Hate evil; cling to good.

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”  Romans 12:9

Our love of our Heavenly Father must be sincere.  Our love must not be faked or have an on/off switch that we can manipulate when situations seem to fit the need in our timing.  We must detest things that are evil.  We must turn our back on them, walk away when tempted and pray for strength for our resolve and for those that desire the evil of this world.

We must continue to seek and cling to what is good.  Clinging to feeding children who live in Haiti and share in our love for our risen Savior Jesus Christ is certainly right and proper.  Supporting the children in Haiti is God pleasing.  Our love for them is sincere and we pray for them as they continue to do daily battle with the evil that the vodou priest continues to bring into their lives.

A familiar song was sung at a funeral that I watched last week, ‘Beautiful Savior’, and those two words really say it all so simply when trying to describe how precious the gift is that we received from our Beautiful Savior, Jesus Christ.  We strive to cling closely to our Beautiful Savior.  While the author of this hymn is unknown, the perfecter of our faith is so well known.  This hymn was translated in 1873 by Joseph Seiss.

“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!”

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

HE has plans for us.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11

We live in a fallen world that sometimes seems void of hope.  Wars, famine, pollution, recessions, etc. can cause us to become easily discouraged when we look at the prospects of our future; discouragement can lead to depression, and depression can lead to hopelessness.  When we are feeling hopeless, we see our circumstances and surroundings through a filtered lens that can cause us to continue to spiral downwards in our emotions and our attitudes.  In the words from Jeremiah, God says that He has a plan for you, for me and the children in the attached photo; a plan that will prosper you and not to harm you, a plan that will give you hope and a future.

God has a specific plan for the girl jumping rope at the Maniche School that is located in the Les Cayes District.  At the moment the photo was snapped, she probably could not tell you what the plan was for her life, but she knows that the Triune God who provides her with a daily meal has something special planned for her, because He loves her.  While the economy may be saying one thing to us, God is saying another; feed my sheep.  While your circumstances may cry out hopelessness, God is saying that He has a plan to prosper and not to harm you.  While we don't know what the future does hold, we know Who holds the future.  We can trust in the goodness of God to care for us and His children in Haiti in the midst of situations that seem hopeless.

Our hope is not in our circumstances, but in God our Father.  That does not necessarily mean that life will always turn out the way we expected, but it does mean that we can always trust in our Heavenly Father, to love us and watch over us.  

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

Don't be idle.

“Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.”  Ecclesiastes 11:6

As an early riser, this verse gives me something to hang my hat on when people shake their heads at when they learn that my day typically begins around 3:30 AM.  It is not that I love getting up early; it just happens.  I am thinking that being in a hospital bed for 35 days in April and May messed up my internal clock.  Back in the day, while living in Haiti, getting to the office in Petionville by 5 AM meant that I could drive down Delmas with very little traffic to deal with; a good thing.  Leaving my apartment later than 6 AM increased the drive time by thirty minutes at a minimum as vehicles and hordes of pedestrians clogged the streets.  Working in the morning when the mind is fresh is generally best for me as my creative juices just seem to slow down in the late afternoon.  It would seem that this scripture would encourage each of us to work and not be idle from the break of day until sun is setting; stay busy with the time you have been given.

Through all of our labors, do the best we can with what we have been given.  Each of us has been given various talents and endless opportunities to serve our Triune God.  It doesn’t matter if we are young or old, our time and talents are so valuable for doing His work in His world.

Thank you for using your time and talents to feed His children in Haiti; whether it be morning, noon or night, thank you for answering and following His call to feed His children.  I close today with the words to the hymn ‘God of mercy, God of grace’ that was written by Henry F. Lyte in 1834.

“God of mercy, God of grace, show the brightness of Thy face; shine upon us, Savior, shine, fill Thy church with light divine, and Thy saving health extend unto earth's remotest end.  Let the people praise Thee, Lord!  Be by all that live adored; let the nations shout and sing Glory to their Savior King, at Thy feet their tribute pay, and Thy holy will obey.  Let the people praise Thee, Lord!  Earth shall then her fruits afford, God to man His blessing give, man to God devoted live; all below and all above one in joy and light and love.”

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

Jesus has come!

