It's going to be OK.

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.   And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.  And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” Romans 8:26-30

This year’s Holy Week was a bit more solemn, reflective and yes, it was even a bit more sorrowful! That was true because I contracted Covid that week and missed journeying in person with my fellow believers.  Yet the words I opened with describe the tone (at least for me) of each Holy Week as we remember our Lord’s passion, suffering and death.  As I again consider the events of that week, I am compelled, and I am sent to tell you...it's going to be OK!

I recently read a story about a boy in Hong Kong who was playing Legos at the end of his family's driveway. When suddenly an SUV came speeding down the road, lost control and ran right over the boy. It happened so fast and the boy had no time to react. A nearby intersection camera cut the whole thing on video.  But you not only see the events leading up to him being hit, but then, the little boy got up and walked away as if it never happened! Amazingly the little boy was OK!

Death is something that maybe more than anything can make you fear. You wonder how you'll make it through the funeral of someone you love. You wonder how you're going to live without that individual who was so important to you. Well, Jesus knew. He knew that His disciples, and He knew that each of us, would lose someone we love, but He made a promise – that even though death runs us over – one day we will walk away as if it never even touched us! In the Gospel of John chapter 14:19 Jesus said: "because I live you also will live." In other words, He was going to use His own death to make it possible for us to walk away from our death. And unlike the little boy, Jesus was run over completely, but not by an SUV but by Satan, death, and the sins of the world.

As we ponder and even grieve Jesus’ death, the death he endured for us – be assured, it's going to be OK! "For all things work for good for those who love Christ!"   He died yes, but then on Easter was alive!  He proved that He is the resurrection and the life. How true it is - that it's going to be OK – for our Lord has taken our death and it will not have the final say!

Yes, we may face days that feel like Good Friday. Death, uncertainty, fears, and sorrows, but it's going to be OK. For through Christ, we will walk away. And as recipients of this gift of life, we are those who have been sent – sent having been run over by sin and death but… but empowered by the Spirit and the One who defeated death for us!  This is our story.  This is your story!  Good Friday was not good for Jesus, but it was good for us and therefore we can share with confidence that “It’s Going to be OK!”

May our Lord Jesus be with you,

Rev. James H. Rockey

Been persecuted recently?

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  Matthew 5:10

When was the last time that you were being persecuted and you thought about this passage from Matthew and smiled because you realized you are blessed and await the kingdom of Heaven?  If you are like me, it probably has not been recently…persecution brings complaints and the cry of “why me?” shouted skywards.

Persecution can come in many different forms.  For those of us living in North America persecution can simply come from friends; some cause happiness wherever they go and others whenever they go.  Another sample might be attached to the word ‘hospitality’; making your guests feel like they’re at home, even if you wish they were…at their home.

Persecution, how can we be glad when we are persecuted, spoken about badly, taken advantage of and have evil lies told about us when we are just trying to serve our Lord?  Those are generally the forms of persecution we face; hopefully in our lives we will not have to face the persecution others face around this world and have to fear for our very lives.

The small house in the attached photo doesn’t appear to be very formidable.  It’s a vodou temple about two miles east of St Marc and just after I took this photo an elderly vodou priestess came running out screaming and swinging a broom at me.  She was angry at me because she believed my Nikon camera lifted power from her temple.  I don’t know how many evil spirits she cast on me that day or how long they stay with a person but two years later I was with a bus load of people on a mission trip from the Kansas City area stop at this same temple and asked that they all took a photo in hopes that her power would be gone forever.

The children attending Christian schools in Haiti are waging a war with vodou, in Haiti, in their neighborhoods and some in their own families.  They need your daily prayers as they face their persecution and also need your support so their bodies will be nourished with food for strength as they daily do battle with satan.  If these children face persecution each day for doing right, shouldn't we think we will face persecution as well?  Those who suffer to bring a blessing to others have a witness that cannot be silenced. 

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

Peace on earth?

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”  Matthew 5:9

Peace; will you and I ever see a time when there is peace in this world?  Peace in our State?  Peace in our Synod?  Peace at our place of work?  Peace in our family?  There will never be any peace on earth until we sinful humans have made peace with our Triune God.

