Walk by faith.

“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.  By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.  For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.  And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.” Hebrews 11:8-11

A few weeks ago, Pastor Smith gave a message on Mark 4, that touched on Jesus calming the storm.  How many times has your small boat been on a stormy lake and been taking on water?  Were you alone?  I hope not.  I hope that your faith kept you still; the Greatest Of ALL Time was with you as every drop of lake water drenched your body.  Jesus was sitting right next with you in the stern of that boat.  

In the above verses from Hebrews 11, we read that it was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.  You, me and all believers throughout time have by faith weathered storms throughout history.  We read the words "by faith" and they are the most important part of Abraham's story.  He responded based on belief, not because he could see what was ahead, not because he had a preview of what the future held, but because "by faith" means he willingly exchanged the known for the unknown; all because he trusted in God.

God wants us to grow in faith through the storms in our life, not only because we need Him, but also because it's good for us.  It stretches us beyond our comfort zone.  We need to know the experience of embarking on an endeavor we've never tried before.  We need to know that, with His help, we can safely tackle any challenge and when our clothes are soaking wet in our little boat; HE is 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

This is what I once was...

“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.  But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation; if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.  This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.” Colossians 1:21-23

I heard three questions in a sermon recently that prompted me to take an honest look at my life’s journey thus far.  The questions; where were you once in your life?  Where are you now?  Who do you say that Jesus Christ is? 

Back in the day when I was a single parent, working in an office with a few bangers, the Monday morning weekend review centered on how drunk they got the past weekend and how they couldn’t remember getting home.  My weekend was spent cleaning our house, doing our laundry and taking my young daughters to the park, church on Sunday and then the Children’s Zoo.  There were moments at one point in my life before being married, that I’m not proud of and don’t intend to share my lapse in wisdom with anyone.  That was back in my day.  When the Apostle Paul was known as Saul, there were times that he too, was not proud of his back in the day behavior.  We know about those times because he and others wrote about them.  We all are sinful humans in need of Jesus.  Were there times in your past when you cupped your hands in the stream below the herd and took a drink?  We are thankful for Jesus because He saves.

Next question; where are you today?  If you are regular in your attendance at a church preaching the Holy Gospel, Christ crucified and receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion, you are probably in a better place than back in the day.  Still sinning but repenting and sins forgiven.  Hopefully, the words, thoughts and actions coming from your being today are, like the Apostle Paul, reaching the lost who desperately need Jesus in their lives.

The last question; who do you say Jesus is?  Jesus Christ is the risen Son of God…my Savior.  I’m hopeful that I am able to thank Him while drawing my final breath.  It’s really tragic that many people die long before they draw their last breath.  Their lives may still be stuck in the Monday morning weekend review.  They no longer seek all the joy and purpose and pleasure that a life with Christ has for them.  We should do everything we can to help bring them into a relationship with Jesus Christ.  Those lost souls are in the U.S.A., in Haiti and around this planet.  Like the Apostle Paul, become a servant for Christ.  Seek and save the lost.   

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

July 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 Samuel 2:1-2; “Then Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high.  My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.  “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.”

I was born, baptized, raised, educated and gainfully employed in the United States of America.  This is the month that we, citizens of the U.S.A. celebrate our Independence from a foreign country that once called us their colony.  And now centuries later, we American’s, enjoy and hold precious the freedom from the oppression upon the lives of our ancestors.  As believers, we celebrate every day that this priceless freedom which was sacrificially given to us through the precious blood of Jesus Christ on the Calvary cross two thousand years ago.  And although we celebrated that empty tomb months ago; Christ is RISEN!!!  How blessed we are living here and being loved, comforted and blessed by our Triune God.

  A time of ‘Adoration’ to our Triune God.    

·        Please take time to sit quietly and gaze at His creation and feel His presence in your life; guiding, forgiving, protecting and loving.

·        Think about the provisions, protection and hope that surround you in these challenging times, because of His unfailing love for you.

·        Give thanks for where God has placed you in this land where we have so many freedoms and the gifts that you were given to use for Him along your journey.

·        Try to grasp the immense work that our Creator is doing in the lives of each Haitian child who attended a Christian school this past year.

