Follow HIS example.

“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”  Ephesians 5:1-2

The words of the Apostle Paul exhort us to follow God’s example and to walk and love, the same manner that Christ Jesus loved us.  The child in the attached photo attends the Lutheran school in Ouanaminthe which is located in the Fort Liberte District in the Northern part of Haiti along the border with the Dominican Republic.

Sometimes a photo just speaks for itself and saying thank you for helping to support this child seems so small of a statement for all the blessings that will come from her life in a land with so many challenges. 

The hymn “Let us ever walk with Jesus” which was written by Sigismund von Birken, 1626-1681 and translated by J. Adam Rimbach, 1871-1941, is such a wonderful way to close this devotion.  

“Let us ever walk with Jesus, follow His example pure, flee the world, which would deceive us and to sin our souls allure.  Ever in His footsteps treading, body here, yet soul above, full of faith and hope and love.  Let us do the Father's bidding. faithful Lord, abide with me; Savior, lead, I follow Thee.  Let us suffer here with Jesus, to His image, e'er conform; Heaven's glory soon will please us, sunshine follow on the storm.  Though we sow in tears of sorrow, we shall reap with heavenly joy; and the fears that now annoy shall be laughter on the morrow.  Christ, I suffer here with Thee; there, oh, share Thy joy with me!  Let us also die with Jesus.  His death from the second death, from our soul's destruction, frees us, quickens us with life's glad breath.  Let us mortify, while living, flesh and blood and die to sin; and the grave that shuts us in shall but prove the gate to heaven.  Jesus, here I die to Thee there to live eternally.  Let us gladly live with Jesus; since He's risen from the dead, death and grave must soon release us.  Jesus, Thou art now our Head, we are truly Thine own members; where Thou livest, there live we.  Take and own us constantly, faithful Friend, as Thy dear brethren.  Jesus, here I live to Thee, also there eternally.”

Dear 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

Walk humbly.

“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

Micah records three things that the Lord requires of us; act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God.  Well, who doesn’t love mercy?  Acting justly and walking humbly are not always easy things to follow because this sinful world we live in tells us to do the opposite; that is the correct behavior we are to exhibit.

The children in the attached photo attend the Lutheran school in Dondon which is located in the Cap Haitian District in the North central part of Haiti.  They too have heard the words from Micah and they, like us, struggle from time to time with the way we live our lives in this sinful world.

I heard a song on the PC radio recently and was not able to find any information about the title or writer, just jotted down the words.  It caused me to think about the words of Micah, my life and the lives of these boys and girls in Dondon.

“There's a place that I love to run and play.  There's a place that I sing new songs of praise.  Dancing with my Father God in fields of grace.  There's a place that I lose myself within.  There's a place that I find myself again.  Dancing with my Father God in fields of grace.  There's a place where religion finally dies.  There's a place that I lose my selfish pride.  Dancing with my Father God in fields of grace.  I love my Father, my Father loves me.  I dance for my Father, my Father sings over me.  And nothing can take that away from me.”

Thank you for supporting the children in Dondon as they learn and enjoy His mercy. 

Dear 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

Jesus loves children.

"At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children." Matthew 11:25

Jesus loves little children, reading a little further in the same Chapter in Matthew he continues to say “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

As adults who are daily in the Word, we should become more aware of the burden of daily sinfulness that presents itself along our path.  We look at ourselves and the world around us and we see the horrible nature of this sinful world we live in.  These children attend the Lutheran school at Carefour Duclos which is located in the Les Cayes District, the southwestern corner of Haiti.   Their world is filled with the sin of vodou.

Many people have different interpretations for vodou, but it is satan worship; it is all about control.  The vodou priest has control over the little children and their parents.  The vodou priest can call down evil spirits to bring horrible, challenging times upon their lives; physical pain, crop failure, hard times; it is all about control.  When we get lax in our daily devotions, stray from being in the Word; then satan takes control and leads us to believe that ‘we’ are in control and not God.

Thank you for preparing these boys and girls spiritually and physically to do battle against the evil foe.  I heard the song “My hope is built on nothing less” recently and it is a wonderful reminder on what our hope and the hope of the children in Carefour Duclos is truly built on.  The words were written by Edward Mote, 1797-1874 and were joined to music by William Bradbury 1816-1868.

“My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness.  I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name.  On Christ the solid rock I stand,            all other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand.  When Darkness veils his lovely face, I rest on his unchanging grace.  In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil.   On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand.  His oath, his covenant, his blood supports me in the whelming flood.  When all around my soul gives way, he then is all my hope and stay.   On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand.  When he shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in him be found!  Dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne!  On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand.”

