The nature of the world and history is revealed in the book of Revelation. In the middle of everything in the heavenly throne room sits God who eludes all description. We learn from elders in white robes, and from the seven spirits of God, like a sea of glass crystal is lit. The People of God and people from all nations are around the throne. He that is above all conceivable is exalted. In the middle is the Lamb who was slain, angels and heavenly beings.

Just one question: who is worthy to receive the sealed book and open it, and to loose the seals thereof.

The focus of today’s text is our Lord Jesus Christ. The Romans wanted to have Him forgotten but God has anointed and increased. He is described as the lamb, because the cry of the lambs in the reputation of the defenseless, and the blood of lambs at the exodus of the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt on the one hand, a sign of the exemption, but also, to some extent was a sign of resistance against death.

The Book of Revelation, with its numerous visions were written at a time when the Christians were exposed to a first great persecution by Emperor Domitian.

In the book of Revelation, these difficult times in the larger context of the history of the world, and thus at the same time, found comfort and strength for the communities, because: The revelation flows into God’s victory over the powers of evil. In the end, the new world of God, the heavenly Jerusalem, without tears, suffering and death!

In reading, we learn that God guides the destiny of the world. In His right hand He holds the book with seven seals. In Him is the fullness, what will happen in the future. The Seven Seals therefore protect the secrets of the Almighty.

An angel with a loud voice calls for someone who is worthy to open the book.

A deep silence, no great man – even angels are not worthy. Who then?

There is only one worthy – only the One who is the winner of the Cross, the Bible speaks in images: It is Jesus Christ, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, the crucified and resurrected by the power of God.

He alone has the power to decode the book. He alone is worthy to take over this function.

As a result, all around the throne, all join in a great hymn.

All creatures of God begin the worship of the Lamb and He who sits on the throne.

Only praise, honor and glory to be heard for ever and ever!

The question arises, what is the point of such fantastic visions for us today. The course of our world is also for us today a mysterious book. One could weep, just as it was John the seer to weep.

We do not know how to explain why there is hunger, suffering, misery and war on earth. It remains a mystery why murder and homicide and hatred in many corners of the world are the order of the day. Even our own way is not certain to us.

Speculation will not help us to understand further the course of world history.  But one thing that we can do, and that is to be in unity with those who stand around the throne of God and give Him blessing and honour and glory and power.

Then we belong to those who are in front of the present, and we are not afraid of because of our trust in God; the fate of the world is in His hands.

As in the hymn: “God sitteth in the regiments and brings to all the good”.

In spite of painful conditions, He creates a new earth and a new heaven; then will the tabernacle of God be with men.

It should reflect our faith, if we have a firm grip under our feet we will also be able to resist the temptations of principalities and powers and remain truly free

The book of Haggai is a brief collection of messages written by Haggai as given to him by the Lord in 520BC. It takes us past the exile period to the time when the people of Israel were repatriated.  The prophet charges the people to build the house of the Lord and promises the receiving of God’s blessings for such an undertaking. The prophet tells the people that by looking at their own interests they will not please God.

The prophet laments that the people build their own “panelled” houses while the Lord’s house, the temple, lies in ruin.

The word “panelled houses,” can lead us to meditate that sometimes we “panell” our own worldly things together for ourselves.

However, this does not last. Only the Godly, is eternal and that is the way that God wishes us to serve Him, not by our own thoughts and ideas, but by the way He wishes us to serve Him.

Haggai starts off by speaking in the second year of King Darius reign to Zerubbabel, Governor of Judah and grandson of king Jehoiachin, and Joshua the son of the Jehozadak, the high priest, stating that the Lord says that His people says that it is not the time yet to build the house of the Lord, yet all the people live in their own panelled houses while God’s house is in ruin (Haggai 1: 3-6).

One may say that the rebuilding was important as God’s honour was at stake as the temple and the covenant went hand in hand. God therefore asks through Haggai that the people consider how they have fared, they have sown much, but harvested little, and they have earned wages but have placed them in bags with holes.

Haggai urges the people to go and fetch wood so that the house of the Lord may be built, but is disappointed in that the people rush away to build their own houses. Seeing this attitude of the people, God withheld the rains from heaven and this affects all the animals and soil produces (Haggai 1: 11).

