# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1887_S41 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) Che Lutheran Pioneer, A MISSIONARY MONTHLY. PUBLISHED BY THE EVANGELICAL LuTHERAN SyNopicaL CONFERENCE oF NortH AMERICA. R. A. BISCHOFF, Editor. Entered at the Post Office at St. Louis, Mo., as second-class matter. ol. IX. St. Louis, Mo., November, 1887. No. 11. Jesus Is Coming. Jesus is coming; for that joyful day In patient hope I watch, and wait, and pray; The day draws nigh, the midnight shadows flee— Oh, what a sunrise will that advent be! <>? Advent. Advent means coming. The four Sundays before Christmas are called the Sundays of Advent, because they remind us of the coming of Christ. Christ has come. Christ is still coming. Christ will come in glory and in power. First, Christ has come. The apostle says, ‘When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, that we might receive the adop- tion of sons.’” The Son of God came into the world and became man in order to save sin- ners. He was made under the law and ful- filled all the demands of God’s law in our stead. He took the curse of the law, which we de- served, upon Himself and bore that curse and the punishment of sin in our place. Through His coming into the world as our Saviour we have been redeemed from sin and eternal dam- nation. Through the merits of this Saviour we have everlasting life. But this Saviour with all His blessings must be brought to us and we must accept Him in true faith. Second, Christ is still coming. He comes to every sinner with all His blessings in the Gospel and in the Sacraments. The Gospel is not a mere sound of words. It is ‘‘a power of God unto salvation to all that believe.’’ The sacra- ments are not mere signs and ceremonies. The - Gospel promise is connected with them and therefore they are means of grace by which Christ and all His blessings are offered unto us. - Whenever the Gospel is read or preached, and whenever the sacraments are administered, _ Christ Himself comes to the hearts of sinners "and says, ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock: If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup With him, and he with me,’’? (Rey. 3, 20). © wonderful Jove! -Christ has not only secured salvation for us, but He also comes in His blessed Gospel with all His blessings to make us partakers of that salvation and to reign in our hearts as our merciful King and Lord. Will you reject that loving Saviour? If you reject Him, the wrath of God will abide upon on Him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’ John 3, 18. ‘‘ What de you do without a mother to tell all your troubles to?’’ asked a child of one you. Receive Him, and you will be blessed} whose mother was dead. forever. Jesus will be yours and you will be} ‘Mother told me whom to go to before she His. You then need not fear His coming at} died,’ answered the little orphan. ‘‘I go to the end of time. The hope of His coming again in the clouds of heaven will be a blessed hope to you. 2 the Lord Jesus; He was my mother’s friend, and He’s mine.” ‘* Jesus Christ is up in the sky,’’ answered the other. ‘‘He is a great way off, and has a great many things to attend toin heaven. It is not likely He can stoop to mind you.’’ “‘T do not know anything about that,’’ said the orphan; ‘‘all I know is, He says He will, and I believe Him.’’ What a beautiful answer was that! and what was enough for that child is enough for all. Does God in His word really say that Jesus Christ tasted death for every man? Heb. 2, 9. Then He tasted death for me, and through Him I am saved. Does He say that the blood of Third, Christ will come. He will come to judge the living and the dead. ‘‘They shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with” power and great glory’’ (Matth. 24, 30). That day will be a day of great ter- ror to all unbelievers. They will be sent into eternal woe. But it will be a day of joy to all the children of God. They will be taken into the mansions of their Father's house to be for- ever with the Lord. May all our readers be prepared for that day of Christ’s coming, which every setting sun brings nearer! ‘Surely, I come quickly. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” \