MATAMATA METHODISTS.

Matamata Record, Volume XVI, Issue 1447, 3 August 1933, Page 6

MATAMATA METHODISTS.

CHURCH RALLY SUNDAY. Members and adherents from all parts of the Matamata circuit gathered in large numbers for the church rally services on Sunday last. The circuit choir, under the leadership of Mr. R. Hawke, led the singing and rendered anthems. Solo and duet parts of the anthems were taken by Mrs. Chater, Mrs. Everiss and Mrs. Reeve, Mr. P. Cannell, Mr. H. Hawke and Mr. C. Qualtrough. Mr. H. Oliver presided at the organ. The Rev. A. Blakemore was the preacher at both services. The morning subject was based on the incident of Nehemiah building up the walls of Jerusalem. The great moral and spiritual work of the world has been done in the face of great opposition and difficulty. Wilberforce had to face the organised opposition of those interested in the slave trade but at last his efforts were crowned with success. Lord Shaftesbury had no easy task in his advocacy of the rights of women and children who were being crushed by the industrial evils of his day. Vested interests will always oppose humanitarian efforts. Nehemiah’s work prospered because of his confidence in God. The church to-day is engaged in tasks that call for a strong faith and an undaunted purpose. In every branch of life the

Christian is called upon to reveal his religious faith. The difficulties must not dismay but rather challenge the best in man. To allow ourselves to become indifferent to the great needs of the world—to adopt an attitude that is coldly critical—is to call forth the condemnation of God.

The text chosen by Mr. Blake- j more for the evening service was j from Matthew, viii., verse 3: “ Ex- ’ cept ye be converted, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.” The preacher said that conversion

was not peculiarly a religious term. We find attempts being made in many ranges of life to convert men. Particularly in these days endeavours are being made to convert men to one or another school of economic thought. The significance of religious conversion is that it is not just an attempt to change a man’s opinions but to change the heart; that is, to turn the current of his moral and spiritual life. The Bible contains striking illustrations of such changes Zaccheua, Peter, Paul and many another. It is the glory of the Christian religion that the process of conversion goes on in all ages. From time to time we are compelled to look into God’s mirror and to see ourselves as we really are. Memory will not allow us to entirely forget our early idealism and often we are shamed by our spiritual failure. But God never loses hope, and He ever strives with us for our salvation. Conversion sometimes comes by crisis and sometimes it is a gradual opening of the heart to God. It is not the process that counts but the fact, j and Jesus said that upon this fact . our eternal destiny depends. The ; Cross reveals to us God’s estimate ! of sin; it is also a revelation of love j that goes to the uttermost to save j man. Life tends to permanence; it 1 therefore becomes dangerous to de- j lay the yielding of the life to God.