Therefore, Haggai comes in the seventh month of the second year of king Darius’s reign and affirms God’s covenant with God’s people and says unto them that they will be God’s people and that His spirit will dwell among them (Haggai 2:5). God is ever faithful. Haggai continues to bring God’s promise of victory to them when he says that God will shake the heavens and the earth and all nations so that His house can be decorated with splendor. God assures His people that the latter splendor of the new temple will be greater than the former.

When Zerubbabel and Jehozadak heard the call from God to rebuild His temple from the prophet Haggai, they, together with the remnant people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of his prophet Haggai. This caused God to say that He is with them. Consequently, they all came to work on the house of the Lord of hosts on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month (Haggai l:15-15).

The Lord shows them that before they started to build His temple, they laboured in vain, however, He says now that they have come together and worked together so that the foundation has been laid, He will bless them abundantly.

Haggai tells the people that through obedience to their covenant, they will be blessed.  When the day came that they put God first God blessed every aspect of their lives (Haggai 2 10-19).

We find written in the Prophet Haggai Chapter 2 verses 6-9 the prediction of what would happen within the world:

“For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.”

We see therein the prophet was foretelling that there would be a great shaking throughout the whole world, a shaking that would have the people of the nations of the world to come unto the house of the Lord, not the natural house and temple that had been built by the former kings, but a latter house, the house of God, the spiritual house, the church, where every baptised soul becomes a living stone in that living temple, and it shall be glorious and there shall be peace found there, for the Prince of Peace will have come and established the building of this temple. We today are recipients of this.

That shaking came about in a very small way. It came about with the birth of a child, the second created man of God who was now born into this world without sin, because He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and He lived His life without sin. He paid the atonement necessary for the sins of the world, and on the cross He requested His Father to forgive them for they know not what they do, meaning the nations of the world who did not know of Him and did not know what they were doing for they were following the traditions of their forebears which had been contaminated by Satan.

He asked then according to the Scriptures where the prophets foretold, ‘Ask of me, and I will give you the nations of the worlds for thine inheritance.’ Our Lord, when He asked for that forgiveness for the nations of the world, our Heavenly Father then opened and shook within their midst over a period of time.

That shaking is still going on. That shaking shows that the Word of God is valid and powerful, and can bring about the promise of God and the Kingdom of God and eternal life.

“Come thou Spirit of Truth and abide with us,
Spread your Light with clearness, banish deception and pretence,
Pour out of your Holy Fire, stir our Hearts and Lips to speak,
That all who are True, will learn to know the Lord.”
In the first Letter of Apostle John (1 John 4:1-2) we read “Beloved, believe not every Spirit, but try the spirits whether
they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world, hereby know ye the Spirit of God! Every Spirit
that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God”, We should be advised to take note of what the Holy Ghost
is telling us. In the same letter the Apostle is reminding us in verse 2, “It is for us the truth that we hold firm to: but that
alone is not sufficient”.
God’s Spirit will not take from us the understanding or truth to mediate, but will cause us to penetrate, make and fashion,
yes, through the efficiency of the spirit to live in this great power, Rom. 8:14 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God,
they are the Sons of God”, We must not be satisfied with reading the text, we should apply our mind to that which is
written above, ·0 come thou Spirit of Truth etc.” and we should pray and plead that this should happen. If we have not the
Word of Jesus in us, do we believe that the Spirit of Truth is in us? And that it can make us free? Free from errors, from
self-complacency, from torment and fear, being crushed! The Holy Spirit enabled the Apostle to speak out and to perceive
what had to be done by the Spirit and then to perform it. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature for he has the
stamp of the Holy Ghost and he can either do or leave.”
Eph 4:22-24 “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful
lusts: and be renewed in the spirit of your mind: and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness.” Here the Apostle Paul is giving us concrete wisdom in reminding us of what we should
do in Christ. Grieve not the Holy Ghost.
“Pour out of your Holy Fire, stir our Hearts and Lips to speak.” The Holy Fire can be pictured as the Holy Ghost in which
is great power just like a natural fire having power, separating the high minded from the humble (spiritual) so that with
heart and lips the word of God through the fire of the Holy Ghost can be spoken with clearness. Those who are worldly
minded cut themselves off from the Holy Spirit, and he is not in the heart of those who sleep. Holy Ghost open up our
hearts door, open the eyes and let us see who is the author and finisher of our Faith. (John 16:14) “He shall glorify me: for
he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it into you’. It is the Holy Ghost which reminds us that Jesus Christ was born in
the flesh. Jesus Christ means to us the Grace of God revealed and is very precious and helps us in our weaknesses. A life
lived under the power of the Holy Ghost is Holy and brings forth the fruits of the Spirit. It was a testimony of the early
Christians that they stayed firm in the Apostle teaching, in the breaking of bread etc. It is a remarkable fact that people are
near one another, against one another, but not with one another. Therein lies great danger when we pledge ourselves to
that which is false. Jesus said that we should carry one another’s burdens but also remain unnoticed. When the works of
our life do not conform to what the Holy Ghost teaches then our sin is as it were doubled. Where man stands as an
example he receives the strength and the life of the Holy Ghost. Greater can we be if we through the power of the Holy
Ghost, testify of the name of Christ (2 Tim 1:7) “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear: but of power, and of love,
and of a sound mind”. What is made known in God’s promises that He will fulfill. The Holy Bible teaches us – no yet – but
in My time says the Lord. When we speak of the future revealed in the Holy Bible, the contents will be fulfilled, in what
era, the Lord knows, and we look forward to God’s Kingdom.
A Warning: Do not believe in all the spirits; it has been revealed in our time that false prophets have gone out into the
world. Let us pray that the work of the Holy Ghost does not come to a standstill.

