International Prayer Day First Monday each month 10 am

Joel Griffith 10/31/22 Joel Griffith 10/31/22

What are you celebrating today?

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” Matthew 6:24-25

Reformation Day or Halloween? Which are you celebrating today? Inflation has really put a damper on the amount of candy that will be handed out today. Perhaps I will just take a pad of sticky notes and write the name and date that a friend or loved one received their Glory this year and hand that out and ask the youngster looking for candy to pray for the family of the dearly departed. Considering what I just wrote, wow, that is probably not a very good idea.

Back in the day, the men’s Bible study group that I met with on Monday morning watched a 14 minute video on YouTube titled ‘In my seat’ and that was the story of Steve Scheibner. He was an American Airlines pilot and he was bumped from AA Flight 11 that was hijacked and smashed into the first tower on September 11, 2001. Towards the end of the video he shared a short paragraph that he had written down some twenty years ago and it caused each of us in our group to consider our lives, our legacy and how we are accomplishing what needs to be accomplished in the time that each of us has left here...on this side of Heaven.

He wrote the following; “To seek, trust and glorify God through humble service and continual prayer. To raise qualified disciples as quickly as possible so that one day I might hear God say “well done my good and faithful servant.” Does this apply to your life? Which master are you celebrating? I pray that your day will be a time of reflecting on those saints who are doing and celebrating His work today and have done His work in the past and have impacted your life many times on this side of Heaven. I should close with the words from ‘All Mighty Fortress’ but instead will end this message with an all-time favorite hymn of mine; ‘For all the Saints who from their labors rest’ that was written by William W. How in 1864 and its words seem like a wonderful way to leave you today in preparation for next week Sunday.

“For all the saints who from their labors rest, who Thee by faith before the world confess, Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest, Alleluia! Alleluia! Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress, and their Might; Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well-fought fight; Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light. Alleluia! Alleluia! Oh, may Thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold, fight as the saints who nobly fought of old and win with them the victor's crown of gold. Alleluia! Alleluia! O blest communion, fellowship divine, we feebly struggle, they in glory shine; yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine. Alleluia! Alleluia! And when the fight is fierce, the warfare long, steals on the ear the distant triumph song, and hearts are brave again, and arms are strong. Alleluia! Alleluia! But, lo, there breaks a yet more glorious day; the saints triumphant rise in bright array; the King of Glory passes on His way. Alleluia! Alleluia! From earth's wide bounds, from ocean's farthest coast, through gates of pearl streams in the countless host, singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Alleluia! Alleluia! The golden evening brightens in the west; soon, soon, to faithful warriors cometh rest. Sweet is the calm of Paradise the blest. Alleluia! Alleluia!”

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

Joel Griffith 10/29/22 Joel Griffith 10/29/22

Saturday and 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 the U.S.; 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 is the food. The majority of the children in our country are fed at home and at school. The vast majority of the children attending the Lutheran school in Ouanaminthe don’t get food at home and rely upon the meal at school for their daily manna; thank you for helping to provide for them. And today, sadly there is a severe food shortage in Haiti because of the many violent gangs preventing and fuel to be released from the fuel ports in Port-au-Prince. Fuel is needed to send food via trucks throughout the country. Food is in short supply in many parts of Haiti. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to un-harden the hearts of gang members to help the people of Haiti and not further harm 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 10/28/22 Joel Griffith 10/28/22

It's all about me.

“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

A.John 13:7 : ver 12

B.John 13:10 : Jn 15:3

C.John 13:10 : ver 18

D.John 13:11 : S Mt 10:4

” 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 exposed 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 Trinity HOPE is feeding it 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 10/27/22 Joel Griffith 10/27/22

Careful who you eat with?

“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

I know that there are some learned talking heads who tell us that the Pandemic is over; but are you still careful who you eat with? 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. There are some people that I try to avoid at mealtime because they chew with their mouths open and make irritating noises that attract attention from nearby diners. They will also look at you when you are shaking you head and they say…with a mouthful of mashed potatoes and gravy…”What”?

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 268 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 10/26/22 Joel Griffith 10/26/22

Thinking back...

“Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say He is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.” Amos 5:14-15

Back in the day, a decade ago, I came across this passage from Amos while leading a Bible study group through a video series titled ‘Doing the right thing’ that was hosted by Chuck Colson and Robert George. Mr. Colson talked about his time spent in prison and said ‘bless you prison, for it was there that I learned to see justice in the way that Amos and Micah and Jeremiah saw it.’ He had been there. He knew. There are many times that I think that way about the time I spent living in Haiti, as it was such a blessing through many hardships, that molded me into seeing the lives of their children, and the importance of their lives in the way I should view them and others as well.

When you look at this young child who attends the Lutheran school at Bois Marchand guarding his plate of rice and beans with his little arm, you may focus on that food, his face and the empty spoon that is preparing to plunge into his only meal for the day. You don’t see the uneven dirt floor in their school. You don’t realize that on this day it was over 100 degrees in this school at 11:30 in the morning. You don’t know that there is not electricity or a well at this school. You cannot know how far the cooks had to carry their buckets of water so they could prepare the meal today over an open fire. You don’t know where he lives in or near Gonaives. So many things you cannot appreciate about this photo without having been there, lived there and walked in his shoes.

See good, not evil. Stay in His Word and not in the lies of this fallen world. Thank you for feeding this child…His child. The original hymn ‘Let me be Thine forever’ was written by Nikolaus Sclnecker in 1572 and stanza 2 and 3 were added in 1688 by an unknown author and today’s message will close with this hymn.

“Let me be Thine forever, Thou faithful God and Lord; let me forsake Thee never nor wander from Thy Word. Lord, do not let me waver, but give me steadfastness, and for such grace forever Thy holy name I'll bless. Lord Jesus, my Salvation, my Light, my Life divine, my only Consolation; Oh, make me wholly Thine! For Thou hast dearly bought me with blood and bitter pain. Let me, since Thou hast sought me, eternal life obtain. And Thou, O Holy Spirit, my Comforter and Guide, grant that in Jesus' merit I always may confide, Him to the end confessing Whom I have known by faith. Give me Thy constant blessing and grant a Christian death.”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 10/25/22 Joel Griffith 10/25/22

Standing in Grace.

“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 mom 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, tragic death of her husband, raising two children and 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 as we endure 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 makes it that much more special as when in the coming days, I write a check for a portion of my corn harvest tithe to Trinity HOPE as 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 these days with the increasing gang violence. In 1846 a hymn titled ‘I heard the voice of Jesus say’ 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 10/24/22 Joel Griffith 10/24/22

How you give.

“By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.” Hebrews 11:4

It’s really interesting to me that the very first person who gets mentioned in above passage from Hebrews is Abel, one of Adam and Eve’s sons. What did Abel do that caused him to be included alongside Moses and Abraham and other significant biblical heroes in the 11th chapter of Hebrews? As far as we know, Abel never did anything great. He never took any major risks. But he gave an offering in ‘faith’, and that pleased God. It’s not what Abel gave; it’s how he gave it. Abel gave with an attitude of faith.

Last week, I gave the larger portion of the tithe from my soybean harvest to Trinity HOPE. I can tell you this morning that giving and faith go together. God couldn’t care less about the amount you give. God doesn’t need your money. He wants your heart. In fact, if you’re not giving in faith, don’t bother to write that check. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:6; “Without faith it is impossible to please God”.

There are two ways to give; you can give by reason, or you can give by revelation. To give by reason is to sit down, look at the numbers, and figure out reasonably what you think it makes sense to give. But that approach doesn’t require any faith at all. On the other hand, when you give by revelation, you let God reveal to you what he wants you to give in faith. You stop and take time to pray, asking, “God, how much do you want me to trust you for this time?” Then you do whatever he tells you to do; you are at peace with the amount. This is the kind of giving that stretches your faith because it’s not necessarily reasonable. It’s giving based on revelation.

When you give in faith, you give with joy. And, as a result of your joyous, faithful giving, you grow and ultimately become more like Christ!

May God be with you,

Jay

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

Saturday...on this side.

“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 read a quote recently in a devotion from John Timmer that said “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.”

From back in the day, I recall from teaching Lutheran Confirmation classes to 7th and 8th grade kids in Nebraska, that we cannot know Jesus through another person's acquaintance with him; my faith in Jesus cannot save my children. It must be their own personal faith. Our faith in the 150 children who attend this Lutheran school at Lauture cannot save them; cannot save one of these lives. They, like us must know him on our own account.

