Early churches.

“I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.  For in him you have been enriched in every way; with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge; God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you.  Therefore, you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.  He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.”  1 Corinthians 1:4-9

This passage comes at the beginning of a letter that Paul wrote to one of the struggling early churches in Corinth.  As most of you know, Paul was an apostle primarily charged by God with sharing the good news with the gentiles. 

Recently dad mentioned to me that when he thinks about the churches in Haiti, he often thinks of them much like the early churches.  Isn’t that an interesting concept?  It’s so true.  These small churches, meeting in buildings made of brush and thatched roofs in the hills of Haiti; those in dark, hot cinderblock rooms in cities or outskirts of cities, facing persecution and danger all because they have HOPE in our Risen Savior! Paul’s mission that began two thousand ago is still alive and well and spreading by the grace of God to unreached places in the world today.

These versus bring so much comfort knowing that our God is faithful.  Our hope in him is not a “maybe He will come, maybe He will save us,” but “when He will come, He has already saved us.”  God gives everything we need to serve Him and spread His love around the world!  We are a united church with the brothers and sisters that work alongside us in our churches, and that extends too to the brothers and sisters who praise God in the churches of Haiti!  Praise God for that!  He is working through us, and them, to share his gospel even to the remote areas of a little, impoverished island in the Caribbean. 

Today, I would like to close with a thought to ponder.  What is God doing in your life right now?  How is he working in you and through you?  Consider the enrichments and spiritual gifts that God has given you and pray that he guides you to use them to continue spreading his love.

Heavenly Father, THANK YOU for your provision.  Thank you for giving us everything we need to serve you.  Give us eyes to see your vision, courage to set out on your path, and a desire to obey.  Thank you for the times that we see you working around us.  We know that even when we aren’t seeing the immediate fruits of your plan, we know that you are indeed at work.  Please use us to plant a seed everywhere we go that will grow and flourish and be evidence of your glory.  Please watch over our friends in Haiti this morning, that they may be safe and their bellies full.  Be with my friends reading this devotion this morning too. Lord, you know what they need. In Jesus’s precious name we pray these things, AMEN.

Deidre Brinkmeyer Larson

The BIG birthday is coming.

“And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” Romans 13:11

The day that we recognize as the birthday of our Savior is coming next week.  I can only begin to imagine what is going through your plans and activities today; lots of last-minute things to do.  What do you suppose that Joseph and Mary were doing?

Mary was feeling the baby kicking and stretching inside her and she was probably trying to remain comfortable between walking and riding on a donkey.  Joseph was probably wondering if this was the correct thing that he was told to do by the Angel of the Lord.

Back in the day, while living in Haiti, the week before Christmas was spent much like most every other week during the year except that if you sang in the church choir you would have a few extra practices to attend.  There were no commercials blasting on the television or radio telling of sales or products that you ‘had to have’ under the Christmas tree.  Christmas was about Jesus, to the believer and un-believer; the vodou followers accepted his birth but denied His resurrection.

I close today with an interesting hymn that an unknown soul wrote around 900 AD.  It was translated by Edward Caswall in 1849 and the title was ‘Vox clara ecce intonat’ but you and I know it as ‘Hark, a thrilling Voice is sounding’.

“Hark, a thrilling voice is sounding!  "Christ is nigh!" we hear it say; "Cast away the works of darkness, O ye children of the day!"  Startled at the solemn warning, let the earth-bound soul arise; Christ, her Sun, all sloth dispelling, shines upon the morning skies.  Lo, the Lamb, so long expected, comes with pardon down from heaven.  Let us haste, with tears of sorrow, one and all, to be forgiven, that when next He comes with glory and the world is wrapped in fear, He may shield us with His mercy and with words of love draw near.  Honor, glory, might, dominion, to the Father and the Son, with the everlasting Spirit, while eternal ages run!”

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

Happy generosity.

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9

A search on the word ‘generosity’ brought the following; “the habit of giving freely without expecting anything in return.  It can involve offering time, talents or assets to aid someone in need.  Often equated with charity as a virtue, generosity is widely accepted in society as a desirable trait.”

Too often, we are tempted to evaluate the size of our spiritual life by the ‘things’ that we have done and continue to do for our Heavenly Father.  We keep track of the hours we spend serving on Church boards, the amount of our tax deductible giving, the miles we drive to make visitations to shut-ins, the hours we sing in choirs and keep track of our time spent in Bible study.

These are certainly all good things to do for our Triune God, but it’s not about what we have done or ever can accomplish within His kingdom that truly matter; it’s all about what He has done for us.  Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ humbled Himself to become like us in flesh and died on the cross for our sins.  When it comes to generosity, you cannot do more than what He did for you; generosity begins and ends with Jesus Christ.  An unknown soul wrote the words for the hymn ‘Let us all with gladsome voice’ in 1632 and seemed like a wonderful way to close today’s devotion.

