International Prayer Day First Monday each month 10 am

Joel Griffith 12/28/22 Joel Griffith 12/28/22

Where are you going?

“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.” Psalm 67:1-2

I shared with you a few days ago that I was reading ‘The Caribbean’ occasionally and that is because I’ve also been re-reading the book ‘Nearing Home’ by Billy Graham, partly because as a senior, I forgot some of it and wanted to read it again and see how it impacted me since I am a few years older than I was when I last read it and also because I found that it was a wonderful book to read as your journey, like my journey, will come to a close one day. There was a story in the book by Dr. Graham in which he shared a memory about Albert Einstein with his publicist in 2000 and I would like to share that with you today.

"I'm reminded today of Albert Einstein, the great physicist who this month has been honored by Time magazine as the Man of the Century. Einstein was once traveling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of every passenger. When he came to Einstein, he reached in his vest pocket. He couldn't find his ticket, so he reached in his trouser pockets. It wasn't there. He looked in his briefcase but couldn't find it. Then he looked in the seat beside him. He still couldn't find it. The conductor said, 'Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I'm sure you bought a ticket. Don't worry about it.' Einstein nodded appreciatively. The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket. The conductor rushed back and said, 'Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don't worry, I know who you are; no problem. You don't need a ticket. I'm sure you bought one.' Einstein looked at him and said, 'Young man, I too, know who I am. What I don't know is where I'm going.”
This is one reason I re-read books; I don’t recall what I read. The children in the attached photo attend the Lutheran School at Bois Marchand; their tickets have been punched and thankfully they know where they are going and are reminded every day they are in school and in prayer. They live in a place where many of their neighbors follow the drums of the vodou priest and his business is to recruit souls for satan. They are fearful of going too far away from their homes because of gangs. Too many in our world aren’t sure where they are going. Thank you for sharing the message through your prayers and gifts. I close today with the words to the hymn ‘May God bestow on us His Grace’ that was written by Martin Luther in 1524.

“May God bestow on us His grace, with blessings rich provide us, and may the brightness of His face to life eternal guide us that we His saving health may know, His gracious will and pleasure, and also to the heathen show Christ's riches without measure and unto God convert them. Thine over all shall be the praise and thanks of every nation, and all the world with joy shall raise the voice of exultation; for Thou shalt judge the earth, O Lord, nor suffer sin to flourish; Thy people's pasture is Thy Word their souls to feed and nourish, in righteous paths to keep them. Oh, let the people praise Thy worth, in all good works increasing; the land shall plenteous fruit bring forth, Thy Word is rich in blessing. May God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit bless us! Let all the world praise Him alone, let solemn awe possess us.”

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 12/27/22 Joel Griffith 12/27/22

Am I Christ-Centered?

“Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:9-10

Evangelist Billy Graham once said, “Joy is one of the marks of a true believer. This is not a gushy emotion or a forced grin, but the security of knowing God’s love”. Nehemiah was one of the thousands who lived in exile. He had spent his whole life in Babylon, but his heart belonged to Jerusalem. When he learned that after so many years Jerusalem still laid in ruins, he was given permission to go to Jerusalem, along with enough men to rebuild the walls.

The story of Nehemiah’s return with the exiles and how they rebuilt walls, in spite of the obstacles and opposition, is truly amazing. They had no heavy equipment and they were under the threat of attack at all times. Only half the men could work at any one time. Because the other half were standing guard. In spite of this, the entire project was finished in 52 days, a remarkable feat.

When it was finished, they worshiped the Lord. Ezra, the priest, read from the five scrolls of the Law of Moses. As he did, the people wept. Then Nehemiah, Ezra and the Levites said to the people, “This day is holy in the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep”. (Neh. 8:9) Nehemiah added, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to the Lord. And do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (v10)

I believe that Nehemiah was talking about the kind of joy that is connected with a particular attitude toward the Lord and life. He had such a positive attitude because he was God-centered and not circumstance-centered.

