The word Amen has a Hebrew origin and after it has entered Greek through the first century Church, today it is a part for almost every language. Generally speaking, Amen means a strong agreement with something, or a strong affirmation. It can also be translated as “verily”, “truly”, “let it be” or “so let it be.” The use of this word as a part of God’s worship dates back to the times of the Old Testament. This is where today’s Christian use is inherited from – its use in the Hebrew synagogues. Just as back then, today we say Amen at the end of prayers as a symbol of our affirmation thereof, as well as after we have accepted a blessing from an elder or another person, even outside of the context of the church gathering.

For many Christians, however, this small word has lost much of its meaning due to its almost automated daily usage. The question we ought to ask ourselves now is “Do we even think about what we mean by saying Amen, or do we just do it because it’s become a habit?”

In his letters, through his own experience, apostle Paul reveals to us the importance of the correct understanding of the word. And in order to understand the power of this affirmation at the end of prayers we need to listen carefully to the preceding words.

Philippians 4:20: “To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (NIV).
Notice that he does not pray in a selfish way, nor does he seek benefits for his own. Paul’s prayers ending on Amen are not prayers for more money, a newer car, or even an easy and more secure life. No, his prayers are prayers for God’s glorification and the spreading of the Gospel. These are the things that apostle Paul gives his affirmation to.
So, as you pray, instead of Amen, finish with “So let it be!” and you will see yourself the difference. When the use of the word is so automatic as it has become today, it not only loses its meaning, but the words spoken before that can so easily be influenced by the world around us. You can avoid the selfish and wrong prayer as you continually remind yourself of the meaning of Amen. Also, pay careful attention to the fact that God will most likely not give His affirmation to the majority of things from this world that we often desire to pray for.

An Amen at the end of the prayer is also an indicator of your faith. Finishing your prayers with Amen hoping that by some magical and mystical way it will make your wishes come true will not get you far. Yet, praying in God’s will with faith that He alone is the one able to do all things and for Him there is nothing impossible… Then you will see the power of the words “So let it be!” These are not words of doubt or desperation, but words of hope and faith. And namely this is what God desires for your life to have – a sincere hope and faith in Him.
An example for such faith you can find in 1 Peter 5:10-11: “And the god of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen” (NIV).
Just a verse earlier Peter is warning about the evil plans of the devil, but his hope for the believers is just as great as his faith in God. Because of this, while knowing that it will be so difficult, he can pray powerfully for you and for me.

So, do you pray properly and with faith? As surprising as it might sound, the answer to this question you will find in the last word of your prayers – Amen.

Update: Apparently God decided to surprise me yet again. The sermon was a refreshing lesson for me both while preparing the last bits and seeing the whole thing, and also while preaching it. The feedback from the congregation was very encouraging as well. I have never had such a powerful feedback on a sermon I’ve preached, so it was a very humbling experience on top of all else. I think they believed my message. I actually think I came to believe more than when I started preparing for the sermon and all the questions started popping up.

In the past few weeks I’ve been working on a sermon about God’s mission and our part in it. It’s been a really refreshing thing for me. Especially because in the last several years the direction of my faith has been downwards. More like rolling down a hill actually…

In the midst of all the excitement around that sermon the following thought came about “Will they believe my message if I don’t believe it myself?” It actually led me to reflecting on the way we, Christians, tend to “testify” to the world today… When Christ called us to go and teach the world about Him and make disciples he pointed out two most important details: 1) all authority is given to Him (and that’s all as in ALL), and 2) He is with us as we’re going after this mission.

I know that I myself have very often been the scared Christian, or the too-careful-one. I’ve often decided to keep quiet rather than speak out the truth. I’ve often decided to pray silently, rather than disturb the secular enjoyment of others around me and show what I actually care about. I suppose this won’t change over-night either, but at the moment I’m thinking too much about it and couldn’t keep from sharing it with you all.

So, I’m preparing this sermon which is supposed to challenge the lives of young and old people and help them embrace God’s mission to share the Gospel with non-believers, love Him, and love the other people around. And I keep coming to one key moment - in order for us to carry out the mission successfully we ought to be fearless, full of faith, and entirely determined.

That’s fine, probably I could even defend that theologically better than I think I could, but that seems to be the least proof an unbelieving world cares about. As cheesy and worn-out as it might sound, what the world cares about is whether I do what I’m telling them to do. Which is actually the outward expression of whether I believe my message. If I were to preach to myself I probably wouldn’t be quite convinced at the end of the sermon, because I know my failures, I know my mistakes, and I also remember the times when I could have said something but I didn’t.

