Update since April 10.

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all; how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”  Romans 8:31-32

The last time that I sent or posted a message of encouragement to you was the morning of April 10; around 5 AM.  You didn’t know that I thought I was having a leg cramp when I hit ‘send’ and went back to lay on my bed and eventually called 911 as the cramp took over my right leg and left it feeling like a sandbag full of pain.  A blood clot behind my knee had made its way into my foot and after a quick CTE scan, I was at the hospital in Urbana, IL by 10:30 AM getting prepared for surgery.  My right leg was amputated about 6” above the knee.  Four days later my surgeon operated on my left leg placing a synthetic artery to the right of my knee and rendering the blood clots behind that knee no longer a problem and saving my left leg.  After being released from the hospital in Urbana weeks later to the Carle Rehab facility in Normal and then I was finally released after spending 35 days in a hospital bed.  I am now residing in an Assisted Living facility in Bloomington, IL near my daughters and it is time to start writing again.

I chose the above passages from Romans as they touched on many of my feelings the past months, and also caused me to consider what our brothers and sisters in Christ living in Haiti are going through as their lives are being turned upside down with the increased gang violence.  How can that get worse?  I’ve read the Haiti news every day on my phone since April 10 and any good news from Haiti is difficult to find as violence is spreading to other parts of their country.  And they have no place to turn for protection.  They have Jesus for they only hope.  I am in a wheelchair now with my stump, hoping for a prosthetic leg later this year.  That I am hopeful for, my real hope, like my friends in Haiti, and prayerfully yours as well, is Jesus.  When darkness seems to cover most of your life, turn to the only true Light in this fallen world; our Savior…Jesus.  HE is risen! 

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

Thoughts and prayers.

“Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”  He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.  Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.  Stay here and keep watch with me.”  Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.  Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:37-39

My daughter Deidre is driving me to Champaign this morning for an invasive test to determine the best way for doctors to address the blood clot behind my knee and improve the blood flow to my right foot.  My daughters and me have been praying about this challenge for several weeks.  My congregation saw my name in the Prayers on Sunday and they will also be lifting me up in their prayers.  I will pray for my doctor and surgical staff before they place me into a fog and insert a needle into my femoral artery.  We Christians, were taught to pray by our parents and pastors and by our Savior.

During this season of Lent, we have read in the above verses about the three times that Jesus prayed the same words to the Father.  Like my prayer, they weren’t eloquent words.  They weren’t increasingly joyful.  He returned and prayed the same grieved words over and over again.

Sometimes, we don’t have any new words to add.  Sometimes our concern continues, and sometimes it worsens.  Our Heavenly Father doesn’t tire of hearing our requests again.  He doesn’t wag his finger at us and say “I heard you already”.  Instead, He continues to listen; He wants to hear us. 

Christ will not let you go; He will not turn you away or criticize your prayers. He will never condemn you; He came to save us.  Keep turning back to Jesus, keep kneeling, keep pleading.  He sees each tear and He hears each word, no matter how frail we seem to be.  We pray that above all, His divine will is going to be accomplished…no matter how that turns out.  We take our prayers to the foot of the cross and leave them at His feet.

This will be my last devotion for the week and if surgery is scheduled sooner then it may be a while longer.  Have a blessed day.  Thank you for your prayers.

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

One link in a chain.

“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Romans 15:5–7

Today is the first Monday in April which means it is International Day of Prayer at Trinity HOPE.  That fact caused me to reflect on the adage about each of us is but one link in a chain.  None of us, here in North America or living in Haiti is a whole chain.  Each one of us is a link, but take away one link and the chain is broken.  I’m sure that you have either heard that before or shared that lesson with your children, co-workers or your bowling or pickle ball partner. 

I am going to the clinic in Champaign, IL tomorrow for an invasive test and not one of the people in scrubs working with me is the whole staff.  The doctor and his staff are each a part of the staff.  If one of them can’t be there tomorrow my procedure may have to be cancelled.  Each one of us is important.  I need my daughter to drive me to there and need that surgical team to all be there around me.  I will be saying a prayer for all of them before they place me in la la land. 

Today we pray for the feeding programs at the Christian schools in Haiti.  We pray for the safety of all of the team members who make those feeding programs possible.  We pray for their safety during these chaotic times in their country.  You may feel like your prayer is not that important in the bigger picture; stop thinking that!  You are a valuable link in the prayer chain today.   I am going to close today with the words from the Lenten hymn ‘Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness’ that were written by Nicolaus L. von Zinzendorf.

“Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness, my beauty are, my glorious dress;
midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed, with joy shall I lift up my head.  The holy, meek, unspotted Lamb, Who from the Father's bosom came, Who died for me, e'en me t' atone, now for my Lord and God I own.  Lord, I believe Thy precious blood, which at the mercy seat of God, forever doth for sinners plead, for me, e'en for my soul was shed.  When from the dust of death I rise to claim my mansion in the skies, e’en then this shall be all my plea,
Jesus hath lived, hath died for me.  Jesus, be endless praise to thee, Whose boundless mercy hath for me and all who trust Thy hands hath made an everlasting ransom paid.  Ah! give to all, almighty Lord, with pow’r to speak thy gracious word, that all who to thy wounds will flee may find eternal life in Thee.  Oh, let the dead now hear thy voice!  Now bid thy banished ones rejoice; their beauty this, their glorious dress, Jesus, thy blood and righteousness.”

