Christmas Card Redux

Background:

As I was handing out my 2008 Christmas card this season, I had several people comment that they still had my Christmas cards from past years. Many have asked me to reprint my very popular 2006 card, so with the last gasp of 2008, I will bow to the will of the people. I offer my apologies to Clement Moore, and his original A Visit from St. Nicholas. Clement Moore made millions from his “little trifle”; I’m still waiting for MY royalty checks to start rolling in.

 

Christmas Card 2006:

'Twas the Night Before Christmas
(or A Visit from St. Ewe-pea-ess)
by David Alan Hoag - December 18, 2006 

'Twas the night before Christmas, and I was upset;
though I’d ordered nice presents, none had arrived yet.
All of the web sites said, “delivery was free,”
in time to be wrapped, and placed under the tree. 

The children had reluctantly all gone to bed,
while a vision of ‘no gifts’ soon filled me with dread.
And my wife, in the bedroom, was starting to bawl,
“we’d have all the gifts, if I’d shopped at the mall.” 

When far down the street, there came a faint growling,
At first, all I heard was the stormy wind howling.
“Light flurries,” predicted by some weather wizard,
had turned into the season’s worst winter blizzard. 

The moon was obscured by the wind-driven snow,
and the streetlights emitted a pitiful glow,
when, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
but a UPS truck, moving slow, in first gear. 

The driver was quite skilled, and this much I know,
He knew how to plow through the new-fallen snow.
How in that blizzard, he could find my address,
made me think that his truck had a new GPS. 

The camera, the X-Box, and with any luck,
the new Elmo X-treme would be on his truck!
So many gifts, for delivery this season,
That this truck had them all, was far beyond reason! 

Turning into my driveway, spewing snow in his wake,
I was praying the driver must know how to brake,
But I needn’t have worried, he slid to a halt,
and jumped down from his truck with a well-practiced vault. 

He was wiry and lean, quite a pleasant young chap,
dressed in UPS brown, from his slacks, to his cap.
He checked his list twice, and I knew when he waved,
that he had all my parcels, that Christmas was saved. 

He spoke as he worked, as he got my stuff out,
“All these THINGS are NOT… what this season’s about.
The greatest delivery is a small baby boy,
and if you accept him, you get peace… love… and joy.” 

Then he sprang to his truck, put the engine in gear,
And drove off in the storm, without any fear.
But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight,
"May your ways be made straight, and your burdens be light!" 

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

All the best in the coming year! Your brother in Christ,

Dave

With Angelic Hosts Proclaim…

I was listening to a Christmas carol today, and I thought about how little I understood of the true meaning of the words when I sang the carol as a child… or even as a young man. The carol, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”, is pretty familiar to most of us, but I’m going to include it here anyway (at least the first verse). Just see if you can read it without the melody making you sing it. 

Hark the herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn King!

Peace on earth and mercy mild

God and sinners reconciled"

Joyful, all ye nations rise

Join the triumph of the skies

With angelic hosts proclaim:

"Christ is born in Bethlehem"

Hark! The herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn King!"

 

An interesting aside is that this Christmas carol was written by Charles Wesley, brother of John Wesley, founder of the Methodist church, in 1739. A somber man, he requested slow and solemn music for his lyrics and thus “Hark the herald Angels Sing” was sung to a different tune initially. Over a hundred years later Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) composed a cantata in 1840 to commemorate Johann Gutenberg's invention of the printing press. English musician William H. Cummings adapted Mendelssohn’s music to fit the lyrics of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”, already written by Wesley.

When I was a kid, I thought the angel’s were all named Harold… thus, “the Harold angels sing.” The Michael and the Fred angels didn’t make the cut, I guessed. Later, I came to understand these angels to be kind of like celestial town criers… proclaiming the fantastic news. And it must have seemed utterly fantastic to the shepherds who were among the very first to hear the angels proclaim the good news. I mean, it’s pitch-dark, the shepherds are out in the fields with their flocks, and this incredibly powerful heavenly creature appears! And the first words the angel speaks? “Do not be afraid.” Yeah… like that’s gonna help. Shock and awe! But the angel certainly had the shepherd’s attention, and they did listen and hear:

“I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the city of Bethlehem a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:10-12

As if that were not enough, the one (very terrifying) angel (see Luke 2:9), was suddenly joined by what the Bible calls “a great company of the heavenly host.” Now, if a host is an army… and we are talking about God’s army of angels… I would guess that there were a whole lot of angels that filled the sky. And they were not content to just hover there; they began to praise God, saying:

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2:14

 

When half a bazillion angels appeared and began to praise God, I’m betting the sky was a terrifying sight, the sound was overwhelming, and the ground was probably shaking from the force of their combined heavenly voices. The shepherds were thinking: “Do not be afraid. Yea… RIGHT!”

