International Prayer Day First Monday each month 10 am

Joel Griffith 6/21/24 Joel Griffith 6/21/24

Eternal life.

“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” 1Timothy 6:12

On this Friday, you may be thinking about the first day of summer or the weekend plans and not focusing on Eternal life. I know what my plans for this weekend may look like, but Eternal life, what must that be like? I know what tomorrow will be like because I made plans, much like today, and when these days are filled with mean spirited people, selfish, spoiled, self-centered, rude and unbelievably demanding; then it seems like an eternity until tomorrow will come.

God placed me here for a purpose; I evidently am in need of yet another lesson in patience as I reside in a season of waiting. Before I retired, I fully understood the wisdom of a very bright person in this world who said “I thought I wanted a career, turns out I just wanted pay checks.” Back in the day, when I was still traveling to Haiti and would see Christian children playing in a school yard, like the one in the photo taken in Ouanaminthe, it brings me a smile and peace in this world filled with its worldly ways that don’t have a clue what these small children are going through living in Haiti.

Seeing them endure their daily hardship, and knowing what awaits them in Haiti brings my world into a proper perspective. We will have much to talk about in Heaven. Thank you for helping to make that possible by supporting their Christian education and providing them with a midday meal. Yes, you will see them one day, count on that. I heard a song recently written by James M. Black in 1893 titled “When the roll is called up yonder” and it reminded me that you, I and these young souls will be there one day, together.

“When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and time shall be no more and the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair; when the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore, and the roll is called up yonder; I’ll be there. On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise, and the glory of His resurrection share; when His chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies, and the roll is called up yonder; I’ll be there.”

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 6/20/24 Joel Griffith 6/20/24

Be faithful.

“Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.” Revelation 2:10b

One of my morning devotions this week focused on the word ‘faithful’. The online Bing dictionary gives the following meanings for this word, “1. Unwavering in belief: believing firmly in something or somebody, especially a religion or a political doctrine. 2. Consistently loyal: consistently trustworthy and loyal, especially to a person, promise, or duty. 3. Not adulterous or promiscuous: not having sexual relations with somebody other than a spouse or partner. 4. Conscientious: displaying or resulting from a sense of responsibility or devotion to duty. 5. Correct: accurate and true; "a faithful account of the events".

If you find yourself in a season of waiting, to what are you faithful? I have been faithful to many things in this world, scientific formulae, man-made machines, people and some good dogs but ultimately, they have failed me and at times, this sinful man failed them as well. There is really only one sure thing that we will never fail us; our Triune God. The Holy Trinity never fails us, never will; upon Him we place our trust.

The Haitian word for faithful is ‘Fidel.’ If you asked a child in a Trinity HOPE feeding program who they place their trust in, their initial response would probably, and prayerfully be ‘Bondye’ or God. Their HOPE is built on nothing less. Their second answer for what they place their trust in are the cooks at their school as typically when they get to school in the morning, they usually peek around the corner to see if their smiling faces are there and the fire has been started. The vodou followers in their neighborhood continue to plant seeds of unbelief that Bondye does not like them and there will be no food at their school. Thanks to you, the fire is lit, their faith is secure and growing stronger and the lies of the vodou people are once again proven wrong. Steve Green wrote the song ‘Find us Faithful’ and it seemed like a wonderful way to close this devotion.

“We're pilgrims on the journey of the narrow road and those who've gone before us line the way cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary. Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace. Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us run the race not only for the prize but as those who've gone before us. Let us leave to those behind us the heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives. Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful. May the fire of our devotion light their way. May the footprints that we leave lead them to believe and the lives we live inspire them to obey. Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful after all our hopes and dreams have come and gone and our children sift through all we've left behind. May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover become the light that leads them to the road we each must find.”

Thank you for finishing well through your support of Trinity HOPE; may your faithful, heartfelt blessings leave a legacy for generations to come, here in the U.S. and in Haiti.

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 6/19/24 Joel Griffith 6/19/24

YOU answered my prayer.

“Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

Genesis 21:6-7

As I think back on my 7 decades and take a look back at the challenges, failures and victories of my life’s journey, I recall many prayers I'm thankful the Lord chose to set aside; wait or no. Instead, He gave me what I really needed. And how He answered my prayers, brought me even greater long-term happiness and more deep-down joy. How quickly we forget when His answers were better than our selfish requests. When we're in the midst of a trial or a time of waiting, it can be difficult to have that perspective, to ask for His guidance. What can we do when we find ourselves in such a season?

As we read in Genesis, long after Abraham and Sarah had given up hope of experiencing the joy of having children, they held their very own son in their arms. It would have been easy for them to lose hope when the fulfillment of the promise didn't come about in the way or the timing they expected. But their trust in the Lord went deeper than their human perspective, deeper than their doubts.

Chaos in Haiti is still festering. His children continue to seek His wisdom. We are truly in a season of waiting. And you know that waiting is a tool that is difficult to find in our wheelhouse; for some of us. So, what do we while waiting? First, we can ask the Lord for sustaining strength and His divine wisdom. That probably sounds like a canned response to many a problem, but way too often we forget that we can't do everything on our own. We need divine help from one day to the next. We also need His supernatural strength and divine wisdom to wait for God's plan to unfold. Good things come to those who wait.

And one more thing, to my fellow Lutherans, we need to forgive ourselves for being shortsighted and for missing the big picture. Forgive yourself for clinging when you should have released. Forgive yourself for failing to be excited about what's ahead when God's plan doesn't include your plans. Repent of your failings, receive God's forgiveness, and then forgive yourself.

I've felt the weight of bricks on my shoulders removed at times during my lifetime by placing my faults at the foot of the Cross: the last one we forgive on this earth is ourselves. God forgives you, so why don't you? In time, our Haitian brothers and sisters and you and I will come to realize, as Abraham did, that in God's appointed plan, the best is yet to come.

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 6/18/24 Joel Griffith 6/18/24

YOU are there.

“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.” Psalm 139:1-4
I’ve been spending more time these days reading Psalms; lots of good wisdom for this impatient soul. Spend the next minute reading Psalm 139 before you begin your next meeting, or project or leave on vacation.

“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me, even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; when I awake, I am still with you. If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139

Do you see yourself in those words? God has the hours of your day’s journey in His hands, to the nearest nanosecond. Trust in the Lord.

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 6/17/24 Joel Griffith 6/17/24

In His timing.

“Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.” Genesis 21:1-5

Who created and is running this story? It is not in my timing. Thankfully, it is in God’s timing; and it has been throughout the history of this fallen world. The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised; in His timing. She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would.

We live in a fast-paced life here in North America. We strive for quick solutions to our perceived challenges. We got plans. God isn’t in a hurry, so He didn't have a problem waiting a quarter century before fulfilling His promise and allowing Abraham and Sarah to conceive. Who knows why He waited that long? It was His call; His timing is perfect. Get used to that. His timing is always perfect.

In our human way of thinking in this fallen world, we view all the events along our journey from the limited perspective of time. It's like driving my truck on Delmas in PAP while looking through a soda straw; the side traffic never gets into my side vision. God, however, isn't constrained by time or human perspective. He views events on earth from above, taking in the whole panorama of time throughout the history of this world. While we may need to hurry because we might be late for something, the Lord doesn't need to rush, because He maintains complete control over time. He has prearranged the unfolding of His plans down to less than a nanosecond.

Most of us are not good at waiting. And, most of us are waiting for something. Waiting for relief. Waiting for an answer to prayer. Waiting for the chaos in Haiti to end. That end is in His timing. The people who have grown deep in their relationship with God have learned to wait with anticipation instead of worry. The end to the chaos in Haiti is coming. When? How soon? In His timing.

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 6/15/24 Joel Griffith 6/15/24

Share with one another.

“Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Philippians 4:14-20

Back in the day, while living in Haiti, I could tell you about the countless mission teams that brought gifts; suitcases full of odds and ends that were seemingly needed by the recipients in a faraway land. Our ancestors in North America gave blankets, beads and buttons to the Native inhabitants prior to moving into their land. When the Apostle Paul went out on his journeys, Churches provided for him; not the other way around.

