PULPIT MESSAGES

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 250, 19 July 1937, Page 13

PULPIT MESSAGES

Wellington Churches “THE SPEAKING BLOOD” Cain, the First Murderer Speaking at the Petone Pentecostal Assembly recently, Mr. H. V. Roberts, general secretary of the New Zealand church, said: — “Science is dumb when a Christian with a real born-again experience begins to propound the gospel of the blood. The mystery of the precious blood of Christ as revealed in Hebrews, 12:24, ‘ . and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel,’ is too deep for man or angel to fathom; only God’s Spirit can make it known. Before ever the world began, the Hierarchy of Heaven out ot the divine pharmacopoeia, compounded a new agent, pregnant with life, undefiled and incorruptible. It was compounded for the veins of the only Begotten of the Father. The angels had spirit life; but here was a new form of life, complete and wonderful life for a new race of being. Sad to say, the new life stream was polluted through sin in the very first man— Adam; and Satan found a way to show his hatred of God and His creatures by the ‘letting’ of blood.’ “Our text tells of the first murderer, Cain, who, because his sacrifice was not acceptable to God, killed his brother Abel. Cain had offered to God the fruit of the ground (his own labour). Men to-day are offering the same fruits, education, culture, art, science, philosophy and good deeds —but none of these count with God. Abel came God’s way—an offering of blood. No other sacrifice would God accept. From that day to this the greatest force of evil in the human heart has been ‘bloodlust.’

“Now, listen, friends I ‘Do you know that blood can talk. It is more than a scientific fact, it is a divine fact.’ God said to Cain, ‘Where is thy brother? I hear a feeble, pitiful cry of anguish coming up from the ground. ‘What hast thou done, for the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.’ What did Abel’s blood cry to God for? It cried for justice. Justice is right; the law is good. Murder and stealing were forbidden; Achan the thief, was taken, and stoned. Adulterers also were stoned. “But another was murdered; even Jesus, God’s well-beloved Son. His blood was spilt on Golgotha’s brow, and it, too, did speak; but ‘lt speaketh better things than that of Abel.’ Thank God for ever; It spoke ‘mercy.’ ‘Father forgive them, they know not what they do.’ An adultress is brought to Him. She is to be stoned, but He speaks, ‘let him that is without sin, cast the first stone.’ ‘Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more.’ Then to the thief on the Cross: ‘This day Shalt thou be with me in Paradise.’

The dying thief rejoiced to see That fountain in His day, And there may I, though vile as he. Wash aU my sins away. “Do you wonder, then, that the glorified saints in Heaven cry out in exultant praise, ‘Unto Him that, loved us. and . washed us from our sins, in His own blood.’ ” CHRISTIAN SCIENCE CHURCHES “Life” was the subject of the lessonsermon in aril Churches of Christ, Scientist, on Sunday. The golden text was Luke 20:37, 38. “Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he called the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For ho is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.” Among the citations comprising the lesson-sermon were the following from the Bible:—“He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.” (Psa. 21:4). Also the following passages from the Christian Science textbook: —“Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” by Mary Baker Eddy, “The belief that existence is contingent on matter must be met and mastered by science, before life'can be understood and harmony obtained. The evidence of man’s immortality, will become more apparent, as material beliefs are given up and the immortal facts of being are admitted.” (pp. 127, 428.)