People who permit themselves to be led and ruled by the Spirit of God, their Creator, must continuously and most conscientiously seek to ensure that they are indeed in harmony with the Spirit of our dear Heavenly Father. This calls for constant heart searching, tolerance and a loving attitude to our fellow man. God alone knows how we and His Creation appear to Him.

Because of immeasurable grace we belong to those who have been selected to belong to the Church of Jesus Christ, who through their recognition and seeking for God, come into closer connection with Him. God loves us and is always concerned for our wellbeing, through the words and deeds of Christ this is made clear. God speaks to us through His Holy Spirit and he who hears not only the words, but receives love, understanding and readiness to help. God strives for us here and in all eternity. Jesus said “I live, ye shall live also”. John 14:19.

One of His most important objectives is to free us from wrong ideas about life, its content and quality etc. and to lead us to see things more clearly and truly.  The Son of God does not want our life to be miserable. His work of love, when He turned the water to wine at the wedding, showed that He understands our needs and is no spoilsport. He understands our world, we must strive to understand His world, the Kingdom of Heaven.

When we speak of bread we think of physical nourishment which will stave off hunger for a few hours. Jesus however, speaks of Himself as the bread of life, i.e. the way to spiritual fulfilment. He is the bread, not physical, but spiritual whereby our souls may find sustenance. We can only claim to be Christians and followers of Christ if we are prepared to revise the manner of our lives for His sake and are ready to give ourselves wholly and completely to the Lord. “He that cometh to me shall never hunger.” What must we forsake to go to Him?

What does the bread consist of which constitutes the essence of all things, which made our lives possible until now? What is the chief ingredient of our lives which brings us to joy and peace? With what do we satisfy the hunger of our souls?

Whatever we do, cannot change the transitory nature of our lives. We are not concerned by the mortal nature of our physical lives when we perceive the constant strengthening of the spirit.

Most important is that Christ lives within us and that He is able to express Himself through us with His personality, with His love and His divine wisdom. This should not be a mere empty scholastic theory which we hold, but everybody should be able to see in us and the manner of our lives and the expression of the life of Jesus Christ. Before we take any action we should ask ourselves the question “Would Jesus act like this?” If the answer is Yes, go ahead, if the answer is No, don’t do it.

In recent elections, both in Australia and elsewhere in the world, the ‘for’ and ‘against’ Christianity was on display. Much of this conversation was confrontational and resulted in negativity and fear. Because God has not given Christians a spirit of fear, but one of love and a sound mind (see 2 Timothy 1:7), these events should not trouble us.

