Be careful before being critical.

“(Jesus said) "DO NOT judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves." Matthew 7:1 (Amplified Bible)

A wonderful tool that the Internet has is giving you the ability to search Scripture with many different versions of the Holy Bible.  I have never read the Amplified Bible version, but it provided a few more words to think about when reading Matthew 7:1.

By now, you are well aware of the gangs in Haiti causing most everything in PAP to close down.  Most of the schools that have Trinity HOPE feeding programs have been closed because of concern for the safety of the children, teachers and cooks.  As a donor, I continue to give my monthly donation as I know they will open again and this chaos will undoubtably bring higher prices for food for a period of time.

For several decades, Trinity HOPE has had a very simple and successful approach to helping Christian schools prepare young children to become missionaries; we have provided them with a daily nutritionally meal.  Not a snack of North American peanut butter and crackers or suckers or candy bars that some Mission teams have brought.  We have daily provided them with a hot meal of rice and beans, the National food of Haiti.  It is that simple, we feed children; His children.

Some people have asked if Trinity HOPE can’t do more.  Security detail for the school and to bring the kids to school and back home.  These well-meant ideas from North America simply won’t work in Haiti.  We feed children.  If you sell fried chicken, don’t add pizza to your menu.  If you drive a GMC truck, don’t put Dodge mud flaps on the back end.  Do the very best with the very best gifts that He has given you.  Kelly Downing from Saunder County, NE is a friend of mine who shared an analogy of comparing a ministry to the Platte River that flows west to east through Nebraska.  A mile wide and a foot deep in the springtime; Kelly remarked that a ministry going in too many different directions is like the Platte River; no substance, a mile wide and shallow.

The kids in the attached photo attend a rural school west of PAP and they are still in school and eating a meal every day.  They are thankful for the education, food and the fact that they have a Savior and no longer fear the vodou priest and pray that the gangs in PAP will cease very soon.

Don’t criticize what your brother is doing if he is using God’s provisions in a healthy way and not wasting those gifts or using them for self-serving gain and pride.  Not sure why people criticize, but at least they are not killing, just complaining, blaming and pointing a finger at what isn’t their idea or direction.  I suppose that we all do that from time to time.  I read a quote recently that was attributed to a famous trial lawyer, Clarence Darrow, who once said, “Everyone is a potential murderer."  About himself, he admitted, "I have not killed anyone, but I frequently get satisfaction out of obituary notices."  We are all critical; please just take a hard look at your problems before finding fault with others.

Thankfully God is not like many in this sinful world, and doesn’t complain about how Trinity HOPE is feeding children; He continues to bless the program and bring more and more children into the schools so they can share the saving message of His Son to the lives in Haiti that are still chained to the vodou priest and waiting in the shadows for the gangs to end.

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

Still waiting.

“Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations.  I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:12-14

I left 3 vials of my blood with the doctor’s office yesterday and will have to wait until Friday to learn the results.  Worried while I wait?  No.  The children in the attached photo go to school in Petionville and on the day of this photo, they were waiting to wash their hands before lunch.  Are they worried while they wait?  No.  On this day, they have been smelling their lunch being prepared; they know what is coming soon to their desk.  Sad to say, today these kids are not in school as gangs are ruling the streets in their neighborhoods.  Today, they are waiting to return safely to school.

These kids, their parents, teachers, principals, feeding program directors, cooks and Pastors could use a little extra hope today as they have been in a waiting mode for some time.  These children’s school was actively preparing them to be His missionaries and doing His important work on the front lines in Haiti.  Not today.  All that has changed.  Now, evil people are bringing chaos to Haiti as they desire to take over the country.  This school has been placed on hold and they wait for a time to restart.  IF you’ve had long periods of waiting, you well know that it's tough to stay encouraged as time drags on.  Discouragement is crouched at the door, in the shadows, ready to pounce on any thought or hope, so you sit wondering why God has chosen to pass you by.

It may well be a long time before God moves throughout Haiti to restore peace where there was chaos.  Are you ready for this?  It could be years.  I have found that one of God's favorite methods of preparing us for something great is to send us into the shadows to wait.  I read the following words of encouragement from a recent devotion where the British author James Stalker wrote, "Waiting is a common instrument of providential discipline for those to whom exceptional work has been appointed."  I read that a few times to let that pearl of wisdom sink in.