Prayer time today.  We need your link.

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

May God be with you,

Jay

Prayer Guide for April

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

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

‘Adoration’

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

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

  A time of ‘Adoration’ to our Heavenly Father.   

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

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

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

·        Give thanks for missionaries who are tirelessly bringing His Word of the Resurrection to those who have distanced themselves from Christ around this fallen world.

 ‘Confession’

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

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

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

·        A time of personal confession.

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

 ‘Thanksgiving’

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

Give thanks for the news about the Empty Tomb being found empty; every day!  This is one of two days each year when people who have drifted away from Christ will prayerfully make an effort to be with their family and in His House for a moment of time to be open to the work of the Holy Spirit.  Christmas and Easter celebrations should really get our ‘thanksgiving’ juices flowing on this special day and may our hearts and minds keep those strong emotions of being thankful at a heightened level throughout the year.  We are living in uncertain times in our fallen world and yet there is still much to be thankful for today. 

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

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

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

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

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

‘Supplications’

After seeing the empty tomb and knowing what Our Triune God has done for us, it should be almost embarrassing to ask for more.  Father, we need Your help; our fallen world needs your help, please comfort, heal and draw those in our prayers closer to You.

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

Heavenly Father, we bring our supplications before You;

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

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

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

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

Marked by the Cross of Christ.

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

Every mission team member should have these verses written down and tucked into their pocket where they can be read and re-read again and put to memory as they head out into the mission fields of this earth.  We are children of God first and foremost and citizens of the U.S. second.

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

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

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

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

Please, don't criticize.

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

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

I have been criticized for helping children in Haiti; some think that it is just wasting money.  Some synodical purists have chastised me because Trinity HOPE programs feed children in schools which are predominantly Lutheran, but also has programs in a few other Christian denominations as well.  There are also those who consider Trinity HOPE not doing enough as they are not paying teacher salaries, building schools and purchasing vehicles for principals, school busses and gas-powered generators and also in the well digging business.

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

If you sell fried chicken, don’t add pizza to your menu.  If you drive a GMC truck, don’t put Dodge mud flaps on the back end.  Do the very best with the very best gifts that He has given you.  Kelly Downing (a weasel from Nebraska) is a friend of mine who shared an analogy of comparing a ministry to the Platte River that flows east to west through Nebraska.  Back in the day, the Platte was a mile wide and a foot deep in the springtime; Kelly remarked that a ministry going in too many different directions is like the Platte River, no substance, a mile wide and shallow.

God gives each of us a direction and the means to serve Him in this lifetime.  The children in this photo who attend the Christian school in Lauture are just a few of all the children attending this school in the Jacmel district.  They are thankful for the education, food and the fact that they have a Savior and no longer fear the vodou priest.

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

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

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

Share the truth.

“And he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'  He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'"  Luke 16:30-31 (ESV)

Dr. Kari Vo with the Lutheran Hour recently used the above passage for one of her Lenten devotions and her message was a little different from this one of mine today, as these passages in Luke struck a different cord in my mind.  The parable Jesus was teaching was about a rich man and Lazarus, and he asked that Lazarus should be brought back from the dead, because then this miracle would make believers of those who were witnesses of this wonderful moment.

Jesus told them that their ancestors had Moses and the Prophets and the people did not listen and if He raised Lazarus from the dead, they would still not change their evil ways.  Do you ever wonder what you would have done if you had been wandering in the desert, following the pillar of smoke and eating manna; what would you have done?  Did you ever think that if you had been there when Jesus called Lazarus from the tomb what you would have done?  Surely, we would have believed and not turned away or fell asleep in the garden as Jesus prayed before he was arrested.

The children in the attached photo attend Ecole Lutherienne in Osse and they like us, have heard the story of the Son of God and the miracles He did on earth.  Before they learned of Jesus, they had heard about Erzule Dante and all the other evil spirits that are called upon by the local vodou priest.  Those are the memory lessons planted in their minds by their parents, who learned them from their parents from the beginning of their lives.

We are blessed with an opportunity to share what we have been taught and know with the children in Osse so that they can go out and share it with the rest of Haiti that relies upon satan and the vodou priest each day.  They live in doubt, fear and are hopeless.  In John 20:29 Jesus tells us “Blessed are those who have not seen but believe.”  Thank you for helping to bring that message of hope in a risen Savior to the lost of Haiti.

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

Two pots.

“Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”  Hebrews 12:3

Just a few simple things can accomplish so many good things, they can reap enormous benefits; they can lay the foundation for a multitude of future generations.  There are some people who look at a plastic bowl of beans and rice resting on a board in front of a smiling Haitian child and don’t see the hand of God in action.

