Serving.

“Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:35 

As a North American, the words of Christ to the twelve may be difficult to accept as our culture impresses upon us the need to be first and have everybody else in last place.  The dictionary defines the word ‘servant’ as follows; one that serves others; a public servant; especially one that performs duties about the person or home of a master or personal employer.  The word is ‘Middle English’ and its first known use was in the 13th century. 

This word ‘servant’ has been in my thoughts a lot as I have been reading about all the turmoil taking place in Haiti; people demanding that the President step down.  There have been several months of violent protests, mainly in Port-au-Prince but a few days ago I read an article in the Miami Herald that spoke of thousands of people from Catholic and Protestant churches who had peacefully protested throughout the county, asking President Moise to step down.  These are God’s servants; pastors, teachers and congregation members are servants of the Risen Christ, seeking to peacefully replace corruption with Godly wisdom and governance. 

The children in the attached photo attend the Lutheran school at Bas De Sceaut in the Artibonite District.  This a small class of the 110 children who are fed daily in this school.  These young servants are happy servants, going to school in this wooden structure with a dirt floor, no glass in the windows and a piece of canvas for a door.  These missionaries may one day be serving our Risen Savior by governing in Haiti; a country that has always been open to satan through the vodou priest since it became an independent country in 1804.   

They are learning the true meaning of Mark 9:35 and are receiving their only real meal of the day at this location.  Too often we get our priorities twisted around and fail to see what is really important in this lifetime.  Put down the wall that this world has placed around you, lower your guard and seek to follow the model of service that Christ has given you.  Martin Luther wrote the hymn ‘Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord’ a long time ago but his words are a wonderful way to close today’s message. 

“Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord!  Be all Thy graces now out poured on each believer's mind and heart; Thy fervent love to them impart.  Lord, by the brightness of Thy light, Thou in the faith dost men unite of every land and every tongue; this to Thy praise, O Lord, our God, be sung.  Hallelujah! Hallelujah!  Thou holy Light, Guide Divine, oh, cause the Word of Life to shine!  Teach us to know our God aright and call Him Father with delight. from every error keep us free; let none but Christ our Master be that we in living faith abide, in Him, our Lord, with all our might confide.  Hallelujah! Hallelujah!  Thou holy Fire, Comfort true, grant us the will Thy work to do and in Thy service to abide; let trials turn us not aside.  Lord, by Thy power prepare each heart and to our weakness strength impart that bravely here we may contend, through life and death to Thee, our Lord, ascend.  Hallelujah! Hallelujah!”  

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen. 

May God be with you…Jay

Guide my ways.

“I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.”  Psalm 119:15 

While living in Haiti many were the times that I was alone and if someone was near me, we didn’t share a common language or similar culture; there were many times when solitude was better than fellowship and when silence was wiser than speech.   I firmly believe that each of us would be better Christians if we spent more time being alone, waiting on God and finding spiritual strength for service to Him by meditating on His Word.  We should first consider the things of God because only then will we get real nutrition from them. 

Consider these children in Cap Haitian, preparing to eat their daily meal; simply taking food into their mouths does not nourish their bodies, for it is the full process of digestion that supplies nutrients to muscles, nerves and bones.  And it is through spiritual "digestion" that outward food is brought into our inner life.  Our souls are not nourished merely by listening for a while to this and that, and later to another portion of His Word.  Hearing, reading, examining, and learning all requires inward digestion to complete their usefulness, and that inner digesting of the truth takes place primarily by meditating on it; dwelling upon His Word.  We all need to be fed on His Word and His food daily.  Isaac Watts wrote the hymn ‘Oh, that the Lord would guide my ways’ in 1719 and it seems a fitting way to close this message. 

“Oh, that the Lord would guide my ways to keep His statutes still!  Oh, that my God would grant me grace to know and do His will!  Order my footsteps by Thy Word and make my heart sincere; let sin have no dominion, Lord, but keep my conscience clear.  Assist my soul, too apt to stray, a stricter watch to keep; and should I e'er forget Thy way, restore Thy wandering sheep.  Make me to walk in Thy commands, 'Tis a delightful road, nor let my head or heart or hands offend against my God.” 

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen. 

May God be with you…Jay

Got food?

