The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1920, Page 1

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Che Lutheran Pioneer.

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

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PUBLISHED BY THE EvaNGELIcaL LuruEraAN Synopical ConFERENCE oF NortH AMERICA.

REV. F. J. LANKENAUD, EDITOR.

Published monthly by Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo. Subscription price, 25 cts. per annum, payable strictly fn advance.
Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office at St. Louis, Mo., anaee the Act of March 3, 1879.

Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in section 1103, ‘Act of October 3, 1917, authorized on July 5, 1918.

Vol. XLII. No. 1.

“st. Lous, MO., iy EAMES 1920.

Keep Us in Thy Grace.

Father, we draw nigh to Thee
As another year begins;
Look upon us graciously,
And forgive our grievous sins.

For the sake of Christ behold

Also in the coming days

Our poor works, oft weak and cold,
And accept our thanks and praise.

Shield us from the devil’s wrath,
May we quell his fiery darts;

Let Thy angels guard our path,
Let Thy Spirit cheer our hearts.

Bless us in the future still,

Grant us e’er to run our race

And be governed by Thy will;

Keep us steadfast in Thy grace!

H. Osteruvus.
/

A Happy New Year to You!

Happy New Year! New Year resolutions are
like ideals — inspirations to better living, to mak-
ing more of one’s self, to going on and up. They
who make no New Year resolutions are unhe¢ppy
and unfruitful Christians. Let us earnestly re-
solve by the divine grace in Christ to prove our-
selves to be God’s children in the new year. To
this end let us be consistent in our Christian pro-
fession and daily practise, charitable to others, but
exacting towards ourselves, watchful for oppor-
tunities to be helpful, faithful in private prayer
and in attendance at divine services, generous in
support of our Church and the great enterprise of
extending the bounds of God’s kingdom; in short,
let us in word and deed serve our God and Savior,
and do all we can to induce others to accept and
serve Him. F.J.L.

: \
g wo

heareth not us,”
. of the true Christians is that they love to hear the
‘apostles and ministers of Christ, while the unbe-

The Blessed State of Christians.
1 Joun 4, 4—6.

Christians may at the beginning of a new year
boldly and confidently venture out into the myste-
rious future that lies before them; for they are
the Lord’s, who has purchased them with His own
holy, precious blood. So it does not make any dif-
ference whether the coming events will prove pleas-
ing, or disagreeable, or even fatal to them. ‘They
will remain His in life and death, in time’ and
eternity. In our text St.John points out what a —
blessed thing it is to be of God. One reason why .
those that are of God are so fortunate consists in
the fact that they hear and enjoy the Gospel. The
false, antichristian prophets “are of the world;
therefore speak they of the world, and the world
heareth them. We Christians are of God: he that
knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God
verses 5 and 6. Herice, one mark

lievers do not hear them; but delight in the world’s
wisdom, falsely so called, which opposes God. The
children of this world enjoy neither Law nor Gospel.
They consider it a personal insult to: be told that
those who do not live in conformity with the divine
commandments, even those that sin in desire, are :
damnable in God’s sight. ‘They avoid the preaching
of repentance because they would not expose their
conscience to the sharp sting contained in such
preaching; for they love their pet sins and sinning
in general, as a father loves his son or a musician
his violin. They are by no means willing to change
their hearts and lives. Numberless multitudes are

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CONCORDIA SEMINARY LIBRARY,
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI