Be Yourself

“Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” John 11:16

I read a short message recently that somebody had written to comfort a friend whose family member had passed away and after reading it a few times I wished that I could write like that.  Has that ever happened to you when reading a note from someone else?  Often, we just need to be ourselves and use the gifts that God has given us because they are so special in their own way.  Each of us are wired differently for a reason as our gifts are needed at different times and ways along the journey He has set for us.  Trinity HOPE donors come from many different vocations and stages in their lives and support school feeding programs in different ways.  A quarter, a dollar or a thousand dollars are all blessings for children like these and for our Heavenly Father who will use these children to share a special message about His Son, our Savior with somebody in Haiti.  Just be yourself and walk with Jesus…always.  I am closing today with the words from the hymn ‘Let us ever walk with Jesus’ that were written by Sigismund von Birken in 1653.

“Let us ever walk with Jesus, follow His example pure, flee the world, which would deceive us and to sin our soul’s allure.  Ever in His footsteps treading, body here, yet soul above, full of faith and hope and love, let us do the Father's bidding.  Faithful Lord, abide with me; Savior, lead, I follow Thee.  Let us suffer here with Jesus, to His image, e'er conform; Heaven's glory soon will please us, sunshine follow on the storm.  Though we sow in tears of sorrow, we shall reap with heavenly joy; and the fears that now annoy shall be laughter on the morrow.  Christ, I suffer here with Thee; there, oh, share Thy joy with me!  Let us also die with Jesus.  His death from the second death, from our soul's destruction, frees us, quickens us with life's glad breath.  Let us mortify, while living, flesh and blood and die to sin; and the grave that shuts us in shall but prove the gate to heaven.  Jesus, here I die to Thee there to live eternally.  Let us gladly live with Jesus; since He's risen from the dead, death and grave must soon release us.  Jesus, Thou art now our Head, we are truly Thine own members; where Thou livest, there live we.  Take and own us constantly, Faithful Friend, as Thy dear brethren.  Jesus, here I live to Thee, also there eternally.”

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths 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.

Palm Sunday

“They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.  A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”  “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”  “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”  When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” Matthew 21:7-10

This Sunday, March 29th, is Palm Sunday and while attending three of them during the time while living in Haiti there were never any palm branches handed out before, during or after the services as is the custom here in the U.S.  They still shared the story of His triumphant entry into the city riding upon the back of a donkey.  They still sang beautiful anthems of praise to our Risen Lord and Savior on Palm Sunday.  It was very different at Bon Berger Lutheran in Caredeux on Palm Sunday as they didn’t use hymnals or screens or worship folders as they sang the hymns from memory and while I recognized the tune I could only recall some of the words.  Sometimes we look at the way others live, worship and enjoy life and compare them to our way of life and think that they need to change; none of us do.  This young boy is preparing to cross this creek on his way to school, the same creek that we drove THROUGH because there was no bridge.  This Palm Sunday, close your worship folder or hymnal and sing along to the anthem proclaiming to triumphant entry of our King and for a moment imagine yourself standing in Bon Berger…worshipping the true Light of this world.  I am closing today with the words from the hymn ‘Ride on, Ride on, in Majesty’ that were written by Henry H. Milman in 1827.

“Ride on, ride on, in majesty!  Hark! all the tribes hosanna cry.  O Savior meek, pursue Thy road, with palms and scattered garments strowed.  Ride on, ride on, in majesty!  In lowly pomp ride on to die.O Christ, Thy triumphs now begin o'er captive death and conquered sin.  Ride on, ride on, in majesty!  The angel armies of the sky look down with sad and wondering eyes to see the approaching Sacrifice.  Ride on, ride on, in majesty!  Thy last and fiercest strife is nigh; the Father on His sapphire throne expects His own anointed Son.  Ride on, ride on, in majesty!  In lowly pomp ride on to die.  Bow Thy meek head to mortal pain.  Then take, O Christ, Thy power and reign.”

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths 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.

