Revive Our Hearts

Dannah Gresh: We say amen all the time. But what does it really mean? Here's Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth.

Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth: It means he is faithful. It means his promises are true. It means whatever he says is sure. It will happen. It's true. He is the God of amen.

Dannah Gresh: This is the Revive Our Hearts podcast with Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, author of Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free. For April 3rd, 2026, I'm Dannah Gresh.

Amen. That word is usually how we end our prayers, but what does it actually mean? Nancy's here to tell us all about its significance and how it relates to Jesus. Over the past week, Nancy's been in a series called Holy Week Heart Prep: The Wonderful Names of Jesus.

It’s part of a longer series called The Wonder of His Name. You'll find a link to it in the transcript of this program at ReviveOurHearts.com or on the Revive Our Hearts app. Now here's Nancy with the final message of the series.

Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth: Well, today is Friday and what appeared to be the most heinous day in the history of the world as the Son of God was put to death on a cross there on Calvary's Hill, but what we call today Good Friday because what the devil intended for evil, God has turned to great good. And so we celebrate today with grateful hearts the sacrifice of the Son of God on our behalf.

Now we come today to a final name. We've been in the book of Revelation for some of these names, so we're going to stay there and see the final name of Jesus in this series in Revelation chapter 3. This falls in the letters to the churches in Revelation and we're looking at the letter to the last of the seven churches, the church in Laodicea. This is the church that arguably was in the worst spiritual condition of all the seven.

And in each of these letters, Jesus is identified with a different descriptor. Here's the description we read at the beginning of the letter to the church in Laodicea: "The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation." Now that word Amen may be the best-known word in the world.

If you go to a church service anywhere around the world, you may not understand anything that's being said, but chances are you will hear this word pronounced in a number of different ways, perhaps Amen, Ah-men, Ah-meen, they say in some different languages, but you'll recognize it as that word Amen.

It's a word that means both in the Hebrew and the Greek—it's transliterated from the Hebrew to the Greek—it means truth, firmness. Something that is amen is reliable, it's sure, it's true, it's permanent, it's absolutely certain. Now in the Scripture, sometimes you'll see this word as the last word of a solemn statement. "Such and such and such and such is true. Amen." It's the last word of that important statement.

Sometimes Amen will be a congregational response in the Scripture to express affirmation or agreement with what has been said. For example, in the book of Nehemiah when the law of God was read, all the people said "Amen! Amen!" Let me hear you say it. (Audience: "Amen!") That means, "Let it be so. We agree. It is so. Amen."

Some of you go to churches where you say amen when there's a point that you want to affirm, you want to agree, you say amen. And some of you go to churches where if somebody said that out loud, the chandelier might crack. So, whether you say it out loud or in your heart, I hope you're at least saying it in your heart: Amen. Let it be so. It is so.

Now Amen is an Old Testament title for God. It describes his character. You see this, for example, in Isaiah 65 where he is called twice in one verse the God of Truth. That word truth in the Hebrew is Amen. He is the Amen, the Amen, he is the God of Amen, the God of truth, certainty. What he says is reliable. It's true.

In Deuteronomy chapter 7, he's called the faithful God. That could literally be translated the Amen God. It means he is faithful, it means his promises are true, it means whatever he says is sure. It will happen. It's true. He is the Amen God. He is the God of Amen.

And so in Revelation chapter 3, verse 14, Jesus calls himself the Amen, the faithful and true witness. This is the only time in the Scripture that Amen itself is used as a proper noun. It's used as an adjective, as a descriptor, but here it's used as a proper noun. Jesus is God. He is the Amen God. He is the God of Amen.

And this name fits him perfectly. In fact, it couldn't in its truest sense apply to any other person. He is the true one, the Amen, he is the truth. We've looked at that in this series. Now that's important in the context of this letter to the Laodiceans because this is a church that was deceived about their true spiritual condition.

They thought they were doing just fine, thank you. But Jesus was going to expose their true condition, the condition of their hearts, what he saw and knew that they couldn't see. So he starts out by saying, "The one who is about to tell you this, I am the Amen, the faithful and true witness. What I'm about to tell you, you may not believe, you may not see it this way, but it's amen. It's true. It's absolutely true."

Jesus is Amen. He is constant, he is unchanging. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is immutable, unchanging in his wisdom, his grace, his love, his power, his presence with us. He is faithful, the Amen. Again, a contrast to the Laodicean church where these believers, if they were believers at all in some cases, they were wavering in their faith. They were compromising. None of that with Jesus. No wavering, no compromising. He is noonday, no shadow of turning with him. He is the Amen, the faithful and true witness.

Jesus is the fulfillment, the Amen, of many Old Testament figures and types that point to him. He is the fulfillment of various feasts and ceremonies and events, such as the Exodus. We talked about that in the last couple of sessions. He is the fulfillment of those, the Amen.

He is the fulfillment of various people who are types in the Old Testament: Adam, King David, Isaac, Joseph, Jonah who spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish. Jesus is the fulfillment of those shadows and those types. He is the Amen, the final word.