Waiting is one of God's preferred methods of preparing special people for significant projects.  The last verse from Psalm 27 gives us and these kids from Haiti our direction for this time of waiting; "Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD."

Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you,

Jay

In the waiting room.

“When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.  He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.  Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch.  So, for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” Acts 11:23-26

This morning, I will be sitting in the waiting room of one of my doctors, waiting for my turn to be examined.  Sitting in that clean room with maskless coughing going on across from me…well I knew that I might be taking something home with me today.  While waiting, I was reminded of the times when I was living in Haiti, that I would have to wait…standing in line for an hour at the bank, just to withdraw some cash for the month.  I remember when I was really sick and went to a Haitian doctor’s office to get a blood test to find out what kind of varmint had entered into my body.  The office was not really that clean and looking at the needle and test tube, my immediate thoughts were how many patients before me had used these same instruments.  The test was inconclusive.

The children in the attached photo from Cap Haitian have been and are still waiting when I took this photo.  They came to school around 8 and probably four of them hadn’t anything to eat since yesterday.  They were hungry and were waiting, smelling the wonderful aroma of the food being prepared in the outdoor kitchen while they were learning…and waiting.  Then a bell rang, and they washed their hands, watched their food arrive and waited until a plate was in front of every child.  Then they prayed and the waiting time was over.  Until tomorrow.

We have all been in God’s waiting room.  My congregation here in IL has been in a vacancy for two and a half years; we have been waiting.  Our new shepherd will be installed on May 5; we rejoice.  In the country of Haiti, many have been waiting for years for the gang related chaos to come to an end.  Many school kids in PAP have not been able to go to school for several weeks and there is no daily lunch brought to them…they wait.

Our time of God-ordained waiting time may last for a day, a week or many years.  It can be disappointing and the devil will try to break you.  The Lord uses the disappointment to lead you to your own Tarsus; otherwise known as His waiting room.  In His waiting room, He begins to work deep within your soul until you, like Paul, gain such a renewed perspective, you can honestly confess, "When I am weak, He is strong."  When that happens, your name is called, your food is brought and the reason for your mission enters your journey. 

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

Prayer guide for April 2024

We begin our prayer time in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. + Amen.

“I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.”  Martin Luther

‘Adoration’

Job 19:25-27; “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.  And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes; I, and not another.  How my heart yearns within me!”

We celebrated Easter a few weeks ago; HE is Risen!  HE is Risen indeed!!!  Christians throughout this fallen world are celebrating the empty tomb all throughout the year; the resurrection and Jesus’ victory over sin, death and the devil.  In our sin filled world today, there are wars and fearful rumors of war right before our eyes and affecting our way of life.  In our fallen world today, there are still quite a few vodou followers and gang members living in Haiti who are still believing the lies taught by the vodou priest.  They believe that Jesus died, was buried and is still buried and satan is victorious.  They need to hear the truth from Easter Sunday; “HE is Risen!”   

  A time of ‘Adoration’ to our Heavenly Father.   

·        Please take some precious quiet time to sit and consider how our Triune God comes to us through His ‘WORD’ every day and how He has impacted your life with the victory that Jesus Christ accomplished for you on Calvary’s cross and in the empty tomb.

·        With the many challenges that face us in this fallen world today, take a few moments to think about the provisions, protection, hope and love that surround you because of His unfailing love for you.

·        Give thanks for where God has placed you and the gifts that you were given and His believers living in Haiti to use for Him along your journey.

·        Give thanks for His Word bringing the truth to our fallen world.

 ‘Confession’

Romans 3:22-24; “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

We were born, sinful and unclean, through no fault of our own, but because of the sins of our parents, grandparents…Adam and Eve. 

God sent His only Son to die for our sins. Jesus did everything right while he was here on this earth. He loves you with a love that cannot be measured.  He gave to the world when no thanks were returned to Him.  He healed when there was no hope, and He died without complaint.  Jesus did nothing wrong and everything right; all this for you.  He lived for you and died for you.  Our sins nailed Him to the cross on Calvary and kept Him there until His life on earth had ended.

