Amen

When Jesus taught us how to pray, He demonstrated with the Lord's Prayer.

As you can see, He ended the prayer with, "Amen".

You may recall from my last post (here) that as a child I thought of prayers as if they were letters to a long lost, posh relative, or stories which needed to be told in the correct and proper way. With this in mind, I assumed that the word, "Amen" meant "The End".

Feel free to laugh at me here but I remember so many prayers as a youngster, in fact almost every time, where I would go through the motions of my prayer and say "Amen" and then remember something else to add. I'd say to God, "Sorry, sorry, not Amen, I forgot something!"

Sometimes I'd even finish with the Lord's Prayer but end up confused and worried because I felt that I had to say the "Amen" at the end but also conclude with "in Jesus' name, Amen", like I'd heard people at church do - so I'd say it twice!

So what does "Amen" actually mean?

It seems, through looking at the different versions of the Bible, that the word "Amen" has been translated into phrases such as: "so let it be"; "so be it"; "I agree"; and "may the Lord do so".

According to my research (and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) the first instance of the word "Amen" in the Bible was in Numbers 5 and the last occurance is in Revelation, appearing a total of 78 times throughout the whole Bible.

In Numbers 5:22, the word seems to mean "so be it", referring to a curse befalling the woman accused of committing adultery. The priest would make her drink some water mixed with dust from the floor of the tabernacle. If she were guilty, the Lord would make her thigh fall away and her body swell (Numbers 5:21). In order to acknowledge the severity of this accusation and accept the judgement, the woman was required to say, "Amen, Amen" or, in some other translations, "So be it, so be it".

Remember, the penalty for adultery back then wasn't a quickie divorce, a raised eyebrow and a few less friends. It was death. If a woman was found guilty of committing adultery, she would be put to death. If you don't believe me, read Leviticus and Deuteronomy, women were either stoned to death or burnt with fire.

For a moment, put yourself in her shoes - saying "Amen" just before drinking that potential cup of death isn't just a nice ending to a prayer. It isn't just a fluffy word that we all use everyday without thinking twice about it. It was a solemn and potentially condemning word which was almost certainly not said lightly. She may as well have invited God to strike her down there and then if she were found to be lying.

Sometimes I think that we are guilty of forgetting the importance of the word and the implications of it. It's understandable, what with the constant requests for, "can I get an Amen?" and  people using the word as a synonym for, "yeah I agree with that".

As an example, check out this meme (a comedy picture circulating around social media)

Now, I'm all for the message - I don't want to see underwear either, but is it really something that requires an "Amen"?

I doubt it!

I'm struggling to get to the point of what I'm trying to say here. I guess what I wanted to share is that, it doesn't matter if we say "Amen" at the end of our prayer, or if we say it three or four times during our prayer. It doesn't matter if we say it in our daily lives, it's not an end point. It's an affirmation; an acceptance; an expectation.

I've thoroughly enjoyed researching this - so much so that this post has taken me close to three hours - there's so much more I wish I could have gone into but I wouldn't want to go on and on and bore you all to tears! Just because I discover an interest in everything and love researching, it doesn't mean you guys want to read an encyclopedia, does it?

So I'll leave it there, for now. I hope this topic has given you food for thought as much as it has me. Maybe next time we revisit this - as I'm sure we will - I'll delve into the use of "Amen" as a congregation or gathering of people, or into the New Testament use of the word... there's so much!

I pray that you are blessed abundantly - and I think we can all agree on an "Amen" there!

- Lisa

How Do You Pray?

Today I want to talk to you about prayer.

I know it's such a cliche for a faith-based blog to discuss prayer, it's obvious but it's so important! Prayer is the cornerstone of our relationship with God.

I believe in prayer and the power of prayer. I went through life thinking the same as most people, "prayer is talking to God". I have learned, though, that prayer is not simply talking to God, but conversing with Him. You wouldn't have a very good relationship with someone if you only ever talked to them and never let them respond, would you?

I'm not yet very good at listening to God. I've mentioned this before (here), but I struggle to keep my mouth shut, stop my mind whizzing and stay still long enough to hear Him. 