He is the Amen, the fulfillment of Noah's Ark that provides salvation and refuge in the storm. He's the fulfillment, the Amen of those Old Testament sacrifices, of the Passover Lamb, of the manna in the wilderness, of the brass serpent in the wilderness, of the rock in the wilderness that was smitten to provide water.

He is the fulfillment, the Amen of the showbread and the lampstand in the tabernacle. He is the fulfillment, the Amen of the veil of the tabernacle and of the temple as his body was torn to open up access to the Holy of Holies, the Shekinah glory, the presence of God.

He is the Amen, he is the fulfillment of those cities of refuge in Israel in the Old Testament. He is the Amen, the fulfillment of that kinsman-redeemer we looked at earlier this week. He fulfills all those Old Testament titles. And he is the fulfillment, the Amen of those Old Testament prophecies and promises about the Messiah.

God promised that there would be a redeemer. In Genesis 3, he's called the seed of the woman, the Son of David, the Son of God. We're told in the Old Testament that he would be born of a virgin, that he would make the blind see, he would make the deaf hear. He fulfilled all those prophecies. He is the Amen.

It was prophesied in the Old Testament that he would be rejected by his own people, that he would be betrayed by a friend for 30 pieces of silver. It was prophesied that his hands and his feet would be pierced. It was prophesied that Messiah would be raised from the dead and that he would crush the serpent's head. Jesus fulfilled every one of those prophecies.

He is God's eternal, great Amen. And so Paul says in Romans 15, "For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the Jews to show God's truthfulness in order to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs." He's the Amen, the affirmation that it is so, that what God has said is true. He is the Amen, his word is trustworthy and true.

That word Amen is sometimes translated in the New Testament "truly" or "verily," depending on your translation. It's often used in the Gospel of John this way. 25 times in John's Gospel it says "verily, verily" or "truly, truly I say to you." That's the word Amen. Amen, amen, Jesus said.

It means "most assuredly, it will come to pass." And Jesus often used that double phrase, "Amen, amen, truly, truly," to emphasize the truthfulness, the reliability of what he was about to say. "Verily I say unto you. Amen I say unto you." That means that whatever he says is true and it will surely come to pass.

Jesus is the faithful and true witness, the Amen. That phrase "faithful and true witness" just amplifies Amen. It goes right with it. It means he is trustworthy, he is a reliable witness, he tells the truth. There is nothing inaccurate in his words. Jesus was faithful in declaring God's truth when he was here on earth.

And now in heaven, his witness and his revelation is forever true. Revelation 19: "Then I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse. The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, the Amen." And in righteousness he judges and makes war. Revelation 22, verse 6: "And he said to me," to the apostle John, "these words are trustworthy and true." Of course they are because they're spoken by Jesus, who is the faithful and true one, God's Amen.

That means, and the church in Laodicea needed to realize this, that when he speaks, when he tells us what's going on in our churches and our lives, his assessment is true. It's accurate. He's the one who searches and inspects the hearts. He knows the truth. He knows our true condition, not what we tell other people is true about our lives, but what he knows, what he sees.

He's going to tell this Laodicean church the truth about her condition, which is very different than their perception of themselves. So whose assessment are you going to trust? Your own, or others, or Jesus? His words are trustworthy and true.

All his promises are true. They're true. They will all be fulfilled. In fact, I want to just read you several of his promises and I want us to just out loud say "Amen" to each of those promises as we affirm that he has spoken the truth and that all these promises are true.

He has promised first that if we would seek the kingdom of God first, that all our other needs would be added to us. (Audience: "Amen!") He has promised eternal life to all those who believe in him. (Audience: "Amen!") He has promised that he would prepare a place for us and would come again and take us to be with him forever. (Audience: "Amen!") He has promised to return for his bride. (Audience: "Amen!")

Don't fade out on me. He has promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against his church. (Audience: "Amen!") He has promised that those who are willing to lose their life will find it, and those who hold on to their life will lose it. (Audience: "Amen!")

He has promised that he would send his Spirit to be in us, to guide us and to comfort us. (Audience: "Amen!") He has promised rest for our weary souls. (Audience: "Amen!") He has promised to be in the midst of his people who are gathered in his name. (Audience: "Amen!")

He promised that those who ask will receive and that if you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. (Audience: "Amen!") He promised that the Holy Spirit will give words and wisdom to those who are persecuted for their faith when they are brought in before hostile authorities. (Audience: "Amen!")

He has promised us a kingdom. (Audience: "Amen!") And he promised that we would receive power after the Holy Spirit came upon us, that we would be his witnesses. (Audience: "Amen!") And he promised finally, "I am with you always." (Audience: "Amen!") Amen and Amen!

All his promises are true. So because he is the Amen, because he is the faithful and true witness, what does that mean for us? Well, first of all, it means we better listen to what he says. Listen to him. And then it means that we should believe him. Believe him, believe his character, believe his promises, believe his word.

We can have complete confidence in Jesus now and for all of eternity. We can cling to him for our salvation and we can cling to him in every season and circumstance of life. Whatever you may be going through, you can cling to him because he has promised he will always be faithful and he is trustworthy, faithful and true. He is God's Amen.

