Comfort.

“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.  Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.  A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.  Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.  And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together.  For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” Isaiah 40:1-5 

What brings you comfort during Advent?  In our culture, some may find a fleeting moment of comfort when all their ‘preparations’ for Christmas are finally accomplished.  When that last batch of cookies is baked, that last gift is purchased and that last detail for the family gathering has been completed. 

What is truly important is the message that the voice in the desert was calling out, “Prepare the way for the LORD.”  Do you still recall what filled your Holiday plate five years ago?  Do you recall what your favorite gift was ten years ago?  Do you remember who was born two thousand years ago that the Prophet Isaiah was writing about?  That is our focus during this Advent season. 

The child that I am holding in my arms in the attached photo is a little girl named Suzette and at that time in 2002 she lived several miles west of Torbeck in Southwest Haiti in a one-room house made of sticks that is standing just behind us.  If she is still alive today, I can tell you with much assurance that she still has the red bear that she is holding.  This simple small gift was sent to her from Lindie Nord’s class of students in Sioux Falls, SD.  Suzette didn’t have a toy box in her house, just a space in a drawer where her two outfits were kept, and the red bear; a most precious gift. 

Some have called me a ‘nagger’ and have accused me of dumping a load of Lutheran ‘guilt’ in my devotions, but if there is one message that reaches you today it is this; first and foremost celebrate Christmas for the real reason for which God brought His Son to this earth.  Reinforce that message with your friends and family this year and if you can, help prepare the way for children like Suzette to also go and tell the real reason of Christmas with the people along her pathway.  I close today with the words to the hymn ‘Comfort, Comfort, Ye My People’ what was written by Johann Olearius, 1671. 

“Comfort, comfort, ye My people, speak ye peace, thus saith our God; comfort those who sit in darkness, mourning 'neath their sorrows' load.  Speak ye to Jerusalem of the peace that waits for them; tell her that her sins I cover and her warfare now is over.  Yea, her sins our God will pardon, blotting out each dark misdeed; all that well deserved His anger He no more will see or heed.  She hath suffered many a day, now her griefs have passed away; God will change her pining sadness into ever-springing gladness.  Hark, the Herald's voice is crying in the desert far and near, bidding all men to repentance since the Kingdom now is here.  Oh, that warning cry obey!  Now prepare for God a way; let the valleys rise to meet Him and the hills bow down to greet Him.  Make ye straight what long was crooked, make the rougher places plain; let your hearts be true and humble, as befits His holy reign.  For the glory of the Lord now o'er earth is shed abroad, and all flesh shall see the token that His Word is never broken.”  

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

Gifts.

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.  Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11 

Dear North America; please, no more Christmas catalogues in my mailbox.  I began the count after Labor Day and have stopped as number fifteen arrived recently.  I wonder how long it took the Magi to decide on bringing gold, frankincense and myrrh as gifts for the King?  Do you suppose that they did their shopping before they left or did it along the way? 

The attached photo is of a class that attends the Lutheran School in Saltedere which is in the Central Plateau of Haiti.  I doubt that they get many Christmas catalogues there; not a CostCo to be found in their town.  While I lived in Haiti not one ‘wish book’ appeared at my address; life was good and it was not hard to focus on the true meaning of Advent and consider what the Christ child meant for me and for these children and for this world. 

Not sure what you are shopping for this year, but if you, your family or your Bible study group would be interested in sponsoring the school in Saltedere it would cost roughly $3,300 to feed their school for a whole year.  The children attending this school will be sharing the real meaning of Christmas with their family, neighborhood and the generations to come in their lives as their bright lights will sparkle in a country that still has much darkness from vodou.  I close todays devotion closes with the words to the hymn ‘Brightest and Best of the Sons of the Morning’ which was written by Reginald Heber in 1811. 

“Brightest and best of the sons of the morning, dawn on our darkness and lend us Thine aid; Star of the East, the horizon adorning, guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.  Cold on His cradle the dewdrops are shining; low lies His head with the beasts of the stall.  Angels adore Him in slumber reclining, Maker and Monarch and Savior of all.  Shall we not yield Him, In costly devotion odors of Edom and offerings divine, gems of the mountain and pearls of the ocean, myrrh from the forest and gold from the mine?  Vainly we offer each ample oblation, vainly with gifts would His favor secure.  Richer by far is the heart's adoration; dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.  Brightest and best of the sons of the morning, dawn on our darkness and lend us Thine aid; Star of the East, the horizon adorning, guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.” 