“People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them.  When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”  And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.”  Mark 10:13-16 

It is difficult to visit Trinity/HOPE school feeding programs in Haiti and not remember this passage in the tenth chapter of Mark when looking at little children, like this young girl from Ouanaminthe.  There shouldn’t be a difference between this child and the young children who attend Christ Schools in Lincoln; Jesus would have taken each of them into His arms and blessed them.  The children in Nebraska, Illinois, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Haiti are all being prepared to go and share the message of salvation with those who will come along their life’s journey.  The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to each of them and to us. 

The main difference is the food.  Children in the U.S. are fed at home and at school.  The vast majority of the children attending the Lutheran school in Ouanaminthe don’t get food at home and rely upon the meal at school for their daily manna; thank you for helping to provide food for them.  Benjamin Schmolck wrote the hymn ‘Dearest Jesus, we are here’ in 1704 and it will close today’s message. 

“Dearest Jesus, we are here, gladly Thy command obeying; with this child we now draw near in accord with Thine own saying that to Thee it shall be given as a child and heir of heaven.  Yea, Thy word is clear and plain, and we would obey it duly: "He who is not born again, heart and life renewing truly, born of water and the Spirit, can My kingdom not inherit.  Therefore hasten we to Thee, in our arms this infant bearing; let us here Thy glory see let this child, Thy mercy sharing, in Thine arms be shielded ever, Thine on earth and Thine forever.  Gracious Head, Thy member own; Shepherd, take Thy lamb and feed it; Prince of Peace, make here Thy throne; Way of Life, to heaven lead it; Precious Vine, let nothing sever from Thy side this branch forever.  Now into Thy heart we pour prayers that from our hearts proceeded.  Our petitions heavenward soar; may our warm desires be heeded!  Write the name we now have given, write it in the book of heaven.” 

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen. 

May God be with you…Jay

This is the feast.

“On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine; the best of meats and the finest of wines.  On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever.  The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth.  The LORD has spoken.  In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us.  This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”  Isaiah 25:6-9 

One of my favorite liturgical songs is “This is the Feast” and every day should be a ‘victory’ for our Lord!  The young girl in the attached photo is sitting on a Haitian chair in Cap Haitian and has a feast resting in her lap and that is a victory for our Lord!  You can tell that this is a true feast by the sparkle in her eyes and look of anticipation as she awaits a spoon to compliment her manna.

As we awake in the morning, witness the sun rising, let us also give thanks for the victory of our Lord and the feast that awaits us each and every day, and the feast that we will realize in Heaven with this child one day. 

“This is the feast of victory for our God.  For the Lamb Who was slain has begun His reign: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!  Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain, whose blood set us free to be people of God.  Power, riches, wisdom, and strength, and honor, blessing, and glory are his.  This is the feast of victory for our God.  Sing with all the people of God, and join in the hymn of all creation.  This is the feast of victory for our God.  Alleluia!” 

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen. 

May God be with you…Jay

Being humble.

“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”  Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”  For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.”  John 13:9-11 

How often have we been given an opportunity to be humble?  That is a tough lesson as this world tells us just the opposite; everything should be about me.  The letters ‘IAM’ in our time mean ‘It’s ALL about ME’ and you can see this same condition in the Pharisees that were confronted by Jesus throughout His ministry. 

Being willing to receive, submit to others and serve others takes more grace on our part than giving to others.  Our reluctance to be on the receiving end exposes our pride in being in charge of things; it is all about us and not about our Triune God.  Pride can be an ugly thing and if you have been insulated from it, just open your ears to a concert of ‘look what we did’ or ‘look at what I am doing’ messages coming from various organizations.  It should never be about us, but always about what He has done through us.  When we boast about how many children Trinity/HOPE is feeding we should always begin with what our Triune God is accomplishing in Haiti through our time, treasures and talents. 

When Christ went about washing the disciple’s feet He removed His outer tunic and with a towel, pitcher, and pan in hand, He proceeded to teach another lesson to the twelve.  The response from Peter was “no, not my feet, but my head and hands too.”  Peter was capable of washing himself and didn’t need Jesus to do that for him.  God’s children in Haiti are being fed through people like you who are serving through their donations.  Learning that these children are praying for you and I daily is humbling and sometimes we may wonder why in the world would this child be praying for me.  They give thanks to God for you and your gift every day. 

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen. 

May God be with you…Jay

Mouth wide open.

“When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”  On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’  For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:11-13 

Are you careful who you eat with?  We are probably careful not to be seen in public sharing a meal with a person who happens to have their photograph on a wanted poster down at the Post Office.  There are some people that I try to avoid at mealtime because they chew with their mouths open and make irritating noises that attract attention from nearby diners.  Jesus is in the business of seeking the lost and bringing them the gift of life that can only be found in Him.  He would not hesitate to sit at a table across from a person who would chew their food with their mouths wide open, if they needed to hear the message of salvation. 

