“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42
The attached photo was taken over a decade ago at the Ordination service of Pastor Paul Touloutte in Les Cayes. The four Pastors laying hands upon him and reading Scripture passages are from the left, Pastor Daniel Paul from Ouanaminthe, Pastor Thomas Bernard from Port-au-Prince, Pastor Isaac Jacquet from Jeremie and ELCH President, Pastor Marquis Kessa from Jacmel.
These five Lutheran Pastors are responsible for the lay Pastors, school Principals and Teachers within their Districts throughout Haiti. They represent many of the 120 schools that currently have Trinity/HOPE school feeding programs. The children in these schools are being taught the teachings of the Apostles and are the future missionaries to Haiti.
These Christians in Haiti and you and I all have the same objective to pursue in our lives, stand up for Jesus and seek and save the lost. The hymn ‘Stand up, stand up for Jesus’ was written by George Duffield in 1858 and seemed to accompany this devotion.
“Stand up! Stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the Cross! Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss. From vict'ry unto vict'ry His army shall He lead till ev'ry foe is vanquished and Christ is Lord indeed. Stand up! Stand up for Jesus! The trumpet-call obey; forth to the mighty conflict in this His glorious day! Ye that are men, now serve Him against unnumbered foes; let courage rise with danger and strength to strength oppose. Stand up! Stand up for Jesus! Stand in His strength alone; the arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own. Put on the Gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer; where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there. Stand up! Stand up for Jesus! The strife will not be long; this day the noise of battle, the next, the victor's song. To him that overcometh a crown of life shall be; he with the King of Glory shall reign eternally.”
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 God be with you…Jay