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

Advent.

“Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.” 1 Timothy 3:16 

Dear North America; the season of Advent is so much more than Black Friday; colored strings of lights on houses and trees, snow, presents, catalogues, fruitcakes and mistletoe hung in doorways.  The Apostle Paul write that godliness is a mystery and it is because we mortal North Americans can seldom comprehend just how awesome it truly is; only our Heavenly Father and Creator can do that.  The minds of our sinful world cannot begin to wrap their knowledge around the truth of our Savior being born to a virgin in Bethlehem; doesn’t make any sense to us how this could possibly happen.  This ‘mystery’ is the answer to the problems in this world.  This ‘mystery’ is what is truly important to this world Charly Brown.    

The importance of feeding these children who attend the Lutheran School in Dondon is also a ‘mystery’ to many living in North America.  Seeking and saving the lost was the message and direction our Savior, the Christ child, left with us.  As you go about your family tradition during Advent, please consider sharing of your blessings to bring a meal of hope to these children that are being prepared to be His missionaries in Haiti.  They will be taking the true message of our Savior to the lost, still living in fear of the vodou priest in Haiti.  I close today with the hymn ‘A Great and Mighty Wonder’ that was attributed to have been written by St. Germanus in 1734. 

“A great and mighty wonder.  A full and holy cure: the Virgin bears the Infant with virgin honor pure.  Repeat the hymn again: to God on high be glory and peace on earth to men!  The Word becomes incarnate and yet remains on high, and cherubim sing anthems to shepherds from the sky.  Repeat the hymn again: to God on high be glory and peace on earth to men!  While thus they sing your Monarch, those bright angelic bands, rejoice, ye vales and mountains, ye oceans, clap your hands.  Repeat the hymn again: to God on high be glory and peace on earth to men!  Since all He comes to ransom.  By all be He adored, the Infant born in Bethl'em, the Savior and the Lord.  Repeat the hymn again: to God on high be glory and peace on earth to men.  And idol forms shall perish, and error shall decay, and Christ shall wield His scepter, our Lord and God for aye.  Repeat the hymn again: to God on high be glory and peace on earth to men!" 

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

Prayer guide for December 2, 2019

We begin our prayer time in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. + Amen.

Psalm 19:14; “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

 ‘Adoration’

Luke 2:8-20 KJV; “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”  And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.”  And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.  And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.  And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.  But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.  And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.” 

Try to imagine in the still and quiet darkness of our fragile, troubled and torn world, just how much joy that host of angels proclaiming loudly “Glory to God in the highest and on earth…peace and good will toward men” would bring to our ears today.  This month, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who came down to earth and was born in a humble shelter and a few decades later gave up His life for us.     

Romans 15:12-13; “Again Isaiah says, "THERE SHALL COME THE ROOT OF JESSE, AND HE WHO ARISES TO RULE OVER THE GENTILES, IN HIM SHALL THE GENTILES HOPE."  Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  

  A time of ‘Adoration’ to our Heavenly Father.    

• Please take time to sit and consider how our Triune God comes to us through His ‘WORD’ every single day and how much He has impacted your life.

• Consider that the Son of God came down from Heaven to dwell among us.  Leaving His place in Heaven to be born in a stable in the wilderness to humble parents surrounded by farm animals, shepherds and stillness.

• Give thanks for where God has placed you and the gifts that you were given to use for Him along your journey.

 ‘Confession’

Luke 11:28:30 “He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”  As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation.  It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.  For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation.”

We were born, sinful and unclean, through no fault of our own, but because of the sins of our parents, grandparents…Adam and Eve. 

God sent His only Son to die for our sins. Jesus did everything right while he was here on this earth. He loved you with a love that cannot be measured.  He gave to the world when no thanks were returned to Him.  He healed when there was no hope, and He died without complaint.  Jesus did nothing wrong and everything right; all this for you.  He lived for you and died for you.  Our sins nailed Him to the cross on Calvary and kept Him there until His life on earth had ended.

Psalm 32:1-7; “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.  When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.  Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.  I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD" and you forgave the guilt of my sin.  Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.  You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”

• A time of personal confession.