·        A time of personal confession.

Our sins are placed at the base of the Calvary cross...His cross, and we give thanks that the times we have fallen short in the eyes of our Heavenly Father have been washed clean and we have been forgiven through the Blood of our Risen Savior Jesus Christ.

 ‘Thanksgiving’

Living in a country filled with chaos today, Haitian school children with a Trinity HOPE feeding program are sincerely giving thanks for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and sharing that reason for their Hope with others; believers and un-believers, within their family and neighborhoods.  

Ephesians 5:15-20; “Be very careful, then, how you live; not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.  Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.  Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.  Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Give thanks for the Empty Tomb.  Easter is one of two days each year when distracted people who have strayed away from the Cross of Christ will prayerfully make an effort to be with their family and in His House for a small but significant moment of time to be open to the work of the Holy Spirit.  Easter and Christmas celebrations should really get our thanksgiving juices flowing at this time of the year and prayerfully may our hearts and minds keep those strong emotions of being thankful at a heightened level throughout the year.  We are living in uncertain times in our fallen world and yet there is still much to be thankful for today.  It is hard to just measure the gift that Jesus gave for us.

Heavenly Father, we come to You now with hearts, minds and words filled with ‘Thanksgiving’.”

·        We give thanks for our Creator, Redeemer and Holy Spirit.

·        We give thanks for having a Savior who gave His life for our sinfulness; “your sins are forgiven”.  HE is Risen!

·        We give thanks our providence; monetary, food, clothing, moisture for our crops and shelter.  As we give of our first fruits may we also give a portion of our best to His children in Haiti who need the assistance we can provide because of You.

·        We give You thanks for the Haitian children who are not only the prime purpose of Trinity HOPE but also Your missionaries for the future generations in Haiti who bring the true message of the empty tomb on Easter to lives who have never known.

·        We give thanks for the first step taken in prayerfully positive direction for the government of Haiti and hopefully, and end to the chaos.

‘Supplications’

After seeing the empty tomb and knowing what Our Triune God has done for us, it should be almost embarrassing to ask for more.  But we do.  We remain faithful to our Heavenly Father who continually provides, protects, comforts and loves us.  Father, we need Your help; our fallen world needs your help, please comfort, heal and draw those in our prayers closer to You.

2 Chronicles 6:19-20; “Yet, Lord my God, give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy.  Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence.  May your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, this place of which you said you would put your Name there.  May you hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place.”

Heavenly Father, we bring our supplications before You;

·        Heavenly Father, please continue to lead and bless Trinity HOPE with Your loving hand; may the number of children being fed increase and may we always strive to accomplish Your will.

·        Heavenly Father, please draw all leaders of this fallen world to their knees and repent of their arrogance.  Draw Your chosen close to the cross of the Risen Christ.

·        Savior of the Nations, restore Haiti in a way that will end the gangs, the cholera, inflation and the presence of devil worship.  Comfort Your people there in Haiti and here in our homeland too.

·        Father, may Your Hand continue to bring an end to the chaos in Haiti and restore normalcy to their country as it turns to You. 

Lord God, bless Your Word wherever it is proclaimed.  Make it a Word of power and peace to convert those not yet Your own and to confirm those who have come to saving faith.  May Your Word pass from the ear to the heart, from the heart to the lip and from the lip to the life that, as You have promised, Your Word may achieve the purpose for which You sent it; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

2 Corinthians 13:11-14; “Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.  Greet one another with a holy kiss.  All the saints send their greetings.  May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

“I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me.  Amen.” Martin Luther

May God go before you to guide you; may His arms be beneath you to support you, around you to protect you and above you to bless you.  And may the blessings of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you always dear sister and brother in Christ,

In His love, Jay Brinkmeyer

Good Friday.

“When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.  “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”  1 Peter 2:23-24

Living in Haiti during Lent was one of the seasons that I missed being home the most.  Being separated from the Lutheran hymns during Lent was truly difficult.  The attached photo was taken at Bon Berger Evangelique Lutherienne in Caredeux where I attended worship while living in PAP.  The elevated wooden cross reminded me of the suffering on my Savior, the Scripture readings, the messages and the creeds also brought me closer to recalling what Christ endured for me.