Do the Math

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11 

Do you recall when the first McDonald’s came to a town near you and there was a sign proudly proclaiming that “Over a million sold” and how impressive that was?  I asked my mom how many cows it took to make a million hamburgers and she gave me gave me the standard adult answer telling how much a dressed beef would weigh, the size of a burger patty and then came those words “do the math.”  Sometime this spring there will be an event in Haiti that will take place without any fanfare; no large sign proclaiming the achievement.  This spring there will be a child in Haiti who will happily place their spoon into a bowl of beans and rice that will be meal number 5,557,129 that was provided by Trinity HOPE this year at the mid-point of the year.  The child will not know, the donor will not know and that meal will be just one more smile on the face of a Haitian child who is enjoying what quite possibly could be their lone meal for the day at a Lutheran school somewhere in the outskirts of Haiti.  Just take a time to reflect on the number of connections that God has made to bring this blessing to this child and how He will use their life to bring another soul to learn the Good News about His Son Jesus, our Savior.  There are so many blessings and we so often look the other way and don’t even see them happen.  I am closing today with the words from the first verse of the “Blessing” song by Laura Story.

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace; comfort for family, protection while we sleep.  We pray for healing, for prosperity; we pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering all the while, You hear each spoken need yet love us way too much to give us lesser things.  'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?  What if Your healing comes through tears?  What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near?  What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

Dear 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 Your Steps Bring More Souls

“Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You believe in God; believe also in me.  My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going.” John 14:1-4

It has probably been fifteen years ago that I gave a message on Sunday morning at Bon Berger in Caredeux and took off my right sandal and held up for all to see; and congregation members giggled at me initially.  Then I asked if they knew where this sandal had traveled and how God had used it and me for His benefit.  They were amazed at how many cities throughout Haiti it had been in and the number of places it had brought the Good News of Jesus to people who had not yet turned away from vodou and been moved by the Holy Spirit to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.  Where do you suppose the shoes in this photo have been in Haiti and what have they accomplished for our Heavenly Father?  These shoes have probably not ventured too far out of Cap Haitian, and they appear to be hand-me-downs and there certainly is nothing wrong with that.  These shoes certainly have been around people who are following the vodou priest and prayerfully they have been Spirit led to sow seeds that will bring them to Jesus.  What about your shoes?  Where have they have been and what have they accomplished to bring more people into the Kingdom?  May your steps continue to bring more souls into a close relationship with our Savior on this side of Heaven and one day we can meet there by the shoe rack and put them to rest and joyfully recall how our time here was instrumental in bringing lost souls to Salvation thru Jesus.  I’m closing today with the words from the hymn ‘I'm but a stranger here’ that were written by T. R. Taylor in 1836.

“I'm but a stranger here, Heav'n is my home; earth is a desert dread, Heav'n is my home.  Danger and sorrow stand round me on every hand; Heav'n is my fatherland; Heav'n is my home.  What though the tempest rage, Heav'n is my home; short is my pilgrimage, Heav'n is my home; and time's wild wintry blast soon shall be overpast; I shall reach home at last, Heav'n is my home.  There at my Savior's side, Heav'n is my home; I shall be glorified, Heav'n is my home; there are the good and blest, those I love most and best; and there I, too, shall rest, Heav'n is my home.  Therefore, I murmur not, Heav'n is my home; whate'er my earthly lot, Heav'n is my home; and I shall surely stand there at my Lord's right hand.  Heav'n is my fatherland; Heav'n is my home.”

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths 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.

True Light of This World

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.  If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” 1 John 1:5-7

There are so many things in this world that we are assured are the real thing and then we find that the world has once again duped us.  Marriages fail, doctors’ diagnosis is incorrect, elected officials promises don’t happen, the best sports teams lose, stock market plummets, weather forecasts turn out to be best guesses; so often the sure things of this world are not what the learned of this world tell us.  There is only one sure thing in this dark world that brings Light that many are seeking but are looking in the wrong places.  My daughter made the attached chalk drawing after seeing a photo of these two Haitian children in Caredeux and in it you can see the symbol of the true Light of this world; the Cross of Christ on which His precious was shed.  Jesus Christ is the sure thing in this troubling world where people are trying to save themselves by their own means and not recognizing the only way to be saved is through the Blood and Righteousness of Jesus Christ.  I close today with the words from the hymn ‘Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness’ that were written by Ludwig von Zinzendorf in 1739.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. Jesus, be endless praise to thee, Whose boundless mercy hath for me And all who trust thy hands hath made An everlasting ransom paid.

