International Prayer Day First Monday each month 10 am

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

Getting directions.

“Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.” Matthew 2:7-9

Back in the day, when I lived in Haiti and left my apartment in Petionville to drive out into the countryside to visit the Lutheran Churches and Schools, I often thought about the journey of the Magi. They had a star to guide them; not Google Earth or OnStar, but a star from God proclaiming that the Savior of the world had come down in Bethlehem.

Finding the children in attached photo who attend the Lutheran School in Saltedere was always a memorable task. No map, no road markers, no GPS but only another Haitian with me who ‘had been this way before’; or so I had been told. We drove north up Mont Cabrits (Goat Mountain) then onward to Mireabalas, Hinche, Thomassique and finally to Saltedere. We drove through many bridgeless streams and always got stuck in the mud at least once as the Haitian driver would cautiously ease our truck into the muddy rut like an old man lowering himself into a tub of hot water. Rather than charge into the mire and rely upon the momentum and four-wheel drive to pull us through, the driver would ease into the muck and we be stuck.

The Magi found the promised King who had come to earth for them, you, me and the children who live throughout His creation. May you find a moment to ponder their journey to find Him, your journey to find Him and the importance of sharing the message of Salvation with ears that have not yet heard the true message of Christmas. I close this devotion with the words from the hymn ‘As with Gladness Men of Old’ which were written by William C. Dix in 1860.

“As with gladness men of old did the guiding star behold; as with joy they hailed its light, leading onward, beaming bright, so, most gracious Lord, may we evermore be led by Thee! As with joyful steps they sped, Savior, to Thy lowly bed, there to bend the knee before Thee whom heaven and earth adore, so may we with willing feet ever seek Thy mercy-seat! As they offered gifts most rare at Thy cradle, rude and bare, so may we with holy joy, pure and free from sin's alloy, all our costliest treasures bring, Christ, to Thee, our heavenly King! Holy Jesus, every day keep us in the narrow way; and when earthly things are past, bring our ransomed souls at last where they need no star to guide, where no clouds Thy glory hide. In the heavenly country bright need they no created light; Thou its Light, its Joy, its Crown, Thou its Sun which goes not down. There forever may we sing Alleluias to our King!”

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, 8not 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 12/11/23 Joel Griffith 12/11/23

The reason for this season.

“For in him you have been enriched in every way with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge; God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed” 1 Corinthians 1:5-7

Have you heard about the ‘reason for the season’ line recently? Seems like mankind has always been trying to understand the reason for things; Adam and Eve were trying to have the same ‘knowledge’ as our Creator. We want to know why God did things the way He did and what holds for our future.

Our Triune God doesn’t reveal His plan for you, me or for the over 62,000 children attending Lutheran school in Haiti who receive a meal through Trinity HOPE. God does reveal Himself to us when we are sad, lonely, injured by the sin of this world, lost, in trouble and even when we celebrate. He revealed Himself to us through His Son Jesus Christ who walked among us two thousand years ago and is still here today with the Holy Spirit; among us. I close today with the words from the hymn ‘Come, O long expected Jesus’ which was written by Charles Wesley in 1835.

“Come, O long-expected Jesus, born to set your people free; from our fears and sins release us by your death on Calvary. Israel's strength and consolation, hope to all the earth impart, dear desire of ev'ry nation, joy of ev'ry longing heart. Born your people to deliver, born a child and yet a king; born to reign in us forever, now your gracious kingdom bring. By your own eternal Spirit rule in all our hearts alone; by your all-sufficient merit raise us to your glorious throne.”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 12/9/23 Joel Griffith 12/9/23

Fluttering around.

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

Saturday morning and I want to share a story about a man who lived in a small house in the mountains with windows that were very high on the walls facing the South. One day a bird happened to fly in when the patio door was open; probably had some children from the city visiting on that day. The bird tried to leave by flying out of the clean windows and tried again and again but its efforts continued to end with a thud. The man opened the door and tried to shoo the bird in the direction of the open door but it continued to fly into the windows; losing strength and desire with each attempt. Finally, it became tired and fluttered to the floor and the man stepped to the side of the open door and the bird cautiously evacuated the house by hopping to the freedom of the outdoors.