Our sinful world will never, ever be a dwelling place of peace until peace finds a place in the heart of every sinful man and woman…and man who identifies as a woman and women who identify as a man.  Our sin filled world is on a path that is leading away from our Triune God.  How many countries are now experiencing war within their borders?  How many countries have our troops within their borders to help establish peace?  There is a saying “war does not determine who is right, only who is left.” 

Back in the day while living in Haiti, I recall seeing a convoy of United Nations MINUSTAH troops and that made me feel ‘at peace‘ as their presence brought a sense of order to a country where there was none.  Haitian friends told me that they wanted the UN to leave Haiti…but it seemed like there was a lot less trouble with them within the Haitian borders.  Today, there are some living in Haiti who would like to see the UN come back, break up the gangs, restore order…and then leave again.  Peace in our country and peace among other nations will never come as long as sinful human beings continue to seek peace on our own terms; as long as we continue to cling to the things within us that make wars inevitable.

We live in a troubled time.  The man in the attached photo is walking next to a tent village near the Port-au-Prince airport that has been there for some time.  It is over 90 degrees on this late morning, very hot in those tents, no electricity, perhaps a meal each day, no running water…a life style that would not set well with us here in North America.  Peace in that tent city is strained as tempers of the inhabitants flare as nothing seems to be improving…the world is once again turning away from Haiti. 

Children attending Christian schools are taught about peace from our Heavenly Father.  Peace is God’s gift and there is no way that we can manufacture it, copy it, teach others about it or force it upon another person.  It’s God’s gift.  Thank you for bringing peace to the life of one child in Haiti who thinks about you at meal time, and offers thanks to God for you and your gift.

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 'need to know' list.

“Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back; whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.  If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.“ Mark 13:35-36

We are a curious flock.  It seems that there are two questions that continue to be at the very top of our ‘need to know’ list.  First, what will Heaven be like and second, when will the second coming of Christ take place; in our lifetime?

With each new day it seems that the news of worldly conflict and unrest is drawing us closer to the ending point in time as more and more of what should be ‘right’ is turning ‘wrong’.  There was a program on the History channel recently that presented an overview of when many ‘learned’ men had determined the world would end and their calculated determination was from the Mayan calendar that had set the ending of time on December 21, 2012…oops.  Back to the end time think tank.

Whenever that end time will be, approach it like there isn’t a lot of time to reach out to the lost souls of Haiti through the witness of a young child attending a Christian school with a Trinity HOPE feeding program in Haiti.  As we read in the thirteenth chapter of Mark, we learn from our Risen Savior that we should not be concerned when the alarm clock will signal the end of time but rather stay focused on what we will be doing when Jesus arrives. 

I recall a message that Pastor Ken Klaus with the Lutheran Hour shared some time ago, it was a snippet of American history about a Colonel who was from Connecticut.  The event took place in Hartford in 1789 within the State legislature.  “During the daytime, without warning the sky blackened and their room grew unnaturally and increasingly dark.  Glancing out the windows, some members of the House of Representatives concluded the Day of Judgment had come upon them.  With fears increasing, a motion was made for immediate adjournment.  Just before the vote on that motion was to be taken, the Colonel took the floor.  This is what he said: "The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to have the Lord find me doing my duty.  Therefore, I wish that candles be brought."  A great story, stay in the Word and don’t worry about the ending time; stay in the Word.  Christ is Risen!

Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you…Jay

We have choices.

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.  But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

I was watching the Cubs play Atlanta recently and there was a television commercial that tried to play on my emotions and encourage me to adopt an African elephant for $12 a month.  Those little elephants are so cute when they are frolicking in a water hole.  Here, in Normal, I feed a large gathering of birds and squirrels from my deck every day for a lot less.  I love watching them from my window and matching them in my bird book.

The African ancestors of the three girls in the attached photo came to Haiti on French slave ships centuries ago.  For this month of April, with 21 days of school, I could have provided a nutritional meal for all three of them each day for $15.75 and if I had sponsored their school, I would have received photos and artwork too.

