Will there be any tears in heaven? It is John in the book of Revelation who assures us that heaven will be a place without tears; that God will wipe away all tears from their eyes (Revelation 21:4), and yet this great unfolding of God's purpose for the world and humanity is introduced with the very tears which John assures us will one day be absent (Revelation 5:4). John's tears are caused by the painful possibility which occurs to John that this tearless heaven of no more sorrow and suffering may never actually come to reality if no one is found worthy to open the book in the hand of God. It is this book which acts as a detonator for all subsequent events in Revelation. Without this book being opened there is no Revelation, there is no plan and no purpose and there is no heaven without sorrow. John discovers that for every season there is a time, even in the timelessness of heaven! Heaven must wait upon the opening of the book by the one found worth; the lion and the lamb. It is only the one who, in His own time completed thee work of redemption who was worthy to open the book. Once calvary and the saving work of the cross was complete then and only then could this book be opened by the vicarious lamb and victorious lion. Sometimes we wonder why does God not intervene now? Right now? Surely this event or these people ought to prompt an immediate reaction from God? God's actions are not arbitrary. The reason for this is profound. If God were willing to intervene at any and every point in human history or in my life that would mean that those experiences, that pain and that suffering had in reality no absolute meaning or purpose. If God were to intervene arbitrarily then life, suffering, pain and disaster would of themselves have but an arbitrary meaning. It is the fact that life with all of it's dimensions and trials has meaning, significance and purpose in God's plans and providence means that God waits until those purposes have reached their fulfilment before His hand intervenes. The greatest tears we could ever shed would not be tears of grief and loss but tears of hopelessness, meaninglessness and despair that all of that sorrow had no ultimate purpose nor meaning.

Yours by Grace in Christ

Dr J Stewart Gillespie

When elders announce in heaven that the book of Revelation chapter 5 is to be opened by the Lion of Judah, John turns to look, but instead of a Lion he sees a Lamb. God achieves the greatest of victories by the most unconventional of means. It was not King Saul who defeated Goliath but rather David the Shepherd boy, it was not armies that defended Israel in the days of Haman's genocidal plan but rather Esther the slave queen, it was not a revolution nor superior armaments that secured the release of Israel from Egypt but the blood of a lamb. God does things differently because God sees the universe differently. Underpinning the universe is an order far different from what we might suspect. Greatest in God's eyes is not determined by popularity, nor by influence, nor by wealth, status nor title. In the eyes of God personal character, faithfulness and Christ likeness are of a far higher order of magnitude in the assessment of greatness. These values underpin the very fabric of His creation. To found ourselves upon them and to move in harmony with faith, love, hope, truth and righteousness is to guarantee ultimate success. These very principles; the greatness of love and meekness underpin God's great plan of salvation; by the lamb, in the suffering and death of Jesus Christ for sinners, despised, hated and rejected. It is the lamb we view here in Revelation chapter 5 as the one able to open the book; a book which changes destinies and determines the passing of an old fallen world and the rising again of a new eternal city. 

Yours by Grace in Christ 

J Stewart Gillespie

What is going on in the world?

Why does everything seem so out of control?

Can God be in control over so much apparent chaos? 

Can God even exist when the innocent suffer and natural disasters strike that seem to be the fault of no one?

Where do we start to find God? 

In Revelation chapter 5, before John unfolds the story of tragedy after turmoil, after natural disaster John brings us to the book in the hand of God. We begin with the certainties of the Divine plan and purpose before we grapple with the apparent chaos of a world thrown head long into destruction. It is when we begin with the certainties of the Bible that we are drawn to the inescapable conclusion that there is both a God and a plan for this world. It is within the pages of this ancient book that century after century God reveals Himself to prophets, priests and kings and finally in history in His Son Jesus Christ. Down through the pages of ancient prophecy we can trace the anticipation of the coming Messiah for generations prior to His advent. Micah tells us the place of His birth; "Bethlehem"; Isaiah speaks of the means of His birth; "a virgin will conceive and bring forth a Son"; David speaks of His crucifixion and death in Psalm 22; His resurrection in Psalm 22 and Isaiah will lay out God's plan of salvation in Isaiah 53; by personal, individual faith in God's Son , who is the lamb of God led to the slaughter as a sacrifice for sin; my sin and yours. 

Yours by Grace in Christ 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie

Revelation chapter 5 is the detonator for global catastrophe and judgment with all of the war, suffering, sorrow and pain that involves. Such an outpouring if God's wrath could only happen when humanity is in active rebellion against their creator. To see all of the pain and sorrow merely as a passive consequence of human disobedience is to miss the bigger picture and deeper mystery of the book of Revelation. God is bigger than we imagine and more in control than we could ever anticipate. Whilst God pours out His judgement upon a world that rejects Him, that crucified His Son and persecuted His people, in all of that sorrow and suffering God is working out His own purpose. His goal is an end to the corruption and mess of a fallen world and the ushering in of a new heaven and new earth. Grief is but the stepping stone to Glory. In the storm there is a peace to be found in the Christ who walks on the waves, at the grave there is a glory to be seen in the hope of resurrection through the grief of the present moment. Look for the hand of God, the purpose of the problem and the plan of an all powerful and sovereign God in every experience of life. 