6. 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.

7. 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.

Dear 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.

Be Ever Thankful

“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say?  ‘Father, save me from this hour’?  No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.  Father, glorify your name!”  Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”  The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.  Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine.  Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.  And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”  He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.” John 12:27-33 

A father, his daughter and his Bible sitting on a ledge waiting for the rest of his children to be out of class at Bon Berger Lutheran school in Caredeux.  Take a moment and consider how comfortable you are today with your present situation in life and consider what the remainder of the day was like for this man.  There is no drive-up lane for parents to pick up their children after school or bus.  This man will walk with his children back to their small humble dwelling and the children will do their homework while the sun is shining.  There may be something to eat before going to bed on this day, but chances are there will not.  The life his family is accustomed to is very different than our lives.  We have one important and truly the only important thing in common with each other; we follow a Savior named Jesus.  The Holy Spirit draws each of us to approach His Cross and find forgiveness for our sinfulness.  Be ever thankful for our differences and for the opportunities to bless one another as He continues to bless us daily.  I am closing today with the words from the hymn ‘Drawn to the Cross, which Thou hast Blest’ which were written by Genevieve M. Irons in 1880. 

“Drawn to the Cross, which Thou hast blest with healing gifts for souls distress, to find in Thee my life, my rest, Christ Crucified, I come.  Thou knowest all my griefs and fears, Thy grace abused, my misspent years; yet now to Thee with contrite tears, Christ Crucified, I come.  Wash me and take away each stain; let nothing of my sin remain.  For cleansing, though it be through pain, Christ Crucified, I come.  And then for work to do for Thee, which shall so sweet a service be that angels well might envy me, Christ Crucified, I come.” 

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths 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. 

Suffering, part 2.

“Then the King will say to those on His right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” Matthew 25:34

How do you prepare for adversity and suffering?  How do you react to the highest of hurdles that present themselves along your journey?  When the dim flashes of upcoming problems become brilliant lightning bolts of tragedy into your life, where do you find strength?

Life’s challenges that take us from our comfort zones are somewhat different to an adult living in North America than to a child living in Haiti.  The level of suffering can be light years apart.  We can certainly try by our own to prepare ourselves for such times, but we don’t want to because we would rather not experience these stressful times ahead.   While we hope for the best, we also need to prepare ourselves spiritually, physically and emotionally for the worst of times that may catch us off guard.  My friend Job knows all about that.

The children and the old man in the attached photo are in Ouanaminthe, enjoying the shade of the tree in the school yard, enjoying a time of merriment; a game of patty cake that breaks all language barriers and fills that void with endless smiles and contagious flowing steams of laughter.  Enjoying life on this planet under the shade of a tree; together in the shadow of the tree and also together in the shadow of the cross of Christ.

In my preparation for unforeseen problems in North America, and as this child prepares for her future challenges in Haiti; together we stand at the foot of the cross, in the shade thinking about why God has placed us here and praying that no matter what happens to us we are always under His care and watchful eye.  And, when the days are over and our journeys have been completed, we have the promise of a heavenly home which was prepared for us since the beginning of time.

Until then we labor and continue to do His work, seeking and saving the lost by whatever means He has empowered us.  Thank you for being there for them, under that tree, in that shadow, responding to His call by blessing their life with your prayers, your blessings of a feeding program and your encouragement.  We all have different callings in our own journey, thank you for being such an integral part of these children in Ouanaminthe.  On last Sunday, we had two adults Baptized in my Church and we sang the hymn ‘All Christians who have been Baptized’ during the distribution of Holy Communion and I thought it would be a good way to close this devotion today by sharing the words.

