International Prayer Day First Monday each month 10 am

Joel Griffith 4/15/24 Joel Griffith 4/15/24

Feeding and praying for Haitian kids.

“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So, after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.” Acts 13:2-3

Monday morning; two weeks have passed since we celebrated Easter. HE is risen! HE is risen indeed! The news from Haiti still troubling. When people have asked me about Haiti, my response is to keep praying for them. Many have asked; “Isn’t there anything we can do?” The chaos in Haiti is in God’s hands as it is a God sized problem; pray. Trinity HOPE feeds kids and prays for them; God does the rest and He is in charge.

Trinity HOPE leaders and donors serve a Head we cannot see, and we listen to a voice we cannot literally hear. There are times when we feel as if we're being asked to follow a plan we do not understand; too big and way too challenging. We have learned time and time again that we must embrace in the power of the Spirit if we are to obey our Lord's lead. Though we are accountable to the donors who feed the children, ultimately, each one of us answers to God. Without that sort of single-minded devotion to the Lord, we run the risk of becoming people-pleasers and not children-feeders. It ain’t about us, it is all about Him.

The chaos in Haiti has been like a crockpot on the low setting for the past decades and it has been near to blowing up since their President was assassinated a few years ago. Satan is trying to destroy the good that has been accomplished by God’s children and the best thing for us to do now is pray; wait and trust. This is in His hands and timing.

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 4/13/24 Joel Griffith 4/13/24

How can I help?

“But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 (NASB)

How many times have you looked at a calamity that took place in this world and said or thought to yourself, “how can I help?” When the tsunami hit Sumatra a decade years ago, many asked “what can I do to help out?” When our congregation has food bank Sunday typically our initial response is “how can I best help?” Most often, our initial response is directed to our ‘own’ actions, our ‘own’ resources and our ‘own’ directions.

Sadly, that is satan trying to get into our actions and urging us to take God out of the picture and just take care of matters on our own. Once you do it a few times, well, it just gets a lot easier to use our ‘own’ means to help do things that we enjoy and we may hope that others will see that we are doing good things. We don’t really need our Triune God to help us do wonderful things; we are quite capable on our ‘own’. That is the devil talking.

I don’t know the name of the girl in the photo; took her picture at Bon Berger in Caredeux on a Sunday morning in 2001. The only connection that I have with this child is that she was in a Trinity HOPE feeding program there. Today, the gang chaos has caused the school to be closed for a period of time. The connection that I have with this child is not about me, it is about what God is doing for her through that program.

The human side in us would probably want to send her new ribbons for her hair, new shoes, money for clothes, a backpack for school, an MP3 player and a cell phone as she must be 18 years old by now. Then, her life would in my mind be about ‘my’ helping her and not about the wonderful things that our Triune God is doing in her life. It is not about us, it is about Him. I don’t make any friends when I tell this to people who want to send North American stuff to children in Haiti, but before you do, please honestly search your heart and discern what is driving your motives.

Is this something Jesus would give to this child or is this something that a North American culture wants to give to a child in the Haitian culture? I have seen two young Haitian school girls playing a game of jacks using six bottle caps and bouncing a small rock and having the time of their lives. Haiti needs Jesus, its children need food. Our brothers and sisters in Haiti and we here in North American need a Savior. We need to thank our Triune God for the daily blessings he pours out into our lives and remember from where it all comes from. It is not about us, it about Him and what His Son gave for us on Calvary.

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 4/12/24 Joel Griffith 4/12/24

Nearer my God to Thee.

“(Jesus said) "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12 (NASB)

A few weeks ago, on Easter, I was making breakfast and politely asked Alexa to give me some Easter Hymns to enjoy. She couldn’t find any in that venue. I asked her again and got the same response. So, I asked her to play Hymns by the Tabernacle Choir. I know, a Lutheran listening to Mormon music; articles of excommunication are in the mail. So, the very first hymn was ‘Nearer my God to Thee’. How appropriate. The Lutheran choir rocked three Easter songs in my church a few hours later. So, where do you go to Church? Are there comfy pads in the pews? Are there large stained glass windows? Do you worship in climate controlled comfort? Is there a large pipe organ in your church and do your choir members wear robes? What does God’s House look like where you go to worship on Sunday morning? Are there other activities that take place there during the remainder of the week…or is He only there on Sunday?

The attached photo was taken in the Plateau Central of Haiti, probably twenty minutes south of Thomassique and forty-five minutes from where I had to park my truck because we could not drive it any further as the road was impossibly impassable. This is God’s House, made out of branches with wood boards on a branch for pews and probably about the size of a double stall North American garage with a six-foot ceiling; I was unable to stand upright when inside.

