Be 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 car, 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 with east facing window was located in Petionville.

When laundry day is here my memory bank is opened and the memories of washing clothes in the bathtub or sink in my bathroom and then heading to the clothesline on the flat roof 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.”

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

What are you doing?

“Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else, to the nearby villages, so I can preach there also.  That is why I have come.” Mark 1:38

I heard a quote credited to Steve Jobs this morning as many recall his life following his recent death.  At a commencement address he asked “if you knew that today was going to be your last day, would you be doing what you are doing?”  How would you answer?  As you sit reading this message, how would your plans for the day or tomorrow be affected if these were the final hours of your life?

In the Gospel of Mark our Savior had been healing the sick and following a moment of solitude prayer He tells the disciples that they should go elsewhere in the town to preach as there are many more that need healing and more importantly, the message of salvation.

If you knew that your life was nearing the end would feeding this child in Ouanaminthe, Haiti still be that important?  The mission of Jesus Christ was to give the message of salvation to the lost; He came into this world to seek and save the lost.  That is what He did up until that final moment when He said that “it is finished.”  If I knew that tomorrow would be my last day, there would still be an opportunity for me to feed children in Haiti, who will take the message of salvation to the nearby villages.

Salomo Franck wrote the words to the hymn ‘I leave all things to God’s direction’ in 1685 and they are still good advice today, tomorrow and for the remaining days we have along our journey.

“I leave all things to God's direction, He loveth me in weal and woe; His will is good, true His affection.  With tender love His heart doth glow.  My Fortress and my Rock is He: what pleaseth God, that pleaseth me.  My God hath all things in His keeping, He is the ever faithful Friend; He grants me laughter after weeping, and all His ways in blessings end.  His love endures eternally: what pleaseth God, that pleaseth me.  The will of God shall be my pleasure while here on earth is mine abode; my will is wrong beyond all measure, it doth not will what pleaseth God.  The Christian's motto e'er must be: what pleaseth God, that pleaseth me.  God knows what must be done to save me, His love for me will never cease; upon His hands He did engrave me with purest gold of loving grace.  His will supreme must ever be!  What pleaseth God, that pleaseth me.  My God desires the soul's salvation, me also He desires to save; therefore with Christian resignation all earthly troubles I will brave.  His will be done eternally: what pleaseth God, that pleaseth me.”

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 knew?

“I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love.  To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them.” Hosea 11:4

Who knew; how many of us really knew what our life journey would be like?  When I was a young man working in highway construction there were times when paths that I selected ultimately separated me from God.  He continued to pursue me while I was seemingly happily sloshing in the mud on these tangled trails that satan provided for me, enticing me to those areas that were a ‘sure thing’ when seeking adventure in a sinful world.

Who knew?  He did not give up on me and He did not give up on you or the children in Haiti.  He did not write me off as a lost sheep that was unable to stay in the fold.  He did not despise, reject or abandon me.  It is humbling to consider how our Heavenly Father followed each of us through the dark paths upon which we have walked, worked and seemingly, wasted away.

Only our Savior Jesus Christ could possibly care enough for you, me and the children in Haiti to bring us to Himself.  Just as our Good Shepherd brought us back into His fold, He feeds each of us.  Who knew that our Heavenly Father would have brought you here today, to help in the process of feeding His sheep in Haiti?  Who knew?

The internet radio just completed playing a song by Randy Travis titled ‘I am going’ and I hope that its words will inspire your thoughts today as you go out and walk down your life’s journey.

“I am going where I've never been.  I am going where there's no sin.  There I will join my Lord and my friends; yes I am going where I've never been. Don't be crying those bitter tears; don't be crying 'cause I'm not here.  I'll be happy the first time in years, so don't be crying those bitter tears.  I have travelled life's weary highways and my last journey is at hand.  I can hear the angels calling and I am going where I've never been.”

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

Lord, our Lord; how majestic.

“LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!  You have set your glory in the heavens.  Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.” Psalm 8:1-2

The above verses were in one of my morning devotions today and when matched with the attached photo the words “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name” really jumped out at me.