This story caused me to consider all the fluttering around that many people in our cities are doing at the present time trying to prepare all that ‘needs’ to be prepared for Christmas without spending time to stop and personally consider how important this Advent season is for you, me and the children attending Lutheran schools in Haiti.

We spend so much time preparing programs, presents, feasts, decorations, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, travel plans and we lose sight of the simple, important truth about Advent season. We continue to smack into a window when God has opened the door for us with the simple story of how He sent His Son Jesus to be born through the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem and this Christ child would live with us, die for us and redeem us from our sinful lives.

Please set aside several moments when you are fluttering during this Advent season to personally give thanks for the only reason for Advent; Christ came to earth full of grace and truth. I close today with the hymn ‘Savior of the Nations, Come’ which was written by St. Ambrose in the middle of the third century and later translated in German by Martin Luther in 1524 at the age of 41.

“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 12/8/23 Joel Griffith 12/8/23

Family traditions.

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 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: 8-14 (KJV)

Family traditions come and go. As I grow older and members of my family either die or move away, things change, but there is one thing that I still like to do during Advent. Dust off the King James Bible and read Luke 2:1-18 and be reminded of how the Birth of Jesus was first read to me as a child. I remember when my congregation switched from the KJV to the NASB and then the NIV and now the ESV and am reminded how much my soul misses hearing it in the KJV.

The child in the attached photo attends the Lutheran School and Church in Ouanaminthe and listens to story of the Birth of Jesus in French. Verse 11 proclaims “Un Sauveur vous est né aujourd'hui dans la ville de David; c'est lui le Messie, le Seigneur.” This child learns that born this day in the city of David is a Savior. A savior that will protect her and rescue her from death, the devil and the vodou priest; Christ the Lord is His name. Martin Luther wrote the fifteen verses of the hymn ‘From Heaven Above to Earth I Come’ in German in 1535. An inkwell, a pen, several sheets of paper and a servant of the Lord spent countless hours to bless us with these words to this Advent hymn.

“From heaven above to earth I come to bear good news to every home; glad tidings of great joy I bring, whereof I now will say and sing: To you this night is born a child of Mary, chosen virgin mild; this little child, of lowly birth, shall be the joy of all the earth. This is the Christ, our God and Lord, who in all need shall aid afford; He will Himself your Savior be from all your sins to set you free. He will on you the gifts bestow prepared by God for all below, that in His kingdom, bright and fair, you may with us His glory share. These are the tokens ye shall mark: the swaddling-clothes and manger dark; there ye shall find the Infant laid by whom the heavens and earth were made. Now let us all with gladsome cheer go with the shepherds and draw near to see the precious gift of God, Who hath His own dear Son bestowed. Give heed, my heart, lift up thine eyes! What is it in yon manger lies? Who is this child, so young and fair? The blessed Christ-child lieth there. Welcome to earth, Thou noble Guest, through whom the sinful world is blest! Thou com'st to share my misery; what thanks shall I return to Thee? Ah, Lord, who hast created all, how weak art Thou, how poor and small, that Thou dost choose Thine infant bed where humble cattle lately fed! Were earth a thousand times as fair, beset with gold and jewels rare, it yet were far too poor to be a narrow cradle, Lord, for Thee. For velvets soft and silken stuff thou hast but hay and straw so rough, whereon Thou, King, so rich and great, as 'twere Thy heaven, art throned in state. And thus, dear Lord, it pleaseth Thee to make this truth quite plain to me, that all the world's wealth, honor, might, are naught and worthless in Thy sight. Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child, make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled, within my heart, that it may be a quiet chamber kept for Thee. My heart for very joy doth leap, my lips no more can silence keep; I, too, must sing with joyful tongue that sweetest ancient cradle-song: Glory to God in highest heaven, Who unto us His Son hath given! While angels sing with pious mirth a glad new year to all the earth.”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 12/7/23 Joel Griffith 12/7/23

More is not always better.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

From your point of view, do things usually look better on the outside than inside the wrapper? The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. I have visited many of you and may I say that many of you are richly blessed. You have a really nice house, well furnished, and I assume that your neighbors are in awe of your life.

