This morning, a precious memory came to mind of a hymn by Horatio Spafford called, "It is Well with my Soul." In the 1990's when I was a little kid, my grandmother used to play the organ in a Congregational Church. The choir would every so often sing this classic, it was a favorite. The hymn was triggered by one of the verses in Psalm 23 that I preached from on Sunday; Verse 2: "He leads me beside still waters." One of the lines in the hymn reads as follows: "When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul." PEACE is what the LORD gives us! He gives us two kinds of PEACE, an objective and subjective peace: OBJECTIVE PEACE: This is a peace that ends our war against God. When we were sinners were ignorantly, in our fallen nature, were enemies of God. Romans 5:10 teaches: "For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life." Earlier in Chapter 5 Paul made clear mention of how this peace is brought about, verse 1 "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." We receive this Peace with God, only through what Christ accomplished for us on His glorious Cross and Resurrection, and we respond in repentance. Scriptures also teaches us about a SUBJECTIVE PEACE. This is the peace of God. Philippians 4:6-7 states: "Do not be anxious about anything... And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." The peace of God that He puts in our hearts gives us confidence and calm in the face of our trials and adversity. This peace you discover when your mind is fixed on the Lord and His promises. Isaiah 26:3: "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you." It's a peace that the Holy Spirit produces in our hearts according to Galatians 5:22.

What does it mean when we say "God is on the throne"? The date John wrote Revelation is debatable but one thing we can establish with certainty is that it was a period when the church faced tremendous difficulty and persecution. There was a rise in the Imperial Cult, where Emperors demanded to be worshipped and confessed as "lord." Christians were exiled and executed. To add to the burden was the heresies that entered the church through false teachers. THERE WERE MANY TRIALS AND DIFFICULTIES THAT THREATENED THE FAITH OF EARLY CHRISTIANS, MANY OF WHICH WE MAY NEVER SEE IN OUR LIFETIME. In this visionary experience of John, Heaven is opened and he is brought before the dwelling place of God, and the very first thing he sees and the very first impression that engulfs him, is a THRONE set in heaven. This throne would go on to become the centerpiece of his apocalyptic vision and become a constant point of reference in everything John sees. 62 times in the NT the term “throne” is used – 47 times of the 62 times its referenced in the Book of Revelation. 36 times out of the 47 times John makes reference to this specific “throne” (in almost every chapter). HOWEVER, I want you to understand that John’s ruling fixation is not on an empty throne, but on the “One who sits on the throne”. The One who sits on His throne is Sovereign, All-powerful and infinitely wise! What does it mean that God is on the throne? We often say this at the risk of it becoming an empty platitude. IT MEANS THAT HISTORY IS NOT SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL! IT MEANS THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER EVERY POWER AND OVER EVERY SITUATION REGARDLESS OF HOW DEVASTATING THINGS MANY LOOK! This is what it meant for John! When Rome had demonstrated itself to be terrifying force that threatened all that God had done in the lives of His people, John was reminded that there was a HIGHER THRONE than Rome's! This is your reminder this morning: FIX YOUR EYES ON THE ONE THAT SITS ON THE THRONE! The challenges and powers you're fighting against is no match or rival for the One who sits on His Throne!