By Maxie Heppell

Revelation is scary. Not (only) because the images may seem like something conjured up from a Hollywood scriptwriter’s deepest imagination, but also because they sometimes seem so incomprehensibly intimidating to ‘ordinary’ children of the Lord.

This morning we were reminded by a passionate young Luke Owen-Jones how very intimately simple John starts the book. Revelation 101, one might say. The basic building blocks of the story that unfolds here. And when you keep that in mind, the rest makes so much more sense.

“May kindness and peace
be yours
from Jesus Christ,
the faithful witness.

Jesus was the first
to conquer death,
and He is the ruler
of all earthly kings.
Christ loves us,
and by His blood
He set us free
from our sins.

He lets us rule as kings
and serve God His Father
as priests.

To Him be glory and power
forever and ever! ”
Revelation 1: 5,6 CEV

The whole Johnny Depp / Amber Heard debacle has given quite a new insight into the term ‘faithful witness.’ Luke explains how his little daughter is still at the ‘faithful witness’ stage. If he enters the room and he sees her sister crying and he asks her why, she will simply admit that it was because she pulled her hair, or took her doll. She does not yet realize that she has a choice.

Something we learn all too quickly.
Another thing that can make us more like Christ.

Then John tells of Jesus who was the first to rise from the dead.
“Is not!”, Speaks my inner voice in the service this morning.
“What about Jairus’ daughter, and Lazarus? And all the many others one reads about in the Bible? ”

But they all died again.
Only Jesus did not.
His resurrection finally overcame the finality of death.
That’s the difference.

He rules.
He always have ruled, even when the wheels came off.
He will always rule, even if the wheels come off again.

He loves us.
He has loved us since forever, even when we were not loveable.
He will love us forever, even if sometimes we will not be loveable.

He sets us free.
He has freed us from all the bonds of mistakes from the past.
He will free us from all bonds of mistakes in the future.

But then he comes to our part of the screenplay.

He lets us rule.
He lets us serve.

Both are privileges. Undeserved.
Both are assignments. And each carries the same weight.

And therefore… To Him belongs the glory and the power forever and ever, amen!

Your inspiration for the week: God is in the story