Wait for the Lord.

“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.  Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”  Psalm 27:13-14

In my remaining time on this earth, I never want to forget that the LORD has been merciful and gracious to me.  He has proved Himself again and again to be slow to anger and continually abounding in steadfast love.  When my patience grows thin when my life takes yet another self-guided wrong turn, when my basket of golden eggs shrinks before my eyes, when my life is full to overflowing with troubles and enemies; I can take hope in what God has accomplished for me on the cross of Calvary.

Our Triune God who sent His son to die for you, these children in Haiti and also for me will always keep His promise and not leave His children hopeless in whatever ailment life may be pouring into our buckets.  As these children in Cap Haitian wait for their noon meal from Him, we too listen to the words of David and ‘wait for the Lord, be strong and wait for the Lord.’

While driving home yesterday I was thinking about how blessed I am to be here, with Him and without thinking about it I began to sing along to the song ‘Nothing but the blood’ that was playing on the radio that was written by Robert Lowry in 1876.  The words express so well how wonderful it is to be washed by the blood of Jesus.

“What can wash away my sin?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus; what can make me whole again?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus.  Oh precious is the flow that makes me white as snow; no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.  For my pardon, this I see, nothing but the blood of Jesus; for my cleansing this my plea, nothing but the blood of Jesus.  Oh precious is the flow that makes me white as snow; no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.  Nothing can for sin atone, nothing but the blood of Jesus; naught of good that I have done, nothing but the blood of Jesus.  Oh precious is the flow that makes me white as snow; no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.  This is all my hope and peace, nothing but the blood of Jesus; this is all my righteousness, nothing but the blood of Jesus.  Oh precious is the flow that makes me white as snow; no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.  Now by this I’ll overcome, nothing but the blood of Jesus; now by this I’ll reach my home, nothing but the blood of Jesus.  Oh precious is the flow that makes me white as snow; no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.  Glory! Glory! This I sing, nothing but the blood of Jesus; all my praise for this I bring, nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

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

Seek His face.

“Hear my voice when I call, LORD; be merciful to me and answer me.  My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”  Your face, LORD, I will seek.  Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper.  Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior.  Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.  Teach me your way, LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.  Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations.”  Psalm 27:7-12  

The tenth verse of Psalm 27 “Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me” has always caused me to consider what that means to me and also to the children and their parents living in Haiti.  The journey of both my parents has ended and they have received their Heavenly reward; their relationship with me has ended but my relationship with my Heavenly Father is ongoing and will never cease.

The relationship that I have with my daughters continues and will prayerfully be continually blessed in the coming years.  The children in attached photo attend the Lutheran school in Cap Haitian and their relationship with their parents is unknown, but their relationship with their Heavenly Father is assured.

The relations with their parents will be the last to desert them, but if their parents should happen to desert them for their denouncing of vodouism, there is a Father who never forgets and never departs.  Some of the greatest of the saints have been cast out by their families for their coming to Christ, and have been persecuted for righteousness' sake.  It has happened to Pastor Revenel Benoit as a child in Gonaives and has probably happened in the lives of many other children who have turned from vodou to accept Jesus as their risen Savior.  Thank you for keeping them in your daily prayers, especially during these troubling times in Haiti.

I heard a song on Alexa recently titled ‘Things like that’ by Joe Nichols and I was able to locate the lyrics.  It is a country song, not written in the 1800’s; not a song out of the Lutheran Hymnal; but it sure has a message that needs to be heard today as it touches on the value of relationships with our children, this world and with our Heavenly Father.

“His daddy taught him all about huntin and fishin, how to work on that old truck when it needed fixin, how to say sir and how to say mam, how their ain't nothing wrong with getting dirt on your hands.  Have mercy on all of the kids out there who haven't been raised to even care about things like that these days.  His momma used to cook every meal in the kitchen, she helped with his homework and taught him religion, she laid down the law and he let her know where he was going and when he'd be home.  Have mercy on all of the kids out there who haven't been raised to even care about things like that these days.   As the years changed him from a boy to a man he was blessed with a generous heart and a plan wherever life takes him wherever he's at he's gonna find some way to give something back.  Now his weekends are spent doing what he loves most with 12 little angels who call him coach; some have nothing and some are spoiled rotten but when they're with him they're not forgotten.  Have mercy on all of the parents out there who haven't been raised to even care about things like that these days.  As the years changed him from a boy to a man he was blessed with a generous heart and a plan wherever life takes him wherever he's at he's gonna find some way to give something back.”