Dear 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

In the spotlight?

“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” Hebrews 6:10

So how important is it for you to have your moment in the spotlight?  In the past couple of decades, I have loosely been looking at people doing work in the mission fields and striving to get their names and deeds up in the spotlight on the stage of the world; I’m not being judgmental of them but rather using their example as a personal lesson of what not to do in my life.

Like a whitetail deer froze in the beam of a headlight on a starless night, so is standing in the spotlight uncomfortable for me.  If you don’t believe me ask anybody who has gone on a mission trip with me and tried to photograph me; my turning from the camera is akin to a Haitian vodou priest not wanting their evil spirit to be captured by a Kodak moment.

There is nothing wrong with being a ditch dweller or a ‘nobody’.  The child in the attached photo is a ‘nobody’ by our culture’s standards.  Our Triune God knows of her worth and trust me; she is a ‘somebody’ to Him who is accomplishing much for Him.  She is being prepared to be a missionary at the Lutheran school in Ouanaminthe.  She enjoys a daily meal at school from a Trinity HOPE supporter like you and me.  The work of feeding this child may not seem that important; but it is to Him.

The Bible is filled with people who have done much away from the spotlight; Jabez, Amos, Enoch and Habakkuk come to mind.  A few good men, leaders, anonymous; a bunch that our culture might consider to be a ‘nobody’.  Jabez appeared briefly in the Bible.  We read in 1 Chronicles 4:10; “Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory!  Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.”  And God granted his request.”  This girl from Ouanaminthe, you and I are in good company while joyfully serving our Triune God outside of the spotlight.

Your gifts make you so valuable for Him and for her but not famous.  The ultimate joy of your sacrificial gifts to this child will be to His glory and not worldly applause.  I close today with the words from the hymn ‘Take my life and let it be’ that was written by Frances Havergal in 1874.

“Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee; take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise.  Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love; take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.  Take my voice and let me sing always, only, for my King; take my lips and let them be filled with messages from Thee.  Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold; take my intellect and use every power as Thou shalt choose.  Take my will and make it Thine, it shall be no longer mine; take my heart, it is Thine own, it shall be Thy royal throne.  Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure-store; take myself, and I will be ever, only, all, for Thee.”

Dear 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

A spectator.

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”  Ephesians 4:11-13

I read a timely devotion recently where a coach was asked what role a sports spectator played in the physical fitness of our nation.  The coach responded, “none; what you have at a game is 22 football players exercising and needing rest and 55,000 people in the stands eating and resting but needing exercise.”

Sad to say, but it seems like that explanation accurately describes how it is in the church these days.  I have heard it said that the same ten percent of the people do most all of the work while the remainder of the congregation is content to sit, worship and express their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with how the church is moving.  The Apostle Paul says it should not be that way in the church, the body of Christ; there should be no spectators.  All of us are called to be participants in the mission field.  The Holy Spirit has given each of us gifts so we might use them to carry out our ministry as a part of the church.

The children in the attached photo are not spectators, they have brought fuel for the fire beneath the kettle of beans and rice at their Lutheran school in Communautaire which is in the Central Plateau.  The sticks in their hands is fuel for the fire that cooks the food that will go into their bodies and the Holy Spirit will in turn use these young lives to go out in the neighborhoods and bring the message of our risen Savior Jesus Christ to the lives still clinging to the lies of the vodou priest.

Using our God given gifts properly is what the stewardship life is all about.  It should not be optional.  All of us are stewards by virtue of our Baptism.  All God’s people, here and in Haiti, have gifts to be used to build up the body of Christ.  God brought us into the church.  Christ suffered and died that we sinners might have forgiveness and fellowship with God.  HE brings the redeemed into His fellowship, the church, but not to be spectators.  God calls us to participate, to use our gifts for His purpose.

Dear 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

Your tent.

“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.”  2 Corinthians 5:1

Don’t ever, ever take your earthly tent for granted.  Take a good look around your tent some morning; take an inventory of what you have accumulated.  You probably have electrical outlets and lights that are in working order and in every room.  The indoor plumbing brings fresh water into your faucet and it can be either hot or cold at the touch of a finger and the drain in the bottom of your lavatory goes into a sewer system and not out the side of the wall and splashes onto the ground. 

