International Prayer Day First Monday each month 10 am

Joel Griffith 11/6/23 Joel Griffith 11/6/23

Waiting for an answer.

“King David rose to his feet and said: “Listen to me, my fellow Israelites, my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it. But God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.’ “Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah as leader, and from the tribe of Judah he chose my family, and from my father’s sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel. Of all my sons; and the Lord has given me many, he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. He said to me: ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws, as is being done at this time.’” 1 Chronicles 28:2–7

One of my morning devotionals has been going through the Old Testament with Charles Swindoll. Recently, we have been in 1 Chronicles and we’ve been reading about David and he has been struggling with God and waiting for an answer. Have you been in that season recently; the season of waiting? There are quite a few Haitians waiting for an answer to the challenge of ending the gang presence in their country.

In the above passages, David wanted to build a temple but God did not give him the yes answer that he was desiring. That temple was going to be built by Solomon. David got a ‘no’ and Solomon got a ‘yes’ from God.

Do you, like David and God’s faithful in Haiti, have some cherished desire that isn’t showing yet? I’ve found that usually, it takes getting up higher in years to realize that's going to happen, because the younger we are, the greater our dreams, the broader our hopes, and the more determined we are to make them happen according to our desires. But as we get older, many of us see that some of those great hopes and dreams are never going to be realized by us on this side of Paradise. Perhaps it is a dream of some great accomplishment through a unique kind of ministry. For Haiti, it would be the removal of the presence of gangs. Maybe it is a desire for an unusual career or personal recognition. Maybe it’s the end of a vacancy at your church. Perhaps it's a longing for relief from something in your life that you've had to live with for years. Whatever it is, you may now recognize that it is never going to happen on your watch, and that's a hard pill to swallow. But, like David, it's an opportunity to find satisfaction in what God has allowed you to do. As he reflects on his life and his own unfulfilled desire, David tells shares that he will turn his attention away from what wasn't to be and instead focus on the things God has done.

If you’re in a season of waiting, this is your challenge, isn't it? We can live the last years of our life swamped by guilt or overwhelmed by regrets from the past. We can either ‘eat our heart out,’ or we can say, ‘By the grace of God, I did the best I could with what I had. And I claim His promise that somehow He'll use what I did accomplish for His greater glory.’ We have Hope for tomorrow while we wait. What a wonderful attitude to have as we wait for His answer.

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 11/4/23 Joel Griffith 11/4/23

Showing compassion.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

On this first Saturday in November, you may have a favorite football or volleyball team that is deep into it’s conference games. Today…how about showing a little compassion for the opponent? Be kind and compassionate are two qualities that seem to be in short supply these days. When our world tells us to look up to our sports stars, movie stars, biased political commentators and GOAT musicians it becomes more evident that we are holding up the wrong people to idolize as this fallen world tells us that if we are kind and compassionate instead of mean and always being number one than we are weak and not strong.

To forgive as God forgave us requires great courage and great strength; the world tells us otherwise. The attached photo of a young girl at Labodrie seems to scream out the words ‘kind and compassionate’ when you look into her eyes. Serving His children in Haiti is a humbling experience and the fruits of your labor and their labor will bring more children and adults into the Kingdom. The hymn ‘All Depends on Our Possessing’ was written by an unknown author in Germany in 1673 and then translated by Catherine Winkworth in 1858 and words seemed like a fitting way to close this devotion.

“All depends on our possessing God's abundant grace and blessing, though all earthly wealth depart. He who trusts with faith unshaken in His God is not forsaken and e'er keeps a dauntless heart. He who hitherto hath fed me and to many joys hath led me, is and ever shall be mine. He who did so gently school me, He who still doth guide and rule me, will remain my Help divine. Many spend their lives in fretting over trifles and in getting things that have no solid ground. I shall strive to win a treasure that will bring me lasting pleasure and that now is seldom found. When with sorrow I am stricken, hope my heart anew will quicken, all my longing shall be stilled. To His loving-kindness tender soul and body I surrender; for in Him alone I build. Well He knows what best to grant me; all the longing hopes that haunt me, joy and sorrow, have their day. I shall doubt His wisdom never, as God wills, so be it ever, I to Him commit my way. If on earth my days He lengthen, He my weary soul will stengthen; all my trust in Him I place. Earthly wealth is not abiding, like a stream away is gliding; safe I anchor in His grace.”