If you’ve ever been to Haiti and seen these children who appear to have absolutely nothing and who live in such poverty, you would be amazed at how so many of them are actually filled with joy, the joy of the Lord. These children are not circumstance-centered at all, but rather, Christ-centered. Knowing the very real presence of the Lord in their life has filled them with a joy that no circumstance could ever take away. This is why, as Paul writes, they can rejoice always. (Phil. 4:4a)

It is just so important for each of us to look deeply at our own life and ask ourself, “Am I living my life circumstance-centered or Christ-centered?” That is what will show us and those around us that the joy of the Lord is our strength.

May God be with you,

Keith Enko

Joel Griffith 12/26/22 Joel Griffith 12/26/22

Forgiving others.

“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from the evil one. For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.” Traditional Lord’s Prayer A week ago, my elderly body was doing battle with an evil and unrelenting respiratory challenge and I decided to stay home and worship live stream with my previous congregation in Lincoln, NE. In the message, Pastor Luke shared that he and wife Jane had read a comment from a daily devotion on the fifth petition of the Lord’s Prayer that caught their attention in a surprising way. It read; “And forgive us our Christmases, as we forgive those who Christmas against us.” Before you read on, please, just hit pause for a moment and consider those words and how they may apply to you. It is crazy how the Spirit works as I have been reading through ‘The Caribbean’ by James Michener the past few months off and on and had just finished chapter ten that was about the period of the Haitian revolution from 1797 – 1804. The past of our fallen world is much darker than we know or probably would admit. We could replace the word ‘trespasses’ with ‘slavery’ for all the inhumane things we sinful people have accomplished for the sake of ‘improvement’ throughout history. Our brothers and sisters living in Haiti are going through very troubling times with the violent gangs. The fears they daily face were also felt by their ancestors. There are so many challenges sponsored by satan and his agents in our country and around this world in these trying times. Lord, deliver us from the evil one. In this coming year, let us examine ourselves daily and resist the evil challenges and not be complacent. Be courageous, God is with us. 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 12/24/22 Joel Griffith 12/24/22

Christmas Eve.

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.” Luke 2:8

To more deeply appreciate what it must have been like on the night that Jesus was born you need to drive out into the country, away from all of the city lights. There were many nights, when I lived in the Sandhills of Western Nebraska, when the night was so still that I could literally hear my heart beating inside of me and listened to goose bumps ‘pop’ on my back. The stars appeared to be bright, shining diamonds hanging in the sky and that is a time when God is so close that one can almost reach out and touch His hand.

Back in the day, while living in Petionville, a suburb of Port-au-Prince, it was also possible to go out onto the roof of my apartment and gaze at the stars since there was no electricity for street lights; and there too, their radiance and position seemed so close that a person could almost reach out and rub against them and feel the closeness of our Heavenly Father, Creator.

The Son of God came to earth on a still, quiet night; oblivious to many. Too many in our world today will not spend time considering the importance of His birth, His life, His death and His resurrection. It seems so difficult to separate ourselves from the activities of this fallen world to stop for a few moments, hit the pause button, and give thanks for His coming to be our Savior. I close today’s devotion with the words to the hymn ‘Silent Night’ that were written by Joseph Mohr in 1818.

“Silent night! Holy night! All is calm; all is bright, round yon Virgin Mother and Child. Holy Infant, so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace. Silent night! Holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight; glories stream from heaven afar, Heavenly hosts sing, Alleluia. Christ, the Savior, is born! Christ, the Savior, is born! Silent night! Holy night! Son of God, love's pure light radiant beams from Thy holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth. Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.”

May God be with you, Merry Christmas.

Jay

Joel Griffith 12/23/22 Joel Griffith 12/23/22

The manger.

“…and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” Luke 2:7

Every time I hear the word ‘manger’ mentioned a lump of emotion slides into my throat as I think about the smallest of the children standing in front of the Church singing ‘Away in a manger’ softly while watching their teacher and nervously looking into the crowd to catch a glimpse of their parents. Tears welled in my eyes when my daughters sang this song.