The Hymn that Alexa shared on Easter made me think about this photo, about my time in His House in Bloomington, IL and here in rural Haiti. It was written by Sarah Fuller Flower Adams (22 February 1805 – 14 August 1848).

“Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee! E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me, still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee. Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down, darkness be over me, my rest a stone; yet in my dreams I’d be nearer, my God, to Thee. There let the way appear, steps unto Heav’n; All that Thou sendest me, in mercy giv’n; Angels to beckon me nearer, my God, to Thee. Then, with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise, out of my stony griefs Bethel I’ll raise; So by my woes to be nearer, my God, to Thee. Or, if on joyful wing cleaving the sky, sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I’ll fly. Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee. There in my Father’s home, safe and at rest, there in my Savior’s love, perfectly blest; age after age to be nearer, my God, to Thee.”

There have been North American mission teams coming to Haiti to build concrete block churches with reinforcing steel, steel doors, glass windows, generators for electricity, varnished wood pews and white painted walls. Simple truth; the buildings, big and small, are important; Haiti needs Jesus. He is in this small wooden structure that was built by Haitian hands. God is there smiling upon His children giving Him thanks for their providence and His Son Jesus Christ. He doesn’t care that they worship in a stick building, He is just happy that they are there.

Trinity HOPE provides resources to Christian schools in Haiti so they can purchase food in Haiti, cook it the Haitian way and help to prepare them to draw nearer to Jesus and go out into their neighborhoods and share the love of their risen Savior with the ears that have not heard. God smiles upon these children, eating their rice and beans, singing praises to Him and sharing the news of His Son Jesus Christ throughout their neighborhoods.

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 4/11/24 Joel Griffith 4/11/24

It ain't about me.

“And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20

An hour and thirty minutes south and east of Miami, FL is the Republic of Haiti; just a short swim east of Cuba. After you leave the terminal and drive east of the airport through the roundabout and start to head out of Port-au-Prince your vehicle will pass by numerous goats and pigs who are rummaging through piles of garbage that have been heaped on street corners and burned. If you travel up Mont Cabrit (Goat Mountain) to the north you will pass through a number of small rural villages that will cause you to think that the year is 1900.

It is amazing that only two hours separate you from traveling on a ten-lane freeway in Florida to traveling on 10-foot wide dirt trail. North Americans come to Haiti to ‘improve’ their way of living by bringing electricity, Internet and machines to do their work for their brothers and sisters in Haiti. They need Jesus. Today, there is so much violence and chaos in PAP; they need Jesus. As you drive you will pass by a number of vodou temples adorned with various colored flags and you will understand that first, before anything else…they need Jesus.

One of my favorite photos that I took in Haiti is attached and it doesn’t need a lot of explanation. It was taken of a small rural church about two hours from the climb up Mont Cabrit in the Plateau Central between Hinche and Thomassique. It was a Saturday morning in 2002 and there had been a wedding there and following the ceremony the Pastor was talking to some of the family and placed his Bib la (Bible) down on the pew as he talked and shook hands. The Word became flesh. A Bible resting upon a board in a small church in rural Haiti is a powerful message; we cannot begin to fathom how strong the Word of God is in a land still dedicated to satan.

Haiti needs Jesus Christ. We have the Great Commission from our Lord Jesus instructing each of us to “go and make disciples of all nations”. We are not going to preach the Gospel; we are helping them by preparing their children for the task at hand. They don’t need electric lights and computers for their schools, they need food…they need Jesus. It is that simple; they need Jesus. I am closing today with the words from a song called “Make Me a Servant” by The Maranatha! Singers. It’s words are for those children in Haiti and also for you and me.

“Make me a servant, humble and meek. Lord let me lift up those who are weak. And may the prayer of my heart always be; make me a servant, make me a servant, make me a servant today. Make me a servant, humble and meek. Lord let me lift up those who are weak. And may the prayer of my heart always be; make me a servant, make me a servant, make me a servant today. Make me a servant, humble and meek. Lord let me lift up those who are weak. And may the prayer of my heart always be; make me a servant, make me a servant, make me a servant today.”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 4/10/24 Joel Griffith 4/10/24

Being a seeker.