So I thought I'd keep the process of prayer in mind for a few days and see if I could come up with something to write on. My main idea was that there are so many different types of prayer, and lots of different types of people, each with their own ideas and thoughts regarding how and why they pray.

Like a lot of people, as a child I thought I had to be very formal in prayer, starting with "Dear God" or something along those lines. I'd remember my Ps and Qs and adopted my mum's phone voice when I spoke to God. As I've grown up and come to know God more as my relationship with Him has deepened, I've realised that I don't have to put on all those airs and graces. Do I speak to my mum as if I were talking to the queen? No! And I shouldn't feel like I have to speak to my Father that way, either.

I started to generally chat to God as I went about my day-to-day business. Rather than specifically sitting down to pray, I'd just keep Him in conversation throughout the day. I guess the way I'd describe it is like a child with their imaginary friend; someone who's always there, always with me, wherever I am and whatever I'm doing.

The other day I was looking at my new engagement ring and I was thanking the Lord for Riki (which I often do!) I thanked Him for bringing the two of us together and for being so apparent in our lives. I looked at my ring and I remember saying, "Lord, I know you said that you didn't want us to be too enamoured with jewellery and earthly possessions, but I just love sparkles!"

Now some people may think that I take too much of a conversational, friendly tone with God, but I don't think I do. This way of chatting in prayer works for me. As a child I would fall asleep, every night without fail, in the middle of my prayers. They were boring and it was as if I were writing a letter to a great uncle or something! It's taken me a long time but now I've found something that works for me, who can say it's wrong?

Our family had a bit of a scare last week. It was my brother's birthday and on the way home from being out with friends, he was mugged. He had been assaulted nine years ago and suffered a brain hemorrhage - it was very touch-and-go for a few days but after a lot of prayer, he came through it. He has some brain damage, mostly affecting his memory and fine cognitive skills, and is still affected by anxiety occasionally but in general he's absolutely fine. Obviously when I got the call at work on Saturday morning, I immediately thought the worst. I burst into tears and rushed home - I have no idea how I drove home - but the very first thing I did was pray. I then called a good friend from church and asked her to pray.

My brother was fine. Cuts and bruises and psychologically tender but he's going to be absolutely fine. I thank the Lord for him - I truly adore my brother and we're closer than most siblings. I pray for him regularly to find his way back to God - his soul has alrady been paid for by Jesus' blood and I know that the same seed sown into my own life as a child has been sown into his. I claim his soul for God and I will never stop!

So I believe in prayer and I have seen proof of its power on quite a few seperate occasions throughout my life. I don't think it matters how we pray; how we structure or vocalise our prayers, or even if we choose to say them in our head - sometimes I don't like to pray aloud. I don't think it matters to God in the slightest, He just wants us to talk to Him, and listen for His response. He wants us to share our lives with Him, and even though my argument for years was, "Well, God knows everything, why do I have to tell him stuff?" He wants us to want to spend time with Him; to share our innermost thoughts, ideas, hopes and dreams. Just like we want for our own children - would you prefer to snoop through your child's journal and internet history or would you prefer for them to come and talk to you?

Whether we kneel on the floor, close our eyes and put our hands together, or simply chat to God as we would our family while we're washing the dishes, as long as we're seeking and spending time with our heavenly Father, what else matters?!

I'm interested, how do you pray?
~ Lisa

Welcome Back (with Big News!)

Hi everyone! I'm sure (well, I hope) you noticed I've been away for  while. It's been killing me but now I can tell you. I've been holding back from all forms of social media for a while because I had big news but I didn't want to say anything too soon and anyone who knows me knows that I can't keep a secret to save my life!

Firstly, I passed my driving test! Yaay! After a lot of hassle and very nearly cancelling it last minute after a few issues with my instructor, I decided to just take it as a practice test. No pressure and I had no intention of passing at all - imagine my shock when the examiner congratulated me!

Secondly, and more importantly, I'm getting married! 
 