I’ve been reading the book ‘Help is Here’ by Max Lucado and he tells his readers that the Holy Spirit comes to us through the Word and reveals that our Salvation is found only through Jesus Christ. God has called each of us here and in this Christian 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 while living on this side of Heaven, for their 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!”

May God be with you,

Jay

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

Quick wisdom.

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” 1 Peter 4:12

I’m not sure if you have ever experienced any fiery ordeals along your life’s journey, but can only assume that you have as everybody has had moments when our life’s roller coaster ride has ultimately crashed and burned. In Haiti, there have been countless streets barricaded by piles of burning tires that were set by godless gang members trying to disrupt lives and cause fear. Believers and un-believers alike have their ups and downs throughout their journey; we are born, we live and ultimately, we die.

As His children in this sinful world, we suffer persecution and ridicule from a sin filled world that is hostile to our Triune God. Quite often this happens because we do not conform to or participate in their godless passions and activities; we are different from them. The attached photo is of a sign on a business along Delmas which is a four lane, main street in Petionville and this sign is a perfect example of this fallen world tempting people to sign up and be a ‘quick thinker’ in no time at all. First thing striking is that the sign is in English and not French or Haitian Creole. Secondly, the real paradox here is that this promise of ‘quick wisdom’ appears in a country where an estimated 65 percent cannot read or write. An estimated sixty percent of the people in Haiti practice vodou and call upon satan when burning tires appear on their journey; they need Jesus. This fallen world throws out many ‘promises’ along our journey but there is only one sure thing that will really bring us hope; we need Jesus.

Our Triune God promises a day of judgment in which all humans, living and dead, will give an account of themselves. While we await this Judgment Day, we are to live as His obedient and faithful children. We are not supposed to conform to the ways of this world but we are to be self-controlled and sober-minded, loving, hospitable, and use our spiritual gifts for the building up of the church throughout His world. Love one another. In this way, even when we suffer as Christians in this sinful world, we glorify God and Christ our Lord and Savior. The hymn ‘Come to Calvary’s Holy mountain’ was written by James Montgomery in 1819 and provides a wonderful invitation to each of us as we search for rescue from the fiery ordeals that clutter our pathway.

“Come to Calvary's holy mountain, sinners, ruined by the fall; here a pure and healing fountain flows to you, to me, to all, in a full, perpetual tide, opened when our Savior died. Come in poverty and meanness, come defiled, without, within; from infection and uncleanness, from the leprosy of sin, wash your robes and make them white; ye shall walk with God in light. Come in sorrow and contrition, wounded, impotent, and blind; here the guilty free remission, here the troubled peace, may find. Health this fountain will restore; he that drinks shall thirst no more. He that drinks shall live forever; tis a soul-renewing flood. God is faithful; God will never break His covenant of blood, signed when our Redeemer died, sealed when He was glorified.”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 10/20/22 Joel Griffith 10/20/22

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 culture tells us that ‘contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of how much you already have.’ Too often, we measure contentment with the ‘stuff’ that we in North America have, and truth be told, we should be very CONTENT. Sadly, most of the people I listen to on this side of Heaven are not content with all the things that they have; it is either never enough, or their stuff is broken.

Most people look for contentment by purchasing a new house or car, or any number of things that they don’t need online or from a catalogue. Some people in this world seek to find contentment by sacrificing possessions and living a simple life; free from the temptations of this world. The attached photo is of the apartment building where my one room apartment on the second floor was located in Petionville. If you had visited me, your North American eyes would have seen what I lacked, but my Haitian co-workers saw me as having many blessings.

When laundry day is here in Normal, IL, quite often my memory bank is opened and thoughts of washing clothes in the bathtub or sink in my Haitian apartment with unpotable water from a faucet and then heading to the clothesline on the roof where they were hung on a clothes line and dried in a hot breeze. While my clothes appeared to be clean to my eyes, they were never as clean as the women who washed their families’ clothes in the river, and dried them on bushes or rocks; or so it seemed to me. I was content in my living conditions and I imagine that the people living to the west of my apartment, up 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 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 contentment today; that our Heavenly Father, Who 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