The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1905, Page 1

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

The Lutheran Pioneer,

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

—-

PusiisHEeD BY THE EVANGELICAL LuTiEran Synopicat CONFERENCE oF Nort AMERICA.

R. A. BISCHOFF, Editor.

Entered at the Post Office at St. Louis, Mo., as second-class matter.

Vol. XXVII.

St. Louis, Mo., January, 1905.

No. 1.

A New Year’s Wish.

“The Lord bless thee and keep thee,” Numb. 6, 24.

“The Lord bless thee! —
How shall He bless thee?
With the gladness that knoweth no decay,
With the riches that cannot pass away,
With the sunshine that makes an endless day—
Thus may He bless thee.
“And keep thee!
How shall He keep thee?
With the all-covering shadow of His wings,
With the strong love that guards from evil things,
With the sure power that safe to glory brings —
Thus may He keep thee.’

A Happy New Year.

To wish one another a Happy New Year is a
beautiful custom. But let us not forget that true
happiness is found in Him only of whom the New
Year’s Gospel lesson says: ‘‘His name was called
Jesus.’”’? Jesus means Saviour, and He was called
Jesus because He, and He alone, saves from sin.
‘*Without Him,” says Luther, ‘‘there is nothing but
sin and all misery, but with Him there is forgiveness
and all blessings.’’ :

Many hope to find happiness in the joys, and
honors, and pleasures, and riches of this world, but
these things cannot give true happiness. They can-
not take away sin, the source of all misery; they
cannot take away the wrath of God; they can give
no comfort in the days of sorrow and trouble; they

_ can give no hope in the hour of death.
Salvation, and therefore true happiness, is found
in Jesus only; for in Him only ‘‘we have redemption
through His blood; even the forgiveness of sins.”’
“Neither is there salvation in any other; for there
is none other name under heaven given among men

whereby we must be saved.’’? They who do notown
Him as their Saviour cannot have true happiness.
They are still under the wrath of a just and holy
God, and their life is but a journey to endless woe.
‘*He that believeth not shall not see life; but the
wrath of God abideth on him,”’ says the Bible.

They who have Jesus by faith have also true
happiness. They enjoy the grace of a merciful God,
and their life is but a journey to endless bliss. In
His name they have forgiveness of sins. ‘‘Your sins
are forgiven you for His name’s sake,’’ 1 John 2, 12.
In His name they have everlasting life. ‘‘These
things have I written unto you that believe on the
name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye -
have eternal life,’’ 1 John 5, 13.

Well may the believer enter the new year with-
out fear; for he has Jesus, the source and the ground
of all true happiness. It is true, he does not know
what the new year will bring him. It may bring
sorrows, and trials, and even death. But this does
not take away his happiness, for it cannot take away
Jesus. The believer knows that Jesus will never
forsake him, and that it will be well with him while
Jesus is his Guide. In Him he will have comfort in
all sorrows, strength in all trials, life in the midst
of death. So he goes on his way rejoicing until his
journey is ended and he shall be with Jesus in ever-
lasting joy and happiness.

At the beginning of a new year and at the open-
ing of a new volume of our paper we, in the name
of Jesus, wish all our readers a Happy New Year.

Epiphany.

Epiphany is one of the oldest festivals of the
Church and occurs on the 6th of January, twelve
days after Christmas, The word means appearing