Riki and I have been planning it on the quiet for a couple of months - as I've said in a previous post, we knew from the start that we were going to get married so it wasn't a surprise, we just couldn't afford to until after we'd both graduated university and settled in full-time jobs. We kept it quiet because as much as we knew we were going to get married, he's a romantic and he wanted to give me an actual proposal (I'm so blessed and I thank God for how wonderful he is!)

So we're getting married in March and I can't wait! We've made all kinds of plans and booked pretty much all the necessities.

If you've read about my journey, you'll know I grew up in a small Baptist church. As much as I adore my current church and feel that it's where I belong, I'm going to be getting married at the Baptist church. It's been a difficult decision for a few reasons:

• I don't attend this church anymore as I feel more spiritually "fed" at my current church
• It's not the prettiest church - in fact it's just a little square building which looks more like a community centre
• I don't want to offend or upset my Pastor or any of the church congregation

The reasons I did choose to get married there are:

• It's my "home" church - I grew up there and was there before it was even built, when we met in a tin hut!
• My Grandparents still attend that church and my Grandad has Parkinsons which is exacerbated by new and unfamiliar situations - I want him to be comfortable. Also, my Grandparents don't like my church, they say it's "too bouncy" - they came for my baptism but it was too much for them (and I fear it will be too much for some of our unsaved friends/family)
• The minister is lovely. She is happy to divulge my crazy organisation needs and will allow my Pastor to be involved if he wishes!

So I think I've made the right decision. It's not about getting married in the prettiest church there is, it's about making a commitment to another person, before God and friends and family.

Which brings me on to my next point, the Vows.

Why are so many people obsessed with taking out the "I promise to obey" vow? I think I'll go into this in a bit more depth at a later date but I'm going to follow Ephesians 5:22,

"Wives, be subject (be submissive and adapt yourselves) 

to your husbands as [a service] to the Lord. For the 

husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the 

head of the church" (Amplified Version)

Anyway,that's my news, and don't worry, I'm not going to go all bridezilla on you! My posts will get back to normal but I'm just excited so I hijacked this one! I've truly been blessed this past few weeks and I'm glad to be back.

See you soon, and I hope you've all been blessed recently, too!
-Lisa

Girl Guides

I wanted to post this a few days ago but I've been letting is simmer for a while as I'm so upset and hurt about it, I didn't want to post in that state of mind.

In York with a Girl Guiding sign - I was proud to be involved!

As you may or may not know, I have been involved in the Girl Guiding movement all my life. I know a lot of people probably say this but I mean literally. I joke that it's in my blood; it's who I am. My Grandma was a Girl Guide, going on to be a Guides leader and then District Commissioner, continuing on to be a Brownie Guides leader - she retired after gaining her 40 years' service honours. My mum followed in Grandma's footsteps and did both Guides and Brownies, earning her 20 years' service and then I joined in, qualifying as a Brownie leader.  In fact, I never really left! I 'finished' Brownies at 11 years old, stayed on to 'help out' and then when I was old enough, started my leadership qualification.

Three generations of Guiders (back in 2006)

Unfortunately due to work commitments, we had to close our unit in 2012. It was devastating. We had been through ups and downs and thought we'd have to close a couple of years previously when we were down to around 3 girls on our books - most girls wanted to join cubs and scouts since they became unisex. We did a last ditch recruitment drive, putting up posters and flyers and we turned it around.

Grandma making the headlines for delivering
me and keeping her Guide Promise!

We had a big party at the last meeting and there were tears all round. I genuinely loved those girls and all that we stood for. We met up in the November to attend the annual Remembrance Parade, as we always had done, but just as ordinary members of the public, rather than a uniformed organisation. It was strange but I wanted to go - I'd never missed one in all my life! Unfortunatly I don't think I'll be able to attend this year - it's just too difficult and raw at the moment.
I still get teary when I think about it!

So why am I telling you all of this? I guess that I just wanted to give you a bit of background. I'm sure that if you read the newspapers regularly, you'll have seen the news last week that the Girl Guiding movement have taken steps to remove God from their Promise.