We have choices, feed elephants, feed birds or feed children in Haiti.  This is an easy decision for me.  The birds and squirrels are my local mission and feeding school kids in Haiti is my international mission.  The school kids living in Haiti will bring the message “HE is Risen” to people along their journey until they are called home, mission complete.  We have choices.  Doing HIS work is our best choice.

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

Just a bend...not the end.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”  Matthew 5:8

We are sinful humans living in a sin filled world, repentant sinful humans who truly desire do our Father’s will in all that we do and say here on this side of Heaven.  It seems that the past twenty years have been filled with quite a large share of hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, tornadoes and floods; calamities that we cannot control but just sit back and witness and then pick up the pieces, bury the dead and comfort the hurting.  Some say that the end is near.

A news reporter commented recently at the devastation ‘mother nature’ had unleashed through a powerful tornado.  God created the heavens and earth and this glorious planet does have bumps and rattles from time to time.  Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, our Heavenly Father smiles from above and says, "Relax, it's just a bend, not the end!”

The attached photo is of what was left from the National Catholic Church in Port-au-Prince following the January 12, 2010 earthquake; you have probably seen it before as many magazines have displayed it from different angles.  It is a vivid reminder that through all the twists and turns in our lives one thing will always be there; our risen Savior.  We are forgiven because of Him.  We continue to exclaim to our Triune God the words of David in Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

The theme of this verse is woven through Scriptures; whether spoken by the prophets, the psalmists, the wisdom teachers, the apostles or Jesus.  Much of our human lives are marked by deception and lies of this world.  Children living in Haiti are still being told by those who place their trust in the vodou priest that Christ died on Calvary and was buried and is still in the tomb.

For the children attending Christian schools in Haiti and for us who strive to be pure in heart, going to be with God is not a far journey, for we’ve sought to live with him every day.  Thank you for praying daily for these children, bringing them peace in uncertain times.  Thank you for supporting them with a daily meal when there is nothing else to eat.

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

Blessed are the merciful.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”  Matthew 5:7

Jesus must be talking about you and me as God has treated us much, much better than we deserve.  If you doubt my saying so just go and slide open your closet door, set your thermostat to the desired comfortable temperature that you require, open the door to the fridge and gaze at the contents, stand in a hot shower for ten minutes, get a drink from the faucet or just flush the toilet.  There is a saying “Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.” 

Blessed are the merciful; that fundamental spiritual truth is the reality of grace, God’s grace.  Our Heavenly Father has been a witness to our daily sin and had mercy on us because of his great love for us; He gave us Jesus.  We are quite a spoiled lot as we’ve repeatedly proved to be unfaithful and undependable.  God has been gracious and merciful; He has repeatedly offered forgiveness, redemption, and salvation when we least deserved it.

Mercy; rather than dealing with his children strictly as the law would demand, God has dealt with us as a loving father does with his children.  The mercy He has shown us really must show up in our attitudes.  How can we claim to be His children and not be merciful to those around us; His children? 

The mother and son living in the tent village in Croix de Bouquets in the attached photo know of His mercy, daily they understand His mercy.  In the body of believers, mercy rules; when we turn away from showing mercy to others in His family, then we better be prepared for judgment day.   Thank you for showing mercy, in your daily prayers and the unselfish giving of your abundance to such as these.

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

Wisdom.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”  Matthew 5:6

The older I get, the more times I have thought to myself or commented to somebody that after reading a familiar passage, “wow, I don’t recall reading that before.”  Has that ever happened to you?  I am sure that you, like me have read through the Bible several times throughout our lives and this common phenomenon has happened to you at least once.  The ‘learned’ in our fallen world will tell us why this takes place.  I’m really not too sure what is in the forefront in our culture today, knowledge or wisdom.  I have read that knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit and wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.  The beauty of finding ‘new’ insights in Scripture is that the Holy Spirit continues to open our eyes and minds a little more each time we dig into His Word.  There is always something new and exciting in His Word; another lesson to learn.

