# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1902_S34 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 34 The Lutheran Pioneer. “1 Believe in God.” (Concluded.) 8. We also speak of faith as a jirm con- Jidence, or an unwavering trust. This is, in fact, the most common way of describing faith. Itis from this viewpoint that the holy writer looks at it when he says, Hebr. 11, 1: “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.’’ A person that believes in God has such implicit con- fidence in God and His promises, that, though the things promised are yet in the future, he is so sure of getting them that such assurance is equal to the actual possession; by faith he has, as it were, the substance of the things promisedin hand. He that believes in God has such implicit trust in Him, that, though the things promised are as yet invisible, yet it is as though he had tangible evidence of these things not yet seen. For the believer God’s prom- ise to help is the help already accomplished. In the beginning God said, ‘‘Let there be light,”” and there was light. Thus it is ever with God, He speaks and it is done. And faith knows this, and, therefore, it relies on His Word. It builds on God’s promises as upon a rock which can never be shaken or moved. Though reason and experience say otherwise, faith will cling to the sure Word of testimony to which it will ever take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place. When Jesus told Peter, ‘‘Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for.a draught,” Peter, though his experience as a fisherman did not agree with this command, answered, ‘Master, at Thy word I will let down the net.’’ So faith ever speaks. It builds on Christ’s Word; it puts its whole trust and confidence in God’s promises, and is so posi- tively convinced of God’s faithfulness, that it is as though it already held in its hand the substance of the things hoped for, and had before it the very things it does not yet see. With joyful confidence in God and his Saviour the believer sings: By grace! may sin and Satan hearken! I bear my flag of faith in hand, And pass —for doubts my joy can’t darken — The Red Sea to the promised land. I cling to what my Saviour taught, And trust it, whether felt or not. **T believe in God.’? We do not say, We believe in God, and for good reasons; for every individual man, woman, and child must believe for himself. The fact that my parents or sponsors believe cannot save me; neither ‘can it help me if my pastor and teachers are believers. I must believe for myself if I would be saved. ‘The Lord tells the prophet, Hab. 2; 4, ‘The just shall live by his faith,”’ _ and Jesus says to the woman to whom He "announced the forgiveness of her sins, ‘‘7hy _ ‘faith hath saved thee,”? Luke 7,50. Would “Tbe saved I must be able to say with the "people of Schechem, John 4, 42: ‘Now we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.” Others cannot help us with their faith, as little as the five wise virgins with the oil in their lamps could help out those five foolish virgins who had no oil in their vessels. Every be- liever needs all the oil of faith he may have for his own lamp, and cannot, even if he would, give of his faith to help others. May our daily prayer, therefore, be: Al- mighty and everliving God! Who hast given to them that believe exceeding great and precious promises; grant us so perfectly, and without all doubt, to believe in Thee and Thy Son Jesus Christ, that our faith in Thy sight may never be reproved. Hear us, O Lord, through the same our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. F.J.L. ——s ~ — Our Mission Churches. (According to the Missionary Board’s report to the Synodical Conference.) The Lord has graciously been with us again in the past two years. With but few excep- tions, the work has made good progress along the entire line. Tue Work in Nortu Carorina. At Charlotte, where Rev. W. Phifer deserted us, carrying nearly the whole congregation with him, only a few families stood by Rev. N. J. Bakke. But our mission has recovered from the shock, and is steadily gaining new members. Meyersville had been practically ruined. Only two of the old members have returned. But by the grace of God the mission is almost as strong again as formerly. Monroe has been added as a new field of labor. After a great deal of patient work on the part of pastor and people, a congregation was organized on Palm Sunday. Twelve were baptized on that day, and 15 confirmed. Others are still under icstruction. Rey. Bakke is be- ing assisted here by Mr. S. W. Hampton, who manifests a deep interest in the welfare of his race by the work he does in school. Greensboro, served by Rey. John C. Schmidt, has gone through a season of trials, but came out of the struggle purified. Mr. Buntrock, the first colored graduate from our Normal School at Addison, Ill., has faithfully served the school, numbering 75 pupils. Several young members of our church at Greensboro are preparing for the ministry at Concordia Seminary, Springfield, Ill. Elon Oollege, Mount Tabor, and Springdale, also receive the attention of Rey. John C. Schmidt. At Reimerstown, a charge of Rey. E. Engel- bert, the conditions are unchanged. Rockwell and Gold Hill are progressing nicely. The same is true of Mount Pleasant. On July 18, an organization was effected here. The congregation numbers 38 baptized mem- bers. Rey. Stewart Doswell, formerly a mem- ber of Meherrin’s and Greensboro’s, who graduated from Springfield this year, has been appointed to relieve Rev. E. Engelbert of his work at this place. At Sandy Ridge Rev. Ph. Schmidt organized Mount Calvary Church. Fourteen persons were confirmed there recently. Concord is doing better than it has been do- ing for years. In Mr. Lohrmann’s place, who left, a graduate from Addison was called, but this effort to fill the vacancy at school was not successful. Dry's Schoolhouse and Silver Hill are points at which Rey. Ph. Schmidt also has regular appointments. For fully a year he has also preached to the ‘‘chain-gang.”’ Salisbury, under Rey. Geo. Shutes’ care, is growing, though growing slowly. Obstacles present themselves here as elsewhere, but the power of God’s Word is stronger than all ob- stacles. At Catawba the chapel begun quite a while ago has finally been finished, and the people greatly rejoiced on the day of its dedication. At Southern Pines, where Rev. Theo. Buch is stationed, the attendance at the services ought to be better. As it is, the prospects are not overbright. But this is the time to sow the seed, and the harvest is sure to follow. VIRGINIA. Meherrin, the charge of Rey. D. H. Schooff, ‘has now enjoyed the ministry of this faithful and patient laborer for twelve years, and is prospering. For six months Mr. Schooff was seriously ill, but he has recovered sufliciently now to take up his work again. He urgently needs help, however, as he also preaches at Pleasant Grove, Bruceville, and Waldo. Ixiinors. : Springfield has for the past eight years been under the wise and business-like direction of Rey. Prof. J. Herzer of Concordia Seminary. He was assisted by a number of students. The church is in a prosperous condition. The parsonage, built some time ago, is paid for, and an adjoining lot has been added to. the property. The school has been in charge of Mr. John McDavid, an energetic young man, who ever has the welfare of his people at heart. Rey. Lucius Thalley, who came to the Theo- logical Seminary at Springfield from our mis- sion church at Greensboro, and was graduated this summer, has been tendered and has ac- cepted a call to this church. LOvIsIANA. In New Orleans we have three churches. Mount Zion, Rev. K. Kretzschmar, pastor, has grown stronger again. This church had suf- fered by several changes in the ministry that were unavoidable. At present it numbers 198 baptized members. ‘The school, with an en- rollment of 180 pupils, has two competent teachers, Messrs. E. Vix and D. Meibohm.