Thank you Lord Jesus.

“When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.  “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”  1 Peter 2:23-24  

Living in Haiti during Lent was one of the seasons that I missed being home the most; being separated from the Lutheran hymns during Lent sung in my language with the pipe organ was truly difficult.  The attached photo was taken at Bon Berger Evangelique Lutherienne in Caredeux where I attended worship while living in Petionville.  The elevated wooden cross reminded me of the suffering of my Savior, the Scripture readings, the messages, the creeds also brought me closer to recalling what Christ endured for me.  I missed hearing the words in my own language; stricken, smitten and afflicted in Creole was just not the same.  This hymn was first written around 1850 by Geistliche Volkslieder and was sung to the German tune “O Mein Jesu, Ich Muss Sterben.”   

“Stricken, smitten, and afflicted, see him dying on the tree!  This is Christ, by man rejected; here, my soul, your Savior see.  He’s the long expected prophet, David’s son, yet David’s Lord.  Proofs I see sufficient of it: He’s the true and faithful Word.  Tell me, all who hear him groaning, was there ever grief like this?  Friends through fear his cause disowning, foes insulting his distress; many hands were raised to wound him, none would intervene to save; but the deepest stroke that pierced him was the stroke that justice gave.  “You who think of sin but lightly nor suppose the evil great, here may view its nature rightly, here its guilt may estimate.  Mark the sacrifice appointed; see who bears the awful load; it’s the Word, the Lord’s Anointed, Son of Man and son of God.  Here we have a firm foundation; here the refuge of the lost; Christ, the rock of our salvation, His the name of which we boast.  Lamb of God, for sinners wounded, sacrifice to cancel guilt!  None shall ever be confounded who on him their hope have built.”  

The common bond during Lent in Haiti was the reminder that Christ died for me and for each of the people sitting in my same pew in Bon Berger, and also sitting in the pews in your home Church.  We all need Jesus; we all were lost until He died on the cross for our sins.  Thank you Lord Jesus, for enduring the suffering, agony and cross of Calvary for such as us, and for all the people in this world.  

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

Who is Jesus?

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”  Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”  Mark 8:29

Lent should cause each of us to take a closer look at our Savior and inside of ourselves and perhaps ask ourselves “who do I say that Christ is?”  Probably not very often that we are asked this question but are you prepared for when that moment comes?  When Peter asked, he replied “You are the Messiah.”  There are over 30,000 children attending a Christian school in Haiti who are receiving a Trinity/HOPE meal every day and you know that they have been asked by family members and friends who still answer to the vodou priest the question “what do you learn about Jesus Christ?”  

The young boy in the attached photo is one of a small group of children attending school in Colminy which is in the Arcahaie District.  He’s been fed rice and beans, and he has been prepared to give an answer to that question.  Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  He died for my sins on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead and conquered sin, death and the devil.  He has prepared a place for me in Heaven.  He’s ready to give an answer.  

I heard a song recently called “The Midnight Cry” and it was written by Greg and Chuck Day.  Today we focus our attention to the Cross of Calvary and we also are reminded of the second coming of Jesus Christ as he comes back for all of His children.  

“I hear the sound of a mighty rushing wind and it's closer now than it's ever been.  I can almost hear the trumpet as Gabriel sounds the chord at the midnight cry we'll be going home.  When Jesus steps out on a cloud to call His children the dead in Christ shall rise to meet Him in the air and then those that remain will be quickly changed at the midnight cry when Jesus comes again.  I look around me I see prophecies fulfilling and signs of the times they're appearing everywhere.  I can almost hear the Father as He says Son go get your children at the midnight cry the Bride of Christ will rise.  When Jesus steps out on a cloud to call His children the dead in Christ shall rise to meet Him in the air and then those that remain will be quickly changed at the midnight cry when Jesus comes again.”  

Thank you for being ready and helping to prepare many more of His children to be ready to give a reply when asked “Who is Jesus Christ?”    Go out into the world in peace; have courage; hold on to what is good; return no man evil for evil; strengthen the faint-hearted; support the weak; help the suffering; honor all men; love and serve the Lord; rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.  And may almighty God, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit bless 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

In all things; cling to Jesus.

“Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.”  Romans 1:28  

There were a number of occasions while living in Haiti when sights, sounds and strange feelings caused my skin to crawl and goose bumps felt like a marching band on my spine.  The urging to eat Goat head soup which was a special treat prepared for me, sitting in an outdoor privy at 4 AM fumbling for my flashlight and realizing that when the light beam came on there was a tarantula on the wall six inches from my right ear or the eerie things the vodou priest sent (evil spirits) to disrupt my prayer time…there were times.  

The attached photo was taken when driving back to Port Salute which is on the Southwest claw of Haiti in the Les Cayes District.  A large rock was jutting out of the Caribbean perhaps 100 yards from the shore and it appeared to have some poles sticking out from it’s flat top.  I asked Pastor Israel Isidor what this formation was and he replied it was “tableau du satan” which translated is “devil’s table.”  He went on to tell me that vodou priests made their sacrifices on this rock.  He indicated that prior to 1985 they were sacrificing humans on the rock and then they were pressured by the government to stop that form of sacrifice as it was bringing bad attention to Haiti.  Now they sacrifice animals, goats, dogs and pigs.  

For the most part, vodou was not one of the subjects that were brought up in conversations very often when I was living in Haiti and I am assuming that it was either an embarrassment or just something that people didn’t care to bring up.  When I was asked to share a message at congregations it was one topic that I always tried to find a way to weave it into my message, as the vodou needs to stop, Haiti needs Jesus and the truth about vodou needs to be told again and again.  

The Easter story needs to be shared in Haiti every day because the vodou priest spins a different lie about the outcome.  He tells people that Christ died and was buried.  He tells them that satan defeated Jesus Christ and if you don’t believe that, he will bring a host of evil spirits into your life and they are real; seen them, didn’t like them and only by the name of Jesus Christ did they leave.  As Pastor Isidor proclaimed; our Holy Spirit has much more power than the spirits of the vodou priest.  

Thank you for helping to prepare young children attending Christian schools to go out and share the Easter story with their families and friends in Haiti, bringing the light of this world to those still living in darkness.  

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

Don't worry about tomorrow.

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  Matthew 6:34  

It doesn't matter if you're asleep or wide awake; there are two thieves in this world that often try to creep into your life to rob you of your peace and joy. They are known as "yesterday" and "tomorrow." Jesus told us not to worry about tomorrow because He knew we would have more than enough worldly burdens to handle today.  

The attached photo was taken at the Lutheran church in Roche Jabrouin which is to the south and west of Les Cayes.  The soil there would remind you of Oklahoma, red clay, red rocks and I recall very vividly having a flat tire on the way there and was worried about getting another on my lone spare tire while leaving, as the rocks were like driving on coral with sharp edges.  

The congregation here didn’t seem to be worried about when their church would be completed.  They had constructed concrete pillars to support their corrugated metal roof and there were quite a few pews…and ample ventilation.  This photo was taken in the summer and there was no school in session at the time.  There was a Gospel song on my laptop recently that made think about Roche Jabrouin and perhaps after you read the lyrics you too will think about this church in the country, in the middle of nowhere Haiti.  

“There's a place dear to me where I'm longing to be with my friends at the old country church.  There with mother we went, and our Sundays were spent with my friends at the old country church.  Precious years precious years, sweet memory, oh what joy they bring to me.  How I long once more to be with my friends at the old country church.  As a small country boy, how my heart beat with joy as I knelt at the old country church.  There with Jesus above in his wonderful love saved my soul at the old country church.  How I wish that today all the people would pray as they did at the old country church.  If they'd only confess, Jesus surely would bless as he did at the old country church.”  

If you are complaining having to spend Holy Week sheltering in place this year with a roof over your head and four walls, internet, food and indoor plumbing; consider this congregation in Roche Jabrouin.  God blesses each of us in many different ways, some with much and some with less.  You probably would say that things are different here in North America and if I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.   

Don’t worry about what this world considers to be proper, correct, expected or the way it is supposed to be; consider what the Son of God did for you on Calvary.  We worry about sacrificing of our comfort to answer His call to go and make disciples throughout this world.  We can learn much from the congregation members at the old country church in Roche Jabrouin.  

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

Our cornerstone.

“As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious.”  1 Peter 2:4 (ESV)  

If you were to make a visit to a preaching station or church and school in rural Haiti and share a message with them about a cornerstone, the message would probably not be very clear or relevant to their culture.  Many of the structures that you would visit would be made from branches, palm leaves and bamboo or wood poles and if the structure was really nice, it would have a corrugated metal roof.  A cornerstone is a very precious stone to a stone cutter; it is the solid piece that the remainder of the structure is built upon.

