International Prayer Day First Monday each month 10 am

Joel Griffith 6/9/21 Joel Griffith 6/9/21

Encourage one another.

“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends! I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.” Philippians 4:1-3

The Apostle Paul encourages the gathering in Philippi to be steadfast and likeminded in their faith in their Lord. Same can be said of us here in North America and also with the believers in Haiti and elsewhere throughout this world. The two girls from Haiti the attached photo could well be Euodia and Syntyche; they both attend the Lutheran school in Ouanaminthe. As you encourage them, they encourage others in their families, school and neighborhood.

Encouraging one another, through words, support and prayer, should be our direction. Words that lift up and not put down, support that encourages self-dependence and not continual slavery and most importantly, prayer. In our sinful ways, we are not able to do these three at all times and must call upon our Triune God to provide us with direction, patience and a healthy dose of perseverance. I heard the song “Precious Lord” recently, written by the Rev. Thomas Dorsey (1899-1993) and it reminded me of my need for daily prayer for myself, for you and for the children in Haiti.

“Precious Lord, take my hand; lead me on, let me stand. I'm tired, I’m weak, I’m alone. Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light take my hand precious Lord, lead me home. When my way grows drear precious Lord linger near; when my life is almost gone. Hear my cry, hear my call, hold my hand lest I fall. Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home. When the darkness appears and the night draws near; and the day is past and gone. At the river I stand; guide my feet, hold my hand. Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home. Precious Lord, take my hand; lead me on, let me stand. I'm tired, I’m weak, Lord I’m worn. Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light take my hand precious Lord, lead me home.”

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

Joel Griffith 6/8/21 Joel Griffith 6/8/21

First things first.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:33-34

I read once that ‘Life is a lot like a coin; you can spend it any way you wish, but you can spend it only once’. Choosing just one thing or direction over all the rest throughout our life is a difficult thing to do. This is especially true when the choices are so many and the possibilities are so close together.

To be completely truthful with you on this Tuesday, however, we aren't left with numerous possibilities. Jesus Himself gave us the top priority: "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you". He said, in effect, "This is your priority; this comes first."

If you, me and these Haitian school children are seeking first in my life’s path, God's kingdom and God's righteousness, then whatever else we do ought to relate to that goal: where we work, with whom we spend our time, the one we marry, or the decision to remain single. Every decision that we make should parallel His direction for each for each of us; our decisions ought to be filtered through the Matthew 6:33 filter: where I put my money, where and how I spend my time, what I buy, what I sell, what I give away, what I watch, what I listen to, what I read and who I root for on the weekend and the group I sit with.

Every garage sale treasure, everything that sits in the neighbors drive, every minute spent surfing the Internet and every hour spent searching for more needful things on this planet must be held loosely. Raise the bar.

Life places before us hundreds of possibilities along our journey. Some are bad but many are good. A few are, quite possibly the very best. But each of us must prayerfully decide, "What is my choice? What is my reason for living?" In other words, "What priority takes first place in my life?"

May God be with you…Jay

Joel Griffith 6/7/21 Joel Griffith 6/7/21

Look what I did!!

“Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.” The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.” Luke 10:16-21

How often are we tempted to exclaim “Look at what I did” when something went really well with ME or MY team. Following the earthquake in Haiti in January of 2010 there were many groups and individuals from North America saying “Look at what we did!” when returning from a mission trip to Haiti. North Americans spending incredible amounts of money to build a plywood house for a family with North American hands; the funds were used for airfare, food and lodging, transportation and translators, that probably could have been donated to build many homes, for many Haitian families and constructed by Haitian hands. Rick Warren would say, “it is not about us”, what we did, but it is about Him and what He did for us and them and accomplished “THROUGH” us.

Jesus sent the 72 out into the world to spread the news of the Gospel throughout the land. They came back rejoicing at what the Holy Spirit had accomplished. Then Jesus gave them and us a very important lesson. Don’t rejoice that the Spirits submit to YOU, but rejoice that your names will be written in Heaven. It is not about us, it is about Him.

The attached photo is of a preaching station in the Northwestern part of the Plateau Central, thirty minutes west of Saltadere. It is a small branch-built structure with boards attached to branches for seats. It would not surprise me to see a North American mission team view this as an opportunity to build a new church with concrete blocks, a paved parking lot, a driveway up the side of the steep hill and also provide a gasoline powered generator so there would be electricity for lights and fans. There are well meaning minds within our synod that would do that, I have seen them in action and cringed when I listened to their plans; plans about them and their North American ministry and not about Him and the ministry plan for this Haitian Lutheran congregation that worships on a hill that is closer to the Triune God than we can imagine or begin to understand. Feed my sheep, tend to my lambs said the Good Shepherd. Feeding thousands of children through Trinity HOPE programs, preparing them, like the 72, to go out into the world and share the Gospel is all about Him, not about those of us supporting their education and preparation for the task of their lives; it is about Him.

