A pair of blessings.

“With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.  We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Decades ago at Christ in Lincoln, NE, our men’s chorus sang a song titled “Count your blessings” and the words were written by Johnson Oatman Jr. in 1897 and our version was arranged by Rev. Harold T. Stelzer, our director.  I loved to sing this song; it was a blessing to me and the ears that listened to us sing it.  The words are as follows;

“When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed, when you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.  Are you ever burdened with a load of care?  Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?  Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly, and you will keep singing as the days go by.  Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your blessings, see what God hath done!”

Did you ever spend a few moments of time at the end of the day, sitting down and writing out the blessings you’ve been given during your waking hours?  This past weekend, my congregation installed Pastor Andrew Smith and concluded our two and a half years of vacancy; we counted our blessings.  The two women in the attached photo are the cooks at the Lutheran school called Mammou in Port-au-Prince.  They have it pretty good; they work in an airy kitchen, have a place to sit when they need to get off their feet, casual dress code and believe me, everybody at Mammou loves these two women when it is lunch time. Their presence is a blessing worthy6 of counting.  They work for minimum wages, no health insurance, 401k retirement plan and no paid holiday or sick leave; they are so thankful to have a job.  Each of them count their blessing.

I love to share photos such as this with the cooks in North America; it really makes you appreciate what you have and think about what life is like in different parts of this world.  Count your blessings!  When we choose to count our blessings, we are telling God and the world that we value them. 

The number one blessing that we have is Jesus Christ.  When we count our blessings, it should begin with Him; however, it cannot stop there.  By counting every single blessing that God has placed in our life, we discover evidence of the Hand of God in more places than we originally could see.

The cooks at Mammou have a job, free lunch; they are blessed.  The children are blessed at Mammou as they have Jesus and food.  You are blessed as God has provided you with an opportunity to share His blessings through you to them.

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

We are blessed.

“The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us.”  Psalm 67:6 NIV

Do you feel blessed today?  If you have a vegetable garden, what pleases you more?  The plants or the ornate fence around it?  When you read this verse from the book of Psalms, your North American mind probably starts to consider what you have; the stuff in the asset column of your life’s ledger.  That fine, ornate enclosure around the garden.

Important, well yes it’s necessary to keep the critters out, but I hope that you might agree that the view of most of the North American blessings around us, is not that realistic.  Bottom line is that God blesses us today and will again tomorrow with all that we need; never fails and more importantly, He has a home waiting for you in Heaven that will put your shanty here on earth to shame.

The attached photo was taken at a Lutheran Church in the Plateau Central somewhere near a fence row of cactus about twenty minutes east of Hinche.  This group of people was the wedding party that had just concluded at about 9:30 in the morning.  I can’t tell you who are the bride and groom or their proud parents or attendants, but they are happy; they seem to be blessed with happiness and fine dress clothes.

As you can see, they had prepared for an overflow crowd as there are chairs set outside.  Those chairs are not like North American padded folding chairs; those chairs can get very painful on a soft North American derriere after a two-hour long service.  Those chairs are a real blessing as the alternative is sitting on a board that is suspended by three branches.

God truly blesses us, every day, in so many various ways.  I hope and pray that when you are sitting in the pew in your Church on Sunday, this photo will come back to haunt you.  Blessings from our Triune God can and are taken for granted so often throughout our life’s journey.  A daily meal of beans and rice for a Haitian child is such a blessing.  Two hours of singing  hymns and listening to a message is a blessing if you have spent a couple of hours walking to your Church; why would you want to leave after just an hour?  Count your blessings dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

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

May Prayer Guide

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’

1 Kings 8:22-24; “Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven and said: “Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below; you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.  You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it; as it is today.”

From where I am sitting in Normal, on this side of Paradise, looking out my bedroom window to the East, it looks a lot like it did last month and last year.  The voices talking about global shifting of this and that really need to hear something that they have either forgot or choose not to follow.  God is in Control.  Christ is Risen!  For many of us living in the Midwest, this past winter was like past winters, gray, cold and brutal.  Today, a month after Easter, the color of green is in the grass, flowers are blooming and leaves are beautifully filling out tree branches.  God is in Control.  Christ is Risen!  Thank heavens…God is in Control.  As we see life sprouting up around us, we are reminded of our Lord’s resurrection from the tomb and our hearts, mouths and senses give praise to our Heavenly Father for all that He has done since Creation.