I missed hearing the hymns sung in my own language.  Stricken, smitten and afflicted in Creole was just not the same.  This hymn was first written around 1850 by Geistliche Volkslieder and was sung to the German tune “O Mein Jesu, Ich Muss Sterben.” 

“Stricken, smitten, and afflicted, see him dying on the tree!  This is Christ, by man rejected; here, my soul, your Savior see.  He’s the long expected prophet, David’s son, yet David’s Lord.  Proofs I see sufficient of it: He’s the true and faithful Word.  Tell me, all who hear him groaning, was there ever grief like this?  Friends through fear his cause disowning, foes insulting his distress; many hands were raised to wound him, none would intervene to save; but the deepest stroke that pierced him was the stroke that justice gave.  “You who think of sin but lightly nor suppose the evil great, here may view its nature rightly, here its guilt may estimate.  Mark the sacrifice appointed; see who bears the awful load; it’s the Word, the Lord’s Anointed, Son of Man and son of God.  Here we have a firm foundation; here the refuge of the lost; Christ, the rock of our salvation, His the name of which we boast.  Lamb of God, for sinners wounded, sacrifice to cancel guilt!  None shall ever be confounded who on him their hope have built.”

The common bond during Lent in Haiti was the reminder that Christ died for me and for each of the people sitting in my same pew in Bon Berger, and also sitting in the pews at Our Redeemer in Bloomington, IL and sitting in your Church.  This year, we pray that the gang activity will not prevent our fellow believers from worshipping on Good Friday in PAP.  We all need Jesus; we all were lost until He died on the cross for our sins.  Thank you Jesus, for enduring the suffering, agony and cross of Calvary for such as us, and for all the people in this world.

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

What about you?

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”  Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”  Mark 8:29

Lent causes us to take a closer look at our Savior, inside of ourselves and perhaps ask ourselves “who do I say that Christ really is?”  Probably not very often that we are asked this question but are you prepared for when that moment comes?

When Peter was asked, he replied “You are the Messiah.”  There are over 51,000 children attending a Christian school in Haiti who are receiving a Trinity HOPE meal every school day and you must believe that they have been asked by family members and friends who still follow the vodou priest, the question “what do you learn about this Jesus Christ?”

The young boy in the attached photo is one of four dozen children attending school in Colminy which is in the Arcahaie District.  He’s been fed rice and beans, and he has been prepared to give an answer to that question.  Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  He died for my sins on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead and conquered death and the devil.  He has prepared a place for me in Heaven.  This child ready to give an answer.  I heard Alexa play a song recently called “The Midnight Cry” and it was written by Greg and Chuck Day.  We are nearing the end of Lent and we also focus our thoughts on the second coming of Christ as he comes back for all of His children.

“I hear the sound of a mighty rushing wind and it's closer now than it's ever been.  I can almost hear the trumpet as Gabriel sounds the chord at the midnight cry we'll be going home.  When Jesus steps out on a cloud to call His children the dead in Christ shall rise to meet Him in the air and then those that remain will be quickly changed at the midnight cry when Jesus comes again.  I look around me I see prophecies fulfilling and signs of the times they're appearing everywhere.  I can almost hear the Father as He says Son go get your children at the midnight cry the Bride of Christ will rise.  When Jesus steps out on a cloud to call His children the dead in Christ shall rise to meet Him in the air and then those that remain will be quickly changed at the midnight cry when Jesus comes again.”

Thank you for being ready and helping to prepare many more of His children to be ready to give a reply when asked “Who is Jesus Christ?”    Go out into the world in peace; have courage; hold on to what is good; return no man evil for evil; strengthen the faint-hearted; support the weak; help the suffering; honor all men; love and serve the Lord; rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.  And may almighty God, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit bless you.

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

Looking at evil.

“Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.”  Romans 1:28

There were a number of occasions while living in Haiti when sights, sounds and strange feelings caused my skin to crawl.  A few examples of what I mean; the urging to eat Goat head soup which was a special treat prepared for me, sitting in an outdoor privy at 4 AM fumbling for my flashlight and realizing that when the light beam came on there was a tarantula on the wall six inches from my right ear or the eerie things the vodou priest sent (evil spirits) to disrupt my prayer time…yes, there were times.