May God be with you…Jay

Joel Griffith 6/5/21 Joel Griffith 6/5/21

Integrity.

“From the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought [David] to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance. So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them with his skillful hands.” Psalm 78:71–72

Back in the day, it seemed like there were a lot more people who I could say exhibited a large amount of integrity and perhaps that is only because I was much younger, and hadn’t faced some of the challenges that were ahead on my journey. Today; not so much. The pool filled with people of integrity seems to being drying up; in many areas of life.

Heavenly Father, our own personal integrity is never on automatic or easily produced. Integrity doesn't flow from our flesh naturally or freely. In fact, many of us have lived too many days of our lives in hypocrisy and often in deception. That's why we need You so desperately. We don't know how to unravel the mess of our bad habits, bad decisions or untie the knots of our past failures, so we're tempted to continue ignoring Your convicting voice and living lives of regret. But it’s time to ask…no, plead for HELP! We are determined to ignore it no longer. Lord, we refuse to wade any longer in shallow pools of the carnality of this fallen world. Beginning today, we are determined to live lives of integrity. We ask You to honor our decision to walk with You, to cease our life of duplicity, to stop compromising our integrity. Give us Your strength, Father, Your help, Your courage, Your wisdom. Forgive our foolish and hypocritical ways. Deliver us from the dangerous and deep quicksand of deceitful sin and establish us on the solid rock of vulnerability and integrity.

May Your grace keep us from a judgmental spirit toward others, Lord. Give us the encouragement we need to be all You have called us to be as Your obedient children, so that we, like David with the sheep, might guide

Joel Griffith 6/4/21 Joel Griffith 6/4/21

Improving life in Haiti.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9

Countless North American mission teams have traveled to Haiti with plans to “improve” life; ministry, medical, transportation, internet and housing in a third world country. We are a well-educated, well-financed, well-meaning culture that sadly often imposes our “improvements” on other cultures without considering the affects that our “improvement” will have in the lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

The attached photo is of a first-class school kitchen by Haitian standards and this is modern by many that I have seen in the countryside homes. This kitchen doesn’t need any “improvements” from North America. It doesn’t need a generator to power a can opener and a microwave. Haiti needs Jesus!!!

Too often our ways are not His ways, our thoughts are not His thoughts and our support is not what our Triune God desires for Haiti. Feeding children attending Christian schools in Haiti is way too simple for many of our mission minds in North America to wrap their ‘experienced’ knowledge around. They would prefer to construct houses for a few, purchase vehicles for the select and ship North American supplies to people who have no way of receiving and safely storing them and dispensing them. Haiti needs Jesus Christ! Feed a child for a quarter and let the Holy Spirit send their witness into the mission field of Haiti.

May God be with you…Jay

Joel Griffith 6/3/21 Joel Griffith 6/3/21

How can I help?

“And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.” Mark 11:15-19

Jesus had attempted to remove the money changers and livestock from the temple and now the Chief priests were out to get Him because He didn’t do things ‘their’ way. Tale a good look at this young Haitian child, what would you do to help them? This smiling, skinny, barefoot child had just finished bathing in the canal near Gonaives when a camera captured his joy.

I know of several North American mission teams that would bring this child $300 worth of clothes, peanut butter and crackers, chewing gum, a soccer ball, a radio or small television, several boxes of mac and cheese, bags of rice and beans, soap, shampoo and a tooth brush and tooth paste. I have seen this happen and I have often wondered to myself what would Jesus do with the people who always need to bring gifts that are not necessarily culturally correct or what the child truly needs.

If this child is like the other hundreds of kids whose homes I have visited in Haiti, then this young boy, his parents and brothers and sisters live in a two room house with one dresser that contains all of their clothes. I have never seen a closet in a Haitian house except for the house of an influential person. This child’s house does not have electricity, no need for a radio or TV and if they are battery powered the family will not be able to purchase new batteries. Taking North American food to Haiti is such a waste. If a Haitian came to your school and brought a plastic bag of goat meat, a bucket of plantains, onions, rice and beans for your children to eat for lunch, what would be your response? When we go to Haiti we should always remember that we are venturing to a different country and culture and our North American ways need to remain in North America.

Trinity HOPE wires funds to the Haitian school feeding program directors and they purchase rice, beans, oil, vegetables and tomato paste locally from neighborhood markets. The students really like the Haitian food, the local merchants appreciate the business and the local economy appreciates working with Christians. I close today with the words to the hymn ‘Thy way, not mine, 0 Lord’ that was written by Horatius Bonar, in 1857.

“Thy way, not mine, 0 Lord, however dark it be. Lead me by Thine own hand; choose Thou the path for me. I dare not choose my lot; I would not if I might. Choose Thou for me, my God; so shall I walk aright. Choose Thou for me my friends, my sickness or my health; choose Thou my cares for me, my poverty or wealth. Not mine, not mine, the choice, in things or great or small; be Thou my Guide, my Strength, my Wisdom, and my All.”

