Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-06-14
SOME GLIMPSES OF HEAVEN.
REV.. DIR. HANCHER SEES THEN IN
CHRISTIAN CHARACTER.
Much of the Bibles Language Figura-
tive, hut S~eIf-sacrihce Is eaven
I'm This worId-God VIII Take
Care of h Next.

Rev. DR.. J.. W. Hancher. pastor of the
| Grand Avenue N. E. church., preached last
night on the subject: Some Glimpses Of
Heaven" the sermon being a companion
to that of the previous Sunday night on
''Glimpses of He'll" The theme was the
parable OF olives and Lazarus"
''Our knowledge of heaven is at the
best very limited" said DR.. Han
cher, after referring to the highly figur-
alive character of much of the Bibles
language. Where is it? This has been the
cry of the soul for thousands of years. But
God has not told US where heaven is. We
infer from the language of the Bible that
it has a location; that it is a place; that
it is the City Eternal, the city without
duration. We want to know all about it,
but it must suffice us that God promises
it to the faithful, and God must be trusted
to keep His promise. The God who made
the universe and gave His Son to redeem us
must be trusted to a k care of your heaven
and mine. Turn your glass yonder Q
the solar system, and behold the evidence
of the infinite wisdom, beneicence, benevo-
lence and power of the great God.
Our sun, the sun of our solar system,
Luna, at night, as though blushing in her
modesty, hides her face behind the heecy
clouds that play in the neither atmosphere.
The planets in their orbits, the stars
in their courses, comets in their spheres,
all tell the same story, but, with powerful
glass and eager eye, you scan yon heav-
ems again, and, 10! another solar system
and another, and another, and another, I'M
til the very systems of worlds in the uni
verse of God are countless. Shall not He,
who has made no mistake in this vast ma
terial universe; He, whose laws, under
His control, are perfect, be trusted to pro-
vide a home for the soul that is faithful
to Him in the world of time?
But will we have vacations in heaven?
Will we know our friends in heaven? Shall
we not love our own better than others
in heaven? How shall / employ my time
in heaven? Alasi beloved, God hath not
told us. l believe that we shall, but I
do not know. Be not so much concerned
to compass eaven with your human I'M
Outstanding, but rather be concerned to
become meet through conservation and
Christian development for its glorious cit
izenship.
But whatever heaven is, glimpses of it
may be had in the lives of Christians here.
Would you see a glimpse of heaven? Go.
know the secret thought, the inner life of
yon holy man, of yonder cOnsecrated wom-
an, whose chief ambition is to honor God
In pleasing humanity. and catch a glimpse
OF heaven. Behold yonder faithful nurse,
who sacrificed personal ambition, hope,
aim, environment and pleasure to be faith
full to a divinely committed trust. See
written in her face and burned into the
image divine of her soul in letters of liv-
ing nre the word 'self-sacriice,' and tell
me, is this heaven?
Gross the threshold of an earthly home.
where worthy husband, loving wife, the
happy parents of beautiful children, morn
ing, noon and evening offer sacrifices of
and catch a glimpse of heaven. The Chris
tian school,, the home CO poverty, even. are
Yestibules to the city of God, because these
present living examples of personal fidelity
to humankind; their souls, that live to
love humanity, to help humanity, to mag
nifty humanity, to lift humanity up to God.
The Christian church or community avail
ing itself of the privileges that God af-
fords it, is heaven begun.
THE RhTNGa1fS n-ng roAFa zr.,As-- =
the casual eye crude, awkward, unattract-
i've, but under His holy law, the life within
1t developed until il burst the horny bands
mat bound II, and, 10! beauty, symmetry,
become a beautiful butterfly. Again. see
yonder thorny, woody mass of briar and
Warmth, moisture, vitality. They stand
erect. they live and bud and burst their
petals, and, 10! such fragrance and beauty
as we see about us in this magnificent
bloom adjoining this altar. So ii is with
the human soul. Cultivate, develop,
beautify and magnify the body, the souls
by it must burst its petals: the body must
decay and the infinite spirit God hath given
must out and up and on to the haven of
its triumph, to the richer, wider and more
symmetrical and more glorious sphere that
Goth hath prepared for its maturer actiy-
tiles, and this is heaven.
The un-Christian auditor NAV saw 7
catch no glimpse of heaven. So be It.
The soul that is hampered by its rebellion
IL too blind to spiritual vision. The vision
Of heaven is by the eye of faith. Turn
your back upon sin and your face toward
God; build up a character in harmony with
the righteousness of, Jesus and you have
heaven begun. Develop that character un-
I'll the body gives up its living spirit, and
heaven is the realm of its infinite and
eternal activity, to the end that Gods
plans in the universe be carried out, for,
Whatever heaven shall be, God has a mis-
sion for you in the completion of His plans.
this is heaven"