  A time of ‘Adoration’ to our Heavenly Father.    

·        Please take time to sit quietly and gaze at His creation and feel His presence in your life.

·        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 to use for Him along your journey.

 ‘Confession’

Acts 3:19-20; “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you; even 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’

Revelation 21:4; ‘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.”

The blessed news from Easter should still be on our minds and in our hearts.  Unfortunately, the citizens of Haiti are still experiencing severe challenges from gangs within their country.  There is much to give thanks for because so many schools outside of PAP are still in session; children are being brought closer to Jesus and they continue to be fed.  Sometimes, on this side of Paradise, it is difficult to find a reason to give thanks.  What gives a young widow courage as she stands beside a fresh grave?  What is the ultimate hope of the disabled, the amputee, the abused, the burn victim?  How can the parents of children who have brain damage or physical handicaps keep from living their entire lives totally and completely depressed?

How can we see past the martyrdom of some helpless hostage, an innocent Haitian school child or devoted missionary?  When a family receives the tragic news that a little daughter was found dead or their dad was killed in a plane crash or a son overdosed on drugs, what single truth becomes their whole focus?  What is the final answer to pain, mourning, senility, insanity, yearlong terminal diseases, sudden calamities, and fatal accidents?  Thanksgiving for the Empty Tomb and His Resurrection.  We give thanks as we draw strength from this single truth almost every day of our lives.  It becomes the mental glue that holds our otherwise shattered thoughts together on this side of Paradise; living in chaos.  Impossible though it may be for us to understand the details of how God is going to pull it off, we hang our hopes on fragile, threadlike thoughts that say, "Someday, He will make it right."  Give thanks.  Christ is Risen!  He is Risen indeed!!!

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, timely moisture 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 protecting the children, teachers and students in their schools. 

 ‘Supplications’

Ephesians 6:18-20; “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.  Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.  Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”

We give thanks for blessings we have, and still, we cry out for help, guidance and deliverance.  We pray for the rumors of rumbling chaos in our country and also for a peace to descend upon Haiti and that all the people still living there, and in our country, would turn to the Cross of Christ.  We recently have learned that a Transitional Council is in place to begin to restore a government and prayerfully restore order, peace and an end to the chaos brought about by the gangs.    May a new wave of Christian leaders fill the positions of leadership within the Haitian government and may they seek our Heavenly Father’s direction and follow it and cease the corruption that has for too long crippled their country.

Heavenly Father, we bring our supplications before You;

·        Heavenly Father, please continue to lead and bless Trinity HOPE with Your loving hand; may the school children be able to safely attend their schools and enjoy a daily meal.

·        Lord of the Harvest, please bless the efforts of the Haitian farmers as they plant their gardens that provide for their families; nutritionally and financially.

·        Heavenly Father, please bind the evil foe that brings challenges in the forms of inflation to our country and also to people living in Haiti.  Protect Your people living in Haiti.

·        Father, be with the members of the Transitional Council in Haiti.  May their work bring about a God led government and a new direction of peace and prosperity for their country as they seek to follow and please 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

Rejoice and be glad.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”  Matthew 5:11-12

These verses in Matthew are the culmination of the beatitudes that I’ve been sharing the past few days.  The verses above are basically an extension on what Jesus had said earlier but here in verses 11 and 12, He elaborates on persecution.

Persecution can take many forms ranging from a mere insult to fearing for your life.  The evil foe has found multiple ways to try to discourage the church on earth but unfortunately those being persecuted fail to realize that the more the church is persecuted, the more it grows.

Several decades ago, while in Haiti with a Trinity HOPE mission team and also doing some work for the mission society I had previously worked with, I was asked by a Haitian pastor in the company of witnesses to bring a request to the leaders of the mission society in North America.  I did, and the Haitian pastor later recanted the request when he feared that he would lose financial support in Haiti and insisted that he had never asked this request and called me a liar.  Another Haitian pastor who was a District President and a North American pastor joined in the accusation and prepared for a battle with me.