I took this photo at the school at Font Baptiste which is high up in the mountains of the Arcahaie District.  The door to this ‘classroom’ was open probably to coax a cool breeze to lower the temperature inside this small ‘shed’ of a room.  What is taking place in this room is reason enough to say “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name.”

Our awesome Triune God is using your gift to help feed these 546 students who are daily being fed His Word and a plate of rice and beans and they will go out into their neighborhood and do His work of driving the vodou priest and his lies from their homes.  Our God who gave His only Son for each of us so that we might have our sins forgiven and receive Eternal Life is using each of us to serve Him in this simple way, in the simple place to wage a war against satan.  Beni soit L’Eternal!!!  (Praise the Lord!!!)

“Oh Lord, Our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth.  Oh Lord, Our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth.  The heavens declare Your greatness; the oceans cry out to You.  The mountains, they bow down before You so I'll join with the earth and I'll give my praise to You.  And I will worship You.”

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

Balance is needed.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

While listening to a Christian radio station last night the speaker spent twenty-five minutes, preaching law and quoting scripture.  The speaker was not aligned with any specific church but seemed to be focused on ‘scaring’ people to repent of their sins.

The attached photo is of Pastor Thomas Bernard from Bon Berger Lutheran Church and School in Caredeux which is a suburb of Port-au-Prince.  He is teaching a Sunday morning Bible study group ‘Law and Gospel’ from the Lutheran Catechism.  Whether sitting in a Lutheran church in your home town or in Caredeux, the balance should always be the same.  Luther taught balance…always balance.  If you only hear the tough ‘Law’ stuff it can make people cold, distant, intolerant and unbearable; things we perhaps have to much of today.  Hearing both tends to mold a person to be gentle, thoughtful, teachable and considerate.

The words of Ambrose in the Book of Concord support this balance; he denies justification to words and ascribes it to faith which liberates us through the blood of Jesus Christ.  This balance is so important to our heritage and to the young children and adults living Haiti who are hearing this teaching…for the very first time.  There is a short hymn in the ‘Old’ Lutheran Hymnal titled ‘God’s Word is our great heritage’ that was written by Nikolai Grundtvig in 1817 and will close this message.

“God's Word is our great heritage and shall be ours forever; to spread its light from age to age shall be our chief endeavor.  Through life it guides our way, in death it is our stay.  Lord, grant, while worlds endure, we keep its teachings pure throughout all generations.”

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 flashlight.

“Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering” Hebrews 10:32

Do you remember receiving your first flashlight?  Was it small or large?  My uncle Vic was an electrician and he had a powerful flashlight that had what I imagined was a floodlight that could cast a shadow on the moon on one end and a red warning light on the other end and it was powered by a really large battery that I always thought could possibly jump start a truck…and I always hoped that sometime when I was much older that it would be what I would have to provide light during an emergency.

Lessons from the Bible are much like powerful flashlights than can light up the darkest of trials that the world can throw at children and adults.  The four girls in the attached photo attend Bon Barger in Caredeux and survived the vodou priest and on January 12, 2010 lived through the earthquake that claimed so many lives.

These girls have learned the message of Hope from the Bible and you may have seen others like them whose light shone brightly in the evenings following the earthquake on CNN.  They were the bright lights praying and singing hymns in the darkness of Port-au-Prince when death, suffering and uncertainty seemed to be everywhere.

God has given us Hope in the darkness and the ability to find comfort in hopeless time when the lost cling in vain to the ways and logic of this world.  I listened to Anne Murray sing ‘Whispering Hope’ recently on the Internet radio and the words are a wonderful way to close this devotion.

“Soft as the voice of an angel breathing a lesson unheard; hope with a gentle persuasion whispers a comforting word.  Wait till the darkness is over.  Wait till the tempest is done.  Hope for the sunshine tomorrow after the shower is gone.  Whispering hope, oh how welcome, thy voice making my heart in its sorrow rejoice.  If in the dusk of the twilight dimmed be the region afar willn't deepening darkness brighten the glimmering star.  Then when the night is upon us why should the heart sink away?  When the dark midnight is over watch for the breaking of day.  Whispering hope, oh how welcome, thy voice making my heart in its sorrow rejoice.”

