POWER OF CHRIST

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 146, 23 June 1938, Page 5

POWER OF CHRIST

A FACTOR IN THE WORLD Speaking at St John's Presbyterian Church last evening, the Kev. A. Wylie-Blue, the noted preacher from Belfast, who is paying a short 'visit here on his return from Australia to Ireland, emphasised that the power of Christ was always present and outlined how the true strength of the Church might be judged. The Moderator of the Presbytery of Wellington (the Kev. P. J. Wainwright) presided over a large attendance. Mr. W. Lawrence Haggitt was at the organ. Speaking of the friendships formed when travelling, he said the richest experience one could gain was the coming into contact with others who belonged to the same fatih. Thus was' religious experience deepened. The promise, "Lo, 1 am with you always, had been fulfilled. Christ could be found wherever people congregated together, and it was well worth while crossing the seas to meet others who had experienced His power. "We believe in miracles, do we not? asked Mr. Wylie-Blue. "Is not the most amazing miracle Christ Himself? That He should live and die for us, is that not the most amazing miracle of all? The great body of men and women who have come together to form the Church is an amazing miracle. They will grow in numbers until Christ comes again." The Church was a wonderful thing, he said. There was nothing like it in "the world. He asked if New Zealanders knew the correct way to tabulate the strength of the Church. Each year annual reports in which all kinds" of facts were tabulated were presented to meetings of church members. They did not contain a true indication of the Church's strength, however. The real strength of the Church lay in the number of praises that had been sung in it, the number of prayers that had been offered up for it, the number of men and women who had stood fast to the ideals put forward by it, the number of people who had prayed for its work from beds of sickness. The list had no end. The Church today was faced with many unexpected difficulties, added Mr. Wylie-Blue, and it had been said that it was in a critical position. In reality, however, the Church could not be-in a critical position for it was a triumphant Church which could not know defeat under its leader, Jesus Christ. It was a Church that went from victory on to victory. Christ was still a living power today and evil could not stand against Him.