Material possessions in North America mean a lot to us; the more stuff that you have the better your life is, the higher up the food chain you have risen. The children in this photo are not from North America but judging from their smiles they must be doing very well. They have on clean clothes, go to school and get a daily meal as they attend a school with a Trinity/HOPE feeding program. Their outside appearance looks pretty good and it is too bad you cannot visit their home as your opinion might be different if you knew where they lived and what was in their closet, kitchen cupboards and bathroom. My guess is that few of them have any of these three conveniences in their home.

Satan tells us that we need more of this and that; more money will bring us more happiness. His lies keep nagging at us and it is good to visit the lives of children in Haiti to bring us back to reality. True happiness comes from knowing and living for Jesus Christ; that happiness is eternal. Don’t be blinded by the lies of this world. Don’t let your ears and mind be numbed by the words of the liar of this world telling you that more is always better. You want true riches; turn to Jesus. I close with the words from the song ‘Shout to the Lord’ that I heard Randy Travis sing recently.

“My Jesus, My Savior, Lord, there is none like You; all of my days I want to praise the wonders of Your mighty love. My comfort, my shelter, tower of refuge and strength; let every breath, all that I am never cease to worship You. Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing. Power and majesty, praise to the King; mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of Your name. I sing for joy at the work of Your hands, forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand, nothing compares to the promise I have in You.”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 12/6/23 Joel Griffith 12/6/23

Advent is so much more...

“Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.” 1Timothy 3:16

Dear North America; the season of Advent is so much more than Black Friday; colored strings of lights on houses and trees, snow, presents, catalogues, fruitcakes and mistletoe hung in doorways. The Apostle Paul wrote that godliness is a mystery and it is because we mortal North Americans can seldom comprehend just how awesome it truly is; only our Heavenly Father and Creator can do that.

The minds of our sinful world cannot begin to wrap their human learned knowledge around the truth of our Savior being born to a virgin in Bethlehem; doesn’t make any sense to us how this could possibly happen. This ‘mystery’ is the answer to the problems in this world. This ‘mystery’ is what is truly important to this sin filled world Charley Brown.

The importance of feeding these children who attend the Lutheran School in Dondon is also a ‘mystery’ to many living in North America. Seeking and saving the lost was the message and direction our Savior, the Christ child, left with us. As you go about your family tradition during Advent, please consider sharing of your blessings to bring a meal of hope to these children that are being prepared to be His missionaries in Haiti. They will be taking the true message of our Savior to the lost, still living in fear of the vodou priest in Haiti. I close today with the hymn ‘A Great and Mighty Wonder’ that was attributed to have been written by St. Germanus in 1734.

“A great and mighty wonder. A full and holy cure: the Virgin bears the Infant with virgin honor pure. Repeat the hymn again: to God on high be glory and peace on earth to men! The Word becomes incarnate and yet remains on high, and cherubim sing anthems to shepherds from the sky. Repeat the hymn again: to God on high be glory and peace on earth to men! While thus they sing your Monarch, those bright angelic bands, rejoice, ye vales and mountains, ye oceans, clap your hands. Repeat the hymn again: to God on high be glory and peace on earth to men! Since all He comes to ransom. By all be He adored, the Infant born in Bethl'em, the Savior and the Lord. Repeat the hymn again: to God on high be glory and peace on earth to men. And idol forms shall perish, and error shall decay, and Christ shall wield His scepter, our Lord and God for aye. Repeat the hymn again:
to God on high be glory and peace on earth to men!"

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 11/30/23 Joel Griffith 11/30/23

I AM forever.

“He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

I am back. Last week Wednesday, at 4:45 AM a gizmo in my laptop refused to talk with my modem. I took the laptop in before noon to the repair shop. The holiday adjusted the local computer repair business hours here in Normal so I had a few days offline. So now its Thursday and it is time to tell you about the Church in the attached photo. This is Eglise Evangelique Lutherienne du Bon Berger in Caredeux which is a suburb in the Northeast of Port-au-Prince; the white truck was the vehicle God blessed me with while living in Haiti. I was blessed to have been there on a few Reformation Sundays and the above verse from Psalm 46 reminded me once again that God is exalted among ALL the nations, in ALL the earth.

