The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1902, Page 34

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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 ~<o-<e > —

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.