The attached photo was taken when driving back from the Haitian boat trip to Port Salute which is on the Southwest claw of Haiti in the Les Cayes District.  A large rock was jutting out of the Caribbean perhaps 100 yards from the shore and it appeared to have some poles sticking out from the flat top.  I asked Pastor Israel Isidor what this formation was and he replied it was “tableau du satan” which translated is “devil’s table.”  He went on to tell me that vodou priests made their sacrifices on this rock.  He indicated that prior to 1985 they were sacrificing humans and animals on the rock and then they were pressured by the government to stop that form of sacrifice as it was bringing bad attention to Haiti.  Now they sacrifice animals; goats, dogs and pigs.

For the most part, vodou was not one of the subjects that were brought up in conversations very often when I was living in Haiti and I am assuming that it was either an embarrassment or just something that people didn’t care to bring up.  When I was asked to share a message at congregations it was one topic that I always tried to find a way to weave it into my message, as the vodou needs to stop; Haiti needs Jesus and the truth about vodou needs to be told again and again.

The Easter story needs to be shared in Haiti every day because the vodou priest spins a different lie about the outcome.  He tells people that Christ died and was buried.  He tells them that satan defeated Jesus Christ and if you don’t believe he will bring a host of evil spirits into your life and they are real, seen them, heard them, didn’t like them and only by the name of Jesus Christ did they leave.  As Pastor Isidor proclaimed, our Holy Spirit has much more power than the spirits of the vodou priest.

Thank you for helping to prepare young children attending Christian schools to go out and share the Easter story with their families and friends in Haiti, bringing the light of this world to those still living in darkness.

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

God has surprises.

“Then Ananias went to the house and entered it.  Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”  Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.  Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.  At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.  All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name?  And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” Acts 9:17-21

Not everybody likes surprises.  Coming home after work on your 40th birthday and walking into your house and having a dozen family members and friends yelling ‘SURPRISE’ isn’t good, especially after turning 40.  Sometimes God is the one bringing the surprise.  In the above verses, Saul is the one who got a surprise in the form of a light from heaven.  For Ananias, it was a seemingly unreasonable and illogical command from the Lord, brought to him in a vision.

For the believers in Haiti, that have been waiting for God to reveal His plan for when the present chaos will end and His people will bring peace and order to their country…still waiting.  For those of them, and us, that moment will probably be a God sized surprise.  If you have ever seen one of His surprises, you can verify that His surprises always intensify our need for faith.  When you encounter the surprising element of God's will, your faith must engage full throttle; otherwise, you'll turn and run in the opposite direction.

At times God's plan will frighten you.  Other times you'll be momentarily disappointed; not what you had been hoping for.  For instance, when God tells you no, to wait, or to sit tight, you'll want to argue.  You may decide to fight and do it your way; big mistake there.  You might attempt to negotiate; again, bad idea.  When your faith kicks into the correct gear, none of those impulses will control you.  Faith says, "I can do this. I trust you, Lord. I don't understand everything, but I trust you completely. Let's do it."

We have to trust in God and believe that He has a major move in store for the ending of chaos and beginning of His peace in Haiti.  Don’t give up on Haiti…just wait for it.  Wait, trust and have faith; He is at work while we worry.  Schools will reopen, children will be learning more about Jesus and food will again appear at lunch time.  That God sized surprise will come when we least expect it.  It will ultimately intensify our need for faith.

Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you,

Jay

The important message.

“In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias.  The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”  “Yes, Lord,” he answered.  The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.  In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”  “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem.  And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”  But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go!  This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.  I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” Acts 9:10-16

Day one of Holy Week.  You, these particular Haitian school children and I are aware of that.  Are there people you will brush by today who don’t know how important Holy Week is to us?  Or, how important that should be to us…and them?  Saul probably didn’t know, but soon he would find out.  Ananias knew that Saul might persecute him for what he was told to do.  God's answer to Ananias's question in verse 16 is clear: "I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake."

