# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1914_S57 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) Che Lutheran Pioneer. A MISSIONARY MONTHLY. © oe PuBLISHED BY THE EVANGELICAL LutHeraN SyNopDIcAL ConrerRENCE OF Nortu AMERICA. RrEV. F. J. LANKENAU, EDITOR. e Entered at the Post Office at St. Louis, Mo., as second-class matter. Vol. XXXVI. Pray Without Ceasing. Jesus continued all night in prayer to God. Luke 6, 12. Morning, noon, and night Bow your head in prayer, It will speed its flight Up to heaven there. Leave your doubts and fears, Every fret and care, Dry the falling tear — Breathe a word of prayer. Do not be afraid — Through life’s darkest night Be not thou dismayed, Up above ’tis light. Lighter grows the care On this earthly sod When in heartfelt prayer We commune with God. Estner PETERSON. oe The Only Place of Safety. In the second chapter of the Book of Joshua we read that there was one house in Jericho saved from destruction at the time the city was captured by. the children of Israel, and that was the house of Rahab. Some time before the capture of J ericho - several Hebrew spies had visited Jericho, and, while there, had been kindly treated by Rahab. Upon departing from the doomed city, they had directed Rahab to hang out a scarlet cord from the win- dow of her house, and promised her that if she did so, her house and all that were in it should be saved: Rahab obeyed these directions, and she and those who were with her were saved. This house proved a haven of safety, and all who sought . its protection were safe. No other house in Jericho, ‘ _- §T. LOUIS, MO., AUGUS though ever so strong and well defended, afforded protection to those within its walls, —only and solely the house of Rahab, the house displaying the scarlet line could give security. The scarlet line of our salvation hangs on that house which our Savior came to build, whose office it is to show forth His death, and against which, He assures us, the gates of hell shall not prevail. This house is the holy Christian. Church. The Church of Christ is the only place of safety for our souls, from which the streaming blood ever flows to ward off the destruction from tliose gathered under its roof. Not do we refer to the house built with man’s hands, but to that invisible Church, that spiritual house built without hands, " of which Jesus Christ Himself is the chief corner- stone; we refer to the Church, the communion of saints, the company of true believers, but which outwardly. shows its presence by the preaching of the Word and the use of the holy Sacraments. Outside of this Church there is no hope, no safety. Whoever is found outside of its gates is lost, and his blood is on his own head. But whoever shall seek shelter within its walls, shall not seek in vain; the blood of Christ will save him from, destruction ; though all fall and crash about him, he shall be secure and safe. You know, no families in Egypt were saved from death at the hand of God’s angel but those within doors sprinkled with the blood of the lamb. No one was saved in -the days of the flood but those who sought refuge within the ark. No one ‘in Jericho escaped destruction but those in Rahab’s house with its streaming scarlet cord. No one can be saved from eternal destruction who does not . seek safety within the portals of the Church of Christ. Remember, dear reader, there is no promise .