The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1914, Page 57

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Che Lutheran Pioneer.

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

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PuBLISHED BY THE EVANGELICAL LutHeraN SyNopDIcAL ConrerRENCE OF Nortu AMERICA.

RrEV. F. J. LANKENAU, EDITOR.

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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.

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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

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