 ‘Confession’

James 5:16; “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

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’

Sylvie Bertrand, the UNODC regional representative recently said, “It’s time for people in Haiti to live peacefully; for their kids to go back to school, for them to be able to eat every day.”  And that means, she says, ensuring that “national authorities are well-trained, well-equipped, and ready to face and curb down the level of violence.”  Fourteen years after the earthquake destroyed much in PAP and today, the Haitian gangs have brought chaos into quite a few neighborhoods and once again, much of PAP looks and feels like a ‘war zone’.  When you see photos of smiling Haitian children with a bowl of food on their lap, try to imagine the many differences in their July and yours.  In July, it is hot here in Normal and I have A/C, ice cubes without frozen bugs staring at me and food; some fresh, some frozen but always plentiful.  Our first thank you should always be for having a Savior.  Jesus secured a permanent home for us in Heaven.  We give thanks for God’s planning and timing here in the U.S.A. and also in Haiti.  We give thanks to our Triune God, because we trust in Him and know that one day soon, peace, children back in school and food will return to Haiti in His timing.  He has been faithful to generations of His children since the beginning of time. 

Psalm 20:4; “May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.”

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 over 52,000 children who received a daily meal form Trinity HOPE this past year.

·        We give thanks our providence; monetary, food, clothing, timely moisture, shelter and our freedom from oppressive foreign powers. 

·        As we give of our first fruits may we also give a portion of our best to His children in Haiti who need and are always thankful for the assistance we can provide because of You.

‘Supplications’

Psalm 139; “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.”

I read an article recently in the Miami Herald and the author wrote that “It is getting harder to find hope in Haiti these days.”  I have also read several articles where the authors wrote about how they were not recognizing our country as being a Christian nation.  Too many of our leaders and their followers have turned away from God; the lack of hope in our nation is brought about by the distance we have turned and ran away from our Triune God.  As you read in Psalm 139 the writer shares that when we turn and run;” You are there”.  Our Triune God remains there with us; with Haiti.  Be still and wait.  He is with us.  Lord, we seek your wisdom and deliverance from these challenges that bring harm to the freedom and peace of Your children.

Heavenly Father, we bring our supplications before You;

·        Heavenly Father, please continue to lead and bless Trinity HOPE with Your loving hand; may our donor base grow this summer.

·        Lord of the Harvest, please bless the efforts of the Haitian farmers, may their gardens and homes be protected from storms this summer and provide abundant crops.

·        Heavenly Father, please protect Haiti from tropical storms this summer.  Place Your mighty arms around Your children to protect them from the elements. 

·        Lord, may you direct, protect and watch over the Christian children and their families as satan would desire to harm them through violent actions by hopeless gangs.  Please change their evil ways to repentant hearts.

·        Father, bless Your children here in our nation.  May we turn to You and draw others closer to Jesus during the many challenges we are facing.

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

In the spotlight.

“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” Hebrews 6:10

This is the last Saturday in June.  Half of this year has passed.  Have you had your moment in the spotlight?  So, how important is it for you to have your moment in the spotlight?  In the past couple of decades, I have loosely been looking at people doing work in the mission fields and striving to get their names and deeds up in the spotlight on the big stage of the world; I’m not being judgmental of them but rather using their example as a personal lesson of what not to do in my life.

Like a whitetail deer froze in the beam of a headlight on a starless night, so is standing in the spotlight uncomfortable for me.  If you don’t believe me, ask anybody who has gone on a mission trip with me and tried to photograph me; my turning from the camera is akin to a Haitian vodou priest not wanting their evil spirit to be captured by a Kodak moment.

There is nothing wrong with being a ditch dweller or a ‘nobody’.  The child in the attached photo is a ‘nobody’ by our culture’s standards.  Our Triune God knows of her worth and trust me; she is a ‘somebody’ to Him who is accomplishing much for Him.  She is being prepared to be a missionary at the Lutheran school in Ouanaminthe.  She enjoys a daily meal at school from a Trinity HOPE supporter like you and me.  The work of feeding this child may not seem that important; but it is to Him.

The Bible is filled with people who have done much away from the spotlight; Jabez, Amos, Enoch and Habakkuk come to mind.  A few good men, leaders, anonymous; a bunch that our culture might consider to be a ‘nobody’.  Jabez appeared briefly in the Bible.  We read in 1 Chronicles 4:10; “Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory!  Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.”  And God granted his request.”  This girl from Ouanaminthe, you and I are in good company while joyfully serving our Triune God outside of the spotlight.

