Thursday May 4th

We are going to read the whole of Revelation 5 today.

‘Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.’

I have read the whole of this chapter today, for in reading what John has witnessed, we too get a glimpse of the throne-room, the place which is occupied by God himself, with the Lord Jesus Christ seated at his right-hand. But here we see the victorious Saviour, described as both a Lion and as a Lamb. And it is as a Lamb that John portrays what he does for us in this chapter.

Jesus is the Lamb who was slain, Jesus is the Lamb who has prevailed and Jesus is the Lamb who is worthy. He was slain for our sin, he prevailed in his battle over Satan and he is worthy to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing, and not just for a few years or maybe a decade or two, but forever and ever! (v13)

This chapter speaks of the vast crowd that were standing around the throne, v11 describes the crowd as being myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands. The crowd was made up of living creatures, the elders, (see Revelation 4:10) many angels and if you go back to verse 9, the people who had been ransomed by his blood! That means this vast crowd includes YOU and ME!

Yesterday, I said in our devotion that because Jesus had gone back through the ‘ancient doors’, they are now opened for us to enter through and we can ensure of our entry through them by placing our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, by coming to be washed in his precious blood which he shed for us as the Lamb who was slain. So another hymn for today. Come, let us join our cheerful song, for the Lamb has become our King enthroned in the heavens.

Come, let us join our cheerful songs
with angels round the throne;
ten thousand thousand are their tongues,
but all their joys are one.

‘Worthy the Lamb that died,’ they cry,
‘to be exalted thus’;
‘Worthy the Lamb,’ our lips reply,
‘for he was slain for us.’

Jesus is worthy to receive
honour and power divine;
and blessings, more than we can give,
be, Lord, for ever thine.

Let all that dwell above the sky,
and air, and earth, and seas,
conspire to lift thy glories high,
and speak thine endless praise.

The whole creation joins in one
to bless the sacred name
of him that sits upon the throne,
and to adore the Lamb.

A few thoughts this week as we come to the Coronation of King Charles III

This week I will post the Daily Devotions on my site which I have prepared for the Church which I pastor in Gateshead.

Revelation 19:11-16

‘Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.’

For this week I am going to use the theme of Jesus as King, as in a few days time our nation will witness the coronation of our new earthly king, King Charles the 3rd.

For most of us it is an historic moment because we will not have witnessed a coronation before, and I would remind us firstly that regardless of what our views or opinion may be concerning the monarchy, we have a responsibility as Christians to pray for those who are in authority, as we read in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 ‘First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way’, and Romans 13:1 ‘Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.’

As we go through this week and the days leading up to the coronation, let’s pray for King Charles and his wife Camilla, that as they consider the seriousness of their responsibilities, they will also consider their own personal relationship toward the Lord God and toward the Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s make sure that we pray that they will come to experience Jesus as their King and that King Charles will realise that he must be the Defender of the Christian FAITH.

I do not intend to take away from the importance of what the coronation is all about and what it means for our nation and the Commonwealth, but we need at the same time to remember that their is one who is seated upon an eternal throne, whose kingdom will never come to an end and his name is Jesus.

The hymn writer, James Montgomery, (I will draw our attention to a number of hymns this week) wrote the wonderful hymn ‘Hail to the Lord’s anointed’, and who is this one, called great David’s greater Son! It is the one who has become our King, King Jesus and the hymn writer continues to pen, ‘Kings shall fall down before him, and gold and incense bring, all nations shall adore him, his praise all people sing.’

Yes, we will see a king crowned on Saturday – but one who is greater than he has already been crowned, and Charles the 3rd will one day have to give way to a successor, but not our King, for King Jesus reigns forever.

The same hymn writer continues;

O’er every foe Victorious,
He on his throne shall rest;
from age to age more glorious,
all-blessing and all-blest.
The tide of time shall never
His covenant remove;
His name shall stand for-ever;
His changeless name of love.

I’m back

It has been a long time since I last posted anything to my blog, a lot has changed in the last few years, so over the next week or two I will attempt to blog more often.

I now live in the North East of England, a few miles out from Durham in a little town called Stanley. We moved here as I changed my role as a pastor from North Wales to Gateshead.

We arrived in the North East literally within a few weeks before the UK went into its first lockdown owing to Covid-19 so spent six months living with our daughter in Middlesbrough before we could move into our own home.

We have now been in Stanley since August 2020 and have settled here. I took up my new pastoral role in February 2020. I have been blogging a daily devotion on the Church WordPress site which is Emmanuel Pentecostal Church, Gateshead.