The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1917, Page 1

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Che Lutheran Pioneer.

PuBLisHED BY THE EvancentcaL Lurikran Synopical CoNFERENCE oF NortH AMERICA.

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

a

REv. F. J. uANKENAU, EDITOR.

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

Vol. XXXIX.

ST. LOUIS, MO., JANUARY, 1917. No. 1.

Oh, the Joy That Now I Am.

Oh, the joy that now I am
Jesus’ own and blessed lamb!
Lo, I have a sure Defender,
Ever true and ever tender;

I am loved of Him and known,
Called by name to be His own.

Safe beneath His scepter’s reign,

I secure my sweetest gain;
Pastures fresh, my soul to nourish,
Lest it sink, and faint, and perish;
And my thirsty lips may drink

At His waters’ healing brink.

Why should not my soul rejoice
In my Shepherd’s kindly voice?
Sought by Him, restored, befriended,
Till my happy life is ended;
And I lay me down to rest
In His arms, forever blest.
Adapted from the German, Weil ich Jesu Schaeflein bin,
by J. T. MUELLER.

Either — Or.

Christians begin the new year in the name of
JESUS, the all-sufficient, omnipotent, and merci-
ful Helper, in whom they trust at all times and
under all circumstances. However, Jesus is not
only the Helper, the Savior, but also the Judge
of the world. He saves all that believe in Him,
but those who reject Him He will judge and con-
demn on the last day. He that believeth on Him
is not condemned; but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed
in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.”
According to Isaiah the Messiah was to be unto
some a sanctuary, but to others a stone of stum-

bling and a rock of offense. The old pious father
Simeon said to Mary concerning the holy Infant,
“Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising
again of many in Israel, and for a sign which
shall be spoken against.” Peter confirms this
truth, asserting that Christ, the chief Corner-stone;
is precious unto them that believe, but to those
that are disobedient He is a stone of stumbling
and a rock of offense, for they stumble at the
Word, being disobedient.

In the mythology of ancient Greece we read
of young Hercules, who set out to seek adventures.
Wandering through a solitary region, he met two
beautiful women, Virtue and Vice. Tach of them
was very anxious to have him follow her; both
bade him choose which he desired for his guide
through life. Vice held out to him the tempting
promise of ease and luxury, riches, recognition, and
love, if he would follow her guidance. Virtue,
a modest and dignified maiden, had a different
proposition to make. She gave him to understand
that under her leadership he would have to battle
constantly against evil, and encounter many diffi-
culties and dangers, but would finally attain glory
and immortality. After a short deliberation Her-
cules decided to become a faithful adherent of
Virtue, whose directions he instantly followed.

The deep meaning of this old heathen fable
we may, with certain changes, apply to that which
every one experiences who hears or reads the Gos-
pel of Christ. Every one as he walks along the
pathway of life, and hears about Christ and Him
crucified, has arrived at a point where two roads
lie before him, one of which he must choose in
order to continue his walk. He must choose be-
tween two things. The one is, to believe in Jesus,
select the one thing needful for his part, and walk