Take a close look at some of the eighty-four children who attend the Good Samaritan Lutheran school in Les Cayes; would you consider sharing a meal with any of them?   Statistics in Haiti lead us to believe that more than half of these children come from homes where vodou is still being practiced.  All of the children in this school and all the 141 schools in Haiti where there are Trinity/HOPE feeding programs are being fed a meal and are given the news of a loving Savior, Jesus Christ who has prepared a place for each of them in Heaven.  The hymn ‘The Savior calls; let every ear’ was written by Anne Steele in 1760 and its message will close this message. 

“The Savior calls; let every ear attend the heavenly sound.  Ye doubting souls, dismiss your fear; hope smiles reviving round.  For every thirsty, Ionging heart here streams of bounty flow and life and health and bliss impart to banish mortal woe.  Here springs of sacred pleasures rise to ease your every pain; immortal fountain, full supplies!  Nor shall you thirst in vain.  Ye sinners, come, 'tis Mercy's voice; the gracious call obey; mercy invites to heavenly joys, and can you yet delay?  Dear Savior, draw reluctant hearts; to Thee let sinners fly and take the bliss Thy love imparts and drink and never die.” 

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen. 

May God be with you…Jay

Calming words.

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.  And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:1-11 

There were numerous times when my mother would provide me with calming words before I was about to endure one of this world’s trials; she prepared me with a fundamental foundation that I would ultimately find some positive value in having gone through this experience.  Her faith had brought her through the sudden death of her husband, raising two children and the grief that Charlotte and me must have placed upon her plate during our teenage years. 

Being calm when facing life’s hardships is of God as we are confident in His Word as we endure painful trials that will produce maturity which leads to reflect our love of our Heavenly Father.  While looking for a photo for this devotion the attached caught my eye.  I don’t recall where I took this but given the date, the desks, the color of the children’s uniforms and the fact that these children are praying for their daily meal it must be in the Artibonite District.   

Perhaps not knowing where it was taken makes it that much more special as when I write a check to Trinity/HOPE today as I generally don’t know which children will be receiving a meal because of my donation; it doesn’t matter because they are all His children.  They are all facing huge hardships at this time and that plate of food on their desk is from Him and provides a sense of calmness in a country where there is so little hope.  In 1846 a hymn titled ‘I heard the voice of Jesus say’ was written by Horatius Bonar and the words provide a calming effect for the trials of this day. 

“I heard the voice of Jesus say, "Come unto Me and rest; lay down, thou weary one, lay down, thy head upon My breast."  I came to Jesus as I was, weary and worn and sad; I found in Him a resting-place, and He has made me glad.  I heard the voice of Jesus say, "Behold, I freely give the living water; thirsty one, stoop down and drink and live."  I came to Jesus, and I drank of that life-giving stream.  My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, and now I live in Him.  I heard the voice of Jesus say, "I am this dark world's Light.  Look unto Me; thy morn shall rise and all thy day be bright."  I looked to Jesus, and I found in Him my Star, my Sun; and in that Light of Life I'll walk till traveling days are done.   

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen. 

May God be with you…Jay

The world will test us.

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” 1 Peter 4:12 

Not sure if you have experienced any fiery ordeals along your life’s journey, but can only assume that you have as everybody has had moments when our life’s roller coaster ride has ultimately crashed and burned.  Believers and un-believers alike have their ups and downs throughout their journey; we are born, we live and ultimately, we die.  As His children in this sinful world, we suffer persecution and ridicule from a world that is hostile to our Triune God.  Quite often this happens because we do not conform to or participate in their godless passions and activities; we are different from them. 

The attached photo is of a sign along Delmas which is the main street in Petionville and it is a perfect example of this world tempting people to sign up and be a ‘quick thinker’ in no time at all.  The real paradox here is that this promise of ‘quick wisdom’ appears in a country where an estimated 65 percent cannot read or write.  An estimated sixty percent of the people in Haiti practice vodou and call upon satan when fires appear on their journey; they need Jesus.  This world throws out many ‘promises’ along our journey but there is only one sure thing, we need Jesus. 

