The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1918, Page 19

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

19

Satan and his forces continuously and furiously as-
sail the household of God, it will ever remain in-
vincible, being based on, and hidden in, the Rock
of Ages cleft for us. The very gates of hell shall
not prevail against it. Every true member of the
Church is a Peter, i. ¢., a man based on a firm
Rock, being founded on Christ, concerning whom
he professes: “Thou art the Son of the living God.”
And so it is very natural and proper that the Church
should be called Christian. Christ is its only Head,
Foundation, and King.

This being the case, and all Christians being in-
eluded in the Church, it necessarily follows that
there is but one invisible Church, Christ’s body,
1 Cor. 12,27. As there is one Lord, one Baptism,
one Lord’s Supper, one faith, one hope, one heavenly
Father, so there is one body, Eph. 4, 3—6.

Then, too, the Chureh is holy. It is the com-

Old Chapel at Possum Bend, Ala.

munion of saints, according to Eph. 2,19. ‘This
is self-evident for every thinking Christian; for
the very heart of our religion consists in the -faith
that all believers are holy and acceptable in the
sight of God; not indeed because of their own
righteousness, but because they are clothed with
the wedding-garment of Christ’s blood and right-
eousness. Let him that asks, Why is the Church
holy? ponder the beautiful Bible-words Eph. 5,
25—27.

The Chureli is to be found “wherever and only
where the Gospel of Christ is in use; for according
to God’s promise His Word does not remain with-
out fruit,”’-Is. 55, 10. 11.

How happy are all members of Christ’s spiritual
body! ‘Examine yourselves whether ye be in faith;
prove your own selves.” H. OsterHus.

—— SS
Our remedies often fail, but Christ as the
remedy for sin never fails.

Dedication at Possum Bend.

Missionary G. A. Schmidt sends us the good
news that the new chapel and school at Possum
Bend was dedicated on February 10th with ap-
propriate services. ‘The new building, which .is
built in the shape of a T, contains two rooms,
each measuring 203011. A comparison of the
two cuts accompanying this article will soon con-
vince the kind reader that the joy of the missionary,
teacher, and people must have been great when the
time arrived for the final leaye-taking from the old
log cabin where they had been conducting their
services and keeping school. The old log cabin was

in every way unfit for further use, and it was high
time that a new building was furnished this promis-.
ing station.

New Chapel and School at Possum Bend, Ala.

’ The new building is covered with rough siding,
painted moss-green with white trimmings. The in-
terior is ceiled, the side-walls being painted in silver
gray and the ceiling in sky blue. A plain building
in every way, but with all its simplicity the source
of great joy and innocent pride for, our ‘people at
Possum Bend.

The dedicatory services’ weré ‘attended by about
120 persons, some of whom had come from Rose-
bud, fifteen miles away, to Tejoice with the Possum
Benders. After a short service on the outside, con-
ducted by Superintendent G. A. Schmidt, the con- _
gregation entered the new building, which was
named the “Church of Our Savior.” The dedica-
tory sermon was delivered by Superintendent N. J.
Bakke. ‘The preacher based his sermon on Ps. 26,
choosing for his theme, “A Christian’s Love for
the House of God.” In the course of his discourse
he showed whereon this love is based, and how it
is manifested and shown. The speaker held the

undivided attention of his hearers for over an hour, =