After the angels finally left and went back to heaven, it was probably a while before the shepherds regained enough composure to talk about what had just happened. They were probably all like: “Did you see that?” Were we dreaming?” “What just happened?” But they figured that Bethlehem was pretty close by, so they all went off to see this great thing that had just happened. How could they know what it was? They weren’t scholars, or scribes, or rabbis, or prophets, or wise men… they were simple shepherds… but they recognized that God had invited them to some great happening, so off they went to see.

What an amazing night for those shepherds. When they got to Bethlehem, they found everything just as it was told to them concerning the child. Their hearts leapt for joy, and they spread the word; they shared their great joy with everybody they came in contact with, and they glorified and praised God.

God has already done the angel thing, so don’t expect it this Christmas Eve. You have, however, been given the “good news of great joy,” as it was given for ALL people. Have you dropped what you were doing, and gone to see the Savior? Are you spreading the word? Are you glorifying and praising God?

Think about this: We will have peace on earth, when God’s favor rests on all of us!” (See Luke 2:14) This will only occur when all of us come… and have our hearts changed… at the manger!

To all of you, I wish a merry Christmas, and proclaim:

“Glory to the newborn King!”

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

A Christmas Card for You

Many years ago, I started my own little Christmas tradition: making and personally handing out my own Christmas card creations. If you’ve known me for more than one Christmas, then you have probably received a card from me. This year, I’m extending the tradition into a new medium… the blog. Basically, you are getting the content of this year’s card here in the blog. I hope you enjoy it. Oh, by the way, if you want the Word document for the card so you can print out one for yourself, just drop me an email, and I’ll honor any requests for the digital image of the card. Just print it on your own printer, fold it, and place it on display for your friends to admire. LOL!!! Alright then… here’s the card to start your Christmas:

What can I say about Christmas?

By David Alan Hoag (written December 13th, 2008)

What can I say about Christmas?
That hasn’t already been said?
Yet, why should a wonderful
Magical day
Approach with foreboding and dread?

Perhaps it’s the rat’s nest of tangled-up lights?
To be hung from the rooftop with care?
Is there stress while replacing
A shorted-out bulb,
As I hang thirty feet in the air?

What of the fruitcake from sweet old Aunt Hazel?
Which, this year, she’s selling online.
Does she know that I’m lying?
While choking it down,
When I smile, and claim it’s divine?

With each Christmas card I receive in the mail
I predict with a terrible hunch
That the letter included
Will tell me too much
Of your details of breakfast and lunch.

Oh, Christmas is coming; that terrible strain,
I stress-out and get all light-heady.
And I’ve still got tree trimming,
And cards yet to mail!
How can it be coming already?

That Christmas is hectic? Well what else is new?
But we’ve made it all stressful and wild.
With each new decoration
And hurried event,
We lose sight of the birth of the Child.

What can I say about Christmas?
That isn’t just more window dressing?
Long ago, in Bethlehem,
A babe was born.
At Christmas, thank God for that blessing!

Blessings to you and your family,
as you celebrate God’s love at Christmas time.
My prayer is that the peace, love, and joy
that come from the salvation through Jesus Christ…
be yours at Christmas, and all through the year.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

The Borg

“We are the Borg. Resistance is futile. Prepare to be assimilated.”

If you are a Star Trek fan, you recognize those words. In the Star Trek universe, there is no greater threat to civilizations than the hive intelligence that assimilates all intelligent life into the Borg collective… and obliterates all resistance. Assimilation means that individuals are surgically altered to connect with and serve the collective. The Borg, in their search for perfection, only assimilate in as much as they reprogram and enhance life forms to fit the need of the collective; what once was a unique intelligence becomes a drone for the hive. As in the picture, the body is enhanced to perform better… often by the addition, or replacement, of machine parts to create cyborg-like creatures… hence the name: Borg.

Who would allow their eye to be replaced with circuitry and lenses? Who would allow their thoughts to be programmed so that they would only serve an alien mind? Who would turn their existence over to such a soulless enemy? Well, when resistance really appears to be futile, most people pretty much just queue up for assimilation.