The attached photo is of a church and school in a small village and hour west and north of Les Cayes and is located about a hundred feet from the shore of the Caribbean.  I seem to think that this school is located in Chamblain; but I could be wrong…God knows where this school is located.  When I first saw it the initial words that came into mind were ‘maintenance nightmare’.  When showing this photo to groups in North America, people just don’t want to believe that this is a school; some people hear voices, some see invisible people and others have no imagination whatsoever.  God can use the simplest of things to accomplish the greatest feats imaginable.  

The truth here is that Christ is the cornerstone of this Church and School in Haiti.  The children attending this school will be the missionaries who take the news of their risen Savior to the lost souls living in their neighborhoods during this Holy Week.  The Lutheran hymn “Christ is our Cornerstone” was written by John Darwall in 1837 and its message still holds true today.   

“Christ is our cornerstone, on him alone we build; with his true saints alone the courts of heaven are filled.  On his great love our hopes we place of present grace and joys above.  Oh, then, with hymns of praise these hallowed courts shall ring; our voices we will raise the Three in One to sing.  And thus proclaim in joyful song, both loud and long that glorious name.  Here, gracious God, do now and evermore draw near; accept each faithful vow, and every suppliant hear.  In copious shower, on all who pray each holy day Your blessing pour.  Here may we gain from heaven the grace which we implore, and may that grace, once given, be with us evermore.  Until that day when all the blest to endless rest are called away.”  

Thank you for your continued support of Christian education throughout this world, as His children go about fulfilling His Good and Perfect purpose as they walk with their Savior.    

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 

Holy Week.

“My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you.  When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.” Isaiah 26:9  

One of the devotions that I read yesterday had a story that I want to share with you.  It is a little long, but since you, like me, are probably sheltering in place, you have ample time.  It told about the only survivor of a shipwreck who was washed up on a small, uninhabited island.  He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him.  Every passing day he scanned the horizon for help, but nothing seemed to be coming for his rescue.  

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood and palm branches to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions that he was able to gather before dying from hunger and thirst.  One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke billowing up to the sky in a long column on that still day.  He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost.  He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger and he cried out, 'God! How could you do this to me?'
Early the next day, he was awakened from his bed of sand by the sound of a ship approaching the island!  It had come to rescue him!  ‘How did you know I was here?' asked the weary man of his rescuers. 'We saw your smoke signal,' they replied.  When this photo was taken, these children from Thomassique had been praying and bringing wood to use to cook food at their school for many months and God has answered their prayers.  You have seen their smoke signal and they in turn are shouting “Beni Soit L’Eternal!” as they saw you coming.   If there is a moral to this story it would be that it is so easy to get discouraged when things are going bad and all seems lost, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain, suffering and perhaps loneliness as we shelter in place these days..  Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground that it may just be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.  I close today with the words from the hymn ‘Jesus, Savior, Come to Me’ that was written by Johann Scheffler in 1657.  

“Jesus, Savior, come to me; let me ever be with Thee, come and nevermore depart, Thou who reignest in my heart.  Lord, for Thee I ever sigh, nothing else can satisfy.  Ever do I cry to Thee: Jesus, Jesus, come to Me!  Earthly joys can give no peace, cannot bid my longing cease; still to have my Jesus near, this is all my pleasure here.  All that makes the angels glad, in their garb of glory clad, only fills me with distress if Thy presence does not bless.  Thou alone, my God and Lord, art my Glory and Reward.  Thou hast bled for me and died; in Thy wounds I safely hide.  Come, then, Lamb for sinners slain, come and ease me of my pain.  Evermore I cry to Thee: Jesus, Jesus, come to me!  Patiently I wait Thy Day; for this gift, O Lord, I pray, that, when death shall come to me, my dear Jesus Thou wilt be”  

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 4/6/2020

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

‘Adoration’

Job 19:25-27; “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.  And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes; I, and not another.  How my heart yearns within me!”  

We celebrate Easter this month; HE is Risen!  HE is Risen indeed!!!  Christians all over this world are celebrating the empty tomb, the resurrection and Jesus’ victory over sin, death and the devil while some vodou followers living in Haiti are still believing the lies taught by the vodou priest; Jesus died and was buried and the victory belongs to satan.  The people with His Hope are filling their lives loudly and joyfully proclaiming “HE is Risen!”        