“Let us all with gladsome voice praise the God of heaven, Who, to bid our hearts rejoice, His own Son hath given.  To this vale of tears He comes, here to serve in sadness, that with Him in heaven's fair homes we may reign in gladness.  We are rich, for He was poor; is not this a wonder?  Therefore praise God evermore here on earth and yonder.  0 Lord Christ, our Savior dear, be Thou ever near us.  Grant us now a glad new year.  Amen, Jesus, hear 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

The Nobody's.

“God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,” 1 Corinthians 1:28 (ESV)

God sent His only Son to this world to be the only Savior that we can turn to and find the forgiveness that we so badly need.  We have hope because Jesus came to seek and save the lost souls of this world.  There are some in this world that believe it would be wonderful for our Heavenly Father to use only the ‘famous’ people of our time to use their fame, fortune, reputation and deeds to spread the Holy Gospel.  Might be a good plan in the eyes of this world but instead God delights in using people like you, me and these small children who attend Bon Berger Lutheran School in Caredeux to accomplish His work.  

Our Heavenly Father uses the ‘nobody’s’ of this world to seek and save the lost and proclaim the Holy Gospel to their closed ears.  He transforms ‘nobody’s’ like you, me and these little Haitian missionaries into ‘somebodies’ as we go about doing His business of bringing more souls into the Kingdom.  I close with the words to the hymn ‘Jesus came, the Heavens adoring’ which was written by Godfrey Thring in 1864.

“Jesus came, the heavens adoring, came with peace from realms on high; Jesus came for man's redemption, lowly came on earth to die; Alleluia! Alleluia!  Came in deep humility.  Jesus comes again in mercy when our hearts are bowed with care; Jesus comes again in answer to an earnest, heartfelt prayer; Alleluia! Alleluia!  Comes to save us from despair.  Jesus comes to hearts rejoicing, bringing news of sins forgiven; Jesus comes in sounds of gladness, leading souls redeemed to heaven.  Alleluia! Alleluia!  Now the gate of death is riven.  Jesus comes in joy and sorrow, shares alike our hopes and fears; Jesus comes, whate'er befalls us, glads our hearts, and dries our tears; Alleluia! Alleluia!  Cheering e'en our failing years.  Jesus comes on clouds triumphant when the heavens shall pass away; Jesus comes again in glory.  Let us, then, our homage pay, Alleluia! ever singing till the dawn of endless day.”

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

Angels among us.

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:13-14 (KJV)

Yesterday, I asked Alexa for some Southern Gospel music as I needed a short break from the Christmas genre.  She complied and the third song was by the group Alabama.  She played the song ‘Angels Among Us’ and this brought me to think once again about the ‘Angels’ that were there near Bethlehem and are near us today.

The ‘learned’ historians of this world may tell you that the angels that appeared to the Shepherds were actually aliens…from another world.  God did create Heaven and Earth and I suppose you could say that the Angels were from another world…Heaven; but it is hard to believe that they would need to come to earth in some type of a spaceship to proclaim the birth of our Savior born in Bethlehem.

The children in the attached photo attend the Lutheran school in Dondon which is located in the Cap Haitian District.  They are protected by Angels as their lives are attacked by the evil spirits sent by the vodou priest to frighten them and cause them harm.  The Holy Spirit is always in their lives and your life too; watching, guiding and providing assurance that we have a Savior who was born in Bethlehem and has prepared a home for us in Heaven and that is the best news we could ever receive while living in a world that would have us believe that we have no hope.  I close today with the words to ‘Angels Among Us.’

“I was walking home from school on a cold winter day; took a shortcut through the woods, and I lost my way.  It was getting late, and I was scared and alone but then a kind old man took my hand and led me home.  Mama couldn't see him, oh but he was standing there and I knew in my heart, he was the answer to my prayers.  Oh well I believe there are angels among us sent down to us from somewhere up above.  They come to you and me in our darkest hours to show us how to live, to teach us how to give and to guide us with the light of love.  When life held troubled times, and had me down on my knees; there's always been someone to come along and comfort me.  A kind word from a stranger, to lend a helping hand, a phone call from a friend, just to say I understand and ain't it kind of funny at the dark end of the road that someone lights the way with just a single ray of hope.  They wear so many faces, show up in the strangest places to grace us with their mercy, in our time of need.  Oh well I believe there are angels among us sent down to us from somewhere up above.  They come to you and me in our darkest hours to show us how to live, to teach us how to give and to guide us with the light of 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

Same message; repent.