Our Triune God promises a day of judgment in which all, living and dead, will give an account of themselves.  While we await this Judgment Day, we are to live as His obedient and faithful children.  We are not supposed to conform to the ways of this world but we are to be self-controlled and sober-minded, loving, hospitable, and use our spiritual gifts for the building up of the church throughout His world.  In this way, even when we suffer as Christians in this sinful world, we glorify God and Christ our Lord and Savior.  The hymn ‘Come to Calvary’s Holy mountain’ was written by James Montgomery in 1819 and provides a wonderful invitation to each of us as we search for rescue from the fiery ordeals that clutter our pathway. 

“Come to Calvary's holy mountain, sinners, ruined by the fall; here a pure and healing fountain flows to you, to me, to all, in a full, perpetual tide, opened when our Savior died.  Come in poverty and meanness, come defiled, without, within; from infection and uncleanness, from the leprosy of sin, wash your robes and make them white; ye shall walk with God in light.  Come in sorrow and contrition, wounded, impotent, and blind; here the guilty free remission, here the troubled peace, may find.  Health this fountain will restore; he that drinks shall thirst no more.  He that drinks shall live forever; tis a soul-renewing flood. God is faithful; God will never break His covenant of blood, signed when our Redeemer died, sealed when He was glorified.” 

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen. 

May God be with you…Jay

Being content.

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”  Philippians 4:11-13 

Our culture tells us that ‘contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of how much you already have.’  If we measure contentment with the ‘stuff’ that we in North America have then we should be very CONTENT.  Sadly, most of the people I listen to are not content with all the things that they have; it is never enough. 

Most people look for contentment by purchasing a new house or another car or a boat, or any number of things that they don’t need online or from a catalogue.  Some people in this world seek to find contentment by sacrificing possessions and living a simple life, free from the temptations of this world.  The attached photo is of the apartment building where my one room apartment was located in Petionville. 

When laundry day is here my memory bank is opened and thoughts of washing clothes in the bathtub and bathroom sink and then heading to clothesline on the roof of the building fill my mind.  While my clothes appeared to be clean, they were never as clean as the women who washed their families’ clothes in the river, or so it seemed to me.  I was content in my living conditions and I imagine that the people living to the west of my apartment on the hillside were also very content as they lived in a house and didn’t have to sleep in the street or under a sheet of metal or plastic. 

My friends, the truth is that real contentment can only be found through Jesus Christ.  You know that as well as I do and also the Christians living in Haiti.  When the Apostle Paul wrote the above passages to the church in Philippi, he was writing this letter from prison.  His contentment, hope, strength and riches were found in Christ.  We should have this contentment today; that our Heavenly Father that empowered Paul to be content in prison, is at work in our lives today and in the lives of all His children throughout this world.  The hymn ‘God bless our native land’ was written by Charles T. Brooks in 1834 and their message seems to be an appropriate way to close today. 

“God bless our native land!  Firm may she ever stand thro' storm and night!  When the wild tempests rave, ruler of wind and wave do Thou our country save by Thy great might.  For her our prayer shall rise to God above the skies; on Him we wait.  Thou who art ever nigh, guarding with watchful eye, to Thee aloud we cry, God save the State! Amen.”  

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen. 

May God be with you…Jay

Foot washing.

“Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”  “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”  Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” John 13:8 

Have you washed another person’s feet recently?  I don’t mean have you washed your children’s feet or grandchildren’s feet or your elderly parent’s feet recently.  Have you ever washed the feet of an acquaintance or a stranger’s feet?  When Jesus was going to wash His disciple’s feet the response from Peter was “no, you will never wash my feet!”  Peter didn’t fully understand what we are asked to do as Christ teaches us to serve.  Jesus gave one more lesson while washing feet; being a servant in not merely a sign of inner weakness but of incredible inner strength. 

1. Witnessing the washing of children’s hands throughout Trinity/HOPE feeding programs in Haiti reminds me of the lesson Jesus gave us when He washed feet.  The washing certainly is a practical thing to do as the disciple’s feet were dirty from their walking in the sand wearing sandals; their feet were dirty.  The washing of the children’s hands in Haiti is important as their little hands have touched so many unclean items before lunch and the lesson of hygiene is important to them and their parents; their hands are unclean. 

   When Jesus told Peter that ‘unless I wash you, you have no part with me’ He was not only talking about his unclean feet, but was telling Peter and you and I and the children in Haiti that we are sinful and unclean and unless we accept Christ as our Servant and Savior we will never be clean.  We have His lesson to always remind us of the need of our service to Him and others.  Go out into the world and seek and save the lost. 

   Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen. 

   May God be with you…Jay