“In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10

Repentance is defined as follows; “a change of thought to correct a wrong and gain forgiveness from a person who is wronged”. In religious contexts it usually refers to confession to God, ceasing sin against God, and resolving to live according to religious law. It typically includes an admission of guilt, a promise or resolve not to repeat the offense; an attempt to make restitution for the wrong, or in some way to reverse the harmful effects of the wrong where possible. The Haitian word for repent is “Repanti”

I read a devotion recently that told of a Pastor receiving a letter that told of the sudden death of a father; a man who years before had drifted away from church and God but because of the man’s unfulfilled intentions and repeated postponements had never made it back. The last words of the letter from his family were “It’s so easy to get lost from God that some forget how easy it is to return.”

It is really easy to get lost if we follow the lies of this world. These children who attend the Lutheran school at Bois Marchand hear the lies daily from the majority of the people who will intersect their journey each day. The lies of the vodou priest will tell them that God does not love them. Day after day family members and friends will try to chip away at their faith with the lies from the vodou priest.

We know how easy it is to get lost and have seen others separate themselves from their Heavenly Father. As they become more enmeshed in the daily grind along their journey, obstacles and challenges pile up. It grows harder and harder to find the way back to God and repent of their sins. Our Heavenly Father is always near; nearer than they think, yearning for them, seeking, searching and calling them back. That is the picture of God that Jesus places before us in the three stories in Luke 15; the seeking shepherd, the searching housewife and the yearning father. In each case, the seekers celebrate joyfully when the lost have returned to the fold. Thank you for continuing to pray for these children, provide for their daily meal and give thanks for their witness in Haiti as they become seekers of the lost.

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 4/9/24 Joel Griffith 4/9/24

That nagging issue.

“Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

These verses always remind me of the years I spent living in Western Nebraska. When returning home after surveying, hunting or chopping wood there would usually be an ample supply of sand burrs lodged in my socks to torment me. Paul said his was a thorn and that was probably a lot more painful than a sand burr.

While Satan jabbed a thorn into Paul’s flesh, the Lord's purpose was to humble him, to keep him from exalting himself. Pride doesn't reside in the hearts of the broken, the split-apart, the wounded, or the anguished of soul. I read this pearl of wisdom recently; “Pain plants the flag of reality in the fortress of a rebel heart." Parents and their children keeping vigil and staying safe in their humble homes in PAP do not wrestle with issues of pride. They are humbled to the point of despair. Humble, hungry and waiting.

I'm not a Biblical scholar or qualified to give you the intimate details of how Paul's thorn affected him. However, we read that he does confess that he begged the Lord on three separate occasions to remove it from him. There are prayers of request coming from Haiti for God to end the chaos. We, here in North America, are also praying the same petitions. Our fallen world needs more followers of Christ who embrace pain and hardship rather than deny them. How helpful it is for us to see all this as God's plan to keep us humble. Those lessons are learned in the trenches of life; in the terror filled, broken neighborhoods of PAP. What people of prayer we would become! How often we would turn to Him. How fully we would lean on Him. Waiting with that thorn and trusting in His hand to remove it. In His time.

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 4/8/24 Joel Griffith 4/8/24

Waiting and trusting.

“I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. And I know that this man; whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows; was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.” 2 Corinthians 12:2-8

We are a week past Easter today. HE is Risen! Are those three words still lingering on your lips and in your heart? There were many believers in PAP who were still not able to worship in their churches yesterday because of violence in their neighborhoods. There were many unbelievers in PAP who were not able to hear the Hope filled message of Easter as they too, were afraid to leave their homes.

I read a devotion recently that shared four points to give Hope to the reader and then be passed along to others who are waiting for a message filled with HOPE. Waiting and trusting. First, when God prepares us for sharing a message of Hope, He includes what we would rather omit; a period of waiting. That period of time cultivates patience. Aren’t we all in a hurry?

Second, as God makes us wait, hiding us in His shadow, He shows us we're not indispensable. That makes us humble. One major reason the Lord removes us and has us wait in His shadow is to remind us we're not the star attraction. We're not indispensable. It’s not about us. That realization cultivates genuine humility. Third, while God hides us away waiting, He reveals new dimensions of Himself and new insights regarding His desires for our ministry. That makes us deep. What we need today is not smarter people or busier people. A far greater need is deeper people. Deep people will always have a ministry. Always. God deepens us through time spent waiting on Him. And finally, fourth, when God finally chooses to use us, it comes at a time least expected, when we feel the least qualified. That makes us effective. The perfect set-up for a long-lasting, effective ministry begins with surprise. It's refreshing, that in this highly efficient age, to find a few humble servants who are still amazed at the way God is using them. We wait as the chaos in Haiti continues to rumble and trust that God is in control there and here. He’s all over this…in His time.

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 4/6/24 Joel Griffith 4/6/24

Who is serving?