May God be with you…Jay

Joel Griffith 6/2/21 Joel Griffith 6/2/21

Where are you?

“The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry; but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:15-18

How many times throughout an average day, do you look up into the sky and ask “God, where are you, why won’t you listen to me or how come the neighbors that go to the lake on Sunday instead of Church, seem to be having so much fun in their new fishing boat and living without the troubles that I have?” He hears us, and has a divine plan for our lives; something that we had not either thought about or said “no, no, no, I don’t want to go down THAT road”.

I heard and sang along with the hymn “Awake my Soul, and with the Sun” while worshipping online Sunday, and this song that was written by Thomas Ken provide some wonderful words of instruction for us to continue to rely upon His wisdom and plans and not our own.

“Heav’n is, dear Lord, where’er Thou art, O never then from me depart; for to my soul ’tis hell to be but for one moment void of Thee. Lord, I my vows to Thee renew; disperse my sins as morning dew. Guard my first springs of thought and will, and with Thyself my spirit fill. Direct, control, suggest, this day, all I design, or do, or say, that all my powers, with all their might, in Thy sole glory may unite.”

The First Commandment says that we are not to have ANY other gods, but our ONLY GOD; we need to turn ALL of our life over to Him. It sure is easy to say that, as it is not very easy to do just that in this world. Our lives and the life of the child living in Haiti need to seek His wisdom, direction and follow with the faith of a child as we answer His call to go out into this world, prepared to reach that one lost soul that is waiting for a word or action that will bring them to accept Jesus Christ.

May God be with you…Jay

Joel Griffith 5/31/21 Joel Griffith 5/31/21

Memorial Day.

Jesus said) "... Do this in remembrance of Me." 1 Corinthians 11:24b

What does Memorial Day mean to you? Perhaps a trip to the cemetery, or several cemeteries and place flowers at the graves of family members?
The following words were used when Memorial Day was established; they are taken from General Order Number 11, that was written in 1868 by General John Logan who was then serving as commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic. "If other eyes grow dull, other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain to us." Reflections from back in the day.
Even as he encouraged people to remember those who gave the full measure during the Civil War, General Logan recognized one of humanity's great flaws: we too often tend to forget those to whom we owe much.
People have forgotten those who gave their lives to preserve their physical freedom. Things aren't much different in the spiritual realm.
Farther back in the day, twenty centuries ago, Jesus Christ, God's Son and our Redeemer, gave His life to save us. On Calvary's cross He died so we might no longer be condemned; our sin filled slate was wiped clean…forever. Jesus allowed Himself to be sacrificed so all who believe in Him might live forgiven and free. All He asked in return was for His people to believe in Him and remember all He has done to save them.
Jesus wants us to remember; but these days, most people forget.
So, this Memorial Day, remember General Logan's orders and reread with an inclusion; "If other eyes grow dull, other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall REMEMBER THE SAVIOR and keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain to us."

May God be with you…Jay

Joel Griffith 5/29/21 Joel Griffith 5/29/21

Being divisive?

“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1–3

The past year and a half of living in a pandemic should probably have driven most of us further away from our Savior, if the evil foe had been successful, but for me, I’ve been brought closer while worshipping online with other believers around the country and doing Bible study via Zoom with other congregations as well. And, I didn’t hesitate to share these wonderful services with other believers in hopes that they too would be drawn closer to Jesus when so much of our world was attempting to pulling us away. And now, without a mask and vaccinated, I am hearing that perhaps I am being divisive; by sharing what has drawn me closer is unfortunately causing fellow believers to leave their home church. Forgive me; I’ll stop sharing.

Lord God, Heavenly Father, we realize that the above words from the Apostle Paul to the church in Ephesus is really straight talk and a much needed wisdom filled message from You: "Preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Your Word doesn't win votes, but it gets attention. It doesn't promise that we'll get our way, but it teaches the truth. Your way is the best way; forbid that we will ever go any other way. Lord, we've tried those ways and they’re always dead-end streets or, if not that, they lead into dangerous swamps. So Father, coming out of this pandemic, we pray that You will give Your people a sense of recommitment to this matter of unity and harmony and purity and love and tolerance and patience through Your words; gentleness, humility and in the bond of peace. May we model that unity, Lord. May we model it when we're at home, when we're in our backyard, when we're back at our workplaces, when we're behind the wheel of our cars with the windows down, when we're doing business, when we're at the grocery store, when we're meeting new friends and any other time that we're given the opportunity to draw another life closer to You. As You grow us up to maturity, grow our roots deep. May our roots deepen as our fruit ripens. Heavenly Father, keep us from falling and being divisive. In the name of Your dear Son. Amen.