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

Good news.

“But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[a] because of righteousness.  And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” Romans 8:10-11

As believers, we have hope because when our last breath leaves our lips, we are going to live forever with Jesus; death is not the end…there is much more awaiting us.  One day a person will be reading your obituary, which will tell that your heart stopped beating, and that will be the end of your body, there will be a date stamped to the right of a dash on your stone; but it’s not going to be the end of you.  You were made in God’s image…you were made to last forever.

Why do we have hope?  Because no matter how bad it seems on earth, it’s just for a while; only temporary.  When you have faith in Jesus, you know you’re going to spend ‘forever’ on the other side in an eternity with no more sorrow, no more sadness, no more pandemic, no more turmoil in Haiti, no more woke, no more CRT, no more bickering, no more sickness, no more losing seasons…no more suffering.

I read obituaries every day from quite a few newspapers online and it is very clear to me to be able to tell the difference between people with Hope and those without.  A life filled with pleasure chasing after worldly activities during their lifetime; and now it’s over…is that all there was to their journey?

The attached photo was taken looking west from my apartment located in Petionville.  Thousands of the people living in those houses haven’t heard the Good News.  You have Hope, knowing you’ll spend eternity with Jesus Christ on the other side.  There are people in those stone houses who don’t have Hope; it’s Monday, go and spread the Good News.

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 Sovereign God.

“His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation.  All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, 'What have You done?'" Daniel 4:34–35

Earlier this week I used the term “Big God” and that reminds me of the word “sovereign” as our God is so HUGE.  We need to use that title more often to better appreciate what He did and does for us each day.  He is the ONLY one who can right the wrongs in Haiti, in our country and throughout this planet.

Sovereign God, all of us would be quick to say that on this side of Heaven, we need to be relieved of our anxieties; they are too many and too frequent.  And because we want to call our own shots and be in total control, we need to be leveled and removed from the realm of pride.

Help us stop feeling as though we need to have an explanation of ‘why’, as life unfolds around us.  Show us again, Lord, that You are God and there is no other, that our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.  You are at work in our lives, in the lives of our neighbors, in the lives of those who live across the street, across the country, and across the seas.  You are at work.  No one else is in charge, and You do all things well.  You change the times and the seasons.  You also change us.  Heavenly Father, make Your Word as relevant today as tomorrow morning's news on the Internet, as significant as what we would read in the daily paper and bring us back to the recognition of Your sovereignty, Father: we answer to You because You are our all in all.

Today we worship Your Son as Lord, and we worship Your name as the one and only true God through whom, thankfully, we have a salvation that is eternal and secure.  We rest in these truths as Your children.  We also remember those who have never met Your Son as Savior.  Give them unrest, uneasiness, even sleepless nights until they find their peace and rest in knowing You.  May they believe in You through faith in Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Who you gonna call?

“For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.  Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.”  Psalm 27:5-6

I am of the opinion that when a North American steps out of their comfort zone and drives through the countryside of Haiti alone, there is one thing that will cross their mind as they observe houses without glass in the windows and a cloth for a door closure; there is no security.  Back in the day, when living in Haiti, there was no AAA or OnStar to call when I had a flat tire or got lost, and no 911 when there was danger or an emergency.  When in Haiti, who you gonna call?

The safety of believers living in Haiti is not within the walls of their houses, but is found in the Triune God who brings them comfort and peace throughout their daily activities.  To the children who attend Christian schools in Haiti and live in a home similar to the one in the photo that was taken a few miles west of Ouanaminthe, they have been placed upon an impregnable rock by their Eternal Father, where the vodou priest may able to snatch them away in the night but cannot keep them from Heaven.  The country of Haiti is facing chaos in the coming days, weeks and months following the assassination of their President.  Yesterday, Prime Minister Joseph declared that Haiti was in a ‘state of siege’ for the coming weeks.  And now we join believers in Haiti praying to our God to bring peace and wisdom in this time of uncertainty.

