International Prayer Day First Monday each month 10 am

Joel Griffith 10/27/21 Joel Griffith 10/27/21

His Word.

“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:31

The children attending Lutheran and Christian schools in Haiti are in His Word daily and are being prepared to go and share the Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ with the people living in Haiti who are foolishly clinging to the lies of the vodou priest.

When you look at the attached photo of a ‘Bib La’ resting on a pew in the Central Plateau in Haiti, it is important for you to know that an estimated sixty percent of the people living in Haiti cannot read or write. While living in Haiti and visiting the Central Plateau, I saw a box with what must have been 40 new Lutheran Catechism’s in the District President’s house, that had been translated into Haitian Creole by The Rev. Dr. Doris Louis. I asked why they were in the box and not in the hands of the lay Pastors in the countryside and the reply was that lay Pastors could not read them; the Pastors could read French, but not Creole as that language, their common language, had been taught audibly; they couldn’t read or write in Haitian Creole.

It is truly important for you to understand just how valuable your support is to Trinity HOPE as over 52,000 children in these schools are learning to read and write; their impact upon the country of Haiti in the next decade will truly be monumental. These children in Haiti will be the Pastors, teachers and missionaries who will share His Word with the country as their gifts of literacy will impact so many lives for Him. Their witness will impact so many more than the witness of the present Pastors and teachers. The hymn ‘Lord, keep us steadfast in Thy Word’ was written by Martin Luther in 1541 and those words are still applicable today and close this message.

“Lord, keep us steadfast in Thy Word; curb those who fain by craft and sword would wrest the Kingdom from Thy Son and set at naught all He hath done. Lord Jesus Christ, Thy power make known, for Thou art Lord of lords alone; defend Thy Christendom that we may evermore sing praise to Thee. O Comforter of priceless worth. Send peace and unity on earth. Support us in our final strife and lead us out of death to life.”

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 10/26/21 Joel Griffith 10/26/21

Pride.

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

Back in the day, I went through a Chuck Swindoll Bible study and I copy and pasted what he wrote this about pride; “Pride is a terrible trait, manifesting itself in our passion for the ‘best seats’; insisting on recognition, wanting to be noticed, longing for prominence, smarting when we’re not consulted or advised, dominating social situations. It displays itself when we resist authority or become angry and defensive when crossed or challenged; when we harbor grudges, nurse grievances or wallow in self-pity. It’s the drive behind our penchant for associating with the rich and famous rather than the little people who make up most of our world.”

The Creole word for ‘pride’ is lògèy. Pride rears its ugly head all over this fallen world as satan continues to encourage us about how special we are; we are god’s children and we are as smart as and sometimes smarter than god. As I was rereading Mr. Swindoll’s description about pride I was reminded of several people, even a Lutheran Pastor, who had some of those traits. If I were to highlight the areas where my pride was described there would be several highlighted words. If you tried really hard, you too might probably find just one that would fit into your life. These children in Haiti also have lògèy.

I take pride in my daughters and my grandchildren; they are from God. I take pride in the work that Trinity HOPE is accomplishing in Haiti; it is all happening because of God. The parents of these Haitian children take pride in their children’s accomplishments; again, gifts from God. Taking pride in what ‘we’ have done is ugly and can be dangerous to our relationship with our Triune God. Taking pride in what God has accomplished through us, relating that it is all from Him for His Glory is beautiful and fulfills His purpose for our lives. I close with the words to the hymn ‘The will of God is always best’ that was written by Albrecht von Brandenburg in 1553.

“The will of God is always best and shall be done forever; and they who trust in Him are blest, He will forsake them never. He helps indeed In time of need, He chastens with forbearing; they who depend On God, their Friend, shall not be left despairing. God is my Comfort and my Trust, my Hope and life abiding; and to His counsel wise and just, I yield in Him confiding. The very hairs, His Word declares, upon my head He numbers. by night and day God is my Stay, He never sleeps nor slumbers. Lord Jesus, this I ask of Thee, deny me not this favor: when Satan sorely troubles me, then do not let me waver. Keep watch and ward, O gracious Lord, fulfill Thy faithful saying: who doth believe He shall receive an answer to His praying. When life's brief course on earth is run and I this world am leaving,
grant me to say: "Thy will be done." by faith to Thee still cleaving. My heavenly Friend, I now commend my soul into Thy keeping, o'er sin and hell, and death as well, through Thee the victory reaping.”