Ah, but that’s science fiction, right? Can’t really happen to us, right? Too late! You’ve probably already been assimilated… no, not by the Borg, but by something very similar. Broadcasting on all know communication frequencies, the conquering statement is:

“We are the world. Resistance is futile. Prepare to be assimilated.”

Our assimilation begins almost as soon as we are born. Can you feel the programming that tells you to discriminate against a certain kind of person? Can you see the lenses that only allow you to see yourself as clumsy, stupid, or useless? Many of us grew up with parents that the world had assimilated long ago. So, of course, they began our assimilation process as early as possible. Many find it difficult to remember that there is any other way to see, except through the lenses that have been placed in front of their eyes.

The world uses some pretty powerful weapons to obliterate any resistance, too. Constant pressure through radio, television, movies, books, the internet, and peers forces us to assimilate ideas that initially seem evil to us… cultures of: greed, lust, envy, dishonesty, immorality, abuse, prejudice, fear, jealousy, and ungodliness. Pretty soon something that is “abhorrent to God” is now just “a lifestyle choice.” Eventually, the world hopes to assimilate all of us. The world would have us see no right or wrong… only what’s best for the collective. The world would have us believe that there is no use for God… especially when the world has changed and enhanced, and assimilated us… making us perfect beings in its collective.

Here’s the Good News: Christ came to free us from the world! Christ proclaims:

“I am the light of the world. I bring hope. Prepare to be freed!”

In Christ, we are children of God. We can do all things in Christ, who strengthens us. In Christ, we can throw off the lenses that color our perceptions, and begin to see ourselves as gifted and talented creations of a loving God. We can then see God as perfect, and us, through our salvation at Christ’s expense, as inheritors of God’s kingdom.

So the next time you see some poor soul shuffling along preparing to be assimilated, give them some hope… broadcast on all know communication frequencies:

“Christ is the light of the world. He brings hope. Prepare to be freed!”

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Preparing for Christmas

A few years ago, I interviewed some of our Sunday school kids. I started with a kindergarten class, and told them they needed to answer a few questions and that they would have to think really hard to come up with the right answers. The little pinched masks of concentration broke into smiles of relief, and every hand shot up when I asked: “How many of you have experienced more than one Christmas celebration?” My next question was greeted by a chorus of answers from little people who, even though they raised their hands, couldn’t wait to tell me the answer to my second question. The good news answer to: “Who’s coming on Christmas?”

Their unanimous and enthusiastic response? “SANTA CLAUS!”

“But wait,” I protested, “don’t we expect someone REALLY important on Christmas?”

Faces lit up and hands waved frantically: “My Mom!” “My Daddy!” “My Aunt!” “My cousins!”

“Isn’t Christmas a celebration?” I asked, “Who do we celebrate on Christmas?”

“JESUS!” shouted the entire classroom in unison.

“Ah…,” I exclaimed, “so then… what do we NEED TO DO to prepare for Christmas?”

A few hands went up while the rest wrestled with the answer to this new question. Their responses: “Put up Christmas lights?” “Send Christmas Cards?” “Put out milk and cookies for Santa?” “Shop for presents?” “Decorate the tree?”

For each of their answers, I simply asked: “Won’t we still celebrate Christmas if we don’t put up lights? …send cards? …put out milk and cookies? …buy presents? …decorate a tree?” Slowly the hands went down. They were stumped. “Well,” I asked, “it’s a celebration, isn’t it? A celebration is like a party. What is the first thing we need to do to prepare for a party?”

This time, I had finally asked the right question. “Ask people to come,” said one. “Invite people,” said another, to which the others wholeheartedly agreed.

I’m not sure what kind of answers I expected to hear from 5-year-olds, but I was surprised that I heard nothing about setting up a manger scene, lighting Advent candles, or anything faintly religious in nature. As much as the kindergarten class surprised me, however, the first grade class blew me away! The first-graders seemed even less aware of the spiritual significance of Christmas than the kindergartners had been!

I was still stunned over how the older kids could be even more focused on Santa Claus and all the commercial aspects of Christmas as I sat down for worship later that morning. We had a guest preacher, Pastor Dave Nagler from San Diego. Although Pastor Nagler was preaching on giving, he had answers for me that morning. He spoke about the book Let the Children Come unto Me, and how the world “sells” us on our needs; suddenly he had answered my question.

