The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1930, Page 181

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

181

church in Mansura, one of the three complained,
“We have built a heaven in Mansura, but we can-
not get in!” Their children were being neglected,
they said. If they only had a school for their chil-
dren and a church!

Henry Thomas, a member of Rev. Lankenau’s
church in New Orleans, who was temporarily stay-
ing in the neighborhood, happened along. He told
the trio of the work the Lutheran Church was
doing in New Orleans and suggested to them that
they invite his pastor. This was done. And thus
Paul M. Lehman was instrumental in bringing the
Lutheran Church to Mansura. He was ever a
regular attendant at divine services and a loyal
member to the end. He and his now widowed wife
gave two of their sons to the Lord to work in His
vineyard, Rev. Paul D. Lehman and Rev. Harvey
Lehman of Selma, Ala. May the Lord graciously
comfort the bereaved widow and all that are sor-
rowing ! C. I. Drewes.

What Can I Do for Jesus?

A woman who had run a questionable boarding-
house was drawn to the cross of Jesus. Her life was
changed, and she was happy in her faith. She proved
her sincerity by asking: “Now, since Jesus did so
much for me, don’t you think I ought to do some-
thing for Him?” The missionary was happy that
she had made progress in her Christian faith such
as many lifelong members within our churches have
not yet attained. Being asked what she could do,
she thought her field lay among those who had come
to her home, the morally downtrodden, the sinners,
and adulterers. She asked for tracts and Testaments.

A week later she reported on her efforts. The
results had, for the most part, been discouraging.
She had one little hope, however. One poor, shat-
‘tered hulk of a wasted life had given her a little
encouragement. This person had promised to read
the Testament she had given him. He even said he
would go to church. And he was a thief with a long
police record. But the hope bloomed more beauti-
fully than any could think.

Early one morning the faithful woman called
the missionary. She had been at the hospital. “Do
you remember the man who promised to read the
Testament I gave him? Well, he is in the hospital,
dying. I want you to come down right away; maybe
‘we can save him yet.” The missionary promised to
come at once and added: “You go back to his bed-

side and tell him about Jesus, the Savior, and wait.

for me.” The answer was not slow in coming:
“I did. I told him all I know; but I'll go back and
tell him again.”

Fifteen minutes later the missionary was at the
hospital. He saw a beautiful sight. The woman
was leaning over the patient’s bed, and they were
praying. Not wishing to disturb them, the mis-
sionary stepped to the doctor’s desk and inquired
about the case. “The man jumped off a freight train
this morning in the yards. The watchman saw him
and called to him to halt, but he fled. As he had
a bundle in his hand, the watchman thought he was
a train thief and fired at him, and the bullet shat-
tered his spinal cord,” the doctor explained, adding,
“The man has no chance to live. A day or so, but
no longer, and not that long in the state of mind in
which the man now is. He is terrified at the thought
of having to die. He is literally being scared to
death. In such a state of mind he has no power of
resistance.”

At that moment the two finished their prayers.
Looking up, they saw the missionary. ‘Oh, here is
the minister now,” said the woman as the missionary
stepped forward. eit

“Y’m not good enough to see a preacher,” con-
fessed the thief.

“T don’t care how bad you are,” rejoined the
missionary, now at his side. “I care not if you are
a thief, murderer, or even worse.”

“Y’m not a murderer, just a burglar, a petty
thief, that’s all,” replied the man.

“T came to tell you, then, of a thief who was also
a murderer, the very worst of men, and one to whom
Jesus showed mercy and whom he saved.”

The man raised his eyes in hope. The missionary
continued : —

“Yes, it all happened when the thief was dying,
when he had but a few hours more to live, when he
was suffering the very worst kind of pain and agony.
He was being crucified. Jesus was also on the cross,
dying for that man’s sin and for the sins of every
thief. The thief looked to Jesus and believed Him
to be his Savior. He called Him ‘Lord’ and prayed
him to save him, miserable as he was. ‘Remember
me when Thou comest into Thy Kingdom,’ he
pleaded.”

“Did Jesus have mercy on that thief?” asked the
intent listener.

“Most certainly, as Jesus will grant mercy to all
who come to Him. That is why He had it written
into the Bible and why He sent me to tell it to you,
so that you, too, might take courage to call upon

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