“But now, this is what the LORD says; he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”  Isaiah 43:1

We all have names, and He knows us by our name.  While recently looking through photos of children in Haiti, descriptive words come to mind that could be given as names; names like hungry, tired, lonely, sadness, empty, broken and hurting.  Through North American eyes, these days there really doesn’t appear to be any joy, considering their surroundings.

The attached photo was taken at the Messif school in Ouanaminthe.  Their school room was dark at 11 AM; no windows and it was difficult for my eyes to adjust to the darkness of their room after coming in from outside.  It must have been over ninety degrees in their room.  They sat patiently listening to North American missionaries’ share the love of Jesus with them as their lunch time drew closer.  He knows their names.

Psalm 23 is one of those best known and loved chapterss in the Bible because it comforts us with the image of a good shepherd caring for His helpless, wandering sheep.  At just the right time, He stands, calls them to follow Him and gently reassures them as He walks forward.  Every one of His sheep have a name, and He knows them all.  Each sheep hears that familiar voice and his own name and follows the steps of the Good Shepherd.  Thank you for answering His call to ‘follow me’ and bring food to Messif.  We all have a name, disciple, steward, benefactor, missionary, good and faithful servant.

We sang a hymn at Our Redeemer Lutheran a couple of weeks ago that was written by Johann Ludwig Conrad Allendorf during the 19th century.  I don’t recall ever singing ‘Jesus Has Come’ but the words really captured my attention and I hope they will settle on your mind today as well.

“Jesus has come and brings pleasure eternal, Alpha, Omega, Beginning and End; Godhead, humanity, union supernal, O Great Redeemer, you come as our friend!  Heaven and earth, now proclaim this great wonder: Jesus has come and brings pleasure eternal!  Jesus has come!  Now see bonds rent asuner!  Fetters of death now dissolve, disappear, see him burst through with a voice as of thunder!  He sets us free from our guilt and our fear, lifts us from shame to the place of his honor.  Jesus has come!  Hear the roll of God’s thunder!  Jesus has come as the mighty Redeemer.  See now the threatening strong one disarmed!  Jesus breaks down all the walls of death’s fortress, brings forth the pris’ners triumphant, unharmed.  Satan, you wicked one, own now your master! Jesus has come! He, the mighty Redeemer! Jesus has come as the King of all glory! Heaven and earth, O declare his great pow’r.  Capturing hearts with the heavenly story; welcome him now in this fast-fleeting hour!  Ponder his love!  Take the crown he has for you!  Jesus has come!  He, the King of all glory!”

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

Afflictions.

“It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.”  Psalm 119:71
Most people curse their afflictions and do not view them as any kind of blessing.  Our personal afflictions try to take us down.  You don’t believe me?  Come see me in this Assisted Living cell and let me introduce you to my stump that I have named Job.  In the way this sinful world thinks about afflictions, the world would think David must surely have been out of his mind and delusional when he said afflictions were good.

If we ever really take a close look at our afflictions as blessings or as good for us, we must see how the affliction will benefit us and perhaps fit into God’s plan for our individual journey.  We must see how we can use the affliction as a learning experience.

Take a close look at the children enjoying their Trinity HOPE meal at the school in Colminy which is located in the Arcahaie District.  This school has a small group of children and some of them are sitting on a small board with their lunch cradled in their lap and their feet planted firmly on a dirt floor, walls are constructed of palm branches; imagine what their homes must be like; affliction.

Affliction comes in many different forms; physical, mental, financial.  To turn every affliction into a learning experience we must first learn what to do with the affliction.  Sadly, too often we let afflictions have their way with us.  We seldom think about doing something with our affliction or helping others with their afflictions.

In our life, we have to learn what it is God wants us to do with our afflictions.  When that direction is realized it becomes easier for us to help others with their afflictions.  Thank you for turning to our Creator in your time of affliction and for sharing the love of His Son Jesus Christ with the children in Colminy.

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

Shadenfreude.

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”  Malachi 3:10

Back in the day, well, a while ago, Pastor Ken Klaus with the Lutheran Hour had a devotion that was titled “Shadenfreude." (SHOD-n-froy-duh) and he explained that ‘Shadenfreude’ is a German word which doesn't have a really good translation, probably slang the and the best translation would be that it means rejoicing over someone else's misfortune.