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

We pray.

“This, then, is how you should pray” Matthew 6:9

When I was a child, it didn’t seem like anybody was listening to my prayer and today, seven decades later, I know that God answers prayer in His way and in His time.  Often His answers are ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘wait’ and it seems much easier to hear the first two answers but the ‘wait’ is still hard to do.

So, why is prayer so important?   Now in my senior years I can tell you that there are four short reasons why prayer is important to me.  First, quite often my Heavenly Father does make me wait.  If there is a difficult problem facing me there is a time of prayer and a time of waiting.  Prayer forces me to leave the situation with God; it makes me wait and that has taught me patience.

Secondly, prayer clears my thoughts and opens my mind to what to be thankful for, what sins I have done that need to be confessed and supplications for others and myself.  Prayer brings me to the face of my Heavenly Father and He has promised to listen to my prayer, your prayer and the prayer of this child in Ouanaminthe.

Third, prayer quiets my heart.  Prayer is a time for me to be still as I am in His Holy presence; prayer makes me be quiet.  And lastly, prayer activates my faith; as I know that He is on the other end of the phone listening to my words.  Prayer brings me so close to the face of God and brings a sense of peace about me.  Please continue to pray daily for the Trinity/HOPE feeding programs in Haiti.  I close today with the words from the hymn ‘Our Father, Thou in Heaven above’ that was written by Martin Luther so many centuries ago.

“Our Father, Thou in heaven above, Who biddest us to dwell in love, as brethren of one family, to cry in every need to Thee, teach us no thoughtless word to say, but from our inmost heart to pray.  Thy name be hallowed.  Help us, Lord, in purity to keep Thy Word, that to the glory of thy name we walk before Thee free from blame.  Let no false doctrine us pervert; all poor, deluded souls convert.  Thy kingdom come.  Thine let it be in time and in eternity.  Let Thy good Spirit e'er be nigh our hearts with graces to supply.  Break Satan's power, defeat his rage; preserve Thy Church from age to age.  Thy gracious will on earth be done as 'tis in heaven before Thy throne; obedience in our weal and woe and patience in all grief bestow.  Curb flesh and blood and every ill that sets itself against Thy will.  Give us this day our daily bread and let us all be clothed and fed.  From war and strife be our Defense, from famine and from pestilence, that we may live in godly peace, free from all care and avarice.   Forgive our sins, Lord, we implore, remove from us their burden sore, as we their trespasses forgive who by offenses us do grieve.  Thus let us dwell in charity and serve our brother willingly.  Into temptation lead us not.  When evil foes against us plot and vex our souls on every hand, oh, give us strength that we may stand firm in the faith, a well-armed host, through comfort of the Holy Ghost!  From evil, Lord, deliver us; the times and days are perilous.  Redeem us from eternal death, and when we yield our dying breath, console us, grant us calm release, and take our souls to Thee in peace.  Amen, that is, So shall it be.  Confirm our faith and hope in Thee that we may doubt not, but believe what here we ask we shall receive.  Thus in Thy name and at Thy word we say: Amen. Oh, hear us, Lord!  Amen.”

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 flag in the middle.

“As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther.  But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.”  So he went in to stay with them.”  Luke 24:28-29

The two disciples were walking down the dirt road to Emmaus, a journey of about seven miles when Jesus came up and walked with them.  Their exchange recorded in Luke provides another account that assures us and all believers that Jesus Christ defeated death and the devil.

The people that live near the vodou temple near Pont Sonde in the attached photo will tell you that the Gospel of Luke is nothing more than a story, a fable…a lie.  The vodou priest has assured them that satan defeated Christ on the cross.  The vodou spirit of war, Ogou, defeated Jesus Christ.

The 174 children attending the Lutheran School in Pont Sonde know the truth and face the mighty challenge of sharing the message of their risen Savior with the lost who have closed their ears to the truth.  Thank you for providing prayers and support for their ministry efforts.

Henry Lyte wrote the words to the hymn ‘Abide with me’ in 1847 and the words provide comfort for us, for the children in Pont Sonde and direction for those lost and waiting to hear the Gospel message.