Rather than fight their accusations, I chose to just turn the other cheek and walk away.  In our country, there shouldn’t be any legal way that we can be sued or fined for being Christians; although there are those being hassled for showing that they are.  We are all sinful human beings, and there is a saying that sums up what this world may think about your words and actions, “the last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it’s still on the list.”

The evil foe wants nothing more than to discredit the ministry of Trinity HOPE and snatch the spoonful of rice and beans from the hand of the child at the Lutheran school in Ouanaminthe shown in the attached photo.  There are people who will say it is more important to use the funds to purchase trucks, buildings and fund salaries for church workers in Haiti.  Rice and beans or blocks and mortar; walking and sharing the love of Christ with the lost or riding in a fancy truck.  Continually ask yourself as you go about prayerfully doing God’s work; “is this God pleasing?”  We repentant sinners should rejoice at persecution and, someday, we will receive our reward for it and meet this child from Ouanaminthe in Heaven one day.  Thank you for staying the course and doing His work no matter what the world tells 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

Been persecuted rexcently?

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  Matthew 5:10

When was the last time that you were being persecuted and you thought about this passage from Matthew and smiled because you realized you are blessed and await the kingdom of Heaven?  If you are like me, it probably has not been recently…persecution brings complaints and the cry of “why me?” shouted skywards.

Persecution can come in many different forms.  For those of us living in North America, persecution can simply come from friends; some cause happiness ‘wherever’ they go and others ‘whenever’ they go.  Another example might be attached to the word ‘hospitality’; making your guests feel like they’re at home…even if you wish they were at they’re home. 

Persecution, how can we be glad when we are persecuted; spoken about badly, taken advantage of and have evil lies told about us when we are just trying to do good?  Those are generally the forms of persecution we face; hopefully in our lives we will not have to face the persecution others face around this world and have to fear for our very lives.

The small house in the attached photo doesn’t appear to be very formidable.  It’s a vodou temple about two miles east of St Marc and just after I took this photo an old vodou priestess came running out swinging a broom at me.  She was angry at me because she believed my camera lifted power from her temple.  I don’t know how many evil spirits she cast on me that day or how long they stay with a person but two years later I had a van load of people on a mission team from the Kansas City area stop at this same temple and asked that they all took a photo in hopes that her power would be gone forever and that she would turn to Jesus.

The children attending Christian schools in Haiti are waging a war with vodou and violent gangs, in Haiti, in their neighborhoods and some in their own families.  They need your daily prayers as they face their persecution and also need your support so their bodies will be nourished with food for strength as they daily do battle with satan.  If these children face persecution each day for doing right, shouldn't we think we will as well?  Those who suffer to bring a blessing to others have a witness that cannot be silenced.  The nine-member Transitional Council in Haiti began to show signs of internal divisions yesterday; the evil foe doesn’t want to see peace in Haiti or in our country.  Satan continues to persecute God’s children.  Stay in His Word. 

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

Peace.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”  Matthew 5:9

Peace; will you and I ever see a time when there is peace in this world?  Peace within our State?  Peace within our Synod?  Peace at our place of work?  Peace on college campuses?  Peace within our family?  There will never be any peace on earth until we sinful humans have made peace with our Triune God.

Our sinful world will never, ever be a dwelling place of peace until peace finds a place in the heart of every sinful man and woman.  How many countries are now experiencing war within their borders?  How many countries have our troops within their borders to help establish peace?  How many months have gangs brought chaos into Haiti?  There is a saying “war does not determine who is right, only who is left.” 

Back in the day, while living in Haiti, a convoy of United Nations MINUSTAH troops made me feel somewhat at peace, as their presence brought a sense of order to a country where there was none.  Haitian friends told me that they wanted the UN to leave Haiti…but it seemed like there was a lot less trouble with them within the Haitian borders.  Today, there are quite a few Haitians who welcome the idea of bringing someone back to restore order in their country.  A Transitional Council in Haiti, with 9 members, has been formed and seems to be taking steps to begin the process to bring peace.  They were formally installed last week and two days ago they named an interim President and prime minister.  One of the members is a Christian pastor; please pray for Pastor Frinel Joseph.

Peace in our country and peace among other nations will never come as long as sinful human beings continue to seek peace on our own terms; as long as we continue to cling to the things within us that make wars inevitable.