Our sins are placed at the base of the cross...His cross, and we give thanks that the times we have fallen short in the eyes of our Heavenly Father have been washed clean and we have been forgiven through the Blood of our Risen Savior Jesus Christ.

 ‘Thanksgiving’

Where do we begin to give thanks this Christmas?  Thanks for the way our world and culture give thanks or for the way our Heavenly Father gave us the gift of Everlasting LIFE through His Son Jesus.  So great are the blessings that our Heavenly Father has poured into our lives and continues to daily shower upon us.

Psalm 107:1-3; “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.  Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story; those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.”

It is bitter cold outside and I am sitting here in a warm house with clean water in the room next to me, electricity and WIFI plugged into my laptop and cupboards and fridge are filled with food.  I cannot begin to count the number of friends and families living in Haiti who have none of these blessings that I have every day.  Too often this month in our country, is filled with lists of what we want or think that we really need when in fact we should really be giving thanks for what we have and what was given to us without us asking.  At the top of our list should be giving thanks for God giving us His Son Jesus who came down from Heaven to become a baby boy, born is a stable in the stillness of the night to humble parents.  This Christ child came to rescue us from our sinfulness and prepare for us a place in Heaven.  He came down for all man-kind.     

Isaiah 9:6-7; “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.  He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.  The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”   

We come to You now with hearts, minds and words filled with ‘Thanksgiving’.”

• We give thanks for our Creator, Redeemer and Holy Spirit.

• We give thanks for having a Savior.

• We give thanks for our providence; monetary, food, clothing and shelter.  As we give of our first fruits may we also give a portion of our best to His children who need the assistance we can provide.

• We give You thanks for the Haitian children who are not only the prime purpose of Trinity/HOPE but also Your missionaries for the future generations in Haiti who bring the true message of Christmas to lives who have never known the reason for our Hope.

• We give You thanks for the work that is being accomplished by the Haitian parents, teachers, school principals and Feeding Program Directors during turbulent times in their country today.

 ‘Supplications’

Today, there are very few people living in Haiti who have NOT been affected by the political turmoil that has spread throughout their country.  Few of us living in the U.S. have ever experienced the many challenges that they are facing now.  How can we help?  This time we need to get down on our knees with our brothers and sisters in Haiti and through prayers, turn it over to our Triune God to intercede for His faithful remnant and bring peace where there is none and establish a wise and honest government led by God-fearing leaders to dedicate Haiti to Jesus Christ and begin a new year filled with a Hope that Haiti has never experienced.   

Acts 20:35; “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” 

Heavenly Father, we bring our supplications before You; 

• Heavenly Father, continue to lead and bless Trinity/HOPE with Your loving hand; may we always strive to accomplish Your will.

• Bless the workers here in the U.S. and in Haiti and give them courage as they face challenges from the evil foe.  Provide them with courage, endurance and love.

• Lord, please bring a miracle of HOPE to the country of Haiti.

Lord God, bless Your Word wherever it is proclaimed.  Make it a Word of power and peace to convert those not yet Your own and to confirm those who have come to saving faith.  May Your Word pass from the ear to the heart, from the heart to the lip and from the lip to the life that, as You have promised, Your Word may achieve the purpose for which You sent it; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

2 Corinthians 13:11-14; “Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.  Greet one another with a holy kiss.  All the saints send their greetings.  May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” 

May God go before you to guide you; may His arms be beneath you to support you, around you to protect you and above you to bless you.  And may the blessings of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you always dear sister and brother in Christ, 

In His love, have a Merry and Blessed Christmas.

Jay Brinkmeyer

Advent.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”  Hebrews 12:1-2 

The season of Advent is upon us and  Advent services during the middle of the week begin.  Children practicing their reading parts and songs for the Christmas program are in full swing.  Christmas trees are being brought into the sanctuary and decorations are now shining brightly throughout the community.  It is the time of the year when some people make their annual journey back to Church; to celebrate the birth of their Savior.  They may even give you a look that says “what are you doing in my pew” that they were sitting in last year.

I read a devotion recently that was written by D.L. Moody and the topic was the importance of Church attendance.  He shared an object lesson comparing each Christian as an ember in a fire place.  When we are nestled in the firebox with others, in God’s Word daily, we are glowing and our heat brings comfort to others.  When an ember is removed from the firebox it remains warm and slowly loses it heat and eventually is useless. 