Yours by Grace in Christ 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie

The journey of life is a life long journey, given purpose by the "Living God" the originator and final judge of that life. Irrespective of religious conviction or encounters that same Living God speaks life long through events, conscience, encounters, creation and explicitly through His Word, written and living in Jesus Christ. He is interested in all men. Like the provision available to all that we recognise in some of our human and national institutions there is provision and availability for all. Perhaps especially over the past couple of years we have all looked upon and some have come to depend upon a health service for all, the National Health Service. Even if we have never used it, that provision is there when we need it and if we wish to avail ourselves of it. There is in Jesus Christ provision for each of us. He is the "Saviour of all men" and yet that great provision becomes real, life transforming and destiny changing when we take a step of faith. His is the title "Saviour of all men" and it must by for Jesus Christ to be the Saviour of any man. It is faith that transforms our relationship with God through Jesus Christ, from being the Saviour of all men to becoming my personal Saviour. The lesson is clear on the cross of Calvary; one Saviour with an open ear to the right and to the left and yet only one thief turned in faith, repentant and trusting in the Christ dying for his sins. 

May we desire a destiny enough to trust the one who holds that destiny.

TruthTrek from Grace in Christ 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie

It is strange that there is so little said in the bible concerning this great subject of heaven. It would appear after all to be of great concern to many. What is heaven like? How do I get to heaven? Are my loved ones in heaven? Is heaven real? Amongst the few passages of the bible which speak of heaven explicitly is Revelation chapter 4. There is much in this chapter that is not new. We already knew that heaven has a door, only one, that door is Jesus Christ (John chp 10 vs 9). We have perhaps already heard the voice that calls us into heaven? "My sheep hear my voice and they follow me" (john 10:27). Heaven is also the place of separation, that is a holy separation between the perfection of heaven and sinfulness of man's world. A holiness and purity symbolised by the crystal sea of Revelation chapter 4. 

In all of this description of heaven there is also a sense of tragedy. This is the secret tragedy of heaven. Symbolically before the throne of heaven are four living creatures (beasts in the some translations). These angelic beings symbolise the character of God. God is lion like, sovereign, powerful and in control. He is Lord and King, ordering and ordaining time and human history for His own purposes. He is also the one in overall control of our own personal lives and experiences. Those coincidences were anything but coincidences! Those disappointments were Divine appointments! Those unexpected encounters and events may have been unexpected to you but not to God! He is moving over time and behind the scenes of time. 

God is also calf like, the sacrificial animal, providing a way into His perfect heaven for imperfect men and women, that by means of sacrifice, shed blood and the offering of His Son Jesus Christ at Calvary.

God has the face of a man, incarnate as Jesus, revealing the invisible God we could not know nor encounter but by the Lord Jesus drawing close in time. 

Here then is the great secret tragedy of heaven. If we fail to gain entry to God's dwelling, the tragedy lies in this that all of my life He has been seeking for me, seeking to save, searching and calling for the lost sheep, lost coin and prodigal son. If I am lost it is because and refused to allow Him to find me. He has been calling and moving and revealing all of my life. 

Let us not miss Him; "I am come to seek and to save that which was lost".

The Truth Trek 

A gospel ministry from 

Grace in Christ 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie

When God hits you with total, radical, transformation it can be as powerful as it is unexpected. Saul in Acts 9 was a man who thought he had it all figured out in life. He knew what life was about, what he was about and where exactly he was heading; in varying degrees of up, up, up. In reality Saul neither knew himself, nor the God he claimed to serve and was utterly clueless as to the ultimate purpose of his life, mind you that was understandable, since the purpose God had for Him was utterly unbelievable! 

Saul's life changing moment came from the sky, bright and dramatic. His life wasn't to be changed by the experience but by the God of the experience. In answer to Saul's question; "who are you Lord?" came the response from heaven; "I am Jesus whom you persecute." Like a spoiled, self willed child Saul had been prodded by God for some time, and like the spiritual child he was he did nothing but kick against those prods, redirecting his frustration with himself and God to God's people; the Christians. He too now encountered the Jesus of heaven and his life was transformed from fear to faith, from persecution to preaching Christ. By whatever means you find Christ; let us make sure that this year we enjoy just that; the joy of finding Christ.

There's nothing wrong with seeking a solid foundation for faith. When God revealed Himself in the incarnation of Jesus Christ , He certainly anticipated skeptical questions from enquiring minds. Backing up the revelation of Jesus lay 2000 years of ancient prophecies, detailing every aspect of His birth, His life, His death and His incarnation. Even Joseph and the apostle Paul needed the solid foundation of evidence and proof before leaning their entire destiny on Jesus. That weight of evidence is there to be discovered for the enquiring mind as we read through the pages of ancient scripture. Seek, find and believe. The finding and the believing is infinitely worth the seeking.

It had been a long way, a tough trek but finally they found Him.

He was not only a baby

He was not only a King

He is the eternal God

This was the moment that the eternal came into time.

This was the moment the Divine revealed Himself to humanity by humanity.

Many have travelled the long road to Jesus, a path that revealed the sinfulness of self, the hopelessness of life without Jesus, the futility of a world without God. To finally find Him at the end of such a long road, brought joy pure joy for all of the wise men; as we can be too!

Satan's character remains unchanged over the millennia of human existence. Satan is the thief who comes to 'steal, kill and destroy.' In Luke chapter 8 we observe the ultimate conclusion of that work; despair and destruction in the life of a man seeking liberty and freedom. He was free but only in the shadow of the grave, free to self destruction, free to Satanic deception and free to solitary despair and desperation. Christ was and is the only solution to the bondage of such a soul lacking hope and devoid of help, powerless to help himself he falls in faith before Jesus, creator, judge and personal Saviour.

The last word of a prayer, of a book, of the Bible itself maybe Amen, but of our lives there is a word after the last. Mediocrity, compromise and rank materialism is met head on with the stark reality that at the end of life and service our eyes close not simply with an 'Amen' but are brought to a conclusion BY THE AMEN. He utters the final word of assessment on our life now complete. He knows our successes, He witnessed our failures, He gave us the opportunities, now He speaks. We best listen now to His command and call before our lives move from service to assessment, from activity to accountability. Revelation chapter 3 verse 14.