from Dean Castle Country park in Kilmarnock

Reflections on Christmas from Revelation chapter 16 in the shadow of the Cloth Market in the Rynek Glowny, market square of the Stare Miasto Krakow - JS Gillespie

As John introduces us to Lucifer the Son of the morning, as he falls to earth in Revelation chapter 9, John likewise will leave us with another star, the bright and morning star of Revelation chapter 22 who rises. The Bible leaves us with a choice between the demonic that draws us down to the pit or divine grace in Christ that is able to raise us up.

Being Certain when you are only just sure, a devotional message from the book of Revelation chapter 13 verse 11, from the observation deck of the Academy of Sciences building in Riga, Latvia. Views of Riga and the cathedral of St Peter and St Paul. A message shared by Dr J Stewart Gillespie on the lamb and the beast.

Part of the TruthTrek series of devotional thoughts, a message from graceinchrist.org.

Words of encouragement from the dealings of God with our soul, from Revelation chapter 11 at the Ness Glen, Loch Doon, Ayrshire. 

A part of the TruthTrek series of devotional medications from the book of Revelation

Stewart Gillespie shares a message from the black and white, life and death, contrasts of Revelation chapter 11, where men are called on to chose between good and evil, God and Satan. A message shared at the Falkirk Wheel.

In the pre TikTok days before men lived for likes and posed for popularity biblical revelation left it's human authors exposed not to fame and fortune but infamy, poverty and death. Men spoke even when the burden they had was deeply unpopular or just bizarre and outlandish in the social and economic context in which it was revelled. These men spoke not to gain followers nor build a religion but they signed their own death warrants at times because they were utterly convinced that through them God spoke. This resulted in many recorded revelations which at the time seemed contradictory and implausible. Revelation chapter 9 contains a prediction of global military conflict involving armies totalling 200 million men! At the time this was written the world population was short of this by about 20 million! Today however it is reckoned that the world could mobilise about 1 billion people to participate in a war effort and  China alone could muster an army of at least 200 million! 

In retrospect these ancient impossibilities have crystallised into fully fledged realities. A child born of a virgin (Isaiah chp 7), a ruler born who has always been (Micah 5) and God pierced and gazed upon (Zechariah 12) all make sense to us now with the birth, death and saving resurrection of God's Son Jesus Christ. These deep mysteries find their answer in the deepest mystery of all; Jesus Christ! Do you know Him? God's message is a person. God's salvation is in a person; Jesus Christ! 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie

TruthTrek 

There was never a created being that exceeded the glory and power of Lucifer and there was never a fall that surpassed his from the heights of heaven to the depths of hell. No one can ever take solace in place nor position. No one is impervious to pride and the catastrophe which follows thereafter. Revelation chapter 9 describes Heaven's greatest disappointment with the fall of the morning star and earth experiences the impact at ground zero, an impact of death, disaster and destruction. Whilst Satan disappointed heaven he could not frustrate the purposes of God. The carnage and destruction he reeks on this world is the prelude to the establishment of God's Kingdom upon this earth. It is so often darkest before the storm. Let us take solace that darkness cannot defeat the light, nor can the smoke of hell choke out the life of God. If God can prove Himself sovereign over Satan, He is sovereign over all catastrophe, suffering and disappointment.

Dr J Stewart Gillespie @ graceinchrist.org

Tears are precious and powerful, sometimes our eyes are the most open when they are the firmly clouded by tears! It is the tears of God's people on Revelation chapter 7 that give them a profound insight and appreciation of Gods sovereign power and wisdom, worked out through history and in our lives personally. A message of hope preached on the banks of Loch Garry and on the foothills of Meall Na Leitreach.

Yours by God's Grace in Christ

Dr J Stewart Gillespie