Take a piece of charcoal out of a grill some time and place it under a pan of water and see how long the water will boil.  Being present in Church during Advent will not keep your fire burning all year long; your warmth will not bring comfort or strength to others who come along your life’s journey.  The children in the attached photo attend the Lutheran school in Osse and their embers are hot all year long.  Thank you for your continual effort to support children attending Christian schools in Haiti.  As you remain in the firebox at your congregation your gifts continue to keep the fire in their lives burning brightly before the people chained to vodou.  The words of the hymn ‘For All the Saints Who from Their Labors Rest’ which was written by William W. How in 1864 at the age of 41 and seems like a proper way to end this devotion. 

“For all the saints who from their labors rest, who Thee by faith before the world confess, Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest.  Alleluia! Alleluia!  Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress, and their Might; Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well-fought fight Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light.  Alleluia! Alleluia!  Oh, may Thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold, fight as the saints who nobly fought of old and win with them the victor's crown of gold.  Alleluia! Alleluia!  O blest communion, fellowship divine, we feebly struggle, they in glory shine; yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine.  Alleluia! Alleluia!  And when the fight is fierce, the warfare long, steals on the ear the distant triumph song, And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong.  Alleluia! Alleluia!  But, lo, there breaks a yet more glorious day; the saints triumphant rise in bright array; the King of Glory passes on His way.  Alleluia! Alleluia!  From earth's wide bounds, from ocean's farthest coast, through gates of pearl streams in the countless host, singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  Alleluia! Alleluia!  The golden evening brightens in the west; soon, soon, to faithful warriors cometh rest.  Sweet is the calm of Paradise the blest.  Alleluia! 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

Out of order.

“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.” Isaiah 11:6 

What is wrong with this image?  Carnivores and herbivore’s living together and being led by a child; the image is out of order, out of control.  The lions, leopards, wolves, goats and cattle are being led by a child, not a strong shepherd with a whip, chair and sidearm, but being led by a child. 

Take a moment to think about this verse; why would our Heavenly Father choose a child to lead this chaos?  It just doesn’t make much sense to worldly wisdom.  Can you imagine what the young child in attached photo who attends the Messif School in Ouanaminthe could do to keep the peace with these animals?  I recall that when my daughters were young, their lives, like this child, were filled with innocence; their lives are not stained with the lies of this world.  They got excited in the simplest of things and had a peace about them that you and I can only recall as a cloudy moment in time.  They placed all of their trust in their parents and as we get older, we learn that we place all of our trust in our Triune God. 

Jesus tells us in Matthew that in order for us to enter the kingdom, we need to be like a child.  A small child is innocent, humble and trusting and can lead in ways that we cannot.  Thank you for continuing to support Trinity/HOPE feeding programs in Haiti that help to prepare these children to lead their neighbors away from the vodou priests that prey on the innocent of Haiti.  I close today with the words from the hymn ‘Let us ever walk with Jesus’ written by Sigismund von Birken in 1653. 

“Let us ever walk with Jesus, follow His example pure, flee the world, which would deceive us and to sin our souls allure.  Ever in His footsteps treading, body here, yet soul above, full of faith and hope and love, let us do the Father's bidding.  Faithful Lord, abide with me; Savior, lead, I follow Thee.  Let us suffer here with Jesus, to His image, e'er conform; Heaven's glory soon will please us, sunshine follow on the storm.  Though we sow in tears of sorrow, we shall reap with heavenly joy; and the fears that now annoy shall be laughter on the morrow.  Christ, I suffer here with Thee; there, oh, share Thy joy with me!  Let us also die with Jesus.  His death from the second death, from our soul's destruction, frees us, quickens us with life's glad breath.  Let us mortify, while living, flesh and blood and die to sin; and the grave that shuts us in shall but prove the gate to heaven.  Jesus, here I die to Thee there to live eternally.  Let us gladly live with Jesus; since He's risen from the dead, death and grave must soon release us.  Jesus, Thou art now our Head, we are truly Thine own members; where Thou livest, there live we.  Take and own us constantly, faithful Friend, as Thy dear brethren.  Jesus, here I live to Thee, also there eternally.” 

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

Thanksgiving.

“He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 

When I was a young child, the focus of Thanksgiving was pilgrims, Indians, turkey and giving thanks for our blessings.  That was six decades ago and now the focus of thanksgiving seems to be fading as our culture is preparing us for our world’s Christmas with catalogues and commercials on the radio and television proclaiming that sales are starting NOW in the weeks of November; before Thanksgiving. 