Your gifts make you so valuable for Him and for her but not famous.  The ultimate joy of your sacrificial gifts to this child will be to His glory and not worldly applause.  I close today with the words from the hymn ‘Take my life and let it be’ that was 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.”

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

Our earthly tent.

“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.”  2 Corinthians 5:1

Don’t take your earthly tent and it’s air conditioner for granted.  Take a good look around your tent some morning; take an inventory of what you have accumulated.  You probably have electrical outlets and lights that are in working order.  The indoor plumbing brings fresh water into your faucet and it can be either hot or cold at the touch of a finger and the drain in the bottom of your lavatory goes into a sanitary sewer system.  Your tent most likely has glass windows that keep out the bugs, rain and snow and there is also a heating and cooling system that keeps the temperature to your liking, again with the touch of your finger.

The young girl in this photo is sitting alone amidst a group of Haitian chairs attends the Lutheran school in Communautaire which is in the Central Plateau and she has no idea of what it is like to have such luxuries that are the norm in North America.  Her home is no doubt a one room shelter with a metal roof, no electricity, no plumbing and no glass in the windows.  She most likely sleeps on a mat on the dirt floor with her parents and siblings in the same room every night.  She has heard of an eternal house in Heaven that is not built by human hands.  What must she imagine her Heavenly home will look like; what do you imagine your Heavenly home will look like?

“I’m looking away, beyond the dark stream, to heaven’s fair home, of which I had dreamed, there millions have gone, it’s glory to share, get ready my friend, to live over there.  That heavenly home, lies over death sea; where loved ones I know, are waiting for me, with Jesus we’ll live, in glory divine, that heavenly home, will surely be mine.  That heavenly home, has mansions of light, no storm clouds will rise, no shadows of night, no sorrow no pain, all sin will be gone, we’ll live with the Lord, while ages roll on.”

The two of you know Jesus Christ, our crucified Savior and the two of you will indeed have a house in Heaven.  We can be assured that it will be a mansion in Heaven, He has promised that and whatever the walls, floor and roof will be made of doesn’t really matter.  Being there with Jesus is all that really matters.

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

Saving a life.

“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you!  What then will there be for us?”  Matthew 19:26-27

In these verses, Jesus is telling the disciples that human efforts cannot save anyone.  Water Safety Instructors, CPR, Rescue Diver’s, Doctors and Nurses can ‘save’ a life, but they cannot save a life like the Son of God can save a life.  It is impossible for you and me to really ‘save’ a life; only Christ did and can by what He accomplished for all men on the Cross of Calvary.

The children in the attached photo attend class at the Lutheran school in St. Marc.  How can they be saved from all of the hurdles that face them daily while living in Haiti?  A mission team from Christ Lutheran and Lord of Life Lutheran in the Kansas City area ‘saved’ them from going to school in a corrugated metal sweat structure by constructing a concrete block structure for which Pastor Bruce Narcles is forever thankful.

The hundreds of children that go to school here have been ‘saved’ by Trinity HOPE donors who have provided funds to feed them daily as they are prepared to spread the news of the true risen Savior to St. Marc and elsewhere in Haiti.  Man has provided a few ways to ‘save’ these precious souls who are so dear to Jesus.

Peter asked Jesus “what then will there be for us?” and this is so typical of human beings; what is in it for me?  Peter and the disciples had given everything up and left to follow our Lord and now Peter wanted to know if they would be receiving anything special.  If the true man side of Jesus didn’t shake His head in disbelief at this question I would be surprised as Peter didn’t understand the importance of being saved.  And at times we too fail to see the true importance of being SAVED.

The ‘stuff’ in our world continually numbs us to what is really important in our lives.  Being saved and helping others throughout this world to learn about a risen Savior is what is truly important.  Thank you for ‘saving’ His children in St. Marc and serving our Triune God.

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

May God be with you,

Jay

Have you walked on water?

“Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.  When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified.  “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.  But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I.  Don’t be afraid.”  “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”  “Come,” he said.  Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”  Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.  “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:25-31

Have you ever tried to walk on water?  One time I thought that I could do that with scuba diving fins kicking as hard as my legs would permit and it probably appeared that I was walking in waist deep water for a brief period of time.  Having the faith in Jesus to be able to walk on water; what was Peter thinking or better yet what was he asking of our Savior?