Back in the day while living in Haiti, Pastor Thomas Bernard read Psalm 46 in French and I followed along in my NIV Bible during the service; God was present at that moment in French, Creole and English. No matter what the evil forces of this world are throwing at you or the congregation in Caredeux, God reminds us to be still and know that He is God; He is in control. We will be tossed about throughout our lives, pulled this way and that but don’t fear; be still and know that God is with you. I close with the words to the hymn ‘I AM forever who I Am’ that was composed by Kurt Von Kampen.

“Though mountains slide into the sea, and waters rush where fields should be, though monuments and nations fall, Your Holy city stands through all. When nothing seems to stay the same, You teach us your eternal name. We buy and sell, we lose or gain, our fortunes shift like sun and rain. Sustain our lives, reward our toil with bread and honey, wine and oil. Save us and others from our greed; You always give us what we need. Our lust for power, wealth and land diminishes the earth you planned. Prevent our crimes and futile wars; convince us that all things are yours. We rage and burn and kill and steal, but you redeem, restore and heal. Like shepherds watching for the light, aware of dangers in the night, we hear the angel “do not fear”, the Savior of the world is near. We run, we see, we touch, we laugh, You came to earth on our behalf. Each generation looks for truth and doubt can trouble age or youth. If other gods would take your place, remember us with love and grace. Reclaim us if we go astray; You are the Truth, the Life, the Way. Some days seem long, though life is brief, and death is waiting like a thief. When vision fades and dreams go dry, we still on unseen things rely. Our stories take up but a page but Yours goes on from age to age. I AM forever Who I AM; above you, beneath you, around you and within you. Be still and know that I am God.”

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 11/21/23 Joel Griffith 11/21/23

Why do THEY keep doing that?

“But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears.” Zechariah 7:11

Why do some people doubt that the Holy Bible is God’s Word? Why do some people refuse to listen to the Gospel message? Does this passage from the book of Zechariah sound familiar? Do you know anybody like that? Back in the day twenty years ago, while living in Haiti, there were vodou priests living in my neighborhood in Petionville who not only refused to pay attention to God’s Word, but took another step to further distance themselves from the saving Grace of Jesus Christ and sought out satan for assistance as they sacrificed animals in their temples. I heard them doing that, slowly torturing dogs to death around midnight.

I know for a fact that these children from Merrotte who are standing next to the plantain grove near their school hear the vodou drums pounding on Saturday nights in their neighborhood as the priests call upon evil spirits to do their business in attempting to keep the Christians from attending Christ the King Lutheran Church on Sunday morning; as I’ve slept in that Church and listened to their cadence into the wee hours of the morning.

I am sure that we all have known people who have refused to pay attention and closed their ears so that they could not hear the Truth. Paul says that men also close their minds to God’s general revelation in nature, as well as His special revelation in His Word. Sinful man turns away from God and willingly chooses to believe in the lies of satan; the grand deceiver. Thank you for helping to prepare over 60,000 young missionaries in Haiti to bring the message of Salvation to the closed ears and minds in Haiti. I’ve chosen the words from the hymn ‘"Open now Thy gates of beauty’ which was written by Benjamin Schmolck in 1723 to close today’s devotion.

“Open now Thy gates of beauty, Zion, let me enter there, where my soul in joyful duty waits for Him who answers prayer. Oh, how blessed is this place, filled with solace, light, and grace! Lord, my God, I come before Thee, come Thou also unto me; where we find Thee and adore Thee, there a heaven on earth must be. To my heart, oh, enter Thou, let it be Thy temple now! Here Thy praise is gladly chanted, here Thy seed is duly sown; let my soul, where it is planted, bring forth precious sheaves alone, so that all I hear may be fruitful unto life in me. Thou my faith increase and quicken, let me keep Thy gift divine, howsoe'er temptations thicken; may Thy Word still o'er me shine as my guiding star through life, as my comfort in my strife. Speak, O God, and I will hear Thee, let Thy will be done indeed; may I undisturbed draw near Thee while Thou dost Thy people feed. Here of life the fountain flows, here is balm for all our woes.”