The beautiful children in the attached photo attend the Lutheran school in Ouanaminthe and their school day is over and at the time, they were in the process of saying ‘orevwa’ to the visiting mission team members.  They are hungry and thirsty for His Word and thanks to people like you, they will come to school each day and be fed; Spiritually and nutritionally.

And, you can help provide a wonderful lunch for them on this final day of the Trinity HOPE online auction; bidding concludes at 8 PM.  For several of these kids, the meal provided by donors like you from Trinity HOPE will be their only meal of the day. 

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

Slinky...

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”  Matthew 5:5

Forty five years ago a co-worker told me that he was going to inherit the world because he was meek and humble; Ernie daily reminded many of his co-workers that some people are like ‘Slinkies;….not really good for anything, but you can't help smiling when you see one tumble down the stairs’.  His wisdom was generally self-proclaimed and his was continually seeking attention.  Meek; Noah Webster defines the word ‘meek’ as 1) enduring injury with patience and without resentment 2) deficient in spirit and courage and 3) not violent or strong.

When I spend a few moments gazing into the eyes and smiles of children at a Christian school in Port-au-Prince in the attached photo the word ‘meek’ seems to be written on their faces.  There is a song written by Sammy Masters, Richard Pope and Tex Satterwhite and recorded by Patsy Cline in 1958 titled ‘If I could see the world.’  You’ve probably heard it.  These lyrics seems to match up well with the children in Mammou.

“If I could see the world thru the eyes of a child; what a wonderful world this would be.  There'd be no trouble and no strife, just a big happy life with a bluebird in every tree.  I could see right, no wrong.  I could see good, no bad, I could see all the good things in life I've never had.  If I could see the world thru the eyes of a child; what a wonderful world this would be.  If I could see the world thru the eyes of a child; smiling faces would greet me all the while.  Like a lovely work of art it would warm my weary heart just to see thru the eyes of a child.”

This world will tell you that it will take ‘somebody’ rich, powerful and important to inherit the earth; they will make history with their many accomplishments.  How about you?  Are you a ‘somebody’ by this world’s standards or a ‘nobody’ like these small children from Mammou?  Jesus says that the meek will inherit the earth; when you have a humble heart, there is great power.

Your ‘riches’ are helping the six kids in the photo.  Your $1.50 is being used to help all of them to be prepared to go and share the Gospel message of our risen Savior throughout their neighborhood in Haiti.  More importantly than inheriting the earth, they will claim a home in Heaven and with us; meet our Savior face to face.  And a simple reminder, tomorrow is the last day of the Trinity HOPE online auction; it closes at 8 PM..

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

Christ has secured our future.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  Matthew 5:3

It’s been two weeks since we celebrated Easter; HE is Risen!  HE is risen indeed!  Hallelujah!  We have come full circle through the passion story of Jesus Christ and that brings the full immenseness of the victory that was won for us on the Cross of Calvary and the joy of an empty tomb on Easter morning. 

During Holy week, there quite a few congregations that have a prayer vigil from Palm Sunday through the Easter Sunrise service.  Each day, members sit in a pew or kneel at the altar in a still, quiet and solitude sanctuary spending time with God, examining themselves, giving thanks for what He has done for them, confessing their sins, giving thanks for the bounty that is daily poured into their lives and seeking His direction.

There were times when I also took part in those prayer vigils, when I felt poor in spirit, recalling times when my path was not His, when my words were not His, when my thoughts were not His and then what He gave for me, in spite of my sinfulness.  There is nothing I can do, no amount of work, money or time to right the wrongs that have come from my life; they are only rectified by what He did for me on the cross.  The sacrifice of Jesus Christ sealed the deal for me, for you, for the world.

The women in the attached are doing their laundry in one of many tent cities in Port-au-Prince.  You would have to talk with them to better understand what is going through their lives.  Without the tent they are homeless, but they have a Savior.  Their children are in a Christian school with a Trinity HOPE feeding program and their lineage will continue to realize what their Savior did for them on Calvary.  They like us will receive the Kingdom of Heaven, and prayerfully their words and actions will bring many more from Haiti away from vodou and into the arms of a loving Savior Jesus Christ.

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