“Abide with me!  Fast falls the eventide; the darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.  When other helpers fail and comforts flee, help of the helpless, oh, abide with me!  Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day; earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away; change and decay in all around I see.  O Thou, who changest not, abide with me!  Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word, but as Thou dwell'st with Thy disciples, Lord, familiar, condescending, patient, free.  Come not to sojourn, but abide with me.  Come not in terror, as the King of kings, but kind and good, with healing in Thy wings; tears for all woes, a heart for every plea.  Come, Friend of sinners, thus abide with me.  Thou on my head in every youth didst smile, and though rebellious and perverse meanwhile, Thou hast not left me, oft as I left Thee.  On to the close, O Lord, abide with me.  I need Thy presence every passing hour; what but Thy grace can foil the Tempter's power?  Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be?  Through cloud and sunshine, oh, abide with me!  I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless; ills have no weight and tears no bitterness.  Where is death's sting?  Where, grave, thy victory?  I triumph still if Thou abide with me.  Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes, shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies.  Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee; in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!”

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

It's all relative.

“Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.”  Psalm 63:7

I was driving home yesterday and was grumbling to myself about how rough the streets are in Bloomington and how the streets that I was on seem just unbearably bumpy as I could hear tire noise going over the joints in the concrete.  Then while looking through photos that were taken in Haiti the attached caught my eye. 

This photo was taken along the main highway between Cap Haitian and Gonaives and this particular place is probably a few miles south of Limbe.  The road is surfaced but is uncomfortably rough; you don’t see ANY speed limit signs in Haiti because a vehicle generally cannot drive very fast under normal conditions to warrant a speed limit.

The woman on the left side is walking to a market to try to sell her goods; it appears that it might be a large pan full homemade peanut brittle in bags.  I was grumbling about driving on a rough road and this woman is walking for miles to sell her peanut brittle.   Satan caused me to be discouraged and unhappy with this life and I was reminded of life in Haiti and now things are back in a proper perspective; for the time being.

Constantly being in the Word is His way of keeping in that proper perspective.  The children attending Christian schools in Haiti are also in His Word daily and they too are being reminded of how blessed we truly are being His children.  Mr. Dennis Jernigan wrote the song “You are my all in all” and its words are a wonderful reminder of how important it is to keep our Heavenly Father in our daily thoughts and prayers.

“You are my strength when I am weak.  You are the treasure that I seek.  You are my all in all.  Seeking You as a precious jewel Lord, to give up I'd be a fool; You are my all in all.  Taking my sin, my cross, my shame; rising up again I bless Your name.  You are my all in all.
When I fall down You pick me up.  When I am dry You fill my cup.  You are my all in all.  Jesus, Lamb of God worthy is Your name.”

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

Feed MY children.

“Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else, to the nearby villages, so I can preach there also.  That is why I have come.””  Mark 1:38

When our Heavenly Father created each of us, He didn’t just put us into a small area to do His work.  We are blessed with a world with many large areas to do His work.   In Acts 1:8 we read “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

We’ve been created to move throughout our neighborhoods, our home country of origin and throughout this world and through the power of Holy Spirit proclaim the message of salvation of our risen Savior to the lost.

The attached photo is of the congregation at Tarasse which is located in the Artibonite District.  This is where the initial Trinity/HOPE feeding program began in 1999; forty-two children attending this Lutheran School ate the first serving of beans and rice.   Today there are over 33,000 children in 160 Christian schools throughout Haiti learning the salvation story about Jesus Christ and are receiving a serving of rice and beans when there is nothing to eat in their homes.

Thank you for supporting the feeding of His children in Haiti, permitting the programs to spread throughout Christian schools in Haiti.    Johann Heermann was credited with writing the words to the hymn ‘Feed Thy children, God most Holy’ in 1656 and they are a wonderful way to close this devotion.

“Feed Thy children, God most holy, comfort sinners poor and lowly; O Thou Bread of Life from heaven, bless the food Thou here hast given!  As these gifts the body nourish, may our souls in graces flourish till with saints in heavenly splendor at Thy feast due thanks we render.”

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