Paul was an ambassador for Christ and his message was the Holy Gospel and the news of the gift of salvation that is found only in Christ. Sometimes we stray from this direction and return to the ways of our culture. Instead of bringing that which is of real value and will last forever, the Gospel, we tote and deliver worthless trinkets that only bring short lived happiness. The child from Ouanaminthe in the attached photo is giving thanks to God for their daily food, and for your support. She doesn’t know you or me, but she does know Him who brought this food to her table. It is not about me, it is about Him.

I read a pearl of wisdom recently which says “When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them, and sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.” Thank you for continuing to pray for the children in Haiti who receive the true gift of life and the gift of nourishment daily. Also never forget that you are in their prayers as well. We recently sang ‘Christ be my leader’ which was written by Timothy Dudley-Smith in the early 1960’s and this song reminds us of the presence of Christ in our lives each and every day.

“Christ be my leader by night as by day; safe through the darkness for he is the way. Gladly I follow, my future his care, darkness is daylight when Jesus is there. Christ be my teacher in age as in youth, drifting or doubting, for he is the truth. Grant me to trust him, though shifting as sand, doubt cannot daunt me; in Jesus I stand. Christ be my Savior in calm as in strife; death cannot hold me, for he is the life. Nor darkness nor doubting nor sin and its stain can touch my salvation: with Jesus I reign.”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 6/14/24 Joel Griffith 6/14/24

Searching scripture.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable; if anything is excellent or praiseworthy; think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me…put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8-9

Back in the day, while living in Haiti, my quiet hours either in the early morning or at night if it was just too hot to sleep were spent searching for Bible verses to insert into PowerPoint programs. The Apostle Paul provided me with a plethora of verses from which to choose from. These verses in the 4th chapter of Philippians rank very high on the closing passages that I used. The late Pastor Darrell Stuehrenberg would always remind me that these were his life verses; today, Pastor Darrell is richly blessed.

When we consider our mission, His mission for us, and how we can be used to do His mission to the assist the believers in Haiti to reach the un-believers in Haiti these passages should be considered before anything is planned. Too often well-meaning North Americans have gone off to foreign lands with mission ideas that have en-slaved believers in the mission fields. These types of ‘assistance’ do not go unseen by the un-believers; schools without a roof, broken trucks sitting idle for years, empty medical clinics and empty concrete block churches. Where is their God, why doesn’t their God come back and fix these problems?

The attached photo was taken in Ouanaminthe, Haiti. This school does not need to be fixed. The clothes that this young girl is wearing are just fine. The food in the bowl is her daily meal. The smile on her face is genuine. She has a Savior who gave His life for her and prepared a place for her in Heaven. She has Jesus!

The hymn “Beautiful Savior” from the Lutheran Hymnal is such a wonderful reminder of what it is that we truly need and also what we have. It’s one of the hymns I have selected for my Celebration of Life service. No author was ever given for this hymn that appeared in 1677, must have been a Lutheran who didn’t want this hymn to be about him, but rather about the Savior.

“Beautiful Savior, King of Creation, Son of God and Son of Man! Truly I'd love Thee, truly I'd serve Thee, light of my soul, my Joy, my Crown. Fair are the meadows, fair are the woodlands, robed in flowers of blooming spring; Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer; He makes our sorrowing spirit sing. Fair is the sunshine, fair is the moonlight, bright the sparkling stars on high; Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer, than all the angels in the sky. Beautiful Savior, Lord of the nations, Son of God and Son of Man! Glory and honor, praise, adoration, now and forevermore be Thine!”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 6/13/24 Joel Griffith 6/13/24

Two of a kind.

“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends! I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.” Philippians 4:1-3

The Apostle Paul encourages the gathering in Philippi to be steadfast and likeminded in their faith in their Lord. Same can be said of us here in North America and also with the believers in Haiti and elsewhere throughout this world. These two girls from Haiti in the attached photo could well be Euodia and Syntyche; they both attend the Lutheran school in Ouanaminthe. As you encourage them, they encourage others in their families, school and neighborhood.