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 11/3/23 Joel Griffith 11/3/23

Abundant blessings.

“You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the LORD Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house.” Haggai 1:9

Back in the day, while living in Haiti, my job brought me to visit the Lutheran schools and congregations in nine Districts located in Haiti. I was frequently asked by the District President’s to give a message on Sunday morning to their congregation on the topic of tithing; not a great way to make friends but a wonderful way to plant seeds and share in the joy of tithing and the realized blessings that always came following.

In my previous congregation in Nebraska, there was a man who always seemed to be angry at the world, angry at our country, angry at Christians and angry at God and the only time I had ever seen him smile was when he stated that he had never given one dime to a congregation. He doesn’t understand that what he is withholding from God is preventing him from enjoying a fuller relationship with our Heavenly Father and more abundant blessings.

The attached photo was taken at Bon Berger in Caredeux on a Sunday morning; this was my home congregation while living in Haiti. At that time, the average person in Haiti has an annual income of roughly $350 and I would try to sit in the rear of the Church on Sunday, not because that is how I was brought up, but I was curious to see what their offering plate looked like when it reached the last pew.

These people who had literally nothing to live on placed a few coins into the plate and to them, it must have been like you or I placing $500 in our offering plate. Our Heavenly Father's sovereign ways can cause our endeavors to succeed beyond our wildest dreams or they can defeat our plans to our own dismay and leave us looking for somebody to blame.

With a simple touch of His hand, God can steer our vessel into a profitable channel or He can allow it to run aground in poverty and bankruptcy. The Scriptures teach us that the Lord enriches the generous but leaves the miserly to discover that withholding their money only leads to poverty.

Over the years, the offering plate at Bon Berger grew fuller and fuller and even had paper money becoming more prominent than coins; the congregation is being blessed. To the man that I spoke of earlier there is a verse in Matthew that says “Selfishness will always look first to its own home, but godliness will seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness." May your tithing be a joy and not a hindrance as you return a portion of your daily blessings to the One who gave it to you. William How wrote ‘We give Thee but Thine Own’ in 1854 and its words seemed like an appropriate way to close this devotion.

“We give Thee but Thine own, whate'er the gift may be; all that we have is Thine alone, a trust, O Lord, from Thee. May we Thy bounties thus as stewards true receive and gladly, as Thou blessest us, to Thee our first-fruits give! Oh, hearts are bruised and dead, and homes are bare and cold, and lambs for whom the Shepherd bled are straying from the fold. To comfort and to bless, to find a balm for woe, to tend the lone and fatherless, is angels' work below. The captive to release, to God the lost to bring, to teach the way of life and peace, it is a Christlike thing. And we believe Thy Word, though dim our faith may be: whate'er for Thine we do, O Lord, we do it unto Thee.”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 11/2/23 Joel Griffith 11/2/23

The Good Shepherd.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me; just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” John 10:14-16

I saw this beautiful wall hanging in an ad on Facebook recently and thought it would be a good reminder to hang next to my intrusive screen. As it turns out, I need a good reminder quite often. A reminder to turn off the clutter from this fallen world that appears on the television and open a book…a Good Book. This picture is a good reminder that I have strayed, my body is dirty, I am probably helplessly stuck in a mud hole and I need to see the Good Shepherd coming to find me…again.

Thinking back to what I recall about the Good Shepherd from past Bible studies, I know that the Good Shepherd has a close relationship with His sheep. The sheep recognize and respond to His voice by faith. In turn, He knows them each by name and leads them where they should go and rescues them. This relationship is even compared to the intimate relationship between our Heavenly Father and His Son.

The Good Shepherd intends a full or abundant life for His sheep. He is the gate or way the only way to salvation, and it is absolutely secure in God’s hands. Nothing in all the universe is able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The Good Shepherd loves His sheep sacrificially, giving His life for them. He does so out of love and obedience to His Father as well as on His own authority. Furthermore, His sacrificial love isn’t the end of the story; He holds authority over death and the grave. They cannot hold Him. He will take up His life again! The Good Shepherd is coming to rescue you, me and a whole flock of kids in Haiti.

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 11/1/23 Joel Griffith 11/1/23

Celebrate!!!

“The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.” Matthew 15:31

The first day in November…temperature is below freezing this morning in Normal…celebrate! When was the last time that you celebrated? When was the last time that you clapped your hands, lifted your arms and joyfully screamed as loud and long as your blood pressure would permit? The last time I experienced this type of celebration was when the No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team beat the No. 1 Wisconsin volleyball team in Lincoln a few weeks ago.

