The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1916, Page 50

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50

scoffers that say, “Where is the promise of His
coming ?” will then be put to shame like the un-
believers in Noah’s day, when the Flood came; for
the Lord “is not slack concerning His promises,”
~and “the Lord, our God, is a jealous God.” ‘The
“day of the Lord” will come “as a thief in the
night,” “as a snare,” “as the lightning cometh out
of the east, and shineth even unto the west.” The
day of Judgment cannot be figured out or computed
in any way, as, for instance, by symbolic numbers
found in dark prophetic passages of the Bible. We
should not seek to search that out before the time
which the Father hath put in His own power. “Of
that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not
the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son
[during the state of His humiliation, because He
then did not always and fully use His omniscience
according to His human nature], but the Father.”
(Mark 13, 32.) The Lord may come at any time,
for the signs which should indicate that the last
day is drawing nigh have been fulfilled; “the Lord
is at hand,” “the Judge standeth before the door,”
“the end of all things is at hand.” Hence, let us
watch !

On the last day “the heavens shall pass away
with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are
therein shall be burned up.” (2 Pet. 3,10.) The
trump of the archangel will sound, the dead will
arise, and all mortals (Acts 17, 31; Matt. 25, 32)
will “stand before Christ’s judgment-seat, that every
one may receive the things done in his body, accord-
ing to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad:”
(2 Cor. 5, 10.)

According to His own well-known account Christ
will place His sheep, the believers, on His right
hand, but the goats, the godless, on the left. He
also tells us: “Lhe word that I have spoken [the
Gospel], the same shall judge men in the last day.”
Those that believed-in Him during their lifetime
also performed good works, thereby showing forth
their faith, for instance, the works of charity which
He will mention. ‘True, their life was but im-
perfect; yet God regards them and their works as
perfectly holy, because true Christians are clothed
with the wedding-garment of Christ’s blood and
righteousness. ‘They are God’s children, whom the
Holy Ghost has made spiritually alive, and who
serve God with good works. Hence Christ will
acquit them from all blame. ‘He that believeth
is not condemned.” (John 3, 18.) ‘Their lamps
are burning. ‘They enter into the marriage-hall,

The Lutheran Pioneer.

following their heavenly Bridegroom’s kind invita-
tion, “Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of
the world.” Christ will give His sheep eternal life.
The Lamb on the great white throne “shall feed
them, and shall lead them unto living fountains
of waters; God shall wipe away all tears from their
eyes.” (Rev. 7, 17.) — The unbelievers, however,
are “condemned already, because they have not be-
lieved in the name of the only-begotten Son of
God.” The goats at Christ’s left “shall have judg-
ment without mercy.” Being without faith, and
consequently also without good works, they will
receive the evil things done in their body. Because
they rejected Christ’s merit, they will be judged
according to their evil works, and receive the shame-
ful fruit of ungodliness, eternal damnation. And
Christ’s righteous judgment will be irrevocable.

Let us, then, prove our. own selves. Are we
sheep of Christ? Those that are not as yet be-
lievers should repent and believe; those that have
embraced Christ in faith should watch, for we know
neither day nor hour when our Lord will appear.
“And now, little children, abide in Him, that, when
He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not
be ashamed before Him at His coming.”

H. Osteruus.

Our Alabama Mission.

Since our return from Alabama we have kept
in touch with the missionary laborers and, through
them, with the people. The reports indicate that
the work so auspiciously begun is ‘making progress.
The worshipers on Sundays tax the seating capacity
of the chapel. The adult catechumen class, which
numbered 36 when we left, has now increased to 90.
Some of these applicants have a distance of ten
miles to travel to the church. The elaborate chan-
deliers, donated by the congregation of Rev. Koes-
tering, New Minden, IIl., have been installed, and
since then catechetical instruction is given also on
Wednesday night.

At Sedan, several miles from Camden, Mary
and Sarah McCants, who were confirmed on Palm
Sunday, have opened a Sunday-school under the
direction of Miss Rosa Young. ‘These girls are
twins and so much alike that, though we saw them
almost every day for four months, we were not able
to tell them apart. Brother Grant Young, one of
the deacons of Christ Church, has visited this field

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