40 Days Closer to Christ

What if they decided to hold a concert and every member of the orchestra showed up with their instruments tuned anyway they wanted? I’ve been to a few middle school concerts and I have to tell you that it wouldn’t be good. There must be some standard to which all the instruments are tuned, or else you end up with a cacophony. But not only do the instruments need to be tuned, but they need to be tuned to a Master note.

In my house I have three guitars. (Actually since my kids played rock star with one of them only two are playable, but for illustration purposes lets suppose all three can be played.) If I tune one of them to with a pitch pipe or with an electronic tuner than I am pretty sure that it is conditioned for optimal performance. Now I can go to the second guitar and tune it by the first one. And I can get around to tuning the third one by using the second. Theoretically, all three should be tuned up just right. But if I strum a note on the third one, and check it with the tuner, more than likely it will be a little flat or a little sharp. It is just not quite in tune. No matter how good my ear is, a little variation sneaks in as they get tuned down the line. All three guitars have different tones and pitches but if they are all tuned with the electronic tuner and to the same standard then they sound good together.

It is the same way with us. We can get pretty close to where we should be in our spirituality, in our righteousness, and in our walk with God by sharpening ourselves against each other, but we will always be a little off. We need to go back to the Master to make sure that we are where we need to be. It is Christ alone who is the standard by which we measure ourselves. And it is by Him alone that we will be able to perform as we should. That is why we take forty days leading up to Easter and use it to draw closer to Christ and to reestablish our discipleship.

Forty days is the optimal period to form a new habit, to establish a new practice, and to change the pattern of your life. 40 Days – Closer to Christ is an activity (we won’t use the word program) that can change your life.

Forty is a significant number in the scriptures. When God brings about change, the scriptures often represent a significant event as having a forty day duration. Noah’s world was changed forever in forty days. Moses saw God face to face and in forty days received the word which is still the basis for law and government. The city of Nineveh repented in sackcloth and ashes and turned away God’s wrath in the space of forty days. David became a hero after all Israel cowered under Goliath’s forty day challenge. Elijah lived by faith for forty days after God sustained him with one meal. The disciples were given the mysteries of the kingdom as they were taught by the Lord during an intensive forty day seminar after the resurrection. Jesus prepared with a forty day fast for a ministry which culminated in the salvation of mankind.

We can grow closer to the Savior as we study His life and His appearances throughout scripture. We become the people we should as we strive to lead a life of diligent discipleship. In these forty days we can review and renew the vital things that bring us to the Lord. We can refresh our memories and recall the eternal truths of who God is, who we are, and how we can have a close relationship with Him. 40 Days – Closer to Christ is an opportunity to more fully develop that relationship, so that we may see as we are seen and know as we are known.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Day 32 ~ Amen (Revelation 3:14)


Occasionally you come across a name that just makes you smile. The thought of parents deliberately inflicting humor upon their progeny's monikers can make you shake your head. But evidently some just can't resist. They bring home from the hospital a little bundle of joy named (and you may have to say some of these out loud) Anna Graham, Alf Abett, Oliver Sudden, Gene Poole, Paige Turner, Hugh Dunnit,, and Hugo First. There is Lou Natic and Lew Pole, Dan Gerous and Rick O'Shea. It might be cool to be Justin Credable, Justin Thyme, Claire Voyant, Jim Nastic, Iona Bigyot or Vick Tree. But you have to feel sorry for Arthur Ritus, Hal Hitosis, Lewis Morrals, Harry Mann, Wilma Cargo and Jean-Anne Tonique. Questions arise, such as, do Moira Less and Penny Less know Xavier Money and Xavier Self? Will Honour Mission could go out with Elder Berry and see Hugh Mannaty? I think my favorite is the poor kid named Juan Moment. He probably was confused every time he was in line.

These names are funny because they mean other things in our language. But there are some names that carry true English meanings in and of themselves. We have Faith, Hope and Charity. Amber, April, Patience, and Joy. It seems to be mostly a girl thing. But we do have a boy in our church ward named Courage. I have an ancestor with the unfortunate name of Hateevil. But most of the names we use are borrowed from other languages and new parents search baby books to find a good name with special meaning to give their new baby.

As we have studied the names and titles of Christ, we have often explored the various meanings of those names in the original languages. I know that some have gone screaming into the night "AHHHH, HE'S QUOTING THE HEBREW AGAIN!!!!" But there are insights to be gleaned as we look and see why the translators would have chosen certain words as they struggled to interpret the text. Hebrew is a very expressive language. Names are very important in Hebrew. Richard Kirkham in his article "What's in a Name" explains "because Hebrew names always have significance, their meanings are often wasted on the Anglo reader who causally reads the scriptures with no familiarity of the ancient language. A little knowledge of Hebrew often can help us gain greater insight to situations in the scriptures." With that in mind he took the names of the antediluvian fathers and strung their names together. Taking the English meanings from the names he came up with a sentence "Mankind (has) fallen! Mortal man (is) possessed. What? Praise! God came down (as) the dedicated one! (His) death sends powerful rest!" Is it actually an intended occurrence, or just coincidence? I don't know. It does seem rather cool. And it works.

With that in mind, we should look at what is meant when the Lord takes a name for Himself.

In Revelation 3:14 He calls Himself "the Amen." Amen is a form of the word Emunah - faith or belief. Amen really doesn't mean the end, though colloquially we have made it that. Whenever we respond amen to a prayer or statement it means that we believe or have faith that what was said is right. Amen became a legally binding word of agreement as the Law was read to the children of Israel. The Hebrew root [ahman] means to be firm and permanent, and thus true or faithful. It is conceptually related to "I Am." We find Ahman as one of Christ's titles in D&C 78:20: "Wherefore, do the things which I have commanded you, saith your Redeemer, even the Son Ahman."

Amen is also an acronym. It is the first letter of each word taken in the phrase "God is a true and faithful king" (Aiy'l Melech Ne-eman). Jewish Law teaches that an individual should say these three words before reciting the Shema if praying alone. One Jewish source says there are "three concepts ... ensconced in the word Amen. The Hebrew word Aiy'l represents God's trait of kindliness with which He created the world. Melech: He is our King due to the Torah we have received from Him. And Ne-eman: He is faithful and will one day reveal His grandeur to the world and bring redemption to all mankind."
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