MISSIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 March 1933, Page 2

MISSIONS

THE BIBLE ON TRIAL. “The Bible is the word of God. It is the voice of God. ami speaks to. man s soul as no other book can. In it is a message for every soul in every clime. It has withstood the attacks oi atheists, agnostics and infidels. . 1 1. stands to-day without a. scar, and gives us the only hope beyond the portals of the tomb.” A staunch defender of tlie Bible, and believing in its inspiration from cover to cover, Pastor Sibley in his lecture at the tent on; Thursday night on “The Rout of the Sceptics,” declared that there is no other Book in the whole world of literature that can compare with it. “It records the thoughts of God,” he emphasised, “and as the heavens .are higher than the earth, so are His thoughts than our thoughts, and His ways than our ways. His plans are unfolded in His Book. His eternal purpose is revealed, for surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He rewealth His secret unto His servants the prophets. It speaks to men in all stations of life. It speaks hope to the discouraged soul, and comfort to the sorrowing. It speaks admonition to the erring man, and counsel to the straying child. It speaks to the vilest sinner and points him to ‘the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’ It pleads with the Pharisaical man whose self-righteousness would bar him from a place at the marriage supper of the Son of God. The Bible is bearing fruit throughout the world and that fruit is good. Wherever it finds soil in the human heart, it works a transformation in the life —whether in the heart of the Hottentot in darkest Africa., amongst the cannibals of the island world, or in the soul of the socalled civilised man. It is a. book for every age, for every clime, and every race. God’s great gift to the human family The Eternal One takes in the ages at a glance, and he has recorded in His Word what He has seen. Much of the Bible is prophetic and makes a most charming study that will greatly strengthen the faith of all who will take time for careful study. The remarkable history of the Jewish people was shown to be a striking example of the accuracy of Bible prophecy.” During the meeting considerable time was given to studying lhe objections raised by critics, the speakei showing how that modern scientific Jesearch invariably’ declared the Bible to be exact and the critics hopelessly wrong. Pastor Sibley proved.that he had a good grip of his subject and his hearers were treated to a helpful lecture. The next address will he on Sunday’ night, when study’ will be given to a prophecy that deals in its scope with the League of Nations and tells what the final 'outcome of international unrest will be. HOLY TRINITY CHURCH During the last three evenings. Holy Trinity Church has been crowded, to hear simple Evangelical addresses, followed by plain, straight-forward doctrinal teaching, with respect for the sincerity of others. It was stated that the parable of the Good Samaritan is a representation of the Good News of God, not too good to be true. The Father represents God, the Son represents ourselves, and the home represents the Church, the mother of us all. The steps in the forgiveness of sins are three, contrition or sorrow, confession and amendment. In self-examination the final test is the Person of Jesus Christ—how do we compare with Him?. The assurance of forgiveness is often made more real through God’s use of human agents. The postman who carries the letter does not come between the writer and receiver, he makes the receiving of the letter possible. The Rev. Leslie Weatherhead, Wesleyan Minister of Leeds, and the Rev. Dr. H. E. Fosdick. a Congregational Minister of New’ York, have, exercised extraordinary’ ministries to penitents with troubled consciences. God’s welcome awaits the sinner who turns home to Him. Zachaeus, the Publican, was transformed by the visit of Jesus and made restitution as 'a natural consequence. An instruction on the church followed. In the words of Christ, the church is of the utmost importance. It is His society. No manmade society could have survived the devilish persecution of the early days. In spite of opposition, the Church lives and grows. The Maori preacher’s little dog howled at the rising moon, but the moon kept on rising; the world howls at lhe Church, sometimes derisively, but the Church keeps on growing and spreading. Without the Church there would have been no Christianity; the memory of Jesus •would have faded and the Books of the New’ Testament would not have been written. The existence of the Church is a, guarantee that Jesus Christ is risen and working to-day. The lawyer asks. "Who is my’ neighbour?” The Christian will ask, “To whom can I bo a neighbour?” On every hand there are opportunities of doing Christian service—hospitals, schools, orphanages, help for lhe unemployed, ministry’ to the distressed and needy. The Sacraments are Christ’s pledged channels to give His people the needed power to do His work in the world.