Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1941-12-25

ton 22:1-5.
GOLDEN TEXT-In my Fathers no
are many mansions. 14:2.
Hope is something this world ID
perately needs, and which it has d
but abandoned. Little wonder whe
one recalls that the usual meaning
of hope is hardly more than ''wish%
full thinking without any real confi-s
dence--a and that such hope as men !.
have, has been only in theii ''--"-k
men. who have so often or
failed them.
The Christians hope-ah, eat b
something quite different. osm
hope is certain expectation esia
on the assured Word of CO SUCH
a light only shines brightei S. size
darkness deepens. AS the si
mems promises and purpo: e
er and die out, the hope of adS
people shines like a beae
dark and stormy night.
How appropriate that we should
use the last Sunday of this year to
remind one another of that hope, to
trim the lamp, as it were. for even
brighter shining, as we cast its
beams out into the unknown year
just ahead. There are three great
and helpful things in this lesson.
1. A Sure Promise of HeHepA
John 1913.
We are not forgetting that for us
who love the Lord there is the bless
ed hope of His return. He is COM
ing again ". 81. But whether we
have the joy of being caught up to
be with Him, or go by way of death. Z
we have sure promise of the eter-
nal dwelling place which He has
prepared for us.
Let not your heart be troubled"
the very words come like the balm
of Gilead upon our restless, troubled
lives. Faith in God and in Christ
there we have the sure anchor Of
the soul. He has promised. We
may count on His fulfillment. We
show our faith in our fellowmen by
trusting their word, even though
they often fail us. Shall we not
then fully trust the omnipotent. new
er-failing God?
II. A Safe Way to Heaven (John
14:4-6).
Our Saw has az gore -
fore us and babe US follow as best
we may. but He is Himself the Way.
Having Christ, we have the way.
Observe that He does not say that
He is the ''way-shower, as one re-
ligious system names Him. He is
not just an example, or the master
teacher, or martyr to a holy cause.
He is ''the way, the truth, and the
life."
Note, too, that no man comes to
the Father but by Christ. DR.. Will
bur M. Smith points out that ''the
apostle Paul in his epistles constant
ly emphasizes the truth that we have
access to the Father only through
the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. So;
Eph. 2:13. 10; 3:15; Heb. TBS; 10:
1920. Jesus is not one way to God.
He is the only way to God. Men
cannot come to God through any
one, but only through Christ"
Someone may say, That's very
true, and wonderful. l am Chris
tian, and have Christ who is the
way. But what is heaven like?
Ill. A Symbolic Picture Of Heaven
REV. 22:1-5).
First of all there is life"
river of life, the water Of life. In
heaven there is no death, but only
eternal life, blessing. peace, and joy.
In this world man lives under the
constant shadow of death as the en-
envy which hurts. destroys, and re-
minds him Of sin. But in heaven
all is life through eternity.
When we've been there ten thousand
years
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing Gods praise
Than when we first begun"
Then we have what DIR. A. c.
Gaebelein calls 1.-The seven glories
Of the redeemed" wv. 3-5). Let us
enumerate them. 81 mo curse
perfect sinlessness. 90 1.-THE throne
of God and Of the Lamb shall be
erein"-giving perfect and bless
ed government forever. 90 His
servants shall serve HMM per-
feet, unhindered, untiring service.
Heaven will not be idleness (perish
the thoughtD. but blessed and hep
py service for God. az They shall
see his face"-an eternal, undim,ned
vision Of God. go His name shall
be on their foreheads" speaking Of
eternal ownership and possession.
(6 There shall be night no more"
God is the light throughout eter-
nifty. No more darkness to fear. (O
They shall reign forever and ever"
Few Of us would care to reign In
this world, for that brings only sor-
row and trouble, but to reign with
Him. that indeed will be eternal
blessedness.
So then we have-a sure promise
of heaven to which we have q
safe way, and concerning which we
have such blessed knowledge. But
what good is the promise If we do
not accept it? What good is the way
If we do not receive Him? What
good is there in knowing about
heaven unless we are going there?
Everybody talks about heaven.