I don’t ever recall screaming ‘Praise the Lord!’ at the top of my lungs after I had received Holy Communion; that should take place but it never has. Too often we celebrate the events of this world that are trivial and only last for a brief moment in time. We applaud sports teams, political candidates and social celebrities but not Jesus; it is not politically correct to do that. Next Sunday take a moment to glance at His children returning from receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion. If you were a visitor, would receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus seem to be a moment of joy to the communicant or a time of sadness?

Back in the day, while living in Haiti, one of my favorite times was visiting the Lutheran churches and schools throughout Haiti, especially in the rural areas. The attached photo was taken in 2001 in the Les Cayes district at the school in Chambellan. At this point in time, there was a concrete footing with rebars pointing to the sky and that was a promise that a sound structure would be built one day…prayerfully soon. As the camera was being prepared to capture this moment in time, Pastor Israel Isidor would always encourage the students to celebrate this moment and shout ‘Beni Soit L’Eternal’ (Praise the Lord) and lift their hands in celebration.

A moment of joy, a moment of celebration. Every time a school child raises a heaping spoonful of manna to their mouth that was filled by a Trinity HOPE donor like you a ‘Beni Soit L’Eternal’ is celebrated. Isaac Watts wrote the words to the hymn ‘Joy to the World, the Lord is Come’ in 1719 and this hymn should be sung more often than just at Christmas. Celebrate what the Lord has done for you today!

“Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King; let every heart prepare Him room and heaven and nature sing. Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy. No more let sins and sorrows grow nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found. He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love.”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 10/31/23 Joel Griffith 10/31/23

Living by faith.

“All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.” Hebrews 11:13

What a beautiful statement on this last day of October; regarding all those saints who fell asleep before the coming of our Lord Jesus. It really doesn't matter how they died, where they died or when they died but the most important thing they had in common is that they all "were still living by faith when they died." Our Heavenly Father wants you, me, these children from Haiti and all people on this earth to be living by faith when we breathe our last. He sent His only Son to come into this world to seek and save the lost.

Believers in Christ should prayerfully not die while resting in their favorite recliner or basking in the glow of their earthly accomplishments; but be firmly holding to their faith in our risen Savior. The followers of Christ in Hebrews 11 understood that it is as precious to die by faith as it is to live by faith. These children living in Haiti are learning more about their Savior every day and are enjoying their daily meal. For many of them, their ancestors practiced vodou and probably denied Christ and did not receive the same promises of Eternal Glory in Heaven as these young saints are waiting for in the coming days. These young children are confident of their acceptance by God, daily enjoying the rays of His love and resting in His faithfulness to the very end. I close today with the words to the hymn ‘Savior of the nations, come’ that was written by Martin Luther in 1524.

“Savior of the nations, come, virgin's Son, make here Thy home! Marvel now, O heaven and earth, that the Lord chose such a birth. Not by human flesh and blood, by the Spirit of our God, was the Word of God made flesh; woman's Offspring, pure and fresh. Wondrous birth! O wondrous Child of the Virgin undefiled! Though by all the world disowned, still to be in heaven enthroned. From the Father forth He came and returneth to the same, captive leading death and hell; high the song of triumph swell! Thou, the Father's only Son, hast o'er sin the victory won. Boundless shall Thy kingdom be; when shall we its glories see? Brightly doth Thy manger shine, glorious is its light divine. Let not sin o'ercloud this light; ever be our faith thus bright. Praise to God the Father sing, praise to God the Son, our King, praise to God the Spirit be ever and eternally.”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 10/30/23 Joel Griffith 10/30/23

A plate of Hope.

“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Luke 18:17

I read the following quote on Friday after reading the headlines coming out of Haiti; “Life is like an onion; you peel off one layer at a time and sometimes you weep.” The children in the attached photo attend the Lutheran school in Bois Marchand which is located on the Northwestern edge of Gonaives. It was about 11:15 when this photo was snapped and it must have been 100 degrees in this ‘airy’ concrete block building that was built by Haitian hands. The children had put down their school books, washed their hands from a white plastic bucket, said their prayers and then, their food was brought to them by their teachers.