Yes, yes, I know God probably doesn’t look at it quite that way, but all this leads to a sad reality - the one of losing the faith I once had. 5-6 years ago, I remember I would pray and I would literally see God’s face before me. Today I couldn’t describe it because I haven’t seen it for so long that I’ve forgotten most of it. But I do have the clear memory that it happened every time I would pray. Back then I also prayed with faith… and I mean the real thing. I remember praying for healing and the thoughts of it not happening, the doubts, and all that - wasn’t there. I also remember praying for things that seemed impossible, yet did happen. I also remember once praying for something, God gave it to me, and a week later I had to give it back… because it wasn’t something I should have. Yet, I prayed with as much faith, as I had when I left it.

Today the case seems to be so that I only have faith when I need to give things up. And that’s not so much faith as in Faith, but rather a hope of one who’s desperate and helpless. Where did the faith go? I have no idea. I know when it started slipping away, but I’m still in the unknown when it comes to its destination. What I know is that I rather not pray for certain things verbally or in my mind, because it would come out as the babbling Jesus talked about. My only hope is that will look deep inside me and somewhere there find a sparkle that will get Him excited again.

So, I’m preparing this sermon which is supposed to challenge the lives of young and old people and I’m wondering Will they believe the message of one with so little faith? I can’t testify of a mission carried out fearlessly. I can’t find a recent example of a full-of-faith mission either. I think I’m still a bit determined, but far from entirely.

Sometimes, in trying to excuse ourselves we tend to call this “maturing faith.” The problem is, for 4 years already I haven’t been able to realize how losing faith can actually be maturing in faith. Perhaps it’s a much bigger problem.

Pray for me. I’m preaching on Sunday, June 8.

And thanks for reading it all… if you’ve gotten that far, that is.

When it comes to prayer, perhaps the first thing we learn after “Amen” is “in the name of Jesus.” Yet, it seems that very often, just as with Amen, the praying on behalf of Jesus is not completely understood by the believer. What does it mean to pray in the name of Jesus? Why do I have to pray this way, and what conditions are there to it?

In the context of the passage from John, Jesus is talking to his disciples about Him being the only way to the Father and His unity with Him. This is key to understanding the prayer in Jesus‘ name because it establishes the foundation – the divine authority and power which is found in Jesus, and upon which we rely as we pray to Him.
At this point Jesus also gives the condition for prayer in His name – one’s faith in Him. When believers witness miracles and supernatural experiences, it is not by their power or abilities that they occur. It is through their faith in Christ that these thing happen. Faith is, thus, the door opener for God’s power in our lives.

In Luke 8:48 Jesus told the woman with the bleeding: “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” Should she have had no faith, she would not have even come close to Jesus, not talking about touching him. Jesus makes it very clear here, that it is not due to the touch itself that the miracle happened, but because of the faith with which the touch was made. As Peter tried to explain to Jesus – the whole crows was pressing on him… far too many people were touching him. Yet, healing power was released only to the woman who touched him with faith that she will be healed.
Just a few moments later, the news of a dead girl reach Jesus‘ ears. Observe carefully His response: “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed” (Luke 8:50, NIV).
In Matthew 8:10, as a response to the recognition of his authority and power in faith by the Roman military officer, Jesus replies “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” and later on continues, “It will be done just as you believed it would.” How liberating it is to know that God’s power in our lives is not dependent on our social status, knowledge, or physical abilities!
If you take the time to go through the miracles of Jesus recorded in the Gospels you will notice that on almost all occasions supernatural things happened only after a response of faith was given by the people in need.

Back in John 14, a powerful, yet very often misused statement is found: “I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.” Very often we are tempted to take the first half of this sentence and demand action from God, because He said it. Yet, the key part of this statement is in the second half – Jesus will only act on our behalf if we have faith in Him, AND what we are asking for will result in glorifying God. Thus, once cannot expect that Jesus will be our miracle puppet and do all kind of things for us, none of which is within God’s will. Therefore, seek God’s will too, and in your prayers – stay within it.

Lastly, as you pray properly in the name of Jesus, know that an ever-present and all-powerful God is after your need. Jesus said that He Himself will do what you ask Him for! The beauty of this statement is not only in the intimacy it speaks about (that Jesus is personally concerned with your needs), but also in the assurance it provides. Just as Jesus never failed in healing or raising people from the dead in the New Testament, he will not fail in healing and providing for you, so that you may live a life worthy of His presence.
Thus, next time you pray, don’t just rush over the phrase “In Jesus‘ Name”, but mediate on it and allow the Spirit to encourage and strengthen you through the meaning of it, and the simple fact that you are allowed to use it.

As for Laminin - it is vital to making sure overall body structures hold together (wikipedia.org). For more details - watch the video.

Now, here’s the complete title of the article: Jesus is my Friend, but the unsaved people around me will still go to hell. Got the chills?! Well, if you can’t handle the sentence in bold above, then I’ll rephrase a quote from the movie The Matrix - Take the blue pill (quit reading), and when you wake up tomorrow morning life will go on as normal, and you’ll think of this sentence as just a dream. If you keep reading, hopefully there won’t be a turning back.