It was really hot and humid here in Normal yesterday afternoon and when I prepared to open the sliding door and go into my house, I had faith that my air conditioner had kept the inside of my house eighty degrees as that is what my thermostat setting is in the daytime.  When I lived in Haiti and would prepare to open the door to my apartment, I knew the temperature inside would either match or be greater than the temperature outside; in that I had faith.

Back in the day, after returning to life in North America, my first weeks back in Lincoln, had somewhat deadened my faith in our Triune God; too many comforts get taken for granted living here.  The young woman in the attached photo is Nadine Isidor, who was my office manager in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti headquarters in Port-au-Prince.  Her faith walk was a blessing to me as the Holy Spirit working through her brought me closer to Jesus because without Him, my life was more challenging and in danger.  Nadine had faith that her job was secure and that Jesus had promised her a mansion in Heaven; the most important was a home in Heaven where she would be with Him.  The temperature at her desk was probably 90 degrees and she was very happy to have a job.

When I got up last Sunday, I asked Alexa to play some Southern Gospel music and she found a song by Johnny Cash and Pam Tillis titled ‘Keep your eyes on Jesus.’  Been doing a lot of reflecting on that tonight and I pray that you too will be like me and Nadine, keeping our fixed upon Jesus.   

“Keep your eyes on Jesus, when the tidal wave of trouble around you rolls.  Keep your eyes on Jesus’ He will calm the storms of life that toss your soul.  Living in a world that’s full of sorrow, we are tried and tempted every day.  Knowing not the secrets of tomorrow, we find if you win, we watch and pray.  In Matthew, Chapter 14, when the disciples were in the ship in the midst of the sea, being tossed with waves, for the wind was contrary.  In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.  And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, 'it is a spirit'; and they cried out for help.  But straightway, Jesus spake unto them, saying, "Be of good cheer; It is I; Be not afraid."  And Peter answered him and said, Lord 'If it be Thou, let me come unto Thee upon the water.'  And He said, "Come." And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.  But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried out, 'Lord, save me.'  Peter was doing alright while he kept his eyes on Jesus. But when he looked away at the rolling waves about him, he began to sink.  And immediately, Jesus stretched forth His Hand, and caught him, and said unto him, "O, thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"  Being tossed in this life by disappointments and temptations, we are very much the same as this disciple. If we want to live for Jesus, we must keep our eyes on Him, and not the pleasures of this world.  “Keep your eyes on Jesus, when the tidal wave of trouble around you rolls.  Keep your eyes on Jesus; He will calm the storms of life that toss your soul.”

We’ve been praying and waiting for many months and even years for a sign of change to come to Haiti and begin to bring an end to the chaos from gangs.  Yesterday, the first of many airplanes from Kenya arrived in PAP bringing a police force to assist the Haitian police in beginning to dissolve the gangs that have brought so much evil into Haiti.  Please pray for the police, the citizens and also that gang members would lay down their weapons and repent.  Keep your eyes fixed upon Jesus.

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 Creed.

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  Isaiah 41:10

Good guys and bad guys; who are you going to trust; who are you going to believe?  Pastor Andrew Smith discussed the Athanasian Creed back on Holy Trinity Sunday several weeks ago.  This Creed has been in Churches since the sixth century and as we read through it, my thoughts drifted for just a moment to what kind of creed do the vodou priests in Haiti use?

We Christians place our faith in the Triune God and the vodouists place their trust in their vodou priest’s ability to connect with evil spirits from satan and his evil spirits.  When along our journey we face trials and hurdles we turn to our God.  He is always there, no matter how big the challenge or how dark the skies and how painful the grief we are experiencing.  Our sinful human tendency is to take our eyes off of God, look at the problem before us and feel overwhelmed with fear and anxiety.  When fear floods in, faith floods out!  When your back is against the wall, choose faith over fear.  Stand firm in the faith and put your trust in God.