We live in a troubled time.  The man carrying all of his belongings in the attached photo is walking next to a tent village near the Port-au-Prince airport that had been there for over a year following the earthquake in 2010.  It must have been over 90 degrees on this late morning, very hot in those tents, no electricity, perhaps a meal each day, no running water…a life style that would not set well with North America.  Peace in that tent city was being strained daily, as tempers of the inhabitants flared as nothing seemed to be improving…the world is once again turning away from Haiti as other hotspots around our world grab the headlines. 

Children attending Christian schools are taught about peace from our Heavenly Father.  Peace is God’s gift and there is no way that we can manufacture it, copy it, teach others about it or force it upon another person.  It’s God’s gift.  Thank you for bringing peace to the life of one child in Haiti who thinks about you at meal time, and offers thanks to God for you and your gift.

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

Stay in the Word.

“Therefore, keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back; whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.  If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.” Mark 13:35-36

It seems that there are two questions that continue to be at the very top of our ‘need to know’ list.  First, what will Heaven be like and second, when will the second coming of Christ take place; in our lifetime?

With each new day it seems that the news of worldly unrest, especially in the Middle East…and yes, here too, is drawing us closer to the ending point in time as more and more of what should be ‘right’ is turning ‘wrong’.  There was a program on the History channel recently that presented an overview of when many ‘learned’ men had determined the world would end and the most recent is the Mayan calendar that had set the precise ending date of time at December 21, 2012; oops.  Do you recall how that worked out?

Whenever that ‘lights out’ date does happen, between now and then doesn’t leave us with a lot of time to reach out to the lost souls of Haiti through the witness of a young child attending a Lutheran school with a Trinity HOPE feeding program in Haiti.  As we read in the thirteenth chapter of Mark, we learn from our Savior that we should not be concerned when the alarm clock will signal the end of time but rather stay focused on what we will be doing when Jesus arrives. 

Years ago, the late Pastor Ken Klaus with the Lutheran Hour shared a snippet of American history about a Colonel Davenport who was from Connecticut.  The event took place in Hartford in 1789 within their State legislature.  “During the daytime, without warning the sky blackened and their room grew unnaturally and increasingly dark.  Glancing out the windows, some members of the House of Representatives concluded the Day of Judgment had come upon them.  With fears increasing, a motion was made for immediate adjournment.  Just before the vote on that motion was to be taken, Colonel Davenport took the floor.  This is what he said: "The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to have the Lord find me doing my duty.  Therefore, I wish that candles be brought."  A great story, stay in the Word and don’t worry about the ending time; stay in the Word.

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

Green thumbs.

“(Jesus said) "He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." John 15:2

My grandmother Ada and her sister Esther had green thumbs; flowers or vegetables, didn’t matter, whatever the Gerkensmeyer sisters planted; it grew.  My father was a farmer and my mother had a large garden that fed our family.  I don’t understand why my thumbs are not green.  Instead of green thumbs, I got two sides of their arthritis in my genes.  Sure, the tomatoes and cucumbers did okay last summer on my deck but give me a flower or plant and all I have to do is look at it and it wilts.  Now this attached photo is of school children attending the Lutheran school in Merrotte which is in the Arcahaie District and is about a mile inland from the ocean.  Behind the children is a plantain crop that is flourishing and will provide a wonderful harvest.

This is a meaningful photo as it ties into the scripture reading from John.  We too are like a fruit tree; meant to bear fruit and we get pruned from time to time so that our lives will be more productive.  The children attending this school are also like little fruit trees; being nurtured with God’s Word and a Trinity HOPE meal at noon, so they too will bear much fruit for the Kingdom.

These children and each of us receive pruning from time to time so that our lives can accomplish an abundance for our Heavenly Father.  Thank you for sharing of your fruits with these children as they bring more souls from Haiti into the Kingdom.

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

When the plan needs a reboot.

“At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.  But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.  So, Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.  The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles.  There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them.  But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, where they continued to preach the gospel.” Acts 14:1-7

Have you ever given it all the effort you had to do something that seemed to be God pleasing and upon completion, stood back and honestly said, “oh man, that didn’t work out the way that I hoped it would.”  It’s happened to me before and what usually happens is, I take a moment and honestly consider whether this project was ‘my’ idea or HIS.  Sometimes it needed to turn out with a flaw as that was part of HIS plan to get me to learn a much needed, important lesson.  HE said ‘talk to ME and then listen’.