Back in the day, when I would travel to Haiti from Nebraska before the earthquake of 2010, there were probably some on this planet that would reflect “shadenfreude” when looking at the problems that existed there.  They have gotten worse.  Why bother to help them when they cannot help themselves was one statement that I heard in a small group one time when I was talking about my work in Haiti.

Pastor Klaus gave a few examples of ‘shadenfreude’.  In the Passion narrative of the Savior, we see many of the people gathered around the cross laughing and mocking the Savior; that was shadenfreude.  In 2001 when the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were brought down, there were reports of people in some Islamic countries who were rejoicing. Although it made us mad to hear about such a thing, that was shadenfreude. 

Following 911 donors in North America held on tight to their money, not sure of what would happen next and satan and his charges mocked the mission work that had been taking place in Haiti; ‘where is your god?’ they asked Christians; shadenfreude.  God smiled upon Trinity HOPE donors then and still to this day putting a broad smile on donors, the children receiving food in Ouanaminthe and putting doubt in the minds of those who mirror shadenfreude.  Thank you for continuing to pour out blessings on His children, in good times and bad, and feeding the young missionaries who will bring the news of the risen Savior to 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

Sinners...come home.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  Romans 8:28

How is God working through your life to accomplish the purpose for which He gave you life?  I can’t tell you how many times people have remarked that they don’t have a clue what their purpose is in life, why are they still here and not in Heaven.

Why do you suppose that He called you to help feed children in Haiti who will one day bring the message of Hope to just one or two of the people riding in a truck on a bumpy street in Cap Haitian?  Why do you suppose that your pocket change was used to provide a meal for one life who in turn when skipping down that street, heading home while singing ‘Jesus loves me’ planted a seed in the life of the woman riding in that red truck?  It is a God moment in time; you are called, the child attending the Lutheran school in Cap Haitian was called and the Holy Spirit is entering into that person riding in the back of the truck.

While working on my PC here in my Assisted Living cell last night, the song ‘Softly and tenderly’ was being sung by Merle Haggard on the computer radio; Merle is in my range and we did a ragged duet.  This song was written by Will Thompson in 1880 and it is such a wonderful reminder that daily we are being called by Jesus to come home.  We are being called home as are the children attending school and the lost lives that they are touching.

“Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, calling for you and for me; see, on the portals he's waiting and watching; watching for you and for me.  Come home, come home; ye who are weary come home; earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling, O sinner, come home!  Why should we tary when Jesus is pleading, pleading for you and for me?  Why should we linger and heed not his mercies, mercies for you and for me?    Come home, come home; ye who are weary come home; earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling, O sinner, come home!  Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing, passing from you and from me; shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming, coming for you and for me.  Come home, come home; ye who are weary come home; earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling, O sinner, come home!  O for the wonderful love he has promised, promised for you and for me!  Though we have sinned, he has mercy and pardon, pardon for you and for me.  Come home, come home; ye who are weary come home; earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling, O sinner, come home!”

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

Waiting for...

“Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.  Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”  Psalm 126:2

When waiting for something, a street light, standing in line at the bank, or even waiting for child at school are times when we probably don’t consider the great things that God has accomplished in our lives.

Its been 14 years since my oldest daughter gave birth to my first grandchild this past week, she waited for nine months and the last 3 were really hot.  The children in the attached are a few of all the kids waiting for their noon meal at Pont Sonde which is located in the Artibonite District in Haiti.  As a Trinity HOPE supporter I wait patiently for the next newsletter that has new photos and stories of lives being prepared to go into the mission fields of Haiti.

I hope that my oldest grandson, or you and me will never have to stand in line for our only meal of the day, as these children are doing on a hot midday in Haiti.  These children and you and me are waiting for one common blessing, being in Heaven with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  We have already received the blessing of being redeemed by His blood and are just waiting until our life’s work for Him has been accomplished.  While working on an article for next month, I listened to a song titled ‘Redeemed’ and the words were written by Fanny Crosby in 1882 and it’s message shares the joy that you, the children in Pont Sonde and me have.

“Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!  Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; redeemed through His infinite mercy, His child and forever I am.  Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; redeemed, redeemed, His child and forever I am.  Redeemed, and so happy in Jesus, no language my rapture can tell; I know that the light of His presence with me doth continually dwell.  I think of my blessed Redeemer, I think of Him all the day long: I sing, for I cannot be silent; His love is the theme of my song.  I know there’s a crown that is waiting, in yonder bright mansion for me, and soon, with the spirits made perfect, at home with the Lord I shall be.”

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

Everything meaningless?

“Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”  Ecclesiastes 2:11

This Scripture reading was used recently in a devotion at Lutheran Hour Ministries and as I was reading the words of Solomon, they moved me into a different direction then the Pastor had written.  While working for the highway department in Nebraska for 38 years there were several occasions when something I had designed back in the day, has now been replaced with something bigger and ‘better’ as the volumes of traffic have increased over the years.  Not sure that it was totally meaningless when hours were spent calculating; it served a purpose for a time, but now it is useless by today’s measurements.

Solomon was filled with much wisdom; he constructed elaborate buildings, bought large numbers of slaves, cattle and was without a doubt the richest man on the planet.  These things turned out to be meaningless to him, didn’t bring him the happiness that he was needing so he then added many women to his harem; all this left him still shaking his head and searching for something that really mattered.

The attached photo was taken at the kitchen serving area at the Lutheran School at Merrotte.  A table with 16 plates filled with rice and beans for His children on a hot, humid day in the Arcahaie District.  Meaningless?  Nope, certainly not a feast that Solomon would have eaten; or probably many people living in North America.  I guarantee that this plate of food will bring happiness to the Haitian child who holds tightly onto this priceless treasure.

Each one of these plates for 16 children has a purpose from their Heavenly Father.  Probably like us, they don’t know what that purpose happens to be at the moment, but He knows.  This simple meal is not meaningless.  Their Christian education is not meaningless.  Your support of His children is not meaningless; you are taking part of their legacy and leaving a legacy of your own for others to follow.  Heard a song today on the computer radio called ‘Just one more Soul’ by Greater Vision.  The words seemed like a good way to wrap up devotion, reminding me, and hopefully of the urgency in saving just one more soul.

“The preachers are weary the singers are tired; the church as we know it is losing its fire.  Some are discouraged from bearing the load but we must determine to keep pressing on ‘cause if just one more soul were to walk down the aisle it would be worth every struggle, it would be worth every mile.  A lifetime of labor is still worth it all if it rescues just one more soul.  So preachers, keep preachin’ and singers, go sing.  Laymen, keep sharing that Jesus is King.  The angels have gathered, they’re surrounding the throne and they’ll start rejoicing for just one more soul.”

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

May God be with you,

Jay

When were you put together?

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”  Jeremiah 1:5

Have you ever imagined how and when God actually put you together?  Have you ever thought about how very important your life is to Him?  He has been waiting and watching for you to accomplish a work for Him through many generations.  What can it possibly be?  Who else has He placed along your life’s journey to either nudge you back on the path, or be the recipient of your gift?  It is mind boggling.

There are hundreds of Haitian children attending the school at Font Baptiste on top of a mountain in the Acrahaie District.  The attached photo captured a group of them.  Do you suppose that God placed you where you are today to assist one or two of these children in getting a Christian education and a solid meal every day they are in school?  These kids live up on top of a mountain range in the Northern claw of Haiti in a rolling countryside and most of them walk for an hour or more to school every day and it is hard to imagine how God has interwoven their lives with yours.

I roughly counted 160 children in this photo.  If you drove to this school and wanted to pay for their lunch on any given day before you drove back to Chinchiron, it would roughly cost $55.  Hard to imagine that you could impact the lives of so many with what we might consider so little.  Our small blessings can be such big blessings in their lives.  There is a song titled “Count your blessings” that was written by Johnson Oatman Jr. in 1897 that helps to put our blessings into a proper perspective and also think about how our blessings impact the lives of the children in Font Baptiste.

“When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed, when you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.  Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your blessings, see what God hath done!  Are you ever burdened with a load of care?  Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?  Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly, and you will keep singing as the days go by.  Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your blessings, see what God hath done!  When you look at others with their lands and gold, think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold; count your many blessings—wealth can never buy your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.  Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your blessings, see what God hath done!  So, amid the conflict whether great or small, do not be discouraged, God is over all; count your many blessings, angels will attend, help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.   Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your blessings, see what God hath done!”

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