PULPIT MESSAGES

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 291, 4 September 1933, Page 10

PULPIT MESSAGES

Wellington Churches CONTINUITY OF LIFE Christ’s Answer to Riddle “Christ's Answer to the Riddle of the Ages” was the subject of a sermon preached by the Rev. Harry Johnson in the Cambridge Terrace Congregational Church. His text was Rev. 1,8, “I am He that llveth and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore.” “Job’s pathetic question: ‘lf a man die shall he live Again?’ has been called the riddle of the ages.” said the preacher. “It is a question as old as history, and probably. the question men would rather have answered than any other. We see the river of human life flowing incessantly toward death, therefore as rational creatures we ask, ‘Does deathend all?’ Is it total collapse or simply change? ' Do we close the book or begin a new chapter? “Many arguments from science, history, and reason can be advanced to show us the probability of the continuity of life, but it is only religion that can furnish us with positive proof. : “Science offers some evidence, which should be taken into account in regard to this momentous matter. Sir Oliver Lodge, one of the greatest physicists in the worjd,' in his presidential address to the British Association upon ‘Continuity’ stated: ‘I want to make the distinct assertion that a really existing thing, Whether matter or energy, never perishes, but only changes its form.' Elsewhere he says: ‘lt is unreasonable that the soul should jump out of existence when the body is destroyed.’ This view is supported by a host of other distinguished scientists. This is not proof, but,it should break down prejudices against the belief of life after death. “History then comes forward as a witness. Her evidence,. like that 'of reason, is clear, and reaches high probability in favour of immortality. Throughout history society has lavished . honours upon wealthy rogues, and their poor victims have been crushed in the dust. These things demand another life to rectify the injustices of the present, otherwise we enthrone a cruel God. at the heart of the universe. “Reason points out there is a sense of immortality engrained in the nature of man. It is the doctrine at the back of all history, it built the pyramids, and wrote the Book of the Dead. It is engraved on the clay tablets of Assyria, Babylon, and Qhaldea. It is to-day found in the religions of India, China, Africa, and air other races. - This belief is part of man’s nature universally. “The heart of man asks not for argument but for proof, not for probability but for certainty, therefore we turn to the'Lord Jesus and His answer to the riddle of the ages. He during His earthly life exhibited a stupendous assurance in life beyond . death. He invariably spoke of it, not as a hope but as a fact; . “His death leads us to the proof positive of the survival of the spirit of man. He publicly died, was buried, and rose again on the third day, and for forty days showed Himself alive by many infallible proofs. Accept that central fact of our faith, and for you Christ has turned a perhaps into a certainty. From the other side of death He sent the message of our text, ‘I am He that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore.’ To this we may add His pledge,.‘Because I live ye shall live also.’ This revelation-of immortality by the living Christ passed over the ancient world like ja beautiful dawn. It scattered the darlrness and made the word death obsolete. It revealed death to be, not a terminus but a thoroughfare; not the end of our journey but only a station on the way.” ?

“PERILOUS DAYS” The Coining Tribulation A vivid account of worl 1 conditions as existing to-day was given by Pastor Roberts, of the Wellington Pentecostal Mission, in speaking on “The World in Convulsion and the Imminence of Christ’s Return.” He took for his subject the 26th chapter of Isaiah, verses 19-21. Of these verses, he said, verse 19 outlined the resurrection of the Christian dead, and Christ’s coming to call both dead and living saints to ■ meet Him in the air. In verse 20 the Great Tribulation was recorded in agreement with Rev. vii, 9-17; and ih verse 21 our Lord’s return to earth at ■ the end of the tribulation period was vividly portrayed in His coming back to punish the Inhabitants.of the earth for their iniquities. A further confirmation of this was found In Rev. xix, 11-21. "So in these three verses in Isaiah xxvi,” he continued, “the prophet in prophetic vision, looking down the ages to follow, records the wondrous and startling events that must soon burst upon this world. Turning to Matthew xxiv we have a definite statement from our Lord Himself as to the events preceding His coming. After enumerating that there would be wars and rumours of wars, nations rising against nations, famines, pestilences, , earthquakes in divers places, He gobs on to state in verse 14 that the gospel was to be preached in all the world for a witness, and then the end of the world (Christian age) would come. This gospel has certainly been preached to every nation as a witness. In verse 24 it is stated that false C’ rists and false prophets would arise. These have been all down through past centuries, and are still in evidence to-day. Verse'32 describes the blossoming of the fig tree. All leading scholars of the prophetic word know that this relates to the return of the Jews to Palestine, where already 200,000 have been placed by the British Government. They are still returning as fast as the land can be prepared to accommodate them. (Jeremiah iii, 18, is very important in this connection.)” The speaker then read extracts from cable messages relating to the grave conditions in the world to-day, stating that the nations were feverishly arming. building large navies, increasing their land forces, and manufacturing deadly gases, etc., to destroy human life. Great Britain seemed to be the only exception in this respect. There was no doubt but that a great and terrible war would burst upon this world shortly. , “I am an optimist,” he said, “and would gladly look on the bright side of the picture, but we must not close our eyes to obvious and startling facts, and act like the ostrich who, when pursued by the hunter on horseback, buries its head in the sand so that it cannot see the danger that threatens it. The reasons for the existing conditions are not far to seek. Christ to a very large extent is shut out of the national and individual life, the consequence being*

lawlessness, defiance of God’s laws, and the inevitable consequent ruin and chaos to nations as a whole. • With Christ reigning in the heart, .war, hatred, and ’ malice prepense could not stand, and love to God and man would reign. ■ ':. / , . • ' , ■ - ' “In 2nd Timothy, chapter 3, we are told of the happenings in these last days. They are termed ‘perilous days.’ ‘ ‘For men would be lovers of their own selves, Covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,’ etc., and ‘lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.’ How very much this fits in with present conditions. Let us then see to it that we are ready for the ‘rapture’ when the trumpet sounds, and so escape the awful tribulation that is fast coming upon this present evil world.”