It was simple, really. The first-graders, being a year older, had been exposed to hundreds of hours of more television, radio, recordings, billboards, peers, and the rest of the secular world. The younger children had simply not had as much exposure… yet. I wonder if we would be so quick to plop our children down in front of the TV if we could SEE a steady stream of lethal sludge pouring out of it, directly into our children’s pure little minds.

Now I am not condemning anyone, here. I am just as guilty as anybody. As a matter of fact, the seriousness of the situation really didn’t hit me until I experienced, and actually measured the numbing effect of the world on our spiritual lives, and the lives of those we love and care about. I challenge you, ask children about the latest new game or fad, and they will be able to tell you everything about it, right down to the tiniest little detail. Think back over the years, and you may remember Pokemon, Harry Potter, Transformers, Elmo, Dora the Explorer, and many other toys and games. If we take the time to listen, our children can expound at length on most of the strengths, weaknesses, and characteristics of their favorite games and characters. Ask those same children about the 10 Commandments, and you will only get a blank stare. The sad truth is that the world is fighting to win… not just our children, but every one of us! We are certainly in this world, but we are not called to be of this world, rather we are called to be Children of God.

So then, what do we NEED TO DO to prepare for Christmas, after all?

You probably have already guessed that it doesn’t have anything to do with trees, or wreaths, or presents, or lights, or even manger scenes. You can be certain that it’s not any tradition. You don’t have to memorize anything, learn a carol, or even attend a service. Those things may comfort us, but they won’t prepare us for Christmas. What then?

Remember, Christ ALREADY came to Earth. He was born, performed his ministry, was crucified and died for us, and defeated death by rising from the grave. He is not born again every Christmas like some video on an endless cosmic loop. Christmas is a remembrance of that, a time to reflect and focus, and remember that Jesus is waiting to be born. Not in Bethlehem, but in your heart.

Jesus wants to come into each of your lives. He comes as a precious baby, not as a demanding tyrant. He comes to lift you up, not weigh you down. He comes, not to add another responsibility or burden to your life, but as a loving friend and caring healer. He comes at Christmas. He comes today. He is here, knocking at the door of your heart. Will you be like the innkeeper, and be too full to let Him in? “There’s no more room. Sorry, the world has filled me up. I just can’t fit you in, Jesus!”

Preparing for Christmas isn’t difficult. Focus on Jesus. To quote an overused phrase: “He’s the reason for the season.” Let people know about Jesus… about the free and unmerited gift of salvation that they can receive. And that includes your children; you need to tell them as well. Are you listening for the quiet little knock? Will you throw open the door to your heart? Or will there once again be… no room at the inn?

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Up in Smoke

As I mentioned in last week’s blog entry, I was out of town last weekend, so I missed most of the terrible firestorms that tore through Southern California… and especially our Brea, Yorba Linda, and East Anaheim area. Seventy mile-an-hour winds fanned huge walls of flames that bore down on communities with frightening speed and ferocity, while wind-blown embers jumped fire lines, hilltops, and 12 lanes of freeway with equal ease. At least 3 families from Messiah lost their homes to the blaze. The young hostess at Joaquin’s Mexican Restaurant, where I dine with family and friends every Friday night, evacuated with her family just moments before the inferno consumed their house. She escaped with little more than the clothes on her back. Sadly, with hundreds of homes lost to the fires, and so many people displaced, her story is not even unique. Years of memories, effort, and investment… up in smoke.

On Thursday, the day before I flew off to Ohio, I had my own fire to contend with. At about 2:30 in the afternoon, I was notified that the company that had employed me for the last 9 years was reducing its workforce by 20 percent. Needless to say, it came as a bit of a shock that my position was being eliminated. Sadly, with hundreds of jobs being lost each day, my story is not even unique. Years of memories, effort, and investment… up in smoke.

They say that it’s a Recession if your neighbor loses his job; it’s a Depression when YOU lose YOUR job. From my perspective, it’s definitely a Depression. LOL!!!

As if all of that weren’t enough, all of us have to contend with the fires in the financial markets that are burning through 401K retirement savings, stocks, and real estate. According to the LA Times, retirement is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Sadly, with billions in lost investments, the stories of financial losses are anything but unique. Years of memories, effort, and investment… up in smoke.