The Brownie Promise was:

I Promise to do my best: 

To love my God, to serve the Queen and my country, 

To help other people and To keep the Brownie Guide Law

It has now been changed to:

I Promise to do my best: 

To be true to myself and develop my beliefs. 

To serve the Queen and my community,

To help other people and to keep the Brownie Guide Law

Now it's not the first time the Promise has changed. Apparently, in 1994, a little girl refused to say that she would "do her duty to God" as was the Promise, so they changed it to "love my God", which would emcompass all peronal beliefs and 'gods' in general.

We had a Brownie once who was happy to participate in everything. She never mentioned anything about her Promise but her mum came in early one night and heard us saying our prayer. She wasn't happy and said that she didnt want her daughter to participate in it. We explained that as a Christian organisation, and as our meeting place was a church, we weren't going to stop doing it. If her daughter didn't want to join in, she didn't have to, and we would take her name off the list to read the prayer. This pacified the situation but the little girl was really upset that her name wasn't on the list, often asking (as they all did), "when is it my turn to read the prayer?" and joining in with the Lord's Prayer every week, unless she spotted her mum.

I had always said that once I had got myself settled: married; children; and living in an area I'm going to stay in, that's when I'll renew my warrant and re-open a Brownie unit. As I stated earlier, it's who I am; I'm lost without it. Now that they've secularised themselves, though, and basically turned their back on all they stand for, I won't bother. I still have a heart for voluntary and children's work but I'll have to find another outlet for it.

Julie Bentley - campaigner for
abortion rights and the
woman who removed
God from Girl Guiding.

To say I'm devastated isn't an over-reaction. If anything, it's an understatement!


I guess it was only a matter of time, after all, they did hire a woman as Chief Executive last year who was former head of the Family Planning Association, an abortion and contraception group (and had never been a Guide herself!). She said last yar that the Girl Guides are "the ultimate feminist organisation" - I retweeted them telling them exactly what I thought of that and that I was ashamed to be a part of it. I mean rally, why we need a Chief Exec is beyond me - it's a charity, not a business.

I'll end with a quote from Stephen Glover in the Daily Mail (please don't discredit me for using the DM - I know they're not the most prestigious but my Grandma sent me a clipping!) 
"You may think the Girl Guides are unimportant, but they're not. A promise that once soared to embrace God and country is cut back to concentrate on self. don't tell me that this won't be a big thing for millions of young women."

My heart breaks. Pray for our young people, our country and those in charge.
- Lisa

Marriage and the Church

I'm aware that this is potentially a very taboo topic but I make no apologies. I've wanted to post this for some time now but have been looking for the 'right time'. I suddenly thought to myself, "Who needs a right time? If it's on my mind, let's just have out with it!"

So today I want to discuss marriage. In particular, marriage in the Church.

Now I'm not going to go into all the usual debates, there'll be time for that another day and what I have to say is somewhat more pressing.

Let's play the "Who Here" game! If you haven't heard of it, I say, "who here thinks....." and you raise your hands (but for the sake of the blog and your friends' views on your sanity, maybe just raise a smile or a nod).

From Style Me Pretty

Who here thinks marriage in church is a big deal? 

(I guess a lot of you put up your metaphorical hands - I did)

Who here thinks that a couple should be married before having sex?  

(I guess a lot of you still have those imaginary hands up)

Who here has noticed that people tend to get married at a very young age in church?  

(You've clicked on. Probably losing some now) 

Who here thinks that we've lost respect and reverence for marriage, using it as a way to have sex as soon as we can, or even worse, an excuse for a big party? 

(I'm probably rubbing a lot of you up the wrong way now, aren't I?)

Well this is my issue. Forgive me if it's not yours or if you think I'm way out of line here. Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing, isn't it!

In the Church as a whole, I believe that many Christians rush into marriage. Sometimes a couple have been together a month, the pressure or the lust gets too much so they have a wedding just a couple of months down the line. How many of those weddings produce a true, meaningful marriage? I have to be honest with you, I personally know more divorced or separated Christians than married (or happily married) ones.

That not only shocks me, it breaks my heart.