May God be with you…Jay

Joel Griffith 10/25/21 Joel Griffith 10/25/21

Taking things for granted.

“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:4-6

The attached photo was taken on Christmas in 1952 at my family’s farm near Ruby, located in Southeast Nebraska. I had turned two in November and was enjoying the rocking horse that my dad had made for me. What you don’t see in this photo is me wearing glasses. At the time this photo was taken, my dad, mom, sister, grandparents and aunts and uncles didn’t know that I was legally blind; it causes me to wonder what they must have thought about me, always running into things. None of them realized that I had a problem until the following summer when my dad knew that there was something wrong when I couldn’t see the big dipper in the clear, evening sky. I had glasses in Christmas of 1953.

When you see the photos of smiling Haitian children in these messages or brochures from Trinity HOPE, there is probably a lot going on in their lives that we are not aware of, sitting here in North America. We can’t begin to understand what it would be like to eat one small meal each day at home, or possibly every other day. We haven’t heard the sounds at night outside our bedroom that their young ears have grown accustomed to hearing. We have not listened to the vodou priest sacrificing animals; skinning dogs alive so their screams and whimpering will bring pleasure to the evil spirits they are welcoming into their temples.

Before I received a pair of glasses, I didn’t realize that my eyes were any different than anyone else. When I lived in Haiti it became very apparent that the school children there really didn’t realize that they were any different than school children in North America. Please stop and think for a moment about the similarity we have with the children enjoying a Trinity HOPE meal in Haiti, that we often take for granted; we are SAVED. We are NOT like everyone else on the face of this planet. Please, don’t take that for granted; not everyone has heard the Good News. Some have and have turned away. You need to make a difference, open their eyes and ears, feed their soul and bring them to the Cross of Christ.

May God be with you…Jay

Joel Griffith 10/23/21 Joel Griffith 10/23/21

Timely words.

“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you…Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” Colossians 3:12–13, 17

It is interesting to read through some letters from my ancestors that were written 50 or over 100 years ago and consider the change in the way our relatives spoke back in the day and how we speak and write today. And reading these words from Colossians, it's as though they were written to us today; though they date back to the first century, they fit the twenty-first century like a well-tailored, fine piece of clothing. These words from Colossians touch every aspect of our lives. Heavenly Father, Your words address our position in Christ and our practice on earth. They specify our struggles without overlooking the important, positive side of compassion, love, forgiveness, patience, humility, and gentleness. Oh Lord, how we long to live as we say we believe. How far short of that we often fall while occupying space in this fallen world. And we realize it again even this day, as we recognize the straight line of truth so clearly marked in Your inspired Word; God-breathed, preserved, and now provided for us in our language. Help us to live according to Your standards, day in, day out. As You do soul-surgery in our hearts, may we allow the scalpel of the Spirit to pierce whatever area needs to be addressed. May each of us open ourselves to it. Guard us from hypocrisy. Few things are more detestable than a phony Christian being called a ‘hypocrite’ by this fallen world! May we speak truth today and more importantly, may we live truth today. May we declare it to others in a way that makes sense. May Your Spirit take it from there and drive it home. May our lives and theirs be changed as a result of it.

It's in the name of Jesus Christ we offer our words of prayer. Amen.

Joel Griffith 10/22/21 Joel Griffith 10/22/21

Little children.

“People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.” Mark 10:13-16

It is difficult to visit Trinity HOPE school feeding programs in Haiti and not remember this passage in the tenth chapter of Mark when looking at little children, like this young girl from Ouanaminthe. There shouldn’t be a difference between this child and the young children who attend Christian Schools in your hometown; Jesus would have taken each of them into His arms and blessed them. The children in the U.S. and Haiti are both being prepared to go and share the message of salvation with those who will come along their life’s journey. The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to each of them and to us.

The main difference your eyes see, is the food. Children in our hometown schools are fed at home and at school…most every single day, even with a supply chain shortage. The vast majority of the children attending the Lutheran school in Ouanaminthe don’t get food at home on a regular basis and rely upon the meal at school for their daily manna; thank you for helping to provide for them. Benjamin Schmolck wrote the hymn ‘Dearest Jesus, we are here’ in 1704 and it will close today’s message.

