The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1927, Page 173

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

173

eS

It’s Our Task.

More people go to bed hungry every night in
India than live in the United States. So few doc-
tors there are in China that it is said there are
400,000 patients for each physician in that country.
Outside the pale of Christendom only one man in
a dozen and one woman in twenty-five can read and
write. Who among us should not have pity on this
hungry, sick, and ignorant world?

But this is not the worst. Beyond the confines
of so-called Christendom the world is groping in
densest darkness. Two-thirds of the world’s people,
more than a thousand million, have not yet found
Christ, the Light of the world.

And we bear a share of the responsibility for
giving the Gospel which brings Christ and His light
to these millions. Since there are, roughly speaking,
twice as many non-Christians as there are nominal
Christians in the world, it would, humanly speaking,
be no exaggeration at all if we should say that we of
the Synodical Conference should set it as our nearest
goal to bring the light- and life-giving Gospel of
Jesus to at least five million people. Of course, we
cannot make Christians of these non-Christians; we
can do no more than bring them the Gospel, which
is the power of God unto salvation to them that be-
lieve. We can only sow the good seed, God must give
the growth; we can but cultivate and water, God
alone can give the harvest. ;

But are we doing our task? Are we sincere in
our prayer, “Thy kingdom come”? Are we -doing
all in our power that God’s kingdom may come to
those who are yet in the kingdom of darkness and
death? Do we fully see it to be our task to help to
the uttermost, so that Christ’s Great Commission
will be carried out: “Preach the Gospel to every
creature” ? F. J. L.

As a Brand Plucked out of the Fire.

“Lord, remember me when Thou comest into
Thy kingdom,” said the malefactor on the cross to
his dying Savior. “Verily I say unto thee,” said
Jesus unto him, “To-day shalt thou be with Me in
paradise.” ;

Conversions on the death-bed are rare, but
possible. When we hear of such a conversion, we
rejoice.

On Friday evening, the 12th of August, the
undersigned was informed that a native at the Port
Pierce mission-station was seriously ill, that he

might be called hence at any moment, and that he
desired the services of a Lutheran pastor and would
ask him to baptize him before his death.

Being away from home on a visitation tour and
knowing that quick action was necessary, the under-
signed got in touch with Pastor Mackenzie, the
nearest Lutheran pastor, asking him whether he
could minister to the dying man. He was able to
do so. The next day he motored from Balaklava to
Port Pierce. On arrival there he found that the
native whose days were numbered was still conscious,
and he was able to minister to him. The elders of
the South Kilkerran congregation, Brothers Hoff-
mann and Graefe, and Teacher Lange had already
commenced to prepare the native for Holy Baptism.
Pastor Mackenzie continued their noble work,
and having convinced himself that the appli-
cant for Baptism was a penitent sinner, who was
determined to put his sole trust in Christ Jesus for
salvation, he baptized him in the name of the Triune
God. The next day, Sunday, he was able to visit
him again to comfort him with the Word of God,
and to pray with him. His end was near. During -
the night he fell asleep peacefully, trusting in
the merits of Christ, his Savior. He was saved
eternally — a brand plucked out of the fire.

On Monday afternoon, the 15th of August, most
of the natives of the Port Pierce mission-station,
a number of white officials, and some of the
members of St. Paul’s Church, South Kilkerran,
assembled with Pastor Mackenzie on the Port Pierce
cemetery, when the mortal remains of Malcolm John
Sansbury were committed to the grave. It was a
calm afternoon, and the natives listened attentively
while Pastor Mackenzie spoke words of divine com-
fort to them, basing his address on Mark 16, 15.16:
“Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to
every creature. He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be
damned.” 3

The address will be long remembered by the
natives at Port Pierce.

Why did the man referred to above desire the
services of a Lutheran minister? His wife was a
Lutheran from Koonibba, and she had remained
true to her Lutheran faith. Although there are no
Lutheran services at Port Pierce, she has, neverthe-
less, had her children baptized in the Lutheran
church at South Kilkerran. When, recently, she was
seriously ill, suffering from the same complaint
which caused the death of her husband, she sought
the services of her Lutheran pastor, who strength-