Mangers in the Christmas programs were generally made of a few boards, sometimes they were cardboard but no matter what their composition their main purpose was to be the bed for the Christ child. One definition for the word ‘manger’ is “a trough or box of carved stone or wood construction to hold food for animals. A Christian symbol associated with nativity scenes where Mary, forced by necessity to stay in a stable instead of an inn, placed the baby Jesus in a manger.” The Haitian goats in the attached photo are eating from a metal manger that you and I would probably call a wash basin.

The men’s Bible study group I attend recently went through ‘The Case for Christmas’ by Lee Strobel and we learned that Joseph, Mary and Baby Jesus were most likely kept in a small, guest room where young animals were also kept and not in a North American version of a stable. Whatever type of manger Christ was placed in as a small child was a very humble place for the Son of God to be kept…because He came from Heaven. As we take measure of our lives, of our have’s and have not’s, let us never forget how our Savior came into this world and why He came into this world and how He left this world. I close today with the word to the song ‘Away in a Manger’.

The first publication of this song was in 1885 in a Lutheran Sunday school book by James R. Murray. The fact that the song was included in the book and was subtitled "Luther's Cradle Hymn (Composed by Martin Luther for his children and still sung by German mothers to their little ones)" created the misconception that the lyrics were actually written by Martin Luther himself. However, no proof that Martin Luther had any hand in the creation of "Away in a Manger" exists at this time.
“Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay, the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay. The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes, but little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes. I love thee, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky, and stay by my side until morning is nigh. Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay close by me forever and love me, I pray. Bless all the dear children in thy tender care, and take us to heaven to live with thee there.”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 12/22/22 Joel Griffith 12/22/22

In HIM is life.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:1-5

Who was this baby born in Bethlehem? Was this really the promised Messiah? How would this small baby lying in a manger in Bethlehem save the world? The Angels told the world that this was indeed the Savior of the World. This fallen world had trouble accepting this truth at that time and still wrestles with this truth today. In Matthew 19:26 Jesus tells the disciples “With man, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Once again, it is not about us, it is about what He did for us on that still, silent night so long ago in an animal feedbox in Bethlehem.

His Gospel light shines brightly in this dark world. His truth is above reproach. Our Heavenly Father loves all the children in Haiti and around the world and also loves you and loves me. That truth remains in each of us and at this time of year we need to share it with those who have not heard or are helplessly focused on the things of this world instead of the Savior of this world. I close with the words to the song ‘Oh Holy Night’ that was written by Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure in 1877.

“Oh holy night! The stars are brightly shining, it is the night of the dear Savior's birth! Long lay the world in sin and error pining till he appear'd and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn! Fall on your knees; Oh hear the angel voices. Oh night divine, Oh night when Christ was born. Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming with glowing hearts by His cradle we stand so led by light of a star sweetly gleaming. Here come the wise men from Orient land; the King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger in all our trials born to be our friend. Truly He taught us to love one another. His law is love and His gospel is peace. Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother and in His name all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, let all within us praise His holy name. Fall on your knees; Oh hear the angel voices. Oh night divine, Oh night when Christ was born.”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 12/21/22 Joel Griffith 12/21/22

Had goose bumps recently?

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:13-14 (KJV)

Have you ever had goose bumps go up and down your spine when a thousand voices in the sky above you, joyfully sang a favorite hymn that tugged at your heart? I can only imagine that the shepherds must have been shaking in their sandals while a multitude of voices were praising God out in the fields that still, silent night two thousand years ago. And the sheep…what must have they been doing with that large crowd of angels?

Back in the day while living in Haiti, there were a number of occasions when I sat and listened to and sang with the congregation at Bon Berger in Caredeux, when they joyfully sang praises to God in a hymn that went on and on in Creole and they had no sheet music to follow…just their hearts, minds and voices singing praises to their Heavenly Father, our Heavenly Father. I often wonder what will heaven be like? One day all of the believers from every tribe and race will be joining together singing praises to our Heavenly Father in one common tongue. While we wait for that moment, let’s close by reading the words to the hymn ‘Hark the Herald Angels sing’ which was written by Charles Wesley in 1739.

“Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new-born King; peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!" Joyful, all ye nations, rise, join the triumph of the skies; with the angelic host proclaim. "Christ is born in Bethlehem!" Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new-born King!" Christ, by highest heaven adored. Christ, the everlasting Lord, late in time behold Him come, offspring of a virgin's womb. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate Deity! Pleased as Man with man to dwell; Jesus, our Immanuel! Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new-born King!"

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 12/20/22 Joel Griffith 12/20/22

A Savior from Bethlehem.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” Isaiah 9:6-7

The prophet Isaiah told of somebody really special coming to earth. If you had been standing in a crowd listening to him give the details of this child who would be coming what would you have been searching for in the coming days and years? Surely not a humble child like the one in the attached photo that lives near Gonaives; the world was not expecting such a humble figure who would judge the world…who would be our Savior.

Today our world has been told of His birth, His ministry, His sacrifice, His victory and has been told that He will return one day and judge this world. Too many in this sinful world are still looking for something ‘better’ to meet their needs. You needn’t look any further than the Baby from Bethlehem and the cross of Calvary; share the message of this Savior with the world that is around you, along your journey and in your family. I close with the words from the hymn ‘What child is this’ that was written by William C. Dix in 1642.

“What child is this, who, laid to rest, on Mary’s lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet while shepherds watch are keeping? This, this is Christ the king, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing; haste, haste to bring him laud, the babe, the son of Mary! Why lies he is such mean estate where ox and ass are feeding? Good Christian, fear; for sinners here the silent word is pleading. Nails, spear shall pierce him through, the cross he borne for me, for you; hail, hail the word made flesh, the babe, the son of Mary! So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh; come, peasant, king, to own him. The King of kings salvation brings; let loving hearts enthrone him. Raise, raise the song on high, the virgin sings her lullaby; joy, joy, for Christ is born, the babe, the son of Mary!”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 12/19/22 Joel Griffith 12/19/22

God's answer to the blues.

“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me; holy is his name.” Luke 1:46-49

(NOTE: For the past decade, I’ve been praying for and asking several men and women who I have known and admired to assist me with writing devotions for Trinity HOPE. Recently, Pastor Keith Enko from Nashville stepped onto the retirement escalator leading to Heaven and shared a few devotions. They were handwritten and handed to Denise Gudlin who put them into a Word doc and sent them to me. And today I am sharing one of them with you. Warning; Keith is a much better writer than me. Enjoy.)

Around the turn of the 20th century a new form of music began to emerge in our culture. It was a sad and soulful music based on the experiences of people who had lived hard lives. It was called “The Blues”.

A Professor of Blues in Memphis, has written a humorous guide called, “How to Write The Blues”. He brings out that not everyone can sing the Blues and that singing the Blues is not about the color of your skin, but about luck. As examples he states; (1) Breaking your leg while skiing in Aspen is not the Blues; Losing your leg to an alligator in a Louisiana swamp is. (2) Dying in a bar fight is a Blues death; dying while having liposuction is not.

He also points out that no matter how tragic your life is, if you own a laptop computer, you cannot sing the Blues. It doesn’t even matter if, as he puts it, “Your big ol’mean woman done sat down on it. It is still not the Blues.”

My point with all of this is that if your faith is truly in Christ Jesus, it is impossible for you to sing the Blues. According to this Professor of Blues, Mary Magdalene certainly appeared to be able to sing the Blues. This woman whom Jesus had casted out seven demons had a very hard life. Then this Man who turned her life around and gave her hope was crucified like a common criminal.

Mary, the mother of Jesus could also sing the Blues. She had lost her son to an angry mob. She saw Him become a man who changed so many lives with His teachings and miracles. Then heartbroken, she saw Him suffer and die on a cross. If any woman ever had a reason to sing the Blues, it was Mary.