Visiting Trinity HOPE feeding programs can sometimes almost make me weep when I consider what these children are going through every day; every day after day after day living in Haiti. What do you suppose the little boy on the right side of the second desk is thinking about, he has a thoughtful stare on his face? His name is Richard and he approached me before I left and through an interpreter, he thanked me for the feeding program as his school. I gave him a big hug and my sunglasses prevented him from seeing moisture in my eyes. Thank you, for the feeding program at his school and the other 276 schools in Haiti. Richard places his trust in Jesus as every day this plate of food arrives at his desk in Bois Marchand; a plate of hope where there is little hope to go around. Frances Havergal wrote the words to the hymn ‘I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus’ in 1874 and they provide comfort His children when this world tells us there is no hope.

”I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus, trusting only Thee; trusting Thee for full salvation, great and free. I am trusting Thee for pardon; at Thy feet I bow, for Thy grace and tender mercy trusting now. I am trusting Thee for cleansing in the crimson flood; trusting Thee to make me holy by Thy blood. I am trusting Thee to guide me; Thou alone shalt lead, ev'ry day and hour supplying all my need. I am trusting Thee for power; Thine can never fail. Words which Thou Thyself shalt give me must prevail. I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus; never let me fall. I am trusting Thee forever and for all.”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 10/28/23 Joel Griffith 10/28/23

Saved.

“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me” Psalm 138:7

This is the last Saturday in October. There are committees in my church being formed to put up Advent decorations. Is that a challenge? If the number of volunteers is small…then yes. As a child of God living in North America, there will always be some form of challenges in my life as the evil foe will have it no other way while he is still unleashed, roaming through every nook and cranny on this earth.

The child on the left in the attached photo is no doubt enduring more troubles in her life than the children next to her. Her prayer time in Bois Marchand is reaching our Heavenly Father in the same amount of time that our prayers reach Him. We think that her problems must not be like ours, but in truth they are as they were started by satan; in Haiti, in Illinois, in Tennessee, in your home and all over this world; the evil foe brings more challenges into the lives of those who call upon the Triune God; and also upon those who don’t. Tig difference here; we are saved, those still clinging to the lies of the vodou priest are not saved. Horatius Bonar wrote the lyrics for the hymn ‘Thy works, not mine, O Christ’ in 1857 and they are such a wonderful reminder that our Savior is always near, always there when we call upon His name.

“Thy works, not mine, O Christ, speak gladness to this heart; they tell me all is done, they bid my fear depart. To whom save Thee, who canst alone for sin atone, Lord, shall I flee? Thy wounds, not mine, O Christ, can heal my bruised soul; Thy stripes, not mine, contain the balm that makes me whole. To whom save Thee, who canst alone for sin atone, Lord, shall I flee? Thy cross, not mine, O Christ, has borne the awe-full load of sins that none could bear but the incarnate God. To whom save Thee, who canst alone for sin atone, Lord, shall I flee? Thy death, not mine, O Christ, has paid the ransom due; ten thousand deaths like mine would have been all too few. To whom save Thee, who canst alone for sin atone, Lord, shall I flee? Thy righteousness, O Christ, alone can cover me; no righteousness avails save that which is of Thee. To whom save Thee, who canst alone for sin atone, Lord, shall I flee?”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 10/27/23 Joel Griffith 10/27/23

In HIS Word.

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

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

When you look at the attached photo of a ‘Bib La’ resting on a church pew in Haiti’s Central Plateau, it is important for you to know that an estimated sixty percent of the people living in Haiti cannot read or write. Back in the day, on one of my visits to the Central Plateau, I saw a large collection of new Lutheran Catechism’s in a cardboard box that had been translated into Haitian Creole by Rev. Dr. Doris Louis. I asked why they were in the box and not in the hands of the lay Pastors in the countryside and the reply given me was that they could not read them; the Pastors could read French, but not Creole as that common language had been taught audibly.

It is truly important for you to understand just how valuable your support is to Trinity HOPE as over 62,000 children in these schools are learning to read and write; their impact upon the country of Haiti in the next decade will truly be monumental. These children in Haiti will be the Pastors, teachers, missionaries and parents who will share His Word with the country as their gifts of literacy will impact so many for Him. Their witness will impact so many more than the witness of the present Pastors and teachers. The hymn ‘Lord, keep us steadfast in Thy Word’ was written by Martin Luther in 1541 and those words are still applicable today and close this message.

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

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 10/26/23 Joel Griffith 10/26/23

Pride.

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

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

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

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

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

May God be with you,

Jay