After I lost my “supposedly secure” job, I was probably the most positive person around. I recognized the blessing of getting handed a severance package along with the lay-off. I saw an immediate end to schedule pressures and stress. I saw some long delayed time off. I saw immediate savings by not having a long commute every day. I saw immediate and future opportunities in an independent business I had already put in place, and I’m really secure in the knowledge that God is leading and protecting me.

I overheard someone talking about me, though… they said: “Dave’s putting up a brave front, but I know he must be upset and worried about finding another job.” Actually, I am not. Christ taught his disciples, and he teaches us today, about worry. He absolutely says: “DO NOT WORRY!” Get out your Bible and read Matthew 6:25-34, where Jesus asks: “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” Those passages from Matthew also give us the key to a positive attitude:

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Matthew 6:33-34

In seeking God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness, we need to come alive in God’s Spirit, and that… is a Spirit of power, not one of worry or fear. Seek God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness in His Word, in worship, in fellowship, in prayer, and in service. When you walk every day with Jesus, it’s really hard to have a negative attitude.

Most of us know the truth in the statement that: “Each day has enough trouble of its own.” How we respond to trouble shows the world exactly where our heart lies… as orphans of a dark and uncertain fate, or as beloved children of God. Christ wrote the end of the story on my heart, and nothing is going to change the joy I know and the peace that fills my soul.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Say the Word…

You won’t see me in the parking lot or in worship at Messiah Lutheran Church in Yorba Linda this weekend. You see, I’m off attending a Leadership Conference in Columbus, Ohio through this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I’m way too busy to write anything, let alone post anything to this blog. And yet… here it is, a blog posted right on time. If I didn’t take a laptop with me, if I’m not accessing the internet from Ohio, how can I be attending a conference and publishing at the same time?

The answer is simple: my servant is publishing the blog for me. In this case, my servant is technology. The blog software allows me to publish an entry, and specify exactly when I would like it to be posted. I suppose that I have to have some faith that the technology will work, but we exercise that type of faith every day. We use cruise control in our cars, expect alarms to wake us, and fly in planes that, if not completely computer controlled, at least use an auto-pilot. Basically, we specify what we want done, and it happens.

Some people are used to having their orders carried out by employees or servants. LOL… some bosses don’t seem to get the difference between the two!

In either case, most of us can relate to the story of the Centurion from the book of Matthew:

“When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. "Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.”

Jesus said to him, “I will go and heal him.”

The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, 'Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.”

Matthew 8:5-13

Wow! What amazing faith! This man was a three-strike offender in the eyes of everybody. He was NOT a Jew… he was Roman… AND he was part of the force occupying Israel at that time. And yet, Jesus says: “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” Jesus warns his disciples, all of Israel, and… all of us today… that though we might have been set aside as subjects of the Kingdom, without faith we will be thrown outside… into the darkness. This centurion… this man of faith… stood before Jesus and in faith said: “Say the word.”

Say the word, Jesus… and heal our hurts.
Say the word, Jesus… and heal our brokenness.
Say the word, Jesus… and heal our homes.
Say the word, Jesus… and heal our children.
Say the word, Jesus… and heal our churches.
Say the word, Jesus… and heal our country.
Say the word, Jesus… and heal our hearts!

In faith, Jesus, I turn to you and say: “Say the word!”

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Hallelujah

Hallelujah! “Praise the Lord” is what “hallelujah” means in Hebrew.

The other day, I was watching the DVD of Shrek with Jeffrey (my awesome 15-month old grandson). Actually, I was watching it, and he was mostly excited about dancing to the various songs that run through the movie. He is completely unconcerned with any of the machinations of storytelling or movie making… to him, it’s all colors, motion, sound, and (best of all) music. Eddie Murphy’s karaoke version of “I’m a Believer” at the end of the movie seemed to be his personal favorite. And again, he can’t yet relate to choreography. And yet, his dancing is full of wild abandon and joy; mine is full of knee-popping and injured muscles that scream for me to knock it off. In the midst of his joy, I cry “hallelujah” for the blessings and joy that the Lord showers on me.

Then came a part of the Shrek movie where an overheard conversation is misinterpreted, angry words are exchanged, and it looks like anything BUT a happy ending. As all of the main characters continue sadly along paths that can only lead to unhappiness, a song substitutes for dialog as the movie follows the unhappy progress of the characters.