When I lived in Haiti this North American holiday was not celebrated.  The office staff knew this and asked if I would prepare a thanksgiving meal for them with mashed potatoes and gravy; something that they had never experienced.  We fried a Haitian chicken and I made mashed potatoes and homemade gravy like my mother and grandmother used to make with lumps of the good crispies left in the frying pan; recalling thanksgiving in Nebraska while living in Haiti brought me memories of the reasons for which I was thankful. 

Our Heavenly Father has ordained many traditions and specific rituals to teach His people proper responses to His love and mercy.  Our Lord Jesus fulfilled the law of the Old Testament, and because of His ultimate sacrifice, we no longer must practice the laws that were in place to teach us of our shortcomings.  But, Christ clearly promoted special times of giving thanks, and the teachings of Paul include turning our attitudes constantly towards gratitude.  The girls in the attached photo attend the Lutheran School in Ouanaminthe and they are giving thanks for their loving Savior, their school, their teachers, their meal and for you. 

Our Heavenly Father is not the God of hustle and bustle and stressful preparations that we North Americans have come to know.  He taught that we should quiet down and sit before Him. "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."  Perhaps the best way for us to experience this thanksgiving season is to make a special time for Thanksgiving prayers and heartfelt meditation.  We close today with the words from the hymn ‘Christ, by Heavenly Hosts Adored’ which was written by Henry Harbaugh in 1860. 

“Christ, by heavenly host adored, gracious, mighty, sovereign Lord God of nations, King of kings, Head of all created things, by the Church with Joy confest, God o'er all forever blest, pleading at Thy throne we stand, save Thy people, bless our land.  On our fields of grass and grain send, 0 Lord, the kindly rain; o'er our wide and goodly land crown the labors of each hand.  Let Thy kind protection be o'er our commerce on the sea. open, Lord, Thy bounteous hand; bless Thy people, bless our land.  Let our rulers ever be men that love and honor Thee; let the powers by Thee ordained be in righteousness maintained.  In the people's hearts increase love of piety and peace.  Thus united, we shall stand one wide, free, and happy land.”  

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

Outside appearance.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 

Things always look better on the outside.  The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.  I have visited many of you and may I say that you are richly blessed.  You have a really nice house, well furnished, and I assume that your neighbors are in awe of your life. 

Material possessions in North America mean a lot to us; the more stuff that you have the better your life is, the higher up the food chain you have risen.  The children in this photo are not from North America but judging from their smiles they must be doing very well.  They have on clean clothes, go to school and get a daily meal as they attend a school with a Trinity/HOPE feeding program.   

Their outside appearance looks pretty good, too bad you cannot visit their home as your opinion might be different if you knew where they lived and what was in their closet, kitchen cupboards and bathroom.  My guess is that few of them have any of these three conveniences in their home.  Satan tells us that we need more of this and that; more money will bring us more happiness.  His lies keep nagging at us and it is good to visit the lives of children in Haiti to bring us back to reality.  True happiness comes from knowing and living for Jesus Christ; that happiness is eternal.  Don’t be blinded by the lies of this world.  Don’t let your ears and mind be numbed by the words of the liar of this world telling you that more is always better.  You want true riches; turn to Jesus.  I close with the words from the song ‘Shout to the Lord’ that I heard Randy Travis sing recently. 

“My Jesus, My Savior, Lord, there is none like You; all of my days I want to praise the wonders of Your mighty love.  My comfort, my shelter, tower of refuge and strength; let every breath, all that I am never cease to worship You.  Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing.  Power and majesty, praise to the King; mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of Your name.  I sing for joy at the work of Your hands, forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand, nothing compares to the promise I have in You.” 

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

Priceless Treasure.

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17 

I read a devotion recently that was written by Pastor Ken Klaus who writes devotions for the Lutheran Hour.  The subject of the devotion was the value of a life.  A Korean woman’s brother had been killed in the Korean War which took place during 1950-1953 and her family had received a financial compensation for the sacrifice that he made which amounted to $4.33 in U.S. currency. 

Pastor Klaus went on to discuss the value of life and my mind immediately thought about how many children in Haiti could be fed for $4.33 and Trinity/HOPE could probably provide a meal for seventeen children.  This class attending the Lutheran school in Ouanaminthe could receive a meal for $4.33 on the day this photo was taken. 