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 11/20/23 Joel Griffith 11/20/23

Did Monday bring you problems?

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

In this verse from Romans, the Apostle Paul could have added that in our lifetime, there will be some problems; people with rough edges and painful situations now and then, but we can be certain that God will be with us; working with us as we move through our journey of serving Him.

Our Heavenly Father knows satan, his every move; how he reacts under pressure; what's important to him; God knows everything about him. The vodou priest that lives near these young girls who attend the Lutheran school in Les Cayes knows that their Holy Spirit is much more powerful than the legion of evil spirits that through satan, can be called down upon their lives; but he will not stop trying to fill their lives with fear and lies to persuade them to turn away from Christ.

Our Heavenly Father is never the initiator of evil; trials, troubles and fearful situations. He sometimes allows these troublesome events to happen, as only He can bring about good from them. These girls in Les Cayes and you and I will surely face problems in our lives but we can always be comforted that our Triune God is always with us, protecting, delivering and loving us each moment along our journey. Today we close with the words to the hymn ‘I Leave all things to God's Direction’ which was written by Salomo Franck in 1685.

“I leave all things to God's direction, He loveth me in weal and woe; His will is good, true His affection. With tender love His heart doth glow. My Fortress and my Rock is He: what pleaseth God, that pleaseth me. My God hath all things in His keeping, He is the ever faithful Friend; He grants me laughter after weeping, and all His ways in blessings end. His love endures eternally: what pleaseth God, that pleaseth me. The will of God shall be my pleasure while here on earth is mine abode; my will is wrong beyond all measure, it doth not will what pleaseth God. The Christian's motto e'er must be: what pleaseth God, that pleaseth me. God knows what must be done to save me, His love for me will never cease; upon His hands He did engrave me with purest gold of loving grace. His will supreme must ever be! What pleaseth God, that pleaseth me. My God desires the soul's salvation, me also He desires to save; therefore with Christian resignation all earthly troubles I will brave. His will be done eternally: what pleaseth God, that pleaseth me.”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 11/18/23 Joel Griffith 11/18/23

Think about such things.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable; if anything is excellent or praiseworthy; think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

Of all of the words that were attributed to the Apostle Paul, this verse has always been one of my favorites. These words describe the qualities of a life that we all should strive to model. These words are an excellent way to start my morning prayer. Prayer is one of the unlimited resources that each of us has; the world will not send us a monthly bill for this service.

When this fallen world attempts to strangle us with it’s wrong directions and lessons, prayer never changes and is always the correct direction to proceed when we turn our focus to the Cross. In our daily prayers we set aside the troubles, trials, agendas and pains of this world and let God’s wisdom and directions become our priorities as we receive His abundant blessings through a myriad of means in our lives.

As the children in the attached photo who attend school at Mammou in Port-au-Prince give thanks for their meal, we too give thanks in our daily prayers for His continual providence in our lives and for the Heavenly Home that is promised to each of us through our Savior Jesus Christ. The hymn ‘I'm but a Stranger here’ which was written by T.R. Taylor in 1836 seems like a good way to close this Saturday devotion.

“I'm but a stranger here, Heav'n is my home; earth is a desert dread, Heav'n is my home. Danger and sorrow stand round me on every hand; Heav'n is my fatherland, Heav'n is my home. What though the tempest rage, Heav'n is my home; short is my pilgrimage, Heav'n is my home; and time's wild wintry blast soon shall be overpast; I shall reach home at last, Heav'n is my home. There at my Savior's side, Heav'n is my home; I shall be glorified, Heav'n is my home; there are the good and blest, those I love most and best; and there I, too, shall rest, Heav'n is my home. Therefore I murmur not, Heav'n is my home; whate'er my earthly lot, Heav'n is my home; and I shall surely stand there at my Lord's right hand. Heav'n is my fatherland, Heav'n is my home.”

May God be with you,

Jay