“Dearest Jesus, we are here, gladly Thy command obeying; with this child we now draw near in accord with Thine own saying that to Thee it shall be given as a child and heir of heaven. Yea, Thy word is clear and plain, and we would obey it duly: "He who is not born again, heart and life renewing truly, born of water and the Spirit, can My kingdom not inherit. Therefore hasten we to Thee, in our arms this infant bearing; let us here Thy glory see let this child, Thy mercy sharing, in Thine arms be shielded ever, Thine on earth and Thine forever. Gracious Head, Thy member own; Shepherd, take Thy lamb and feed it; Prince of Peace, make here Thy throne; Way of Life, to heaven lead it; Precious Vine, let nothing sever from Thy side this branch forever. Now into Thy heart we pour prayers that from our hearts proceeded. Our petitions heavenward soar; may our warm desires be heeded! Write the name we now have given, write it in the book of heaven.”

May God be with you…Jay

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

This IS A feast.

“On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine; the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” Isaiah 25:6-9

I worshipped with a congregation online a few days ago and they sang a hymn that is a personal favorite of mine; “This is the Feast” and on a slide on their screen was an abstract drawing of a human wearing a robe, with hands lifted high and facing a sunrise over rolling hills.

Every day should be a ‘victory’ for our Lord! The young girl in the attached photo is sitting on a Haitian chair in Cap Haitian has a feast resting in her lap and that is a victory for our Lord! A title for this photo could very well be “This IS A feast”. You can tell that this is a true feast by the sparkle in her eyes and look of anticipation as she awaits a spoon to compliment her manna. As we awake in the morning, witness the sun rising, let us also give thanks for the victory of our Lord Jesus and the bountiful feast that awaits us each and every day, and the feast that we will realize in Heaven with this child one day.

“This is the feast of victory for our God. For the Lamb Who was slain has begun His reign: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain, whose blood set us free to be people of God. Power, riches, wisdom, and strength, and honor, blessing, and glory are his. This is the feast of victory for our God. Sing with all the people of God, and join in the hymn of all creation. This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia!”

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 10/20/21 Joel Griffith 10/20/21

Be humble.

“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.” John 13:9-11

” John 13:9-11

How often have we been given an opportunity to be humble? That is a tough lesson as this fallen world tells us just the opposite; everything should be about me. The letters ‘IAM’ in our time mean ‘It’s all about ME’ and you can see this same condition in the Pharisees that were confronted by Jesus throughout His ministry.

Being willing to receive, submit to others and serve others takes more grace on our part than giving to others. Our reluctance to be on the receiving end exposes our pride in our being in charge of things; it is all about us and not about our Triune God. Pride can be an ugly thing and if you have been insulated from it; just open your ears to a concert of ‘look what we did’ or ‘look at what I am doing’ messages coming from various organizations. It should never be about us, but always about what He has done through us. When we boast about how many children Trinity HOPE is feeding, we should always begin with what our Triune God is accomplishing in Haiti through our time, treasures and talents.

When Christ went about washing the disciple’s feet, He removed His outer tunic and with a towel, pitcher, and pan in hand He proceeded to teach another lesson to the twelve. The response from Peter was “no, not my feet, but my head and hands too.” Peter was capable of washing himself and didn’t need Jesus to do that for him. God’s children in Haiti are being fed through people like you who are serving through their donations. Learning that these children are praying for you and I daily is humbling and sometimes we may wonder why in the world would this child be praying for me. They give thanks to God for you and your gift every day.

May God be with you…Jay

Joel Griffith 10/19/21 Joel Griffith 10/19/21

Keeping company.

“When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:11-13

Are you careful who you eat with? Probably more careful these days with the pandemic. Since leaving Haiti in December 2003, I have probably eaten 99.5 percent of my meals alone and I’m not bragging or complaining; it’s just how my clock runs. We are probably careful not to be seen in public sharing a meal with a person who happens to have their photograph on a wanted poster down at the Post Office or with a political figure from the ‘other’ team. There are some people that I try to avoid at mealtime because they chew with their mouths fully open and make irritating noises that attract attention from nearby diners; you know who I’m talking about.

Jesus is in the business of seeking the lost and bringing them the gift of life that can only be found in Him. He would not hesitate to sit at a table across from a person who would chew their food with their mouths wide open, if they needed to hear the message of salvation.