The school children in Haiti, you and I need to join the men and women of the Old Testament who prayed in faith, nothing wavering, and spoke of their answer to their prayers as a certainty.  Our Heavenly Father has promised the generations of believers that He will be with us daily.   David was by faith so sure of a glorious victory over all those who beset him that he arranged in his own heart what he would do when his foes lay all prostrate before him.

There are over 42,500 answers to prayers each day when children come from their small homes walking to a school where they learn more about a risen Savior and receive their daily meal.  In the same manner that Christ defeated satan on Calvary, the vodou priest is defeated when a child of God is trained to share the Good News and is fed their daily bread; a reason to 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

Praise the Lord!

“Praise the LORD.  Praise the LORD, my soul.”  Psalm 146:1

How often during our day do we stop our commotion and pause to praise the Lord?  In moments of joy or moments of sadness.  In times of success or in times of a seemingly insurmountable challenge.  What is there that has taken place in our lives to bring us to look up to the Heavens and gaze in amazement at what He has caused or permitted to happen in our lives? Early, yesterday morning, armed gangsters broke into the Port-au-Prince home of Haiti’s president Moise and shot and killed him and wounded his wife.  There have been many challenges facing Haiti in 2021; pandemic with sparse doses of vaccine, rampant gang activity, the early start of Hurricane season with Elsa and now this sad news.  God is still in control…and on this side of eternity, we praise Him!

As satan turns up the thermostat on chaos and tries to draw hopeless people to seek help from the vodou priest, we believers look to our Triune God to seize this opportunity to bring Hope to this country during this summer of unrest.  You, me and these three children who make up just a sliver of the more than 42,500 children that are being fed every day in a Christian school by Trinity Hope donors is a reason to say ‘Praise the Lord’ because our prayers are being heard, and we serve and worship an awesome, HUGE God.

One of the Hymns I heard on Alexa recently was ‘It is well with my soul’ that was written by Horatio Spafford in 1873 and seems so appropriate today. 

“When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, it is well, it is well, with my soul.  It is well, with my soul, it is well, it is well, with my soul.  Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, let this blest assurance control, that Christ has regarded my helpless estate, and hath shed His own blood for my soul.  It is well, it is well, with my soul.  My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!  My sin, not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more.  Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!   It is well, it is well, with my soul.  For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live: if Jordan above me shall roll, no pang shall be mine, for in death as in life Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.  It is well, it is well, with my soul.  But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait, the sky, not the grave, is our goal; Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!  Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!  It is well, it is well, with my soul.   And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, the clouds be rolled back as a scroll; the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, even so, it is well with my soul.  It is well, it is well, with my soul.”

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

I am trusting Thee.

“Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear; hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.”  Jude 22-23

Snatching souls from the fire sounds like work for a local fire department, not a Christian child living in Haiti.  The children in the attached photo attend school at Christ the King in Merrotte which is in the Arcahaie District in the Northern claw of Haiti; they have just received their lunch and are headed back to their classroom to eat lunch as they prepare to learn how to go out into their world and save souls…from the fire.

How were you prepared to seek and save lost souls from the fires of hell?  Did you have formal training?  Thinking back in the day of Confirmation class in 1963, I didn’t give a lot of thought to going out into the mission fields of this world and actively save souls but that is what the Son of God has instructed each of us to do.  The children in Merrotte are facing the evil foe in the form of vodou priests and people who just don’t know any better and continue to follow and believe his lies and the lies of the great deceiver, satan.

There is a familiar hymn “I am trusting Thee Lord Jesus” that was written by Frances R. Havergal in 1874 that was one of the childhood songs that I was taught when being prepared to go out into the world and seek and save souls.  Hope that it will bring back memories for you too and remind you of your calling.

“I am trusting Thee Lord Jesus, trusting only Thee; trusting Thee for full salvation, great and free.  I am trusting Thee for pardon; at Thy feet I bow, for Thy grace and tender mercy trusting now.  I am trusting Thee for cleansing in the crimson flood; trusting Thee to make me holy by Thy blood.  I am trusting Thee to guide me; Thou alone shalt lead, ev'ry day and hour supplying all my need.  I am trusting Thee for power; Thine can never fail.  Words which Thou Thyself shalt give me must prevail.  I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus; never let me fall.  I am trusting Thee forever and for all.”