Saul would soon be called Paul and he was going to suffer imprisonment, severe beatings, stonings, shipwreck, near-drowning, ambushes, robberies, insomnia, starvation, loneliness, disease, dehydration and extreme hypothermia.  When we and these Haitian school children, like Paul, face painful challenges, we are literally brought to our knees and then lifted up by His Grace, humbly committed to following our Savior's lead.

I don’t know what your challenge might be today, but I have been daily reading what these Haitian school children are enduring in their country; it is terrible.  But consider for a moment what faces that person who doesn’t understand what Holy Week is and what our Savior did for us on the Cross.  Their suffering will last for an eternity.  They need to hear the Gospel message.  The seeds of Truth need to be planted so the Holy Spirit can bring a soul in the Kingdom of Heaven…for eternity.  A few weeks ago, Pastor David Ehlers shared a poem in his sermon message that was written by an unknown author.  It portrays the thoughts of the person who didn’t come to know about Jesus Christ, the Cross and the Empty Tomb.  This person is likely meeting his maker and sees you standing in the other line.  I thought that it would be a good way to close today and possibly nudge you to share the reason for Holy Week and just how important it really is to me, you and these Haitian school children.

“My friend, I stand in Judgment now, and feel that you're to blame somehow.  On earth, I walked with you day by day, and never did you point the way.  You knew the Lord in truth and glory, but never did you tell the story.  My knowledge then was very dim; you could have led me safe to Him.  Though we lived together on the earth, you never told me of the second birth.  And now I stand this day condemned, because you failed to mention Him.  You taught me many things, that's true, I called you 'friend' and trusted you.  But now I learn that it's too late, you could have kept me from this fate.  We walked by day and talked by night, and yet you showed me not the Light.  You let me live, and love, and die; you knew I'd never live on high.  Yes, I called you a 'friend' in life, and trusted you through joy and strife.”

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

Abundantly blessed.

“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.  “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.  “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”  The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.  Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes, he could see nothing.  So, they led him by the hand into Damascus.  For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.” Acts 9:5-9

As I read these verses about Jesus speaking to Saul, my mind imagined that the Holy Spirit must be communicating with some of the gang members in Haiti today.  We don’t know for sure, but pray that it is taking place.  I read in a devotion by Chuck Swindoll that C. S. Lewis likened God's conquering work of Saul's rebel will to a divine chess player: systematically, patiently maneuvering his opponent into a corner until finally he concedes.  I pray that is taking place in Haiti today.  Perhaps the gang leader called ‘Barbeque’ is being maneuvered into a corner.  What a blessing that would be during Lent or Holy Week.

Here in my home, probably yours as well, are an abundant supply of provisions to sustain our lives.  Not so in Haiti.  The word ‘starvation’ has been used in the news quite often this week.  Today and tomorrow, please join me in praying for an end to starvation and chaos in Haiti; in God’s time and in His way.  Haiti is in need of a God sized, abundant blessing to take place in the lives of His faithful children.  An abundant blessing they can use to open the eyes of the lost souls still living in their country.  I am going to close this Saturday, with the words from the song ‘Abundantly’ that was written by Don Wharton.

“I was the little kid whom no one could convince to only paint inside the lines.  When they saw black and white, I saw rainbows burning bright with colors over-flowing from my mind.  It’s still the same today as I turn each brand-new page.  If I must scale a purple mountain, or cross a red-hot field of fire; if I must tread a cold blue ocean, it’s still my heart’s desire to live each day that God has given me… ABUNDANTLY!  To dream the biggest dreams, accomplish worthy deeds, and make a difference in this world, it takes someone who can boldly take a stand, to do whatever God calls them to do.  No matter what it takes, I’m going to take that leap of faith.  If I must scale the steepest mountain or cross and angry field of fire; if I must tread the coldest ocean, it’s still my heart’s desire to live each day that God has given me ABUNDANTLY!  I want to live this life ABUNDANTLY!  A life worth living is worth living purposely.  If I must scale the highest mountain or cross the unforgiving fire; if I must tread the deepest ocean, it’s still my heart’s desire to live each day that God has given me ABUNDANTLY!!”

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