I believe in marriage. I believe in forever. It's a binding covenant and although I'm not going to go into the issue of divorce today, I personally don't believe in it. There's just no need if you know your future spouse before signing that contract. That's essentially what it is, isn't it? You can't just cancel a binding, legal contract but it's so easy to divorce these days, in this generation of disposable everythings.

Some of you may know that I am a big believer in love. I probably have some Disney-fied, rose-coloured view of it but I can't help that I've been so overwhelmingly loved in my life. I can honestly say that there has been no time in my life where I didn't feel loved, by God, my parents, grandparents, brother, partner, spiritual aunts and friends, even my dogs! I am blessed because I am loved beyond measure. When was the last time you actually sat and thought about how loved you are?

Let's move on a little, before I cry!

When did marriage become so structured, organised and legal? Back in the day, if you wanted to marry a woman, you went to speak with her dad, gave him a sheep or a ram and then you were married. Bob's your uncle (or uncle-in-law, if your new wife has an uncle Bob!)

Nowadays it's thousands of pounds, a massive party, drunken relatives and a little piece of paper. It saddens me that we seem to have lost the true meaning of marriage. I'm not married yet, legally, but in truth I committed myself to Riki, before God, years ago. I thank the Lord for him daily and even though I know that He is working in Riki's life, I also know that there is much discussion behind my back about my being "unequally yoked". Believe me, that's a MAJOR issue with me. I'm actually going to make an entire post on it, maybe the next one.

From OneWed

So when did it become less about God and more about sex, money and parties? I guess around the same time that our world started to fall apart (that is when we, as a planet, turned our back on the Lord and became selfish). Don't even get me started on those who have no desire to enter a church in their entire lives, and no intention to ever return to one again, but want to get married at a church.

You only have to look on Pinterest or the hundreds of wedding-related forums, websites and blogs out there to realise that it's been taken too far. I'm not going to lie, I've got more than a handful of boards on my own Pinterest related to planning my wedding, and I'm a member of some of those forums, discussing wedding-related topics and sharing tips and advice with other brides-to-be. I'm not denying that these are great tools to have but it's the frame of mind behind them that's the big deal. Are you getting married because you want to show the world, and God, that you're committing yourself to this person for the rest of your life, or is it because you want to throw the best wedding amongst your friends/family, or you want to have sex without the church elders shaking their heads?

It baffles me. It really does.

Anyway, thanks for playing the "Who Here" game with me if you did join in, as adults we don't get to play many games; it made me smile!


-Lisa

Let's Catch Up

It seems I've been MIA for almost a month now. I have been here, lurking in the shadows, but have been silent for some strange reason.

So I had my driving test on Monday. I failed. Obviously I was upset, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't, but I was strangely comforted in knowing that I had prayed for God's will. Of course, I prayed to pass the test but I also prayed that if it were in God's will for me to pass that day, He would take control of that car and get me through it (see this post for reference).

My test was at 08:10 and I knew I had failed by 08:20! They make you continue on and tell you the result at the end. I was home by 09:30 and just went back to bed until after noon. I was so emotionally drained and I remember praying and feeling awful because on the one hand I was upset but on the other I had prayed for the Lord to take control in the situation. I just said, "Lord, I know that I said I'd respect and accept Your will, but I'm allowed to be upset!"

In honesty, it was a blessing in disguise. As I booked my next test, I checked my bank balance and I simply wouldn't have been able to afford to change my car insurance over from a learner to a lone driver this month. I guess when I prayed over my tithe that the Lord would sustain me financially, He kept up His side of the bargain!

With that in mind, if you remember back to my post about tithing, here, I mentioned that I was going to start tithing at my church. This month I did, for the first time! It was strange - I was immersed in a world of envelopes, standing orders and Gift Aid. I suddenly felt more grown up and even though most people just put in their envelope or handful of change and have done with it, I felt like it was a momentous occasion. I even had a little lump in my throat!