Encouraging one another, through words, support and prayer, should be our direction. Words that lift up and not put down, support that encourages self-dependence and not continual slavery and most importantly prayer. In our sinful ways, we are not able to do these three at all times and must call upon our Triune God to provide us with direction, patience and perseverance. I heard Alexa share the song “Precious Lord” recently, written by the Rev. Thomas Dorsey (1899-1993) and it reminded me of my need for daily prayer for myself, for you and for the children in Haiti.

“Precious Lord, take my hand; lead me on, let me stand. I'm tired, I’m weak, I’m alone. Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light take my hand precious Lord, lead me home. When my way grows drear precious Lord linger near; when my life is almost gone. Hear my cry, hear my call, hold my hand lest I fall. Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home. When the darkness appears and the night draws near; and the day is past and gone. At the river I stand; guide my feet, hold my hand. Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home. Precious Lord, take my hand; lead me on, let me stand. I'm tired, I’m weak, Lord I’m worn. Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light take my hand precious Lord, lead me home.”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 6/12/24 Joel Griffith 6/12/24

Get deeper in His Word.

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.” Genesis 17:1-5

We have a new Pastor, Andrew Smith, and he has blessed us with five sermons thus far. But who is counting? His messages, emails and prayers have pushed me deeper in my study of God’s Word and LCMS Theology…and that is a really good thing for me. This growth also reminds me of one of our frequent vacancy Pastors who when he visited would introduce himself “Hi, I’m Tom and I’m a child of God”. These two Pastors have brought me closer to Jesus.

While reading the above verses, it is interesting to read that Abram’s spiritual roots had pushed deep into the soil of faith in his God. At long last, he trusted in the Lord's promise and rested in His sovereign will. He was now capable of receiving the covenant blessings.

Haiti has been waiting for quite a while for God’s children to do the work that they have been prepared to do. They have a significant role in God’s plan for Haiti. You too have a significant part of His plan…feed them. These children have been educated in Christian schools and their roots in His Word have grown deep. They are His children. And we wait…just a little longer.

Just as God gave Abram a new name and a promise that his descendants would be as uncountable as the stars and become a nation, these Haitian children will bring about His Will to be accomplished in Haiti. These kids have deep roots. Lord, may our roots be deep in Your Word.

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 6/11/24 Joel Griffith 6/11/24

Still waiting.

“Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.” Genesis 16:1-5

If you may recall, my connection with Haiti began when I was in Seward High School and wrote a term paper on that country. Looking back, at that point in time, people in Haiti had been waiting for a ‘good’ government for quite some time. Today, those still living in Haiti are still waiting. Those of us living here in the U.S. who are Trinity HOPE donors and support a Christian school filled with hungry children are waiting for the current gang related chaos to end. People throughout history, God’s people too, have had to wait.

Look back at the above verses from Genesis and recall a classic time of waiting…and trying to speed up the process. By the time Hagar had given birth to Ishmael, Abram had turned eighty-six. He and Sarai had to wait another fourteen years until the birth of Isaac, the true son of Abram's covenant with God. Abram and Sarai tried to rush God, attempting to get the Lord on their timetable, but they didn't receive their blessing for another fourteen long years. Our running ahead doesn't pressure God to hurry His agenda. We have to learn that truth; be patient…wait. When we try to coerce the Lord into giving us what we want, when we want it, He responds, in effect, “You're not ready. This blessing isn't good for you right now. You have so much more to learn. so trust Me. And don't expect Me to explain Myself.”

Men, women and children living in PAP today and those of us in the U.S. are possibly praying that great American prayer, “Lord, hurry up!” Where are you God? We’ve been waiting a long time. Waiting is difficult, and we’d like to start seeing some progress. God tells us…wait. His way and in His time.

When we're forced to wait, the Lord helps us acquire an appetite for the blessing that is to come. Meanwhile, He builds our maturity so that when the fulfillment finally does arrive, we are prepared to enjoy His blessing to the fullest. Wait. Give it time. God is a work in ways we can’t understand.

May God be with you,

Jay