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 day and how He has impacted your life with the victory that Jesus Christ accomplished for you on Calvary’s cross.

Think about the provisions, protection, hope and love that surround you because of His unfailing love for you.

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

‘Confession’

Romans 3:22-24; “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

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 loves 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. A time of personal confession.

Our sins are placed at the base of the Calvary 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’

Tornadoes roared through Nashville last month leaving much damage and we give thanks for the many Trinity/HOPE volunteers who live there and were not affected.  As we face life being challenged by COVID-19 all around us we give thanks that God remains in control of our planet.  In Haiti, school children with a Trinity/HOPE feeding program are giving thanks for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and sharing that reason for Hope with others, believers and un-believers, within their family and neighborhoods.     

Ephesians 5:15-20; “Be very careful, then, how you live; not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.  Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.  Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.  Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  

Christmas and Easter celebrations should really get our thanksgiving juices flowing and our hearts and minds need to keep those emotions of being thankful at a heightened level throughout the year.  It is hard to just measure the un-measureable gift that Jesus gave for us.   Heavenly Father, 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 who gave His life for our sinfulness; “your sins are forgiven”.  HE is Risen!

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

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 the empty tomb on Easter to lives who have never known.

We give You thanks for protecting the many Trinity/HOPE volunteers and Board members living in Nashville who were not directly affected by strong storms.   

‘Supplications’

After seeing the empty tomb and knowing what Our Triune God has done for us it is almost embarrassing to ask for more.  Lord, we need Your help; please comfort, heal and draw those in our prayers closer to You.

2 Chronicles 6:19-20; “Yet, Lord my God, give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy.  Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence.  May your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, this place of which you said you would put your Name there.  May you hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place.”

Heavenly Father, we bring our supplications before You;  

Heavenly Father, please continue to lead and bless Trinity/HOPE with Your loving hand; may the number of children increase and may we always strive to accomplish Your will.

Heavenly Father, please provide wise planning and safe travel for mission teams desiring to go to visit schools in the coming months.

Heavenly Father, please protect us from COVID-19, may we be the sign of hope that so many living in fear are striving to find in the rumors of despair in these unsettling times. 

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, Jay Brinkmeyer 

Visiting a cemetery.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”  Revelation 21:4  

The term ‘shelter in place’ gives a new meaning to a cemetery.  While I was going through some photos that I had taken in Haiti almost two decades ago, I came across the attached photo of a large cemetery, high above the Gulf of Gonaives, along a rural mountain road on the way to Font Baptiste in the Arcahaie District, and I thought that this would be a good time to share it with you and why it still grabs at my throat.  

When you visit a cemetery with family members and place flowers on the grave of a family member or friend and then spend some time reflecting on memories that you had with them, how often do you stop and thank Jesus for saving them and you?  If you are like me, that may not cross your mind.  This cemetery on the hillside in Haiti probably has above ground tombs over 200 years old filled with the bones of several generations, and sadly, most of the souls that were brought here didn’t know Jesus Christ, but lived in fear of the vodou priest; they probably won’t be in Heaven.  

A gospel song found its way onto my computer today that provided a message about never growing old; in Heaven we will never grow old.  The words were written by James C. Moore in 1914 and they are still relevant today.  

“I have heard of a land on the faraway strand, ’tis a beautiful home of the soul; built by Jesus on high, where we never shall die, ’tis a land where we never grow old.  Never grow old, never grow old, in a land where we’ll never grow old; never grow old, never grow old, in a land where we’ll never grow old.  In that beautiful home where we’ll never more roam, we shall be in the sweet by and by; happy praise to the King through eternity sing, ’tis a land where we never shall die.  When our work here is done and the life-crown is won, and our troubles and trials are o’er; all our sorrow will end, and our voices will blend, with the loved ones who’ve gone on before.”  

When my journey in Haiti would pass by cemeteries or funeral processions, the same question always arose, “suppose they had accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior?”  Had anybody told them about the Hope that came to us from the empty cross and tomb where our Savior broke the chains of death, satan and the vodou priest?  