I'm looking forward to the Days of Wonder event at Hull tomorrow night (see link here). Unfortunately, due to my not passing my driving test I won't be able to go to all three nights but I have managed to get a lift into Hull for the first night tomorrow. I'm believing that God will certainly show up and meet with us. It's going to be a great night and I can't wait! If anyone knows anyone who needs a ticket, I've got a spare for tomorrow and two tickets for Friday and Saturday! Just let me know, here.

So that's what I've been up to. I do apologise for not posting for a while. I don't even have an excuse, I guess I've been lazy or something. Rest assured, I'm back and raring to go!

~ Lisa

Greater than Jesus?

Obviously nothing and no-one is greater than Jesus, that's not what the title means. It's simply referring to what Jesus said in John 14:12,

"I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone 

steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to 

do the things that I do; and even greater things than 

these, because I go to the Father."

Let's just look here at what Jesus was saying. I'm no Biblical scholar, nor am I theologist, so please don't expect Latin translations and really deep meanings here. What I believe Jesus was saying is, "All these works I have done here on earth, it's merely a taster of what is to come. When I go to the Father and send the Holy Spirit in my place, you too will perform these same signs and wonders, and not just these but you will do so much more."

Jesus' time on this earth was short lived. His ministry was even shorter. I'm not going to go into how long it was because I've seen online that there are conflicting arguments. The fact is, it was long enough to fulfil God's plan.

If we subscribe, for argument's sake, to the "Jesus' ministry lasted 3 years" idea, then really, once we've been baptised in the Holy Spirit, we should expect to be performing the same miracles that Jesus did, and since we (hopefully) will be around for much longer than the three or so years Jesus was after He was baptised by John, we shouldn't just stop there. We should expect these greater things too.

I think the problem today is that we get complacent. We shy away from praying for things, saying, "If it's God's will, it will happen anyway" - God does have a plan but He won't force it on you. Quite often I'll say something similar to that. For instance, if I'm applying for a job I'll say, "If it's God's will for me to have this job, He'll pave the way, if not, I don't want it anyway!" That's not me saying I'm not going to put all my effort into the application and interview; I do. I also pray over it but I'm still very accepting to God's will and so I'm at peace with whichever decision is made.

From howjesusprayed

When Jesus was praying in the garden of Gethsemane, He knew what He wanted - He even knew God's will in the situation, which we often don't - but He still prayed for it not to happen. The important thing to remember is to pray, "nevertheless, not what I will, but as You will and desire" (Matthew 26:39).

We expect people to be saved and sometimes, we even expect them to be healed and delivered from binding spirits and strongholds. We occasionally expect our "special, gifted" Christian brothers and sisters to perform these miracles in Jesus' name. What we often don't expect or have enough faith to believe, though, is that we can and should be doing these things ourselves!

I'm by no means denying that some people have been given special giftings in the Spirit. Some people are called to have a healing ministry, some are prophets, but that's not to say that we can't all do these things. It tells us in 1 Corinthians 14:1-5 that we should desire spiritual gifts but "especially that you may prophesy". In 1 Corinthians 12:28-31 it specifically tells us that we should all desire the best gifts. To me, this tells us that yes, even though someone may have that gift upon their life, it is open to every single one of us.

Don't be lazy and complacent! Are you seeking and desiring these gifts today? Are you seeking God's will for your life? Are you seeking these "greater things", even greater than the amazing, awesome things Jesus did?

From thethingsiponder

Our primary goal on earth is to live our lives as Christ-like as possible, but Jesus said himself that we shouldn't stop there! We have the same Holy Spirit that Jesus had but we have more time to use it. I believe that we are all falling short of God's plan. We are all falling short of the expectations and the giftings that He gave us. He wants us to be doing such wonderful things that we can't even imagine, yet we are happy to just coast along.

Miracles, healings and salvations are wonderful, and we should be grateful for every last one of them, but we should also be seeking more.

I'm excited. Aren't you? I want to know what these "greater things" are! "On earth as it is in heaven" isn't just a line from a prayer that we all learned at school, it's a desperate plea for God's glory and power to manifest itself. For God's kingdom to become evident in our mortal world; to invade us and take over. How can this happen if we're not pursuing it?!

I challenge you all, myself included, to seek and desire these greater things