Page 8 - September USA 2017 Mag - Complete
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grassroots
THE HEAVENLY HOPE
ANGUS BUCHAN
If we look in the Book of Hebrews 11:13-16 you will see that For me as a simple farmer Heaven and hell truly exist, be-
we have been reminded that the believer is actually a cause Jesus spoke about them both. To me Heaven is to
stranger and a pilgrim here on earth. This is not our perma- be in the presence of Jesus Christ forever and hell is to be
nent abode, we are merely sojourners (travelers) passing without Him forever.
through. Verse 16 tells us, “But now they desire a better, that
is, a heavenly country. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be I heard a beautiful story many years ago of an old mission-
called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” ary who had finished his work somewhere in the jungles of
central Africa and was on a ship sailing back to the United
As you read this column you might be feeling very disil- States of America. The huge ship passed by the Statue of
lusioned when you look with your carnal eyes at what is Liberty and entered into the huge harbour of New York city.
happening around you. Maybe you have been retrenched There was also a football team on board and they had
from work, maybe you are terminally ill in hospital, maybe been away for a mere couple of weeks whereas the old
you have family problems, maybe you are going through a missionary had spent most of his life preaching the gospel
horrific divorce and you feel that there is no hope for you. I to unreached peoples in the darkest reaches of Africa.
really want to encourage you to lift up your heads, open up
your spiritual eyes and see that this life here on earth is very As the ship came sailing into the harbour the football team
short and very temporal. The Bible tells us that life on earth was standing on the deck looking out and there was one
is a mere shadow, a vapour, like a flower here today and huge crowd. Thousands of people had turned up with
gone tomorrow. Yet, eternity goes on forever and ever, and streamers flying and brass bands playing to welcome their
to be with Jesus Christ will be sheer bliss. winning team back home, but there was not one single
