The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1916, Page 43

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

43

shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up
serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it
shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the
sick, and they shall recover.” He also issued this
last great injunction: “All power is given unto
Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye, therefore, and
teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost;
teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have
commanded you. And, lo, I am with you alway,
even unto the end of the world.” (Matt. 28,
18—20.)

When Christ had spoken these things, He was
taken up into heaven. Having led Tis disciples
out to Mount Olivet as far as Bethany, “Ife lifted
up His hands and blessed them. And it came to
pass, while He blessed them, Ie was parted from
them, and carried up into-heaven.” Ile ascended
visibly, according to His human nature. “While
they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud re-
ceived Him out of their sight.” ‘The prediction of
the Psalmist was now fulfilled: “Thou hast aseended
on high.” (Ps. 68,18.) ‘T'wo angels that appeared
assured the astonished disciples that Jesus would
return in like manner as they had seen Him go
into heaven. The Son of God who had suffered
all things needful for our salvation now entered
into His glory and the glory of His Father. He
ascended unto His Father and our Father, unto
His God and our God. In order that we might be
with Him where He is, and there behold His glory
(John 17, 24), He went to prepare a place for us
in His Father’s house in which there are many
mansions (John 14, 2).

For where the Head is, well we know,
The members He has left below
In time He surely gathers.

After our Lord’s ascension the apostles returned
with great joy to Jerusalem, where they remained
in communion with the other believers, praying and
awaiting the Holy Spirit’s descent, which occurred
on the Day of Pentecost, the birthday of the New
Testament Church. —

Also according to His human nature Christ now
sits “on the right hand of God” (Mark 16, 19), or
“on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in
the heavens” (Heb. 8, 1). God is a spirit; He has
no body, no hands. ‘The expression “God’s hand,”
or “arm,” is symbolic of His almighty power (see
Gen. 49, 24; Tx. 7, 4; 138, 3, ete.). The phrase
that Christ sits on God’s right hand means that He
rules and fills all things with -divine power and

majesty. “Angels and authorities and powers” are
now “subject unto Him” (1 Pet. 3, 22). He is
exalted “far above all principality, and power, and
might, and dominion.” Being omnipresent, “He
filleth all in all.” Especially is He the gracious
Ruler and Protector of His Church; for God “gave
Christ to be the Head over the Church which is
His body” (Eph. 1, 20—23). On the last day the
exalted Christ will usher in the Kingdom of Glory.
Then the words which the Father addresses to His
Son in the 110th Psalm will have fully come true:
“Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine
enemies Thy footstool.” H. Osternus.

—_—_-+—_—__e.

Our Alabama Mission.

The object of our return to Rosebud, Ala., after
Christmas was not only to reorganize the school on
a Lutheran Christian basis, but also, by the gracious
help of God, to organize a Lutheran congregation,
and to pave the way for future mission work. All
this has been accomplished. A large class of adult
applicants for membership was soon gathered, de-
spite vigorous opposition on the part of the so-called
leaders of the people. A plan for systematic in-
struction in the doctrines of the Lutheran, Church
according to the six chief parts of the Catechism
had been carefully mapped out, and was adhered to.
In the Sunday-school, to which the adult catechu-
men class also belonged, Biblical stories were se-
lected, which contained some fundamental doctrine.
‘The sermon that followed was doctrinal, and in
the hour devoted exclusively to instruction some
Biblical doctrine was explained and the class cate-
chized. ‘hus the adult applicants received three
hours of doctrinal instruction every Sunday. To
those that were able to read, and they were in the
majority, Catechisms, the Augsburg Confession, and
various doctrinal tracts for home study were dis-
tributed. In addition to this, private instruction
was imparted during the week to such as, for some
reason or other, were unable to attend the public
services. In this manner we managed to cover the
six chief parts of the Catechism, with particular
emphasis on the first, second, fourth, and sixth.
The Sunday services generally lasted four hours,
sometimes longer, but the people were so interested
in what they heard that they took no notice of the
passing hours. What was imparted to them was
new, and yet, as they declared, it was “the good
old-time religion of Christ.” i