“All Christians who have been baptized, who know the God of heaven.  And in whose daily life is prized the name of Christ once given.  Consider now what Christ has done, the gifts he gives to everyone Baptized into Christ Jesus.  You were before your day of birth, indeed from your conception, condemned and lost with all the earth, none good without exception.  For like your parents’ flesh and blood, turned inward from the highest good, you constantly denied Him.  But all of that was washed away; immersed and drowned forever.  The water of your baptism restored again whatever Old Adam and his sin destroyed and all our sinful selves employed, according to our nature.  In baptism we put on Christ, our shame is fully covered.  With all that He once sacrificed and freely for us suffered.  For here the flood of His own blood now makes us holy, right, and good before our heavenly Father.  O Christian, firmly hold this gift and give God thanks forever!  It gives the power to the uplift in all that you endeavor.  When nothing else revives your soul, your baptism stands and makes you whole and then in death completes you.  So use it well!  You are made new, in Christ a new creation!  As faithful Christians live and do within your own vocation!  Until that day when you possess His glorious robe of righteousness bestowed on you forever.”

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

Why do we suffer?

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort er ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

February ends and March opens, and the season of Lent continues.  I have been living here in this Assisted Living facility for 9 ½ months and while there are times that living in a wheelchair brings about the saying “suffering succotash” when my knuckles smash into the door way while going from here to there.  There are many residents here who ‘suffer’ more than I do because they don’t remember their lives being any different.  Satan daily reminds me that I am suffering.  In the above verses the apostle Paul shares a glimpse of his human frailties and needs.  You need to read that entire letter to capture the moving emotion that surged through his soul.

It is in this letter alone that he records the specifics of his anguish, tears, affliction, and satanic opposition.  In this letter alone, he spells out the details of his persecution, loneliness, imprisonments, beatings, feelings of despair, hunger, shipwrecks, sleepless nights, and that ‘thorn in the flesh’ that is his companion of pain.  During this season of Lent this scripture helps us to better appreciate his suffering and Jesus suffering; and our perceived suffering.  And Paul, like Jesus brings us words of comfort; something that we can bring to those we see suffering. 

God allows suffering so that we might have the capacity to enter into others' sorrow, affliction and suffering.  God also allows suffering so that we might learn what it means to depend on Him, not on our own strength and resources. It forces us to lean on Him totally.  I’m well aware that one of the reasons our suffering is prolonged is that we take so long from saying ‘Thank you, Lord’ with an attitude of genuine appreciation.  Lord Jesus, Job and I thank You for this situation I am in here sitting in my wheelchair in room 4216.  I’m going to close today with the words from the hymn ‘O Word of God Incarnate’ that were written by William How in 1867.

“O Word of God incarnate, O Wisdom from on high, O Truth unchanged, unchanging, O Light of our dark sky; we praise Thee for the radiance that from the hallowed page, a lantern to our footsteps, shines on from age to age.  The Church from her dear Master received the gift divine, and still that light she lifteth o’er all the earth to shine; it is the golden treasure where gems of truth are stored; it is the heaven-drawn picture of Christ, the living Word.  It floateth like a banner before God’s host unfurled; it shineth like a beacon above the darkling world; it is the chart and compass that, o’er life’s surging sea, ’mid mists and rocks and quicksands still guide, O Christ, to Thee.  O make Thy Church, dear Savior, a lampstand of pure gold, to bear before the nations Thy light, that all behold; O teach Thy wandering pilgrims by this their path to trace, till, clouds and darkness ended, they see Thee face to face.”

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

March 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’

Psalm 27:4; “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.”

We are just about two weeks into the season of Lent.  During this season, our brothers and sisters living in Haiti may feel trapped as the gang fed chaos in their country continues into yet another year.  As we begin the Lenten journey in our lives, let us consider how deeply this season affects us and promises God’s Grace into our future here and for those souls living in Haiti. 

  A time of ‘Adoration’ to our Heavenly Father.    

·        Please take time to sit and consider how our Triune God comes to us through His ‘WORD’ every day and how He has impacted your life.

·        Think about the provisions, protection and love that surround you because of His unfailing love for you.

·        Please consider the season of Lent and what our Savior went through to save us from our sins and draw us and others closer to Him.

·        Lord, be with our brothers and sisters in Haiti as they share Your message to the lost souls within their neighborhoods.