“In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”  This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.” Matthew 3:1-3

Job and me were sitting quietly here in the dining room last night before other residents trickled in for dinner and I was gazing out the big window looking at East Lincoln Street.  It was cold outside, dark and a few apartments had Christmas decorations lit.  I thought to myself what John the Baptist would have said if he was sitting next to me at the table while it was 5 outside and looked at the lights shining brightly on this dark winter night.

His message to me would probably have been the same, ‘repent for the kingdom of heaven is near’.  This is still the appropriate message for us, for the children attending Lutheran schools in Haiti and for this world that we live in today.  Until Christ Jesus lives in our hearts by faith and our hopes rest on the forgiveness of sins then Christmas is phony, shallow sentimentality and only make-believe.  We must see Bethlehem’s manager in the shadow of the cross and completely understand that the Christ child was stretched out on the cross for our sins.  I close today with the words to the hymn ‘Oh, Come, Oh, Come, Emmanuel’ that was written by an unknown servant around 1100 and was later translated by John M. Neale, 1851.

“Oh, come, Oh, come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear.  Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.  Oh, come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan's tyranny; from depths of hell Thy people save and give them victory o'er the grave.  Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.  Oh, come, Thou Dayspring from on high, and cheer us by Thy drawing nigh; disperse the gloomy clouds of night and death's dark shadows put to flight.  Rejoice!  Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.  Oh, come, Thou Key of David, come and open wide our heavenly home: make safe the way that leads on high and close the path to misery.  Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.”

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

Back in the day.

“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.” Psalm 139:15

When was the last time that you were blessed to have sat with either your

young child or grandchild in your lap?  Do you recall a time when you sat in your parents or grandparents lap?  I remember sitting in my grandmother Brinkmeyer’s lap in her rocking chair listening to her read to me with her thick German dialect from the Portals of Prayer when I was in kindergarten.  I assume that she had other things to do but it always seemed that she carved out some time for me.  And I recall how happy she was when I could read to her.

Was there a person in your life that spent time sharing their faith with you?  Are there people in your life now that you share your faith with?  The child in the attached photo attends the Lutheran school in Ouanaminthe and she had just received a hug from me and I hope that it meant as much to her as it did to me.  We were both placed on this earth for a purpose.  I don’t have a clue what will become of her walk with Christ or how many opportunities she will have to share her faith with others as she grows.  How many more opportunities do you have to share your faith with another?

Our Triune God’s hand is guiding your life, taking you places where He needs your hand to be placed on another soul or perhaps feeding a child like this.  There is absolutely nothing accidental about your journey yesterday, today or tomorrow; He is there with you as you walk with Jesus each day.  You are not alone; your witness is seen, heard and needed.

“I am weak, but Thou art strong; Jesus, keep me from all wrong; I’ll be satisfied as long as I walk, let me walk close to Thee.  Just a closer walk with Thee, grant it, Jesus, is my plea; daily walking close to Thee.  Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.  Through this world of toil and snares, if I falter, Lord, who cares?  Who with me my burden shares?  None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.  When my feeble life is o’er, time for me will be no more; guide me gently, safely o’er to Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.”

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

Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you,

Jay

We need to serve.

“…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28

Recently on Facebook, I saw a photo of the Bethlehem manger standing under the shadow of the cross of Calvary; the journey for our Savior was not easy, He came to serve and be a ransom for our sins.  The painful journey of many believers brings a glimpse of people being tempted over and over to choose power over love, full control of things over the cross and needing to be a leader instead of being led.  Our society seems to be slowly desiring to be served by government and the world and fewer and fewer people step humbly forward to serve.

The woman in the attached photo lives in Gonaives and she and her two daughters are going about their daily routine preparing to cook some rice and beans and sell their food amongst the vendors along the street.  The children have never gone to school and do not go to Church; lives that are lost without direction, without hope.  Thank you for helping to prepare children in the Lutheran Schools in Gonaives whose lives will bring the message of the manger in Bethlehem and also the cross of Calvary to souls such as these.  I close today with words from the hymn ‘Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord!’ which was written by Martin Luther.

“Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord!  Be all Thy graces now out poured on each believer's mind and heart; Thy fervent love to them impart.  Lord, by the brightness of Thy light, Thou in the faith dost men unite of every land and every tongue; this to Thy praise, O Lord, our God, be sung.  Hallelujah! Hallelujah!  Thou holy Light, Guide Divine, oh, cause the Word of Life to shine!  Teach us to know our God aright and call Him Father with delight.  From every error keep us free; let none but Christ our Master be that we in living faith abide, in Him, our Lord, with all our might confide.  Hallelujah! Hallelujah!  Thou holy Fire, Comfort true, grant us the will Thy work to do and in Thy service to abide; let trials turn us not aside.  Lord, by Thy power prepare each heart and to our weakness strength impart that bravely here we may contend, through life and death to Thee, our Lord, ascend.  Hallelujah! Hallelujah!”