Your tent most likely has glass windows and screens that keep out the bugs, rain and snow and there is also a heating and cooling system that keeps the temperature to your liking, again with the touch of your finger.

The young girl in this photo, sitting alone amidst a group of Haitian chairs attends the Lutheran school in Communautaire which is in the Central Plateau and she has no idea of what it is like to have such luxuries that are the norm your tent in North America.  Her home is no doubt a one room shelter with a metal roof, no electricity, no plumbing and no glass in the windows.  She most likely sleeps on a mat on the dirt floor with her parents and siblings in the same room every night.  She has heard of an eternal house in Heaven that is not built by human hands.  What must she imagine her Heavenly home will look like; what do you imagine your Heavenly home will look like?

“I’m looking away, beyond the dark stream, to heaven’s fair home, of which I had dreamed, there millions have gone, it’s glory to share, get ready my friend, to live over there.  That heavenly home, lies over death sea; where loved ones I know, are waiting for me, with Jesus we’ll live, in glory divine, that heavenly home, will surely be mine.  That heavenly home, has mansions of light, no storm clouds will rise, no shadows of night, no sorrow no pain, all sin will be gone, we’ll live with the Lord, while ages roll on.”

The two of you know Jesus Christ our crucified Savior and the two of you will indeed have an Earthly house in Heaven.  We can be assured that it will be a mansion in Heaven, He has promised that and whatever the walls, floor and roof will be made of doesn’t really matter.  Being there with Jesus is all that really matters.

Dear 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

Fixing it our own way.

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.”  Proverbs 19:21

Too often when North Americans travel to Haiti and they return to their North American mission boards with advice and grandiose plans about ‘fixing’ the problems where they have spent a week.  The verse from Proverbs reminds us, or at least me, that true wisdom comes from submitting to instruction for a significant period of time and then, only at the end of long listening does it come.

Our culture rushes to fix things; we seldom have time to listen to God’s instruction because it takes way too long to wait; pray and wait.  We would do much better to let our plans ripen a bit more in the light of the Lord before we launch into them.  The attached photo is the Messif School in Ouanaminthe.  This classroom has flow through ventilation and a corrugated metal roof; this is a wonderful school by Haitian standards.  It has a Trinity HOPE feeding program which is a huge blessing by Haitian standards.

There is a song written by Elisha A. Hoffman in 1887 titled “Leaning on the everlasting arms” and the words capture the reason to place our trust on our Heavenly Father and not worry about our time frame, plans or ‘culturally correct’ directions.

“What a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms; what a blessedness, what a peace is mine, leaning on the everlasting arms.  Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.  Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way, leaning on the everlasting arms; Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day, leaning on the everlasting arms.  Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.  What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms?  I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, leaning on the everlasting arms.  Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.”

I am comforted that James reminds us in the New Testament that God will give that wisdom if we seek it and not doubt.  But while we pray for wisdom, let's pray also for patience to listen to the Lord's truth in Scripture so we may recognize wisdom when it comes!

Dear 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

Being saved.

“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you!  What then will there be for us?”  Matthew 19:26-27

In this passage, Jesus is telling the disciples that human efforts cannot save anyone.  Water Safety Instructors, CPR, Rescue Diver’s, Doctors and Nurses can ‘save’ a life, but they cannot save a life like the Son of God can save a life.  It is impossible for you and me to really ‘save’ a life; only Christ did that by what He accomplished for all men on the Cross of Calvary.

The children in the attached photo attend class at the Lutheran school in St. Marc.  How can they be saved from all of the hurdles that face them daily while living in Haiti?  Two decades ago, a mission team from Christ Lutheran and Lord of Life Lutheran in the Kansas City area ‘saved’ them from going to school in a corrugated metal sweat structure by constructing a concrete block structure for which Pastor Bruce Narcles is forever thankful.

The large group of children that go to school here have been ‘saved’ by Trinity HOPE donors who have provided funds to feed them daily as they are prepared to spread the news of the true risen Savior to St. Marc and elsewhere in Haiti.  Man has provided a few ways to ‘save’ these precious souls who are so dear to Jesus.

Peter asked Jesus “what then will there be for us?” and this is so typical of human beings; what is in it for me?  Peter and disciples had given everything up and left to follow our Lord and now Peter wanted to know if they would be receiving anything special.  If the true man side of Jesus didn’t shake His head in disbelief at this question I would be surprised as Peter didn’t understand the importance of being saved.  And at times we too fail to see the true importance of being SAVED.