Be certain that your support is making a difference in the lives of His children in Haiti as they go about doing His work of rescuing lost souls from the fire.  Be thankful that our Triune God is using your life to continually be used to rescue lost souls from the fires of hell.

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

Everything is possible with God.

“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’” Matthew 19:26

The attached photo is a reflection of a child talking with God.  There are many in this world who would say “so what?”; what can one small child from Haiti possibly receive from God.  Everything is possible with God, here in North America and there in a small Christian school in Haiti.  What makes Trinity HOPE think we could feed thousands of children attending Christian schools in Haiti; year after year?  We have a big God.

God wants to use you.  He wants to bless you.  He wants to do amazing things in your life and in the life of this Haitian child.  He wants you to be a example for others in this world.  But he’s waiting for you to trust him.

I believe the greatest stumbling block for me to trust God is my own doubt.  What can that small child with folded hands accomplish?  We have a BIG God.  We can choose to believe God…or not.  We can choose to trust God, or not.  Hopefully, by now, you realize that there are many things on this side of Heaven that you don’t have control over.  We can choose to have faith in God and invite the Holy Spirit to come into our lives so we can better serve our Triune God.

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 about God.

“Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?”  For from him and through him and for him are all things.  To him be the glory forever! Amen.” Romans 11:35-36

Those of us in the US just celebrated Independence Day and hopefully gave thanks for the freedom we now have from Great Britain, and for those people who’s sacrifice made that possible for us.  When I pour my cup of Folger’s and read in the morning news about the many problems facing our country from within and read about the hordes of people still wanting to come here it just says how important it is to live in freedom and not being slaves to powers of this world.

I am also reminded of how truly important it is to have our sins washed away on this side of Heaven…there we will be totally free.  Life on this planet is temporary.  It’s not about you.  As Rick Warren says, “It’s all about God”.

Those two go together.  The reason it’s not about you is because it’s all about God.  Until you understand this, life and real freedom is never going to make sense.  The real goal of my life, your life and these Haitian kid’s lives is not pleasure, possessions, prestige, politics, power, or popularity.  It’s not anything that the world values as important.  The goal of our lives is the glory of God.  Everything on the planet and in the universe was created for God’s glory.  What then, does this mean for us? 

If it’s all about God and it’s not all about you, or about making money or being popular or any of those other things the world thinks are important.  The most important thing in life is to get to know the God who created you.

How do you do that?  Start by reading his Word daily, the Bible.  It’s not always the easy choice to make time for Bible study, but when you do, you’ll learn more about God and find your love for him deepened.  And, as you start to understand that your life is about God, not you, you’ll find more joy in the pursuit of him and better understand and appreciate true freedom.

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

Homesick?

“Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.  And that is what some of you were.  But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”  1 Corinthians 6:9-11

This week I shared a thought about the windshield of your car being much larger than the rear view mirror as it’s more important to look ahead than behind.  These two passages from the Apostle Paul remind us to look back at where we have been but also be very careful of what is lurking ahead along our journey that the evil foe has scattered to draw our attention.  Today, there is a Hurricane named Elsa making its way along the southern coast of Haiti and it is in their windshield.  Please join them in your prayers for safety and also for all in the path of this storm in the coming days.

Heavenly Father, Your Son has closed yesterday's door, therefore Your people don't have to live enslaved to sin or shame anymore.  Not because we've been strong and good and noble, but because You have transformed our lives.  You've changed our course of direction.  Even though You've left us on foreign soil, as aliens and strangers, we have a home in heaven. And sometimes we get pretty homesick; longing to be with You!

Hear the prayers of Your people as we call out to You for many different challenges we are facing.  Give us self-control on those occasions when we're tempted to moralize and put people down.  Make us aware that a godly life preaches an unforgettable message to the unsaved.  Help us remember that we're soldiers away from our home in heaven, living in a culture that's lost its way and is in desperate need of Jesus Christ.  Keep us easy to live with, strong in faith, unbending in our convictions yet full of grace toward those who are bound by sin and captured by habits they cannot break.  Enable us to shake up this pagan culture with lives that are authentic, that stay balanced, that are still fun, and that ultimately glorify You, just like Jesus did.  In His great name we pray. Amen.