“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10

First Saturday in April. How are you serving today? Who are you serving today? Serving; we are to become servants like the Son of God was a servant to this world. Sometimes, that is hard to do, especially when have been elevated to a higher rung on the ladder of fame, by the standards of this fallen world. Washed anybody’s feet recently?

What am I doing here? What are you doing here? I read in a devotion recently that other people are here so that we might have somebody to serve. The five girls in the attached photo have received their noon meal and the tab for serving them today with inflated prices was about two dollars. God provided somebody in North America with an opportunity to serve them, so that they in turn might serve others by sharing the message of Hope with others in their neighborhood.

There are many twists and turns along the paths of our journey through this life, and back in the day, there was a fork in my road and the turn to go to Haiti seemed like it was God pleasing and that is where I went. He used my simple gifts to do His work, just as He will use a simple meal in the lives of the children in Haiti along with the Word to change lives in Haiti and bring the lost to Jesus Christ.

How many forks are in your road? Are you looking for an opportunity serve Him, and not this fallen world? May our Holy Spirit move you to prayerfully support children like these in Haiti.

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 4/5/24 Joel Griffith 4/5/24

Did they know?

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4

Going through some photos that I had taken in Haiti years ago and came across the attached photo of a large cemetery high along a rural mountain road on the way to Font Baptiste in the Arcahaie District and thought that this would be a good time to share it with you and why it grabs at my throat.

When you visit a cemetery with family members and place flowers on the grave of a family member or friend and then spend some time reflecting on memories that you had with them; how often do you stop and thank Jesus for saving them and you? If you are like me, that may not cross your mind very often, cause I knew the deceased and Who they followed. The cemetery on this hillside in Haiti probably has graves over 200 years old filled with several generations, and sadly, most of the souls that were brought here didn’t know Jesus but lived in fear of the vodou priest; they probably won’t be in Heaven. A gospel song found its way into Alexa last night that provided a message about never growing old; in Heaven we will never grow old. The words were written by James C. Moore in 1914 and they are still relevant today.

“I have heard of a land on the faraway strand, ’tis a beautiful home of the soul; built by Jesus on high, where we never shall die, ’tis a land where we never grow old. Never grow old, never grow old, in a land where we’ll never grow old; never grow old, never grow old, in a land where we’ll never grow old. In that beautiful home where we’ll never more roam, we shall be in the sweet by and by; happy praise to the King through eternity sing, ’tis a land where we never shall die. When our work here is done and the life-crown is won, and our troubles and trials are o’er; all our sorrow will end, and our voices will blend, with the loved ones who’ve gone on before.”

Back in the day, when my journey in Haiti would pass by cemeteries or funeral processions, the same question arose, “suppose they had accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior?” Had anybody told them about the Hope that came to us from the empty cross and tomb where our Savior broke the chains of death, satan and the vodou priest?

Christian education is so very important in Haiti, and Trinity HOPE feeding programs are so very important to the young missionaries who need to grow spiritually and physically as they prepare to take the saving message of Christ to the ear’s that have not heard and lives that have not accepted Christ. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, we are a few days past Easter now. Keep your eyes focused upon that cross of Calvary, remember Who was there for you, why He was there and why all this world needs to turn to Him. Christ is Risen!!! He is risen indeed.

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 4/4/24 Joel Griffith 4/4/24

God's chosen people.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:12-13, 17

Every mission team member should have these verses written down and tucked into their pocket where they can be read and re-read again and put to memory as they head out into the mission fields of this earth. You can also use them in the grocery store, when you pump gas or are at the pickleball court. We are children of God first and foremost and citizens of the U.S. second.

The Apostle Paul wrote these words centuries ago and they are still applicable in our fast-paced world today. As we travel to foreign countries, through the door to a nursing home or into our neighbors back yard we are marked by the Cross of Christ; we are His children. Our struggles, lack of patience, pride, arrogance, selfishness and lack of compassion need to be left at the door to our house before we walk out into the world.

Heavenly Father, as we teach V.B.S. in our community, visit the aged in our nursing homes, feed children in Haiti or give a smile and hug to a loved one; make our witness sincere and guard us from hypocrisy and that which satan desires. I close today with the words to the hymn ‘Take my life and let it be’ that were written by Frances Havergal in 1874.

“Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee; take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise. Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love; take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee. Take my voice and let me sing always, only, for my King; take my lips and let them be filled with messages from Thee. Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold; take my intellect and use every power as Thou shalt choose. Take my will and make it Thine, it shall be no longer mine; take my heart, it is Thine own, it shall be Thy royal throne. Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store; take myself, and I will be ever, only, all, for Thee.”

May God be with you,

Jay