The ‘stuff’ in our world continually numbs us to what is really important in our lives.  Being saved and helping others throughout this world to learn about a risen Savior is what is truly important.  Thank you for ‘saving’ His children in St. Marc and serving our Triune God.

Dear 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

Keep your eyes upon Jesus.

“Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.  When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified.  “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.  But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I.  Don’t be afraid.”  “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”  “Come,” he said.  Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”  Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.  “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:25-31

Have you ever tried to walk on water?  One time, back in the day, I thought that I could possibly do that while wearing scuba diving fins and kicking as hard as my legs would permit and to anyone watching me, it probably appeared that I was walking in waist deep water for a brief period of time.  Having the faith in Jesus to be able to walk on water; what was Peter thinking or better yet what was he asking of our Savior?

It was really hot and humid in Normal yesterday afternoon and when I prepared to open the patio door to my deck and I had faith that my air conditioner had kept the inside of my house eighty degrees as that is what my thermostat setting is in the daytime.  When I lived in Haiti and would prepare to open the door to my apartment, I knew the temperature inside my room would either match or be greater than the temperature outside; in that I had faith.

Returning to life in North America has in a way, numbed my faith in our Triune God; too much gets taken for granted.  The young woman in the attached photo taken twenty years ago, is Nadine Isidor who was my office manager in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti headquarters in Port-au-Prince.  Her faith walk was a blessing to me as the Holy Spirit working through her brought me closer to Jesus because without Him, my life was lonely and in danger.  Nadine had faith that her job was secure and that Jesus had promised her a mansion in Heaven; the most important was a home in Heaven where she would be with Him.

I heard a song on my laptop yesterday by Johnny Cash and Pam Tillis titled ‘Keep your eyes on Jesus.’  Been doing a lot of reflecting on that tonight and pray that you too will with me and Nadine, keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus.   

“Keep your eyes on Jesus, when the tidal wave of trouble around you rolls.  Keep your eyes on Jesus’ He will calm the storms of life that toss your soul.  Living in a world that’s full of sorrow, we are tried and tempted every day.  Knowing not the secrets of tomorrow, we find if you win, we watch and pray.  In Matthew, Chapter 14, when the disciples were in the ship in the midst of the sea, being tossed with waves, for the wind was contrary.  In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.  And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, 'it is a spirit'; and they cried out for help.  But straightway, Jesus spake unto them, saying, "Be of good cheer; It is I; Be not afraid."  And Peter answered him and said, Lord 'If it be Thou, let me come unto Thee upon the water.'  And He said, "Come." And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.  But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried out, 'Lord, save me.'  Peter was doing alright while he kept his eyes on Jesus. But when he looked away at the rolling waves about him, he began to sink.  And immediately, Jesus stretched forth His Hand, and caught him, and said unto him, "O, thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" 

Being tossed in this life by disappointments and temptations, we are very much the same as this disciple. If we want to live for Jesus, we must keep our eyes on Him, and not the pleasures of this world.

“Keep your eyes on Jesus, when the tidal wave of trouble around you rolls.  Keep your eyes on Jesus; He will calm the storms of life that toss your soul.”

Dear 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

The long creed.

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  Isaiah 41:10

Good guys and bad guys; who are you going to trust; who are you going to believe?  I don’t know why, but I’ve been thinking about the Athanasian Creed this week; struggling with the reason some in the clergy split it up over several Sunday’s cause it’s too long for them to read in its entirety. This Creed has been in Churches since the sixth century and as I read through it my thoughts drifted for just a moment to what kind of creed do the vodou priests in Haiti use?

We Christians place our faith in the Triune God and the vodouists place their trust in their vodou priest’s ability to connect with evil spirits from satan.  When along our journey we face challenges and hurdles we turn to our God.  He is always there, no matter how big the challenge or how dark the skies and how painful the grief we are experiencing.  Our human tendency is to take our eyes off of God, look at the problem before us and feel overwhelmed with fear and anxiety. When fear floods in, faith floods out!  When your back is against the wall, choose faith over fear.  Stand firm in the faith and put your trust in God.
The children in the attached photo attend the Lutheran school in St. Marc and they place their trust in our Triune God and not the vodou priest.  Their lives too are filled with many challenges and hurdles and they too recognize that these frightening moments are only a temporary dead end.  Our God continues to provide us with the Hope of knowing that we have a risen Savior who is Christ the Lord.  The Holy Spirit continues to strengthen our faith as we go out into a world filled with darkness and in desperate need of the Light of the world.

Dear 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