International Prayer Day First Monday each month 10 am

Joel Griffith 10/15/21 Joel Griffith 10/15/21

Knowing Jesus.

“What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ” Philippians 3:8

I recently read a quote from John Timmer that was a thought provoker, it read “You can learn about God with your mind or through your life’s experiences. God prefers the latter. He wants us to know Him experientially, to engage Him with our whole lives.”

I received a call on my cell phone from a Jehovah’s Witness yesterday at 11:55 A.M. and the caller I.D. didn’t appear “JW” but it was just a local call from Bloomington; I didn’t know her or bother to tell her that it was lunch time. She wanted to read to me from her Bible, Isaiah 11:6-7 and then talk with me about ‘her’ belief of what Heaven will be like. After about fifteen minutes of exchanging what we each believe; I wanted to tell her more about my faith and recited the Apostle’s Creed for her…but she said she had to go, and wouldn’t even let me pray with her before she hung up; we had different beliefs, but I’m sure the Holy Spirit sowed some seeds.

I can tell you with much assurance that the 150 children who attend this Lutheran school at Lauture agree with my faith and can also recite the Apostle’s Creed when professing their faith to another. The Holy Spirit comes to each of us through the Word and reveals that our Salvation is found only through Jesus Christ. God has called each of us here in the U.S. and in this school in Haiti to go and share this ‘knowledge’ of Salvation with the lost. This knowledge of Christ Jesus will elevate us and them above all trials, and doubts, and sorrows; and it will prepare each of us for the immortality of being with our Savior enjoying His eternal joy.

Thank you for continuing to help prepare them for this journey in Haiti, with the gifts that you have sent to provide them with a feeding program while they too are prepared through Lutheran Pastors and teachers in Lauture. In 1832 James Montgomery wrote the words for the hymn ‘Pour out Thy Spirit from on High’ and they will close this devotion.

“Pour out Thy Spirit from on high, Lord, Thine assembled servants bless; graces and gifts to each supply and clothe Thy priests with righteousness. Before Thine altar when we stand to teach the truth as taught by Thee, Savior, like stars in Thy right hand the angels of Thy churches be. Wisdom and zeal and faith impart, firmness with meekness, from above, to bear Thy people on our heart and love the souls whom Thou dost love. To watch and pray and never faint by day and night strict guard to keep, to warn the sinner, cheer the saint, nourish Thy lambs, and feed Thy sheep. Then, when our work is finished here, we may in hope our charge resign. when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, O God, may they and we be Thine!”

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 10/14/21 Joel Griffith 10/14/21

Being 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 North American 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 the pounds or quantity of contentment with the ‘stuff’ that is sitting off shore in shipping containers that are waiting to come here, eventually, 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 just never enough.

Most people look for contentment by purchasing a new house or car, or any number of things that they don’t need after shopping online or from a gift catalogue. Some people in this world seek to find contentment by sacrificing possessions and living a simple life; free from the temptations of this fallen world. The attached photo is of the apartment building where my one room apartment on the second floor was located in Petionville, Haiti.

When laundry day is here in Normal, my memory bank is opened up and thoughts of washing clothes in the bathtub or sink of my apartment in Haiti and then heading to clothesline on the roof fill my mind. While my clothes appeared to be clean they never seemed to be as clean as the women who washed their families’ clothes in the river, or so it seemed to me. Back in the day, 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 a close relationship with 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 same type of 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.”

May God be with you…Jay

Joel Griffith 10/13/21 Joel Griffith 10/13/21

Being washed.

“Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me. ” John 13:8

A.John 13:7 : ver 12

” John 13:8

Have you washed another person’s feet recently? I don’t mean have you washed your children’s feet or grandchildren’s feet or your elderly parent’s feet recently. Have you ever washed the feet of an acquaintance or a stranger’s feet? I watched David Jeremiah this morning and his message happened to be about this same lesson about Jesus washing the feet of His disciples.

When Jesus was going to wash His disciple’s feet the response from Peter was “no, you will never wash my feet!” Peter didn’t fully understand what we are asked to do, as Christ teaches us to serve. Jesus gave one more lesson while washing feet; being a servant in not merely a sign of inner weakness but of incredible inner strength. When living in Haiti, there were numerous times when I was blessed to witness the washing of children’s hands throughout Trinity HOPE feeding programs and seeing that always reminded me of the lesson Jesus gave us when He washed feet. The foot washing certainly was a practical thing to do as the disciple’s feet were dirty from their walking in the sand wearing sandals; their feet were dirty. The washing of the children’s hands in Haiti is important as their little hands have touched so many unclean items before lunch and the lesson of hygiene is important to them and their parents; their hands are unclean.

When Jesus told Peter that ‘unless I wash you, you have no part with me’ He was not only talking about his unclean feet, but was telling Peter and you and I and the children in Haiti, that we are sinful and unclean and unless we accept Christ as our Servant and Savior; we will never be clean. We have His lesson to always remind us of the need of our service to Him and others. Go out into the world and seek and save the lost.