Apostle Paul wrote the above words to the church in Rome in the context of Christian persecution by various emperors of Rome. The first 100 years of the Christian era was tumultuous for those who followed Christ. Regardless, his message was to trust in God’s plan regardless of our own thinking.

Another piece of wisdom was heard recently in the modern era which said, “It doesn’t matter who is in (the) office, God is on the throne.”

No doubt, it is easier for believers when the governing body bases its decision-making on God’s word, but we should not expect that to always be the case. Regardless, we are meant to turn our faith into trust in God’s plan, His word and promises. His time frame is not our timeframe, and His wisdom is beyond our wisdom, so it will not be possible to fully comprehend why God allows leadership that seems contrary to His ways.

Mostly we fear such times because we cannot see the future outcome. It is for this reason we need to be reminded of these words from the political environment at the beginning of the Christian era almost 2000 years ago.

1 Timothy 2:1-3, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;”

As with all aspects of life this too needs to be placed in God’s hands, as commanded.

No truer adage can be applied when it comes to future knowledge based on current situations than the phrase, “God only knows!”

Previously, we have learnt that Apostle Paul instructed Timothy to ‘endure sound doctrine.’ Here he teaches Bishop Titus to speak of the same things and goes on to address what that sound doctrine might be for various groups within the church.

For example, he urges the aged men to hear words that will cause them to be circumspect (sober), sensible (grave) and moderate (temperate) men, which results in a solid faith, a love for works and an enduring hope.

Similarly, for the aged women and young people there is a need to consistently hear guidance. If this guidance is heeded by all and put into practice, their words and actions cannot be condemned.

Verse 8, “Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.”

Finally, he sums up the behaviour required, and the ultimate purpose of sound doctrine.

Verse 12-13, “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”

May the Lord teach us to value the sound doctrine we receive, embrace it, and respect the source.

Verse 15, “These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.”

Every branch of medical science with each new discovery reinforces these words of the Psalmist. Our human body is nothing short of miraculous and is evidence of an omniscient designer and an omnipotent creator.

Every advance in medical knowledge continues to confirm God’s word. Whether it be at a microscopic cellular level or the multifaceted whole of body systems working together, the evidence for a creator is clear.

Unfortunately, the author King David recognised the limitations of our ability for our human nature to comprehend creation knowledge or ‘the capacity to make something out of nothing’. Verse 6, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.”

Our inability to fully comprehend, however, does not negate the truth of God’s word nor does it undermine His love to us. Verse 16, “Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.”

Jesus confirmed in His teaching that the ‘book of the living’ contains this knowledge of our individual being down to even the very hairs of our head being numbered and of value. Luke 12:6-7, “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”

Valued and miraculous as it is, this human form is but a corrupted version of the original. Scientific endeavour in the field of genetic entropy confirms that we as a whole of species began from a much better genetic point than we are at now.

Ultimately, this corrupted body must be put off so that immortality (eternal life) can be our goal. 1 Corinthians 15:49-50, “And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.”

Most of us have only ever contemplated the wild frontier of the oceans and the power they can produce in times of storm. Recent scientific research has shown that the gravitational effect of the moon, in causing the tides, can even impact the speed of the Earth’s rotation!

Fortunately, very few of us have personally had to face this life-threatening force. Lack of personal experience, however, does not hinder our ability to understand the above verses from the perspective of the experienced sailors. Even though they may try, the most skilful sailor invariably learns that they are unable to control the sea.

From these events in history, we are meant to learn about mankind’s capacity when relating to and interacting with the Almighty God. In Jonah’s case, God used the sea to teach him that God’s will MUST be done. He also learned of the mercy of God. Even though he had rejected the call to Him, God prepared a great fish and saved him from the sea.

Sometimes in our lives, the ocean of troubles around us and perils of self-doubt serve to cause us to fear for our lives or our souls. It is then we should grasp hold of the metaphorical lifeboat, which is our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

There is a final lesson to learn as we look back upon times when we have been guided through trouble and distress in our lives. In hindsight we can see when the love and mercy of God has pulled us through and the resilience through experience we have gained.

When we next find ourselves asking the Lord, “Why me?”, we should remember the nautical wisdom in the saying, “Calm seas do not skilful sailors make”.