Heaven (The place of everlasting paradise) Part 17

INTRO: We are back in our series on heaven. Sometimes when I battle with my own human frailties and weaknesses, and when the trials of life become heavy, I long to leave for that city, where the song writer says the roses never fade. None of us would battle the battles of the Christian life, if it were not for our future hope. When Paul spoke to the Ephesians of his ceaseless prayers for them, he said that he prayed that the Lord would give to them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God so that the eyes of their understanding might be opened. And when these spiritual eyes were opened he prayed that there were three things they would learn to know and the very first thing he wished them to know was the hope of God's calling. If we are to have our spiritual eyes opened to what the hope of our calling is, then we must learn the kind of things we are learning in this series. Scripture says of the Lord Jesus that He endured the cross because of the joy that was set before Him. It was hope that took Him through.