Simon Peter was another who could sing the Blues. He let down his best friend, the One Man in all the world who believed in Him. Jesus called him a Rock and said that He would build His Church on such a faith as his. Well, that rock crumbled under the pressure of the crowd. That rock fell to pieces as Peter denied ever knowing Jesus, three times. The same could be said of all of Jesus’ followers who saw their Lord and Master suffer and die on that cross.

However, Jesus’ resurrection changed everything for those people and for every one of us. For it proved everything He said and did is true. He is the Son of the Living God. And He has indeed destroyed the power that sin, death, hell, and satan has over us. He has restored the relationship between the Almighty and Holy God and all of humankind. He gives life, true life, eternal life to all who trust in Him, a life that will be celebrated to it’s fullest in heaven. Simply put, He made everything right that was wrong. Yes, He has made everything right that was wrong. Yes, He has made all things new!

When you truly know this truth, this Gospel of love and life deep within you; when you know Jesus like this, it is impossible for you to sing the Blues. All those followers of Jesus who saw Him lay down His life on that cross understood this when they saw the Risen Christ. And because of that, their whole life was changed. We can see that so clearly in Scripture. Many of Jesus’ followers were persecuted and killed because of their faith, yet that couldn’t make them sing the Blues.

Many would consider the conditions of those living in Haiti to be unbelievably horrible. These people are living in abject poverty, facing hunger, gang warfare and many other threats. Yet from what I have read and seen, those being touched by the ministry of Trinity HOPE have no reason at all to sing the Blues. For the tomb is empty, and for them, as well as us, that means that love conquers hate, light conquers darkness, and life conquers death. What we all must hold on to is that our God is bigger than anything that comes along in this life. So think about it, are you singing the Blues or is Jesus making that impossible for you?

May God be with you,

Keith Enko

Joel Griffith 12/17/22 Joel Griffith 12/17/22

Advent; the Angels.

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:13-14 (KJV)

While driving back home after Bible study last week, the group Alabama played the song ‘Angels Among Us’ on the radio and this brought me to think once again about the ‘Angels’ that were there near Bethlehem and are still near us today.

The ‘learned’ historians of this fallen world may tell you that the angels that appeared to the Shepherds were actually aliens…from another world. God did create Heaven and Earth and I suppose you could say that the Angels were from another world…Heaven; but it is hard to believe that they would need to come to earth in some type of a spaceship to proclaim the birth of our Savior born in Bethlehem.

The children in the attached photo attend the Lutheran school in Dondon which is located in the Cap Haitian District. They are protected by Angels as their lives are attacked by the evil spirits sent by the vodou priest to frighten them and also gang members who desire to cause them harm. The Holy Spirit is always in their lives and your life, watching, guiding and providing assurance that we have a Savior who was born in Bethlehem and has prepared a home for us in Heaven and that is the best news we could ever receive while living in a world that would have us believe that we have no hope. I close today with the words to ‘Angels Among Us.’

“I was walking home from school on a cold winter day; took a shortcut through the woods, and I lost my way. It was getting late, and I was scared and alone but then a kind old man took my hand and led me home. Mama couldn't see him, oh but he was standing there and I knew in my heart, he was the answer to my prayers. Oh well I believe there are angels among us sent down to us from somewhere up above. They come to you and me in our darkest hours to show us how to live, to teach us how to give and to guide us with the light of love. When life held troubled times, and had me down on my knees; there's always been someone to come along and comfort me. A kind word from a stranger, to lend a helping hand, a phone call from a friend, just to say I understand and ain't it kind of funny at the dark end of the road that someone lights the way with just a single ray of hope. They wear so many faces, show up in the strangest places to grace us with their mercy, in our time of need. Oh well I believe there are angels among us sent down to us from somewhere up above. They come to you and me in our darkest hours to show us how to live, to teach us how to give and to guide us with the light of love.”

May God be with you,

Jay