A few weeks ago, my morning devotion from Pastor Chuck Swindoll had a really good lesson and it fit well into my wheelhouse.  He wrote the following observation.  “A sentence in the diary of James Gilmore, pioneer missionary to Mongolia, has stayed with me since the day I first read it.  After years of laboring long and hard for the cause of Christ in that desperate land, he wrote, "In the shape of converts I have seen no result.  I have not, as far as I am aware, seen anyone who even wanted to be a Christian.  Let me add some further reality to that statement by taking you back to an entry in Gilmore's journal made in the early days of his ministry.  It expressed his dreams and burdens for the people of Mongolia.  Handwritten in his journal are these dreams: "Several huts in sight.  When shall I be able to speak to the people?  O Lord, suggest by the Spirit how, l should come among them, and in preparing myself to teach the life and love of Christ Jesus."
Mr. Gilmore wanted to reach those lost souls of Mongolia with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Following many years of working to accomplish that he wrote; "I have not, as far as I am aware, seen anyone who even wanted to be a Christian."  Was the plan to become a missionary to Mongolia, Mr. Gilmore’s plan or God’s plan?

Paul and Barnabas went to Iconium to preach the Gospel and they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.  But there were Jews who refused to believe and they stirred up the other Gentiles and caused them to influence others to also refuse to believe.  They kept on preaching the Gospel.  When we are moved or nudged to do HIS work, it’s not always going to turn out how we had hoped; our plans tend to be flawed.  Gang led chaos in Haiti has caused 16 of the 28 schools in Port-au-Prince with Trinity HOPE feeding programs to stay closed this month.  A few voices have suggested just giving up on feeding children in Haiti and go to another country.  Don’t listen to them.  God is still at work; HE has a plan.

The children in Haiti who have been educated in Christian schools with Trinity HOPE feeding programs for the past 25 years, are a part of HIS plan.  The children in the next 25 years are being prepared for HIS future plan for Haiti.  Results may be depressing today, but will be improving tomorrow.  God is still in control.  Trust in Him and wait…and see.    

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

Blessed are the meek.

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”  Matthew 5:5

Back in the day, probably forty-five years ago, a co-worker told me that he was going to inherit the world because he was meek and humble; Ernie daily reminded co-workers that some people are like ‘Slinkies;….not really good for anything, but you can't help smiling when you see one tumble down the stairs.”  His wisdom was generally self-proclaimed and he was continually seeking attention.  Meek; Noah Webster defines the word ‘meek’ as 1) enduring injury with patience and without resentment 2) deficient in spirit and courage and 3) not violent or strong.

When I spend a few moments gazing into the eyes and smiles of children at a school in PAP in the attached photo, the word ‘meek’ seems to be written on their faces.  There is a song written by Sammy Masters, Richard Pope and Tex Satterwhite and recorded by Patsy Cline in 1958 titled ‘If I could see the world.’  These lyrics seems to match up well with the children in Mammou.

“If I could see the world thru the eyes of a child; what a wonderful world this would be.  There'd be no trouble and no strife, just a big happy life with a bluebird in every tree.  I could see right, no wrong.  I could see good, no bad, I could see all the good things in life I've never had.  If I could see the world thru the eyes of a child; what a wonderful world this would be.  If I could see the world thru the eyes of a child; smiling faces would greet me all the while.  Like a lovely work of art it would warm my weary heart just to see thru the eyes of a child.”

This fallen world will tell you that it will take ‘somebody’ rich, powerful and important to inherit the earth; they will make history with their spectacular accomplishments.  How about you?  Are you a ‘somebody’ by this world’s standards or a ‘nobody’ like the small children from Mammou?  Jesus says that the meek will inherit the earth; when you have a humble heart, there is great power.

Your ‘riches’ are helping the six kids in the photo.  Your two bucks is being used to help them to be prepared to go and share the Gospel message of our risen Savior throughout their neighborhood in Haiti.  More importantly than inheriting the earth, they will claim a home in Heaven and with us; meet our Savior face to face.

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