May God be with you…Jay

Joel Griffith 10/12/21 Joel Griffith 10/12/21

Whatever you do...

“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 3:17

Perhaps nothing can better describe our Lord Jesus with more grace than when we consider Him humbly stooping from His throne, descending from heaven to bring a cure for the sinful nature of this world. Throughout the ages our Heavenly Father has again and again rescued His people from despair; the army of the Egyptians, the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, Goliath, lions, pestilence, disease and all kinds of evil that satan continues to unleash on this world.

How can we not offer our lives as living vessels to Him who continues to listen to the whispers of His children who are in trouble, starving, in danger or on their death bed? When the girl in the attached photo gives thanks to our Heavenly Father for the manna she has again received in a stone school in Chincheron…He listens to her prayer. When we offer petitions that this child’s life and the lives of other children in Haiti would be His instruments to bring hope to Haiti in situations where there is no hope…He listens. In whatever you do, wherever you may be, whether in word or deed; do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. I’m closing today with words from the hymn “Now thank we all our God” which was written by Martin Rinckart in 1636.

“Now thank we all our God with heart and hands and voices, Who wondrous things hath done, in whom His world rejoices; Who from our mother's arms hath blessed us on our way. With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today. Oh, may this bounteous God through all our life be near us, with ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us; and keep us in His grace and guide us when perplexed. And free us from all ills in this world and the next. All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given, the Son, and Him who reigns with them in highest heaven: the one eternal God, Whom earth and heaven adore! For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.”

May God be with you…Jay

Joel Griffith 10/11/21 Joel Griffith 10/11/21

If this were your last day.

“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 am reading a book by Patricia Cornwell and there was a quote credited to Steve Jobs that caught my attention and has lingered. At a commencement address he asked the graduates “if you knew that today was going to be your last day, would you be doing what you are doing?” Wow, how would you answer? As you sit reading this message, how would your plans for today 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.” I do hope that you and I will be here tomorrow.

May God be with you…Jay

Joel Griffith 10/9/21 Joel Griffith 10/9/21

Love your neighbor.

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3–4

These verses remind me of Jesus’ telling us to love our neighbors as ourselves. And how often do we ask “who is our neighbor”? Deep down inside our heart…we know very well what He meant. Father, we who operate in such selfish realms often find ourselves preoccupied with stuff of our own. We focus on messes we've made back in the yesterdays of our lives, consumed with fears of tomorrow, knowing our ability toward messing things up and uncertain about where this will lead. And then, of all things, in this ever-present fallen world of ours, we find ourselves again preoccupied with what someone may think. or say or do or how we will look in their eyes.

Father, deliver us, if only for today; deliver us from our preoccupation with ourself. Help us to envision You as King, the very essence of life in this fallen world of ours; God over all; God who forgives all messes, Who understands all frustrations, Who calms all fears; King who reigns over our lives supremely. Because we have come to the cross and met You on Your terms, Lord, may we understand that Your will is really best, even when we cannot explain it, understand it, or for that matter, defend it or live like we have been redeemed. You're King. You're the Messiah, the Master. We're the servants. You're the Potter, we're the clay. Whatever it is we are dealing with today, quiet our spirits. Bring Your presence to our immediate attention. May it shine more brightly than everything else. May Your sovereignty reassure us and Your hand on our life humble us. In the great name of Your Son, Jesus, our King we pray. Amen.

Joel Griffith 10/8/21 Joel Griffith 10/8/21

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 to those areas that were a ‘sure thing’ when seeking adventure in a sinful, fallen 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 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? Alexa 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 this coming weekend…in this fallen world.

“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.”

May God be with you…Jay

Joel Griffith 10/7/21 Joel Griffith 10/7/21

Teaching balance.

“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, quoting scripture with a raspy, angry voice at times. The speaker was not aligned with any specific church but seemed to be focused on ‘scaring’ people to repent of their sins; perhaps it was because Halloween is only 3 weeks away.

The attached photo is of Pastor Thomas Bernard from Bon Barger 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 before the worship service. Whether you are sitting in ‘your’ pew in a Lutheran church in Illinois or in Caredeux, the balance will prayerfully be the same; Law and Gospel. Luther taught balance…always balance. If you only hear the tough ‘Law’ stuff it can make people cold, distant, intolerant and unbearable. Hearing both Law and Gospel 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 in Haiti who are hearing this type of teaching…for the 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.”

May God be with you…Jay

Joel Griffith 10/6/21 Joel Griffith 10/6/21

The Light.

“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 your first flashlight? Was it small or large? My uncle Vic was an electrician and he had a powerful flashlight with a large battery; it was very impressive and something that I always thought that sometime, when I was older, that 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 they 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 in Haiti 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 times when the lost cling in vain to the ways and faulty logic of this fallen 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.”

May God be with you…Jay

Joel Griffith 10/5/21 Joel Griffith 10/5/21

Prayer.

“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 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 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 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 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.”

May God be with you…Jay