “If an artist is to be honored, you do not make a statue of his brush or his palette. It makes no more sense for Christians to glorify men…” 

 

We have a tendency to over-elevate people, whether they be “rockstar” pastors, musicians, authors, or conference speakers. There is nothing wrong with fame, and there is nothing wrong with admiring people for using their spiritual gifts, but we must remember that they are the utensils, the instruments in the hands of the Great Artist. Max Lucado has written great books, but he is like God’s typewriter. Bill Gather has written beautiful praise music, but he is like God’s piano. Billy Graham has preached wonderful sermons, but he is like God’s microphone. 

 

There are people in your life who have done generous deeds or acts of kindness. They are God’s hands and feet. We should all strive to use our gifts to do God’s work on earth, but at the end of the day all the praise goes to our God. We are all tools in His hands, and He uses us according to His own desires. We join the sons of Korah in singing, “In God we boast all day long, and praise your name forever (Psalm 44:8).” Let’s honor the Artist by pointing to His works, not the tools He uses.       

Ten Days

 

The book of Revelation is most commonly known for its graphic descriptions of end times prophecy, but in the second and third chapters, there are letters written to seven churches that existed in the first century. While each of the seven churches were real congregations, they represent the church at large. 

 

In the letter to the church at Smyrna we read, “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life (2:10).” The fact that the tribulation for these Christians will last “ten days” has led to debate over the years. Will their tribulation last for exactly ten days, or is the number ten symbolic, using a short, round number? 

 

Dr. Henry Morris sees a connection to the book of Daniel. This makes sense because John clearly relied on Daniel’s writings for Revelation. Remember when Daniel and his three friends (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) refused to eat the king’s meat and drink his wine? Daniel said to the steward, “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink (1:12).” 

 

The believers in Smyrna were tested for ten days, just as the four obedient young men were tested in Babylonian captivity. What happened in Babylon? “And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies (v.15),” and “As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams (v.17).”

 

What happened in Smyrna during their ten days? That we do not know. But what we can gather by comparing Revelation 2 to Daniel 1 is that what we might consider to be tribulation may just be a test in the mind of God. Tribulation can often be viewed as just torture; nothing good comes from it, and we can’t wait for it to be over. Instead, we should try to view our trials as a test the way Daniel and company did. Try to view your trials as an opportunity to prove something good about yourself and your God. 

 

If you are going through a hard time, determine that at the end of your ten days you are going to be a better person, and somehow God is going to be glorified. If God is trying to teach you a character trait, commit to learn it. If God is trying to fine tune your patience, allow Him to do it. If there is an opportunity to point people to God, commit to making that happen. Please don’t think I am trying to minimize tribulations in life, but neither do I want to waste them. Daniel’s ten days of testing were used to prove the sovereignty of God in a pagan world, and maybe yours will do the same.