1. 8:1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 8:2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 8:3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. 8:4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand. 8:5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

2. Today is the start of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2014 Is Christ divided? St Andrew’s Cherry Hinton Almighty Father, who inspired Simon Peter, first among the apostles, to confess Jesus as Messiah and Son of the Living God: Keep your Church steadfast upon the rock of this faith, that in unity and peace we may proclaim the one truth and follow the one Lord, our Saviour Jesus Christ We pray your blessing on all those Christians who live in Cherry Hinton and attend other churches, that will grow in love for you and for their neighbours. We ask your particular blessing on the life and ministry of the St Andrew’s church in Cherry Hinton, including all the Weddings, Christenings and Funerals that they undertake. This we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen

3. Gracious God, we remember before you the billion people go to bed hungry every night and two million children who die from malnutrition every year. We pray for an end to such suffering, and for the flourishing of justice and peace. Churches together in Britain and Ireland are using these prayers today for our world.

4. Gracious God, we remember before you the 69 million school-age children who are not in school. We pray that the thirst for knowledge throughout the world is quenched so that the potential of all children is realised.

5. Gracious God, we remember before you those who are mistreated as a result of their gender. We pray that we will learn to honour your image in all people.

6. Gracious God, we remember before you the nine million children still die each year before they reach their fifth birthday. We pray that we will always care for people of all ages as if caring for Christ.

7. Gracious God, we remember before you the third of a million women who die annually from complications during pregnancy or childbirth. We pray that care is provided to end this needless loss.

8. Gracious God, we remember before you those thousands who die each day from AIDS-related illnesses, and those how die from malaria. We also pray for Sam Peters and all those who work to rid the world of these diseases. We pray for those for whom illness robs hope and diminishes dignity.

9. Gracious God, we remember before you the 10,000 species of plants and animal which are currently at risk of extinction. We pray that we would be wise in our ways with the world in our care. These prayers we ask in the name of Jesus Amen.

10. Tearfund is currently working in Syria and asks for our prayers Almighty God, we pray that peace talks for Syria will take place without delay or hindrance. We ask that these talks will lead towards a stable and secure future for the Syrian people, in which they can rebuild their lives without fear. We pray for a time to come soon when the weapons of war will be exchanged for positive plans for restored and thriving communities. Please help those involved to do everything in their power to find a path to lasting peace. This we ask in the name of Jesus Amen.

11. The Lord’s Prayer Our Father in heaven Hallowed be your name Your kingdom come Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven Give us today our daily bread Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and ever. Amen

12. I lift my eyes up to the mountains Where does my help come from? My help comes from You, Maker of heaven Creator of the earth. O, how I need You, Lord You are my only hope; You’re my only prayer. So I will wait for You To come and rescue me Come and give me life.

13. Studies in Revelation The Letters: God is present in his suffering church The Scrolls: God’s people belong to God The Trumpets: God’ people proclaim god’s rescue The Plagues Babylon & Judgement New Heaven & earth

14. The Trumpets God’ people proclaim god’s rescue Evil is vicious and disgusting God permits Evil to occur (Trumpets, Keys to the Abyss) The effects of evil are limited (1/3, 5 months, seals) God’s main business is rescue from Evil (Eagle - Exodus) The effects of evil are a call for repentance (Plagues: hail, blood, bitter, dark, locust, death)

15. 8:6 Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.

16. 8:7 The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

17. 8:8 The second angel sounded his trumpet, & something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 8:9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, & a third of the ships were destroyed.

18. 8:10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, & a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers & on the springs of water. 8:11. A third of the waters turned bitter & many people died from the waters that had become bitter.

19. 8:12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.

20. 8:13 As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in mid-air call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!"

21. 9:1 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 9:2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. 9:3 And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 9:4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 9:5 They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months.

22. 9:13 The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, & I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before God. 9:14 It said "Release the four angels“. 9:16 The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. 9:17 Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulphur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulphur. 9:18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulphur.

23. 9:20 The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshipping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood-- idols that cannot see or hear or walk. 9:21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts. Confession

24. The Trumpets: God’ people proclaim god’s rescue Evil is vicious and disgusting God permits Evil to occur (Trumpets, Keys to the Abyss) The effects of evil are limited (1/3, 5 months, seals) God’s main business is rescue from Evil (Eagle - Exodus) The effects of evil are a call for repentance (Plagues: hail, blood, bitter, dark, locust, death)

25. We proclaim a God who is both certain & mysterious a bitter sweet Gospel of Grace accepted & Grace spurned the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Between the 6 th & 7 th Trumpets God’ people proclaim god’s rescue

26. 10:1 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. 10:2 He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, Immortal Invisible 10:3 and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. 10:4 And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.“ 10:5 Then the angel raised his right hand to heaven 10:6 and said, "There will be no more delay! 10:7 But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished" The Church: Proclaiming God who is Certain & Mysterious

27. 10:8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: "Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land. 10:9 "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.“ 10:10 I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. The Church: Proclaiming a bitter sweet Gospel of Grace accepted & spurned

28. 10:11 Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.“ 11:3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." 11:7 Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. 11:11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. 11:12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on. 11:13 At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. The church: Proclaiming the life, death & resurrection of Jesus

29. We proclaim a God who is both certain & mysterious a bitter sweet Gospel of Grace accepted & Grace spurned the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Between the 6 th and 7 th Trumpets God’ people proclaim god’s rescue He has risen – those serving end

30. Thank you, God, … for rescuing us from the power of evil for forgiving all that is evil in each of us. for the assurance that the effects of evil are limited for the opportunity to repent for the certainties that we find in you for the bitter sweet gospel of grace the life, death and resurrection of your son, Jesus

31. For on the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took a loaf of bread and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me”. In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me”. Paul reminds us that as often as we eat this bread and drink the cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. So we say together Christ has Died Christ is Risen Christ will come again

32. The Seventh Trumpet 11:15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “ The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." 11:16 And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshipped God, 11:17 saying: “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. 11:18 The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great-- and for destroying those who destroy the earth." 11:19 Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm. Great is the darkness

33. May God give you the grace to proclaim the mysterious and certain presence of God in this world in which evil is rampant May God give you the grace to proclaim the bitter sweet Gospel of Grace accepted & Grace spurned May God give you the grace to proclaim the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Between the 6 th and 7 th Trumpets God’ people proclaim god’s rescue

34. From Amen to Action Now may the blessing of God the Father, who made from one every nation that occupies the earth; of God the Son who bought us for God from every tribe & language & people & nation; and of God the Spirit who brings us together in unity, be with us and remain with us always. Amen. cf Acts 17.26; Revelation 5.9 Our Gathered worship ends, our Worship continues, our Service begins