Take a close look at some of the eighty-four children who attend the Good Samaritan Lutheran school in Les Cayes; would you consider sharing a meal with any of them? Statistics in Haiti lead us to believe that more than half of these children come from homes where vodou is still being practiced.

All of the children in this school and all the 241 schools in Haiti where there are Trinity HOPE feeding programs are being fed a meal and are given the news of a loving Savior, Jesus Christ who has prepared a place for each of them in Heaven. The hymn ‘The Savior calls; let every ear’ was written by Anne Steele in 1760 and its message will close this message.

“The Savior calls; let every ear attend the heavenly sound. Ye doubting souls, dismiss your fear; hope smiles reviving round. For every thirsty, Ionging heart here streams of bounty flow and life and health and bliss impart to banish mortal woe. Here springs of sacred pleasures rise to ease your every pain; immortal fountain, full supplies! Nor shall you thirst in vain. Ye sinners, come, 'tis Mercy's voice; the gracious call obey; mercy invites to heavenly joys, and can you yet delay? Dear Savior, draw reluctant hearts; to Thee let sinners fly and take the bliss Thy love imparts and drink and never die.”

May God be with you…Jay

Joel Griffith 10/18/21 Joel Griffith 10/18/21

Being calm.

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:1-11

Back in the day, there were numerous times when my mother would provide me with calming words before I was about to begin one of this world’s trials; she prepared me with a fundamental foundation that I would ultimately find some positive value in having gone through this experience. Her faith had brought her through the sudden death of her husband, raising two children and went through and survived the grief we must have placed upon her plate during our teenage years.

Being calm when facing life’s hardships is of God, as we are confident in His Word while enduring the many painful trials that will produce maturity which leads to reflect our love of our Heavenly Father. While looking for a photo for this devotion, the attached caught my eye. I don’t recall where I took this but given the date, the desks, the color of the children’s uniforms and the fact that these children are praying for their daily meal it must be in the Artibonite District.

Perhaps not knowing where it was taken, makes it that much more special as when I write a check to Trinity HOPE this month, I generally don’t know which children will be receiving a meal because of my donation; it doesn’t matter because they are all His children. They are all facing hardships and that plate of food on their desk is from Him and provides a sense of calmness in a country where there is so little hope. I read a Lutheran Hour devotion recently that had a few verses from the 1846 hymn titled ‘I heard the voice of Jesus say’ that I had sung before and even used in one of my devotions. It was written by Horatius Bonar and the words provide a calming effect for the trials of this day.

“I heard the voice of Jesus say, "Come unto Me and rest; lay down, thou weary one, lay down, thy head upon My breast." I came to Jesus as I was, weary and worn and sad; I found in Him a resting-place, and He has made me glad. I heard the voice of Jesus say, "Behold, I freely give the living water; thirsty one, stoop down and drink and live." I came to Jesus, and I drank of that life-giving stream. My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, and now I live in Him. I heard the voice of Jesus say, "I am this dark world's Light. Look unto Me; thy morn shall rise and all thy day be bright." I looked to Jesus, and I found in Him my Star, my Sun; and in that Light of Life I'll walk till traveling days are done.”

May God be with you…Jay

Joel Griffith 10/16/21 Joel Griffith 10/16/21

Our battle against evil.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” Ephesians 6:10–11

We live in a fallen world. If you spend thirty minutes watching the news or reading it in the newspaper or on the Internet, or talking on the phone with an unbeliever, you would have to agree; unless this fallen world has it’s filthy hands around your throat; choking the Truth out of you. Father, You are our all-powerful and invincible Lord. None of the powers in this fallen world can overcome You; none can stand against You. Oh, how we need You, especially when the battle against evil rages in so many areas in this fallen world! Thank You for standing by our side, for being our strong shield and defender. We have no strength in ourselves. We face an adversary far more powerful, more wickedly brilliant, and more experienced than we. The enemy stands firmly against us, ready to attack at every weak point. We know that our enemy will not let up, that he will fight to the bitter end. And so, with confidence, we want to put on and wear the whole armor of God, and in Your strength alone, we can resist the wicked forces that desire to bring us down. Give us new hope Father; hope that we can one day get beyond the struggle raging for our lives. We look forward to that day soon when Christ will once and for all win the victory that already belongs to Him because of the cross. Encourage us with the thought that, in Christ, we triumph! In His victorious name we pray. Amen.