The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1920, Sheet 51

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Ohe Lutheran Pioneer.

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

PuBLisHED BY THE EVANGELICAL LurieRAN SyNODICAL CoNFERENCE oF NortH AMERICA.

REv. F. J. LANKENAU, EDITOR.

Published monthly by Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo.

Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office at St. Louls, Mo.,
Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in section 1103, ‘Act of October 3, 1917, authorized on July 5,

+

Subscription price, 25 cts. per annum, payable strictly In advance,
Haden the Act of March 3, 1879.

, 1918,

Vol. XLII.

ST. LOUIS, MO., JULY, 1920.

No. 7.

Fight the Good Fight of Faith.

If thou wouldst win

The fight o’er sin,

Be ever on thy guard;

Our foes without us and within
Are often pressing hard.

If thou wouldst rout

Distrust and doubt,

Watch o’er thy every thought;
The roaring lion walks about
To bring our faith to naught.

Unsheathe thy sword,
Christ’s holy Word,
And wield this weapon right,
Relying on our gracious Lord;
Thus thou wilt win the fight.
H. OstTeruus.

What Are You Doing?

We came across the following in a paper a short
time ago: — A certain man in New York filled out
his income tax report. This report showed an in-
come so large that his tax was 53 per cent. » Now,
how much do you suppose this rich man had given
to Church and charity in the whole year? Only
- $148! Think of it, — this man with millions, who
had spent thousands for luxuries and pleasure for
himself, had only $148 to help better the world and
assist his fellow-man! In the Gospel we read that
when Christ one day sat in the Temple and watched
the people as they brought their gifts, that “many
that were rich put in much.” This rich man was
not of that'kind. But, you-will perhaps say, there
are not many like this rich New Yorker. I hope
not. I do hope most of us do better than ‘did this
millionaire. But do we do so very much better?

The average daily gift for all Church purposes
is less than is spent for daily papers, less than a

local telephone call, less than one-third of a day’s
car-fare, less than three cents a day. In view of this -
we need not be surprised to hear that the Church
calls for help, that the mission treasuries are empty,
that the Church’s hospitals are in financial trouble,
that the Church’s orphanages are in want. No
wonder, since our gifts are so small, that practically
every church board and charity society is forever
facing deficits and forever making appeals.

Oh, if the Christians would but awaken ‘to a
realization of their great responsibility? -If the
Christians of to-day could but have a full knowl-
edge of their opportunities. ‘The world is full of
perils, perils for all people and all lands through-
out the world. And there is only one efficient
remedy for the situation—the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. There is but one light that can dispel the
darkness of doubt and misgiving and despair from
the religious life of the world’s nations to-day, and
that is the Light of the World. Jesus Christ is the
answer to the world’s need and the only solution to
all its problems. z :

Such being the case, there must be an awakened
Church, a fully aroused Church, a- Church ready to
go to the ends of the world giving light to all who
grope in darkness and the valley of the shadow of
death. Missionaries are voicing in articulate sound
the silent cry that goes up from those languishing
in the chains of Satan and sin and the fear of
death. Will you act like the rich New Yorker and
turn away from your brother’s need? If we Chris-
tians of this generation do not reap, a rich harvest
will rot upon the ground. ‘The situation calls for
earnest prayer, liberal giving, and much consecrated
service. \ F. J. 1.