Going to hell. John 3:16 - probably each believer’s first favorite verse from the Bible… You know how it goes. Yet, most believers today seem to stop at the period at the end of v.16. Yet, v.18 is not so happy no more: whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. The New Testament is also pretty clear on the future of the ones who are not together with God. My main point here is - there is going to hell… whether it’s boiling hot there, pitch dark, etc. etc… It’s a place you don’t want to be in. Unfortunately, in the past years Christianity seems to has bent under the pressure of culture and as a result of this the emphasis on heaven and hell is all but present. Instead, all we hear is love. Not that love in itself is bad, but I’ve come to believe that more and more people today also need to recognize that they are in need of salvation. Because many are the unsaved who won’t even care about your Jesus love talk.

The Chills. That’s the other problem with the whole heaven and hell deal. You go tell someone “Unless you’re saved you’ll go to hell.” and then watch what happens. You immediately become the disrespectful one, the close-minded one, the old-fashioned one, the overly-religious one, the stupid one… Frankly, I think that’s because anyone who is seriously told that sentence gets the chills. On one hand it’s funny, because it’ll be burning hot in hell, but anyways… that’s another topic for when I get goofy. Now I’m serious. To me it appears that under the influence of the current culture telling anyone anything negative about them is a no-no. Yet, the Bible is also clear that God and our faith in Him should stand above culture when there is a disagreement between these two (God and culture). But why in the world are Christians today so freakin’ afraid?!

The Irony. It is really ironic - we’re afraid to tell the truth in the eyes of non-believers - some because they don’t want to become the disrespectful and stupid ones, etc. etc., and others - because it seems unloving to contradict people. The first reason is actually so dumm that in my opinion it doesn’t even deserve discussion. As for the second - almost on weekly basis we are taught in our churches how the loving thing to do isn’t always the most or at all pleasant thing to do or experience. So either many are just dozed off on Sunday or are easily chickened out when it comes to applying what they’ve heard. The sad irony is that because of that people around us, whom we say we “love” end up dying without knowing God, or even without being challenged to know God. We’re just given a simple message to convey, and so often we fail.

The other option. So what’s then the other option? I firmly believe that there is nothing stronger than the truth. Both - as the fuel for the one who speaks it, but also as the thing that convinces the one who hears it. That’s at least one reason to not live on as quiet “loving” Christians who don’t dare to tell the whole story because someone might get hurt (physically too, by the way!).

Ultimately, when I am saved only I will go with God. Jesus is a personal ticket for one seat alone. Yes, for everyone who believes… But children, elderly, and so on people are still not permitted a free seat just because I’m on the train or you’re on the train.

I hope at least this got you started on thinking about all aspects of the Gospel and to what extend you’re including them in your sharing thereof with others.

* Clarification: Chances are that by now you’re thinking something very weird about how I believe Christianity should be shared. In few words - I’m not excluding love from the big picture, nor am I encouraging a hard-core heaven-or-hell preaching. If that’s what you’re thinking - reconsider what you know about me (that’s if you know me at all), or simply read carefully all I’ve posted so far and things will become clearer.

Ok, by now you should be interested.

A new thought occurred to me a few days ago and hasn’t left my mind ever since. It’s the thought of on-my-own type of Christian life. See, I was initially wondering on the topic of miracles and why they seem to not happen as much nowadays, yet we claim God has not changed. Sometimes we go so far, that we actually are satisfied with less - “Oh, I feel this is the miracle”… when God actually hasn’t even started.

I find it to be a matter of trust… Thus the title above. Speaking about myself, I’m discovering that in reality I don’t trust God as much as I used to. Give me a problem - I can solve it. If I figure I can’t - I can learn to live with it. Rarely, however, do I actually trust God to the extend of believing in a miracle. This goes for simple things such as daily provisions, but also for more major things, such as changing myself, others, the Church (universal)… people I know and I love.

The scary part is - I think it’s not just me that’s gone that far out there. I’m seeing more and more Christians either getting comfortable with pain and hurt, not believing it can be healed and/or changed… Or - even worse - going about it on their own. Struggling to make enough money for living. Unsuccessfully juggling with serving God and serving the company, school or whatever else.

Sadly, it’s only every now and then that I’m having those revelation moments in which I realize - Whether it’s with or without this or that… it doesn’t really matter. I can be dead and gone in an instant and then only one thing matters. But speaking about daily life… oh well, if I say I trust God I’d probably be lying. Cause trust, in my understanding, is not what I live out in practice right now.

But - there’s only a little left till the summer begins and we head for Bulgaria. Not that it will be very peaceful and restful, but at least we hope that the change of environment will energize us a bit… besides the excessive Bulgarian heat, perhaps. This also means that Petra has only a few more weeks of busyness, which is good. For me, this summer will probably mean working at a slower speed for a few weeks and taking more photos instead. We’ll see how all this will work out.

A word for my mum and brother… Many of you know that they have been looking for a new home, since the one they’re renting will be demolished this summer. The last change on this is that they may be able to rent a house just 15-20m away from their current one. They still haven’t gotten the final word on that, but it would be wonderful if that happens, because the proposed price is affordable, and the moving will consist of pretty much taking their things out and putting them back in… almost as if it is in the same house. As you remember them, please, do pray for them. My mum is also trying to get my brother to attend church with her on Sundays, and that’s exciting to hear.

Ok, as i said - it’s just a brief update… Plus, it already is past 2AM again… So I’ll just leave you with a couple of recent photos I’ve taken. Please, excuse the watermark, but it’s easier for me to link them directly from where I sell them on Dreamstime.com, instead of uploading them again.

Please, do write back when you find some time - we’re always glad to hear from you!

Blessings,

Petar (and Petra)

Out of over 730 sales this is the first one to know the use of… I hope that sale 1460 comes soon, so I can get one more message like that. Ha ha…

Just so excited… couldn’t help bu let you know. Have a wonderful day!

Petar

I figured that since I’ve spent so much resources and time into learning how to take better photos and sell some, I might as well promote them too. I’m considering photography to be something more and more serious. By now it’s gotten a bit beyond what I’d call a hobby (not even counting my job as an editor) . It’s actually been a while since I’ve been so excited about doing something for a long-term. I remember that computers used to keep me awake at night but that’s now looong gone. As I think about it, nothing really substituted that… until now. So I’m a happy lad. Oh, and don’t get me wrong - I’m only talking about earthly things. God’s still keeping me up late at night, esp. as I start writing one of the prayer devotionals, or am able to get involved with some ministry or a meeting around me… But seeing how much I’ve been blessed with the photo “bug”, how things unfolded with my current job through that, as well as now realizing that I’m easily making $150/month that I can give away just like that… It makes me think, you know.

While going pro still isn’t an option for me because of the money and time it requires initially, I’m seriously considering whatever the level that’s above where I am now.  To make a long story short - pray for me and give me advice. E-mail me, etc. I wish I could sit and talk a bit with each of you, but it just isn’t possible physically.

And that was pretty much all I wanted to say. Till later!

It is not only once that Jesus is giving us an example how and what for to pray. In the gospel according to Mark (as well as in Luke 4:42) Jesus‘ prayer is an example for us when to pray. This is perhaps one of the most difficult examples to follow today. But before you continue on reading about it, turn your attention to what happens before Jesus goes to pray in the morning. Throughout the whole evening before that he is surrounded by people who are sick and demon-possessed – and they want healing. And after this, as well as all the other busy days that have passed, Jesus does not try to seek an excuse but gets up before the sun has come out completely and talks to the Father.

For most people today the morning has to do with awakening, followed by quite some stress around the trip to work or school… And yet, in between of all this there’s somehow time for a coffee, a smoke for some, and perhaps a quick and unhealthy snack. But there seems to almost never be enough time for God. Thus, day after day a large number of Christians are overcome by the daily routines, stress and demands without even noticing it. Some new believers manage to find a free slot for God in the mornings, but as they grow older in their faith often things change and prayer becomes just one of the things Christians do. So far for the intimate conversation with God that all of us can remember from their first days in the faith. As we have mentioned not only once in our devotionals, in no case should we think that the longer we’re Christians the less attention we ought to pay to prayer. It never becomes automatic.

So, do not seek excuses from last night, but set up a plan of how you will make more and more time for God in your mornings. We all are facing the temptation to excuse ourselves before God because see, last night there was something weary and tiring, and now we have to hurry for the next thing. Instead of excuses, we should be lifting up petitions for forgiveness to the Father and our Savior. We cannot call ourselves Christians and yet find silly excuses while we manage to spend hours watching movies, news or checking Internet sites. If it is difficult for you to find time to pray in the morning – set the cheap excuses apart and see what you can actually do to change this reality and pray after you wake up.

Begin your day with God and you will continue your day with God. This is just another reason to give your best to pray in the morning. When your day begins in a bad way it often happens that it continues so till the end… When you wake up angry or upset very few things can change you for the rest of the day. In the same way – if you wake up and start your day with God, it is more likely that you will continue your day with Godly thoughts and being close to Him… as opposed to being trapped in the worries and demands of the everyday life around. Notice that even Jesus – God’s very Son, the holy and immaculate one, finds that it is important to pay attention to His relationship with the Father and the Spirit with the break of the day. And if He who is one with the Father and the Spirit does so, then how much more do we have to? Nothing can excuse the lack of action on our side if we don’t follow Jesus‘ example.

Psalm 119:147 reads: “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word” (NIV). Don’t be late to do this yourself!