At times, our world would prefer to spend countless hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars purchasing land, building large churches, acquiring earth moving equipment and then repairing that same earth moving equipment and paying salaries in a foreign land.  Often, too often the plans and directions of this world are exceedingly expensive and we should always ask if these resources are being used wisely in the growth of His Kingdom.  The photo of two plain iron pots setting over chunks of charcoal inside a crude corrugated metal shelter in Cap Haitian are much like a real ‘beacon of hope’ for the young missionaries who will take the Gospel message to the lost in Haiti.

The photo is simplicity at its finest, no electricity, no cupboard with costly spices, no exhaust fans or even a chair or a door.  Really quite simple isn’t it?  This is the making of a lighthouse ready to prepare young children to send the Gospel light to the lost.  While driving home last week I heard a song called “Send the Light” and it reminded me of those two pots in Cap Haitian.

“There’s a call comes ringing o’er the restless wave, “Send the light! Send the light!”  There are souls to rescue, there are souls to save, Send the light! Send the light!  Send the light, the blessed Gospel light; let it shine from shore to shore!  Send the light, the blessed Gospel light; let it shine forevermore!  We have heard the Macedonian call today, “Send the light! Send the light!”  And a golden off’ring at the cross we lay, Send the light! Send the light!  Let us pray that grace may everywhere abound, “Send the light! Send the light!”  And a Christlike spirit everywhere be found, Send the light! Send the light!  Let us not grow weary in the work of love, “Send the light! Send the light!”  Let us gather jewels for a crown above, Send the light! Send the light!”

To those of you who have helped to keep those two simple pots of rice and beans full in Cap Haitian and 264 other locations throughout Haiti, thank you.  Thank you for following His call, for trusting in His simple plan to send over 65,000 children out into Haiti and send the light, the Gospel light, to the lost in Haiti.

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 stones of Haiti.

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”  “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”  Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”  “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”  Luke 19:38-40

These certainly are interesting passages about our Savior’s response to the Pharisees that tell what would happen if he instructed his disciples to be silent.  There are a multitude of stones in Haiti, they are everywhere, in the streets, foot paths along the side of the highway, in the schoolyard and I recall starting to clear the garden at our office of them and gave up after half an hour and decided that the vegetable seeds would just be planted around them.

If the stones of Haiti could talk, they would certainly have a lot to tell about the chaos that has filled that country since its beginnings when God set this planet into motion.  They would scream out about how satan came into Haiti on the French slave ships and thrived in the vodou temples from the mid to late 1700’s until present time.  Haitian stones were used in the Palace of the President, in commercial buildings, ports, roads and Christian Churches and schools.

The children in the attached photo attend the Lutheran school that is located in the northeast in Ouanaminthe and their voices cry out “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”  Unlike the vast majority of their ancestor’s, they are free and not bound by French slave masters.  Unlike the vast majority of their ancestor’s, they are free from the chains of satan which are held by the local vodou priest.  Their voices are crying out to the lost sharing the Gospel message.

I heard a song recently called ‘He is Here’ by Kirk Talley and some of the words strike a strong chord with the history presently taking place in Haiti, because of your support of these children in Christian schools in Haiti.

“I sense an awesome Moving of the Holy Spirit, I see His countenance resting on each face.  I know that there are angels gathering all around us for the Presence of the Lord is in this place.  He is here; Hallelujah, He is here, Amen.  He is here, Holy, Holy; I will bless His Name again.  He is here, listen closely, hear Him calling out your name.  He is here you can touch Him.  You will never be the same.”

You can clearly see and even feel His presence within these children in Ouanaminthe and the other 264 Christian schools in Haiti where there is a pot full of Trinity HOPE food for hungry souls who will go out into their neighborhoods where souls are hungry for a Savior.

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

Being saved.

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

When the Angel of the Lord spoke to Joseph through a dream, telling him about the event that was going to dramatically change his life and also forever impact the residents of this planet what must he thought?  His son Jesus will save God’s people from their sins.

On this last day of March, consider these two words, ‘being saved’ and ask yourself how important is that really?  I am sitting here today in a clean, climate-controlled room with my fingers tapping on a plastic keyboard, not thinking too much about being saved.  At this present moment I feel physically safe but as I look at the word ‘salvation’ it is very clear that my sinful nature which has been with me from the beginning caused me to need a savior to rescue me.

The child in the attached photo attends the Lutheran school in Bois Marchand in the northwest corner of Gonaives and he would tell you how important this verse in Matthew means to him.  “Se li menm ki pral delivre pèp li a anba peche l' yo” brings a smile to his face because he knows that Jesus will save his people from their sins.  Christ saves His people "from their sins."  Not the vodou priest who practices just down the road, he only adds to his sins.

Thank you for blessing this child and his school in Bois Marchand with a meal every day and for helping to prepare him to go and share the Gospel message with those still living in fear and unaware that they have a Savior.  I close with the first two verses of the hymn ‘I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus’ that was written by Frances Havergal in 1874.

“I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus, trusting only Thee; trusting Thee for full salvation, great and free.  I am trusting Thee for pardon; at Thy feet I bow, for Thy grace and tender mercy, trusting now.”

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