The children in the attached photo attend the Lutheran school in St. Marc and they place their trust in our Triune God and not the vodou priest.  Their lives too are filled with many trials and hurdles and they too recognize that these frightening moments are only a temporary dead end.  Our God continues to provide us with the Hope of knowing that we have a risen Savior who is Christ the Lord.  The Holy Spirit continues to strengthen our faith as we go out into a world filled with darkness and in desperate need of the Light of the 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

A plan for a 'nobody',

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

I finished reading the book ‘Hand me another brick’ recently, which was written by Charles Swindoll and in one of the latter chapters he was observing the differences between the ‘nobody’s’ and the ‘somebody’s of this world.  A week ago, after listening to the Father’s Day message, I was thinking about what kind of legacy others have left behind and also what I am leaving.

To many souls in North America, the child in the attached photo is a ‘nobody’ who happens to live in Haiti.  He attends one of the Lutheran Schools in Gonaives and on this particular day in March it was hot; like it usually is in his school every day.  He speaks Creole and is learning French, walks to school and is happy to be there.  His home probably has a dirt floor, no running water, no electricity, no food and he sleeps in the same room with his parents and siblings.  By ‘our’ standards he most certainly is a ‘nobody’.  God didn’t create this child or you or me to be a nobody; He has a plan specially designed for each of us.

Our Triune God calls the lesser of this world to accomplish many tasks that clergy cannot do in many instances.  I came across a story recently about a doctor that became quite ill and one day a volunteer from his Church went to visit this Christian doctor and found him to be greatly improved and free from fear.  The doctor told of a visit that he had a few hours earlier with an older Christian surgeon who had prayed with him and given him a special prescription from the above verse from Joshua.  This doctor had been touched by God’s Word and not through a pastor’s care but by a fellow Christian.

This young Haitian child is being molded to touch another life or lives with the Gospel message; a ‘nobody’ bringing news to a ‘somebody’ really special, to another nobody.  There are many nobodies in North America supporting the school feeding program at this Christian school, helping this young child to be something special for our Triune God.

Mr. Swindoll wrote about a drive that he and his family took in California and happened to drive past a Military Cemetery with rows and rows of white crosses and he commented on how these seemingly ‘nobodies’ buried in that hill had played an important role in securing our freedom.  It was a very fitting comment, especially when you consider the work of this child, and the work of Trinity HOPE volunteers and donors.  I don’t know what you have done or accomplished for this child and I don’t know how God will use him; I just know that He will, He has a divine plan for this child’s life, for your life and for my life.

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

Calling on His name.

“And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  Acts 2:21

The Bible tells us quite plainly that ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’ and yet there are people who just don’t seem to call upon Jesus as their Savior.  Why do you suppose that some people will believe you when you tell them there are four billion stars in the Heavens but stop and touch the wall when you say that the paint is still wet?

At times it is difficult to share the truth in a world full of falsehoods; tales of deception spun by the prince of lies and spread like warm butter on soft bread by evil trolls in a world with wide-eyed people looking for something better that they can devour more easily.  They need Jesus.

The two Lutheran boys staring at a missionary in Cap Haitian know about Jesus, they call upon His name and they will be saved.  I heard a song recently called ‘Take the Name of Jesus with you’ that was written by Lydia Baxter in 1874 just four days before died at the age of 65; what a way to leave a legacy.  We all need to be reminded daily how precious and powerful the Name of Jesus really is and the promises that come to us when we call upon Him in prayer.

“Take the Name of Jesus with you, child of sorrow and of woe, it will joy and comfort give you; take it then, where’er you go.  Precious Name, O how sweet!  Hope of earth and joy of Heav’n.  Precious Name, O how sweet!  Hope of earth and joy of Heav’n.  Take the Name of Jesus ever, as a shield from every snare; if temptations round you gather, breathe that holy Name in prayer.  Precious Name, O how sweet!  Hope of earth and joy of Heav’n.  Precious Name, O how sweet!  Hope of earth and joy of Heav’n.  O the precious Name of Jesus!  How it thrills our souls with joy, when His loving arms receive us, and His songs our tongues employ!  Precious Name, O how sweet!  Hope of earth and joy of Heav’n.  Precious Name, O how sweet!  Hope of earth and joy of Heav’n.  At the Name of Jesus bowing, falling prostrate at His feet, King of kings in Heav’n we’ll crown Him, when our journey is complete.  Precious Name, O how sweet!  Hope of earth and joy of Heav’n.  Precious Name, O how sweet!  Hope of earth and joy of Heav’n.”

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