Looking closer into their eyes, what price would you imagine could be placed on their lives?  Would you consider the value of their life to be the same as that of your child, grandchild or even your life?  Consider that the value of their lives was so precious that God gave the life of His only Son for their lives and for you and me.  The $4.33 compensation is this world’s value for a life and there is no price that can be placed on the life of Jesus Christ who gave His life for us.  Without Him, these children in Ouanaminthe and all of His children would be destined for an eternity in Hell for our sinfulness.  Christ is a priceless treasure to us and likewise we are to Him as we daily go about our lives to serve Him.  Johann Franck wrote the words to the hymn ‘Jesus, Priceless Treasure’ in 1655 and they seemed like an appropriate way to close this devotion. 

“Jesus, priceless Treasure, fount of purest pleasure, truest Friend to me.  Ah, how long in anguish shall my spirit languish, yearning, Lord, for Thee?  Thou art mine, O Lamb divine!  I will suffer naught to hide Thee, naught I ask beside Thee.  In Thine arms I rest me; foes who would molest me cannot reach me here.  Though the earth be shaking, every heart be quaking, Jesus calms my fear.  Lightnings flash and thunders crash; yet, though sin and hell assail me, Jesus will not fail me.  Satan, I defy thee; death, I now decry thee; fear, I bid thee cease.  World, thou shalt not harm me nor thy threats alarm me while I sing of peace.  God's great power Guards every hour; earth and all its depths adore Him, silent bow before Him.  Hence, all earthly treasure!  Jesus is my pleasure, Jesus is my choice.  Hence, all empty glory!  Naught to me thy story told with tempting voice.  Pain or loss, or shame or cross, shall not from my Savior move me since He deigns to love me.  Evil world, I leave thee; thou canst not deceive me, Thine appeal is vain.  Sin that once did blind me, get thee far behind me, come not forth again.  Past thy hour, O pride and power; sinful life, thy bonds I sever, leave thee now forever.  Hence, all fear and sadness!  For the Lord of gladness, Jesus, enters in. those who love the Father, though the storms may gather, still have peace within.  Yea, whate'er I here must bear, Thou art still my purest pleasure, Jesus, priceless Treasure!” 

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

Level ground.

“My feet stand on level ground; in the great congregation I will praise the LORD.” Psalm 26:12 

Level ground is certainly something to be thankful for in this season of Thanksgiving.  When a surveyor is staking out a highway their ‘chain’ must be plumb and not follow the lay of the land or the measurement will be inaccurate.  When a parent is sharing a lesson of life, they admonish their children to stay on the straight and narrow path and not venture off onto paths that are steep and dangerous.  When we grow old and our feet, ankles and knees begin to show the great number accumulated steps taken along our life’s journey they cry out when we leave the level ground and have to walk down a simple hill. 

Our lives are filled with many hills and valleys and when we reach the level ground it is time to give thanks to God for bringing us to this place; a time to be thankful when we leave behind the darkness of this world.  The child in the attached photo lives in Cap Haitian and attends the Lutheran school there; she has seen her share of hills and valleys in her young life; today she is on level ground.  She is very thankful that you have been an answer to her daily prayer as your blessings have provided a meal for her at school.  She gives thanks to our Triune God for you while living in a land without much hope.   

Today I have chosen Hymn No. 568 from my 1964 Confirmation Hymnal.  The hymn ‘We Praise Thee, O God, Our Redeemer, Creator’ and was found in 1624 without the name of the author; what a great way to serve our Heavenly Father, blessing others with you work and not needing to receive any credit.  Kind of like feeding children in Haiti; share your blessings with them is what is really important, doesn’t matter if they know you but more importantly they know Him. 

“We praise Thee, O God, our Redeemer, Creator, in grateful devotion our tribute we bring; we lay it before Thee, we kneel and adore Thee, we bless Thy holy name, glad praises we sing.  We worship Thee, God of our fathers, we bless Thee; through life's storm and tempest our Guide hast Thou been; when perils o'ertake us, escape Thou wilt make us, and with Thy help, O Lord, our battles we win.  With voices united our praises we offer, to Thee, great Jehovah, glad anthems we raise.  Thy strong arm will guide us, Our God is beside us, to Thee, our great Redeemer, fore'er be praise.” 

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