Zetland Park Methodist Church Pastoral Letters
"God's vision for His people"
I was impressed recently with a reading from the Book of Revelation. It is not the usual area of my reading, or indeed my preaching, but in recent days I have been drawn to some of the sections which have given me some dramatic insight to "God's vision for His people"
All too often we are easily set in regarding this book of Scripture as not worth much of a glance let alone any detailed study, but we need to remember that such a book was included in The Canon of Scripture for a purpose. ['Canon', as I understand it, simply means the "selection" made many centuries ago of the documents which would become our 'Scriptures' in the years to come.] There were a host of other 'candidates' as we have been reminded through the secular press in recent days, but the books we have before us have been selected as "being of God's purpose".
So, what of this Book of Revelation?
A 'vision'; a 'dream'; a crank's train of thought ------------ God's revelation for 'time in the future' -------- all this and more as definitions have come my way. So what do I seek to make of it as a Minister of the Gospel in the Methodist Church? The all-important title gives the vital clue ------"Revelation". A revealing of what is to be, in God's time and plan. No specific date or indeed time-scale has been laid out, as in the case of all Scripture. There is NO time-frame so right from the outset, all those 'cranks' who grab hold of sections of this Scripture and say 'that it will all happen to-morrow' have NO BASIS for that argument, whatever, as only God knows the when and how!!!!!
- Rule 1: Trust Him, He knows.
- The chapter I have been looking at [Chapter 4] brings us into an awe-inspiring place: to the very centre of it all: Heaven. Here we begin to see the human face of the inscriber of the text: he is utterly lost as to how to describe the very presence of the Presence of God. Check out the words and phrases with which he seeks to struggle, and you begin to wonder whether in fact we could do any better ----- could we, and what must we do to try? Nothing less than "Come into the presence of the Living God" Nothing within our human understanding will ever allow us at any time to describe "what God is like", so why struggle …. Simply 'Come'
- Rule 2: Respond, unconditionally, to His call
- As we 'look around' with our mind's eye, there is nothing but utter astonishment at what is around. EVERYTHING is God-centred: adoration; worship; commitment; respect; --------------- As we come into worship, how do we come? Expectant? Excited? In awe and wonder? Seeking to meet with God? Or, just for a chat? True worship is undoubtedly 'God-centred', but that is not confined or restricted to Heaven, it can be achieved here on earth, if we allow it!!! Strange, is it not, the use of that phrase ….."If we allow it" …..For that is precisely how many see it. There is a means of control on "how we worship God" and unless it conforms to some well tried and tested formula, the initiator of which has long been forgotten ….. Then it is not. We need urgently to come to both the knowledge and the understanding that unless and until we approach God with joy and reverence; with respect and awe, we are NEVER going to 'really know Him'. Come like the shepherds and the wise men ----- in awe and wonder: speak your prayers to Him, high and lifted up and not to one another. Respect the presence and feel Him with you.
- Rule 3: We have come into HIS house
- Even the briefest of sorties into this book of Scripture pulls us up and quickly reminds us that to TRULY worship the God who has called us demands respect and humility; response and worship and a distinct lack of pre-conceptions.