 ‘Confession’

Psalm 51; “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.  Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.  Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.  Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.  Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.  Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.  Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.  Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.  Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.  Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.  Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.  Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.  You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.  My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.  May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem.  Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar.”

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 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’

Psalm 107:1-3; Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.  Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story; those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.

During this season of Lent, we give thanks that Jesus came down to earth from Heaven to be our Savior.  He left Paradise and came down to seek and save the lost souls throughout this world and we are grateful that our stories can be used by the Holy Spirit to bring others to Christ.  May we bring those lessons learned from our families and our friends into the lives of strangers, gang members and vodou followers; all who live in darkness away from the Saving Grace which is found only through Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:23-25; “The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”  In the same way after supper, he took the cup saying, “This is the new covenant in my blood; do this whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”  Now may this true body and blood of our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ strengthen and keep you in the true faith until life everlasting.  Amen.”

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”.

·        We give thanks our providence; monetary, food, clothing, moisture 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.

·        We give You thanks for the Haitian school children who are not only the prime purpose of Trinity HOPE but also Your missionaries for the future generations in Haiti who will prayerfully bring the true message of the season of Lent to lives who have never known.

·        We give You thanks for the work that is being accomplished by the Haitian parents, teachers, school principals and Feeding Program Directors who are shaping the lives of young Haitian children this school year.

‘Supplications’

“Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.”  Thomas Ken, 1674

Heavenly Father, be with us as we continue our journey through this season of Lent.  Draw our minds closer to Your Son Jesus, and our eyes closer to the sight of His Cross and rejoice at the empty tomb.  Help us to more fully come to understanding how important Your Grace is for us on this side of Paradise and share that message with others throughout this world..

Heavenly Father, we bring our supplications before You;

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

·        Lord, may this season of Lent draw our lives and the lives of all of Your children closer to the Cross of Christ.

·        Heavenly Father, continue to protect Your children and their families living in Haiti from the evil of vodou and neighborhood gangs.

·        Father, may Your Holy Spirit bring an end to the evil spirits and gang members that are bringing waves of evil challenges into the lives of Your children and impacting their schools and feeding programs.  Protect and bring a Faith filled measure of courage into Your people; school children, their parents, cooks, teachers, principals, feeding program directors, pastors and Trinity HOPE donors and administrators.

·        Lord, bring leaders who worship You, seek Your directions and follow them, into Haitian government and our government as well.

·        Father, please guide the planning sessions between Haiti, the United Nations and other Caribbean countries to help Haiti address the ongoing challenges with gangs that torment their country.  May they help Haiti to bring an end to this evil chaos. 

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

Walking home.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”  James 1:2-8

Trails of many kinds and perseverance; we all face hurdles of varying heights throughout our lives.  Emotional, physical, financial, relationships and spiritual…just to name a few.  I took the attached photo in March of 2010, not a great photo; certainly nothing I would consider putting on a wall behind an expensive frame.  On Easter Sunday in 2003, Pastor Eliona Bernard, his wife Lynda, Joey, another Lay Pastor and I drove back from Cap Haitian through Gonaives and into Port-au-Prince.  We left Cap around 11 AM and arrived back in PAP around 6:30 PM.  Our travel time had many delays as there were vodou processions marching in the gravel highway.  Edge to edge along the gravel road, probably a block long, there were lost people following the vodou priest and priestess who follow the supreme liar of this world.  We had to nudge our way through them.

This attached photo was taken in the same place where that took place years ago just outside of Johanisse.  My real intent on this photo was to tell you about the children who are walking home from school on a hot afternoon.  They came from a school in La Croix which is about 3 miles from here to the west and no, that is not where the bottled water comes from that is in your neighborhood store; this location is in the rice patties of the Artibonite district.

These four students walking back home are walking into a town with a strong vodou presence.  Their lives must face many trials of many kinds; unlike my North American trials.  Being in the Word, being given the Living Water and the Bread of Life is so very important to them to help them persevere when trials become seemingly unbearable.

This is just one photo of four children walking home in Haiti, but it could certainly have been taken in most of the 301 schools with Trinity HOPE feeding programs.  Thank you for helping over 65,000 children learn more about their triumphant Savior Jesus Christ and become physically strong to persevere through their trials of many kinds.

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