So listen to him, believe him, and because he is the Amen, we had better obey his commands and heed his warnings. Because they are true as well. Believe him, obey him, heed him. The apostle said to the Corinthians, "The Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you was not yes and no, but in him it is always yes. For all the promises of God find their yes in Christ. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory."

Say, what all's that mean? Well, there's a progression there. Paul says Christ is the yes, the Amen of God. He displays the faithfulness of God in fulfilling all of God's promises. Jesus is the guarantee, the confirmation of God's promises, past, present, and future. Jesus is the great Amen, the yes of God.

And so as a result, we express our Amen, our yes to God. Jesus is God's Amen, so we say amen. We say yes, Lord. We express faith and gratitude and worship. We say Amen. And what's the result? For his glory. God is glorified. Jesus is God's great Amen, we say Amen in response, and God is glorified.

That's what it's all about. Jesus is God's final word. He is the Amen. Hebrews 1 says it this way: "Long ago at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets. But in these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son." And there's nothing else left to say. Jesus is God's eternal final Amen, the final word.

And you know what that means for you and for me in a very practical way today? It means that Jesus will have the final word. That means you will not have the final word. I will not have the final word. It's not our opinions that matter, it's his.

It means your adversary, the person who provokes you, the person who has set themselves against you, that person does not and will not have the final word. It may look like they are winning, like they are conquering, but that person is not the Amen.

Jesus is the Amen. He is God's final word. Your pastor is not the final word, your boss is not the final word, no political leader is the final word. Jesus is the Amen, the final word of God.

And so we come to that last verse of the Bible, Revelation 22: "He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. Amen. Amen." The last word of the Bible: Amen. It's all about Jesus. He is God's final word, God's Amen, Amen, Amen.

And oh, Lord Jesus, how we worship you. How we love you. We honor you, we exalt you, we bless your holy name. Yours is the name above all names. Jesus, what a sweet name, what a precious name.

You are the King before whom we bow and whom we serve. You are the servant, the suffering servant, God's righteous faithful servant. You are the Man of Sorrows. You are our great Redeemer. You are the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And you are God's great eternal ultimate final Amen. Amen. Amen.

Dannah Gresh: Amen. We don't usually think of that word as a name, but Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth has been showing us why it's such an important name of Jesus. We hope this series truly has helped you prepare your heart to worship this Holy Week.

Today may be Friday, but Resurrection Sunday is almost here. And what a joy it is to remember that Christ is the fulfillment of every promise. He is alive and he's coming back for us one day. Thank you for helping us proclaim that truth. This program is made possible because listeners like you are faithful to partner with us and support us and, oh, we really do have such a generous Revive Our Hearts family.

So many women and men too have looked at the resources God has blessed them with and said, "We want to give back to this ministry that God's used to bless us, to bless our families, and to bless our churches." And when you give, you help us reach thousands of women with the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This year, we've already seen God do that in so many new and beautiful ways. One woman wrote to tell us how much reading through the Bible with us has impacted her.

Guest (Female): I don't have enough words to express how grateful I am for all the ways this ministry has blessed me. When 2025 was coming to an end, I was so ready and excited to start the read-through-the-Bible plan and to journal and take notes every day.

I shared this with my husband and asked him if he would like to join me. His answer was, "Thanks, but I think I'll do the same plan that I did last year, and I'll do it on my phone." I really wanted him to read from his paper Bible and to experience the blessing of taking notes.

So, on January 1st, we started with our different plans. On January 4th, the sermon that our pastor preached was titled "The Thief Among Us," talking about distractions, especially those on our phones.

When the service that Sunday finished, my husband looked at me and said, "Get me a notebook and sign me up for the read-through-the-Bible plan." The Bible reading plan has turned into a Bible study in our living room.

We read in the mornings at different times and in the evenings, we sit together to do devotional that we get in our emails. The Lord is with us in sweet fellowship. It has blessed us greatly. Also, I volunteer at the pregnancy center in the town close to where we live.

A couple of weeks ago, we started to share the read-through-the-Bible plan with the women who come to the center, and some of them have expressed their interest and appreciation for it because otherwise they wouldn't be reading their Bibles. Thank you, Nancy. Thank you, Revive Our Hearts.

Dannah Gresh: What an encouraging testimony. I love that this husband and wife are reading through God's word together and that Revive Our Hearts gets to be a part of their journey. It is not too late for you to join us as we read through the Bible. You can just jump in where we are.

For all the information, go to ReviveOurHearts.com/bible2026. That's ReviveOurHearts.com/bible2026. If you've benefited from the various outreaches of Revive Our Hearts, would you consider making a donation to support this ministry?

When you do, we'd like to send you the Refresh 30 Days of Personal Revival journaling set as our way of saying thanks. To donate and request your gift, visit ReviveOurHearts.com or call us at 1-800-569-5959.

On Monday, guest Andrea Griffith will be with us and we'll be talking about God's power to revive a heart, and not just any heart: your heart. It's true. God's heart revival is for you. We'll talk more about that next week. I hope you'll be back for Revive Our Hearts.

This program is a listener-supported production of Revive Our Hearts in Niles, Michigan, calling women to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ.