Tag Archives: faithful

Amen (Revelation 3:14), June 14, 2017

Today’s Podcast

Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
God, the faithful and true witness, the Amen.
Scripture
1. Revelation 3:14
2. To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.

Devotional
1. God, the Amen, the faithful and true witness.
2. The word amen (“So be it; truly”) is a declaration of affirmation found in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. It is found in Jewish, Christian, and some Muslim worship as a concluding word or response to prayers. Common English translations of the word amen include “verily” and “truly”. It can also be used colloquially to express strong agreement, as in, for instance, amen to that.
3. Go anywhere that is even slightly religious and you’ll hear the word. AMEN.
  1. Not limited to Jews or Christians
  2. Almost every religion around the world uses the term or something akin to it.
  3. A declaration of affirmation of something someone has said or done
  4. Agreement to words spoken or actions taken
  5. God calls Himself the Amen
4. We see the word 30 times in the Old Testament; 52 times in the New Testament
5. Jesus uses the word in a way no one else does
  1. Jesus uses amen before He speaks affirming what He is about to say, not what someone else has said
  2. Only time it’s used this way in all of scripture. Every other time amen is used initially, it is used to affirm someone else’s words
  3. Some translations render it, truly I say; in truth I say; verily I say
  4. He affirms His own statements, a huge faux pas in Jewish culture unless you are God because then who can test you or fault you
  5. He affirms His statements because He can, He is the Amen
6. We hear the word a lot in our churches, to end prayers, after supplications, even in what some might call the “amen corner” of the congregation
  1. Do we then go out and live what we have just affirmed, though
  2. When we use the word amen and affirm the words spoken and declare with the speaker, “So be it,” do we follow with our action or just mouth the words and let that suffice?
  3. God is the Amen, the faithful and true witness
  4. What He says, He will do
  5. His “So be it!” means something. We can count on Him to carry out His promises
7. Today, you might have an occasion to speak that commonly used word, Amen. God called Himself the Amen. When you use that word, remember you in essence take a vow before Him that you will take action affirming the words just spoken. Worship the Amen today, the faithful and true witness.
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Have you ever felt abandoned in tough times? (Luke 22:28-30), January 7, 2017

Today’s Podcast

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Have you ever felt like you had some dread disease when you were going through tough times? Did you feel like everyone abandoned you? Jesus had something to say about that.
Scripture
1. Luke 22:28-30
2. You have stood beside Me faithfully through My trials. I give you a kingdom, just as the Father has given Me a kingdom. You will eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will have authority over the twelve tribes of Israel.
Devotional
1. I had an interesting experience midway through my military career that taught me a good lesson about being there for people in all kinds of circumstances.
  1. 1987 Major’s promotion board – non-select
  2. Friends disappeared
  3. Didn’t know what to say or do
  4. Avoided me like it was contagious
  5. Records missing and went to relook, selected, and promoted on time
2. There were a few the called and stood by throughout the ordeal
  1. Right or wrong they were with me
  2. All knew me and my faith and knew I’d make it through the situation
  3. Others watched on the sidelines to see how I would react
3. Made me empathetic toward non-selects the next 18 years of my career
  1. Never shied away from them
  2. Knew how they felt
  3. Knew how to help them through the process if they chose to appeal
  4. Some of those have become closest friends
  5. Stayed in touch long after retirement if 10 years is a long time
4. Jesus looked around at those twelve around the table and felt the same way
  1. Many left because of His preaching
  2. Many left because of the ridicule they receive
  3. Many left because of the pressure from the religious leaders
5. Promises for those who remain through the trials
  1. Best news for me
  2. You will eat and drink at My table
  3. Eternity with Him
  4. 70 or 80 years of enduring what the world dishes out is not so much in terms of eternity, is it?
6. If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”
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The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.
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Living with the Master should be enough (Matthew 24:45-47) June 10, 2016

Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Ezekiel 1-6

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 24:45-47
Jesus: The trustworthy servant is the one whom the master puts in charge of all the servants of his household; it is the trustworthy servant who not only oversees all the work, but also ensures the servants are properly fed and cared for. And it is, of course, crucial that a servant who is given such responsibility performs his responsibility to his master’s standards—so when the master returns he finds his trust has been rewarded. For then the master will put that good servant in charge of all his possessions.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

In our culture we don’t relate well to Jesus’ metaphor of the trustworthy servant. We do so much to forget about that chapter in our history when men owned other men and for good reason. Slavery has so many bad things about it. But in Jesus’ day and throughout most of man’s history, slaves have been a part of life. The wealthy had slaves and the poor were slaves. The concept of hourly wages for a regular job in not a very old concept.

There were day laborers in Jesus’ day as indicated by the story of the workers in the vineyard, but not many businesses hired people full time on regular salaries. You were part of a family and the family ran the business and you enjoyed the profits of that business, or you were hired on a very temporary basis for a specific task such as harvesting a crop or cutting lumber. Few people had full time jobs unless as slaves. In which case, you became part of the family, and the families profit and loss determined how well you were kept.

Slavery, good or bad, was part of His culture and He understood it the way all of His listeners understood it. Good servants, good slaves took care of his masters’ property. The master didn’t worry about his things when in the hands of his servants because the good servant knew the welfare of not just the master and his family, but his own welfare depended on taking good care of the family business. So the good servant took great pains to help the master prosper. And the good servant didn’t despair or feel bad about giving the profits to the master any more than we should feel bad about giving the profits we make for our employer over to her. It’s her money as risk. She is the one who provides all the necessary up front funds, equipment, business design, and so forth to all us to earn our salary and make a living.

The good servant did what the master wanted done whether or not the master was present. The servant’s outcome didn’t depend on the master’s presence, but on how well he didn his job caring for the master’s business affairs. We sometimes get that so mixed up and messed up in our current culture that thinks the government or our business or God owes us something. When you really stop and think it through, none of those owe us anything. It is by their design there is a job available in the first place. We should give thanks if we have one.

In cultures in which there is no such thing as social welfare or retirement funds or government assistance, people have a much better handle on what Jesus talked about in this short metaphor about the role of the servant in taking care of the master’s household. In those cultures, the only thing you can rely on is the work you perform. If you do well, the owner of the property will take good care of you. If you don’t perform well, you are put off the property and get to figure out how to make it on your own in a world where there are only masters and slaves and you just lost your only reference.

But when you are a trustworthy servant, it’s like being that employee the boss can count on for anything. The promotions come fast because the boss knows you will do what you say and will get the job done efficiently and effectively every time. You’ll take care of all the other employees in the process. You’ll satisfy the customers, you’ll make sure profits come in and the boss can go on vacation knowing everything will run smoothly when he puts you in charge.

That’s kind of what God has done with those who believe in Him. I’m not sure why He would entrust sinful man with the story of redemption but He did. Now He expects us to carry out His work until He returns. He’s like that master that went away and left his faithful servant in charge. He trusts us to do the work He left us to do. He expects us to do it to His standard without expecting anything in return, just knowing we are doing His work. Just like the faithful servant of the master in the story He told.

When we do, we will reap the benefits in the end. There is the reward of a job well done and the benefits of living in the master’s home with Him forever. That should be enough.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.