# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1921_S10
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

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looked into the eyes of our dying Savior, we will
hate our sins which nailed Him to the cross, crucify
our evil lusts and desires, separate ourselves from
the world and worldly pleasures, consecrate our-
selves with body and spirit unto Him and live to
His glory.

What we have seen and heard on Golgotha we
will communicate to our fellow-men, at home and
abroad. We will show forth His death by our active
missionary work. No power or event on earth, no
divine act is such a powerful incentive to active
mission-work as the death of Christ on Golgotha.
Our hearts bleed when we think of the millions of
redeemed fellow-men who are rushing to their
eternal doom without having heard of the redemp-
tion of Christ. Therefore the love of Christ con-
strains us to make sacrifices of self and means,
in order that Christ and Him crucified may be
preached to the Christless.

During this Lenten season we will particularly
remember our Negro Mission and offer up unto God
in behalf of this work of the Lord substantial con-
tributions as a sacrifice of thanksgiving for being
reconciled to God by the death of His Son. Liberal
donations are now needed for the up-keep of our
mission and particularly for the erection of the
Dormitory at Greensboro, N.C. From Golgotha’s
cross we hear, as it were, the loving admonition:
“Behold, my blood-bought child, what I have sacri-
ficed for you. Now go and do for your black fellow-
men at your door what I have done for you. Preach

- the Gospel of My cross to them, and the Holy Spirit
will lift Me up into their hearts and glorify Me.”
N. J. B.

“The Darkness Is Past, and the True
Light Now Shineth.”

Spimriruat Foop ror THE New YEAr GATHERED
From Sr. Joun’s First Epistre.
(Continucd.)

-Sincere Christians love God and the brethren,
because God and Christ first loved them. We shoyld
not merely love in word, neither in tongue, but in
truth. Nor should we shut up the bowels of com-
passion from our needy brother, but we ought to be
ready even to lay down our lives for the brethren.
— Every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth
Him. He dwelleth in God and God in him. Such
a man no longer walketh in darknes, but in light.
Believers keep God’s commandments and walk even

as Christ walked in this world. Hereby know they
that they are in God; and His love is per ‘fected in
them. ‘They do those things that are pleasing in
His sight, and His commandments are not grievous.
They do not hate nor commit any sin on purpose,
but keep themselves. ‘They keep themselves from
idols, and the wicked one toucheth them not. They
purify themselves daily, leading a life of contrition,
faith, and good works. ‘They try the spirits whether
they be of God, and hear those that confess that
Christ is divine and has come in the flesh to make
atonement for us. But they neither hear nor be-
lieve the spirits that deny Christ and that, conse-
quently, are not of God. This is the believers’
confidence that when they ask God according to His
will they receive that for which they ask.

Beloved, we Christians now are God’s sons, and
it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we
know that when Christ shall appear, we shall be
like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. — He
that doeth God’s will abideth forever. Let that,
therefore, abide in you which ye have heard from
the beginning. Abide in Christ, that when He shall
appear we may have confidence, and not be ashamed
before Him at His coming. Lo, the darkness is
past, and the true light now shineth!

H. Osrenius.

Alabama Notes.

The Alabama Pastoral Conference held its
monthly meeting at the church of Pastor EE. R.
Berger, Tilden, Ala., December 17 and 18. The
night of December 17 found all the brethren present
and ready for business. At seven o’clock the con-
gregation gathered, and the undersigned preached
the sermon, using as his text the Christmas nar-
rative as found in Luke 2,1—5. The theme of the
discourse was “The Preparation for the Birth of the
Son of God” as made 1. by Cacsar Augustus; and
2. by Joseph and Mary. After the sermon the Rev.
Chas. D. Peay, of Oak Hill, Ala., read a very in-
structive paper on “The Christian Training of Chil-
dren.” ‘The author developed his theme under three
heads, viz., 1. why children should have a Christian
training; 2. how it is to be done; and 3. the blessed
results of a Christian training. In the first part
the author showed that God has commanded that
the children should be brought up in His fear and
admonition, and that they need it, since they are
sinners and therefore subject to God’s wrath and