The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1911, Page 34

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

34

Christ in glory! This gives all laborers in
Christ’s kingdom the ‘assurance that their labors
are not in vain. Christ in glory sitteth at the right
hand of God the Father Almighty. That is not
a certain place far away. God’s right hand is God’s
almighty power, which is everywhere, and with
which He rules and governs all things. “Christ as-
cended up far above all heavens, that He might fill
all things,” says the apostle. He now, according
to His human nature also, continuously exercises
divine power and majesty. THe, the God-man, is
present everywhere, and though not present to the
eye, His presence is none the less real. He is truly
present with us in all our mission work for the
spreading and upbuilding of His kingdom through
His appointed means of grace. Of the disciples it
is said that after Christ’s ascension “they went
forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working
with them.” And still to-day the ascended Lord
is with those who preach His Gospel, working with
them for the salvation of lost souls. Christ in
glory is willing and able to keep the promise which
He added to the command to preach the Gospel to
every creature. This is His promise: - “Lo, I am
with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”

That Plank Carries.

Our ascended Savior is “able to save them to

the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing
He ever liveth to make -intercession for them,”
Mebr. 7, 25. He is our great High Priest who by
His own blood entered the holy place of heaven,
after having offered up Himself on the cross as a
sacrifice for sin. In Him the sinner can safely
trust for salvation.

A sailor, mortally wounded, was cast ashore by
the waves. He lay dying in a hospital. ‘The min-
ister spoke to him of the Redeemer. ‘The sailor
made no reply. ‘The minister, thinking that he did
not understand what was said, asked him if he be-
lieved God’s Word and accepted the Savior. Then
the dying man pointed to the cross on the back of
the Bible, and, with the death rattle in his throat,
said, “That plank carries!”

The Only Way.

If a man expects to get to the heavenly home,
he must take the way that leads there. ‘Jesus says:
“J am the Way. No one cometh unto the Father
but by me.” There is no other way.

The Lutheran Pioneer.

The Fruit of Christ’s Ascension.

David says Ps. 68 that Christ received gifts
“for the rebellious also.” What gifts these are
Christ tells His disciples beforehand when He says:
“I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that
I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter
will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will
send Him unto you.”
Spirit with all His gifts whom Christ now sends
after He sat down at the right hand of God. ‘The
fruit of the ascension is, therefore, remaining; for
Christ continuously sends lis Word into the world
and calls men into His kingdom, guides the be-
lievers into all truth, comforts them in all tribu-
lation, does not suffer His Church to perish in
spite of all attacks of the devil and the world and
in spite of all offenses; Ie protects it invisibly, so
that even the gates of hell carinot prevail against it.

Y Dr. Walther.

Two Ends.

In an address, at a meeting of young men, the
speaker said: —

“When a small boy, I was carrying a not very
large ladder, when there was a crash. An unlucky
movement had brought the rear end of the ladder
against a window. Instead of scolding me, my
father made me stop and said very quietly, ‘Look
here, my son, there is one thing I wish you to
remember; that’ is, every ladder has two ends.’
I never have forgotten it, though many years have
gone. Do we not carry things besides ladders that
have two ends? When I see a young man getting
‘fast? habits, I think he sees only one end of the
ladder, the one pointing towards pleasure, and. that
he does not know the other is wounding his parents’
heart. Ah! yes, every ladder has two ends, and
it is a thing to be remembered in more ways
than one.””

Love not the World!

A Christian living in the world is like a ship
sailing on the ocean. It is not the ship’s being in
the water which will sink it, but the water getting
into the ship. So the world with its love of
pleasure getting into the hearts of Christians has
ruined millions. The Apostle John says: “Love
not the world, neither the things that are in the

world.” If any man love the world, the love of the

lt is, therefore, the Holy’

ee