Christian education is so very important in Haiti, and Trinity/HOPE feeding programs are so very important to the young missionaries who need to grow spiritually and physically as they prepare to take the saving message of Christ to the ears that have not heard and lives that have not accepted Christ.  Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, during this Lent keep your eyes focused upon that cross of Calvary, remember Who was there for you, why He was there and why all this world needs to turn to Him.   

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

Clothe yourselves...

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:12-13, 17  

Every mission team member should have these verses written down and tucked into their pocket where they can be read and re-read again and put to memory as they head out into the mission fields of this earth.  We are children of God first and foremost and citizens of the U.S. second.  

The Apostle Paul wrote these words centuries ago and they are still applicable in our fast-paced world today.  As we travel to foreign countries, through the door to a nursing home or into our neighbors back yard we are marked by the Cross of Christ; we are His children.  Our struggles, lack of patience, pride, arrogance, selfishness and lack of compassion need to be left at the door of our house before we walk out into the world.  

Heavenly Father, as we teach V.B.S. in our community, visit the aged in our nursing homes, watch and feed children jumping rope at Bas du Sceaut in Haiti or give a smile and hug to a loved one; may our witness be sincere and guard us from hypocrisy and that which satan desires.   I close today with the words to the hymn ‘Take my life and let it be’ that were written by Frances Havergal in 1874.  

“Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee; take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise.  Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love; take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.  Take my voice and let me sing always, only, for my King; take my lips and let them be filled with messages from Thee.  Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold; take my intellect and use every power as Thou shalt choose.  Take my will and make it Thine, it shall be no longer mine; take my heart, it is Thine own, it shall be Thy royal throne.  Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store; take myself, and I will be ever, only, all, for Thee.”  

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

On finding fault.

“ (Jesus said) "DO NOT judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves." Matthew 7:1 (Amplified Bible)  

A wonderful tool that the Bible Gateway site on the Internet has, is giving you the ability to search Scripture with many different versions of the Holy Bible.  I have never read the Amplified Bible version, but it provided a few more words to think about when reading Matthew 7:1.  

I have been criticized for helping to feed children in Haiti by government co-workers in Nebraska when I returned to that work in 2004; some thought that it was just wasting money.  Some synodical purists have chastised me because Trinity/HOPE programs feed children in schools which are predominantly Lutheran, but also has programs in a few other Christian denominations.  There are also those who consider that Trinity/HOPE is not doing enough as they are not paying teacher salaries, building schools and purchasing vehicles for principals, school busses and generators and also in the well digging business.   Trinity/HOPE has a very simple and successful approach to helping Christian schools prepare young children to become missionaries; we provide them with a daily nutritionally meal.  Not a snack of North American peanut butter and crackers, suckers or candy bars that some Mission teams have brought.  We provide them with a hot meal of rice and beans purchased in Haiti; the National food of Haiti.  It is that simple, we feed children; His children.  

If you sell fried chicken, don’t add pizza to your menu.  If you drive a GMC truck, don’t put Dodge mud flaps on the back end.  Do the very best with the very best gifts that He has given you.  Kelly Downing who is a friend of mine who shared an analogy of comparing a ministry to the Platte River that flows east to west through Nebraska.  A mile wide and a foot deep in the springtime; Kelly remarked that a ministry going in too many different directions is like the Platte River, no substance, a mile wide and shallow.   God gives each of us a direction and the means to serve Him in this lifetime.  The children in this photo, who attend the Christian school in Lauture are some of the 99 children attending this school in the Jacmel district.  They are thankful for the education, food and the fact that they have a Savior and no longer fear the vodou priest.  

Don’t criticize what your brother is doing if he is using God’s provisions in a healthy way and not wasting those gifts or using them for self-serving gain and pride.  Not sure why people criticize, but at least they are not killing, just complaining, blaming and pointing a finger at what isn’t their idea or direction.  I suppose that we all do that from time to time.  I read a quote recently that was attributed to a famous trial lawyer, Clarence Darrow, who once said, “Everyone is a potential murderer."  About himself, he admitted, "I have not killed anyone, but I frequently get satisfaction out of obituary notices."  We are all critical; please just take a hard look at your problems before finding fault with others.  

Thankfully God is not like many in this sinful world, and doesn’t complain about how Trinity/HOPE is feeding children; He  continues to bless the program and bring more and more children into the schools so they can share the saving message of His Son to the lives in Haiti that are still chained to the vodou priest.  

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