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

Imagine what it would be like.

“Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.  Who is he, this King of glory?  The LORD Almighty; He is the King of glory.” Psalm 24:9-10

Imagine that you were born to the richest man in this world, grew up in a palace and got accustomed to having the very best of everything.  Whatever your heart desired was what you received; the finest garments and nourishment that money could buy and your life was seemingly perfect.  Then your dad took you aside and told you about a plan that he had in mind for you.  He was going to send you to Gonaives Haiti and the boy in the attached photo would be your brother and when you were old enough, the shorts he is wearing would become your shorts.  Your only pair of shorts.

Our Savior left Heaven to come to earth and be born in a stable in Bethlehem to a couple with few resources; and after three decades He was nailed to a cross by the people He came to save.  We have so much to be thankful for this Advent season; prepare the way for the King of glory; give thanks for all that He has done.  I will close the devotion today with the words from the hymn ‘Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates’ that was written by Georg Weissel in 1624.

“Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates!  Behold, the King of Glory waits; the King of kings is drawing near, the Savior of the world is here.  Life and salvation He doth bring, wherefore rejoice and gladly sing: we praise Thee, Father, now, Creator, wise art Thou!  A Helper just He comes to thee, His chariot is humility, His kingly crown is holiness, His scepter, pity in distress, the end of all our woe He brings; wherefore the earth is glad and sings: we praise Thee, Savior, now, mighty in deed art Thou!  O blest the land, the city blest, where Christ the Ruler is confessed!  O happy hearts and happy homes to whom this King in triumph comes!  The cloudless Sun of joy He is, who bringeth pure delight and bliss.  We praise Thee, Spirit, now, our Comforter art Thou!  Fling wide the portals of your heart; make it a temple set apart from earthly use for Heaven's employ, adorned with prayer and love and joy.  So shall your Sovereign enter in and new and nobler life begin.  To Thee, O God, be praise for word and deed and grace!  Redeemer, come!  I open wide my heart to Thee; here, Lord, abide!  Let me Thy inner presence feel, Thy grace and love in me reveal; Thy Holy Spirit guide us on until our glorious goal is won.  Eternal praise and fame we offer to Thy name.”

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 Magi.

“Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.  He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”  After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.” Matthew 2:7-9

Back in the day, when I lived in Haiti and left my apartment in Petionville to go out into the countryside to visit the Lutheran Churches and Schools, I often thought about the journey of the Magi.  They had a star to guide them; not OnStar, a star from God proclaiming that the Savior of the world had come down in Bethlehem.

Finding the children in attached photo who attend one of several Lutheran Schools in the Central Plateau was a memorable task.  No map, no road markers, no GPS but only another Haitian with me who had been this way before; or so I had been told.  From Port-au-Prince, we drove north up Mont Cabrits (Goat Mountain) then to Mireabalas, Hinche, Thomassique and finally to Saltedere.  We drove through many bridgeless streams and always got stuck in the mud at least once as the Haitian driver would cautiously ease our truck into the muddy rut like an old man lowering himself into a tub of hot water, rather than charge into the mire and rely upon the momentum and four-wheel drive to pull us through.

The Magi found the promised King who had come to earth for them, you, me and the children who live throughout His creation.  May you find a moment to ponder their journey to find Him, your journey to find Him and the importance of sharing the message of Salvation with ears that have not heard the true message of Christmas.  I close this devotion with the words from the hymn ‘As with Gladness Men of Old’ which were written by William C. Dix in 1860.

“As with gladness men of old did the guiding star behold; as with joy they hailed its light, leading onward, beaming bright, so, most gracious Lord, may we evermore be led by Thee!  As with joyful steps they sped, Savior, to Thy lowly bed, there to bend the knee before Thee whom heaven and earth adore, so may we with willing feet ever seek Thy mercy-seat!  As they offered gifts most rare at Thy cradle, rude and bare, so may we with holy joy, pure and free from sin's alloy, all our costliest treasures bring, Christ, to Thee, our heavenly King!  Holy Jesus, every day keep us in the narrow way; and when earthly things are past, bring our ransomed souls at last where they need no star to guide, where no clouds Thy glory hide.  In the heavenly country bright need they no created light; Thou its Light, its Joy, its Crown, Thou its Sun which goes not down.  There forever may we sing Alleluias to our King!”

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