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 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.