That song stuck in my mind… long after the movie ended… for days, so I finally looked it up. The song, “Hallelujah” was written in 1985 by Leonard Cohen, and then reworked a bit and performed in the movie Shrek by Rufus Wainwright. It’s full of Biblical imagery. I see: King David, Sampson, the Garden, Christ’s ministry, and salvation… even in our brokenness! Ah, but lyrics and music are interesting, eh? Each of us brings our own experiences and background to our perception of what we hear. Listen to the following audio, and consider the lyrics (maybe, even as you follow along)… what do YOU see?

Rufus Wainwright - Hallelujah
Copyright © 1985 Leonard Cohen and Sony/ATV
Music Publishing Canada Company.

I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Maybe I've been here before
I know this room, I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

There was a time you'd let me know
What's real and going on below
But now you never show it to me do you?
Remember when I moved in you?
The holy dark was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Maybe there's a God above
And all I ever learned from love
Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you
It's not a cry you can hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

A funny thing developed after I repented in my own brokenness and asked Jesus to come into my life as my Lord and Savior: my eyes were opened to perceive so much more of the joy that was already in my world, and I could also see so many more “hallelujah” moments in life!

Hallelujah!!!

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Who Will Serve?

It’s almost 1 a.m. on Election Day, and according to the news services, passions are running high. The polls won’t open here for another 6 hours, but voting in the rest of the country is already well underway. Actually, with absentee ballots and early voting, a surprising 14% of L.A. County has already cast their ballots.

I have always exercised my right to vote… indeed, I count it a privilege to be able to cast a free ballot, to voice my opinion, and to campaign without fear of reprisal. I thank God for the blessings and protections that we enjoy (and often take for granted) in this country. I urge you to cast your vote, too. Whatever your affiliations, leanings, or views, I hope you take the time to let your voice be heard.

In many ways, this is a historic election. Well, aren’t they all? LOL!!! Either way, we will make history; either by electing a black president, or a female vice-president. Besides the national, state, and local elections, there are measures, amendments, issues, and bond acts to decide. And that’s where it comes down to the question: Who will serve? Who will get elected to serve a term in office? Which measures best serve the common good, and which serve only a few special interests?

Hmmm… who will serve? What about us? Will we support the newly elected officials, or will we cry “foul” if our candidate loses? Will we support the amendments just voted into law, or will we rush to court to try to invalidate them? Will we serve our country and our communities, or will we continue to serve only ourselves? So many people seem to be caught up serving the gods of politics, party affiliation, and self interest that the thought of serving God cannot occur at all.

I can understand Joshua’s frustration with the people of Israel when he said to them:

"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
Joshua 24:14-15

As for me, I will serve the Lord! I will share the joy and the peace I have found in Christ with those around me. I will pray for wisdom, patience, humility, strength, courage, and faith for OUR new president-elect this week. I will pray for this country… for a healing from divisiveness, brokenness, frustration, and hate. I will pray for a renewal of spirit and faithfulness in this country, so that more and more people will decide to serve the Lord.

So choose! Who will YOU serve?

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Faith Stories

Back in April of 2008, I posted “God Calling”; a poem from a booklet titled Faith Stories that our church had published. Well, it turns out that we have that booklet available on our church’s site. Read the booklet’s introduction to find out about “memorial stones”, and why they are important! As you read the words in the booklet, you may find that your relationship with the Living Word may grow ever deeper. For all of the Faith Stories, just click on the following link:

http://www.messiahyl.com/content/devotion/FaithWeb3.pdf

This is going to be a very short post, because I’m challenging everybody to read (or re-read) through Faith Stories. Consider which of the stories moved you most, and then post a reply about how and why. Hopefully, your thoughts and words will not only stimulate this blog thread, but will also encourage the Faith Stories authors.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

The Spirit of Love

A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner; the people were in and out of the cold. The little boy was so cold that he wasn't trying to sell many papers. He walked up to a policeman and said, “Mister, you wouldn't happen to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight would you? You see, I sleep in a box up around the corner there and down the alley, and it's awful cold in there for tonight. Sure would be nice to have a warm place to stay.”

The policeman looked down at the little boy and said, “You go down the street to that big white house and you knock on the door. When they come out the door you just say “John 3:16” and they will let you in.”

So he did. He walked up the steps and knocked on the door, and a lady answered. He looked up and said, “John 3:16.” The lady said, “Come on in, Son.” She took him in and she sat him down in a split bottom rocker in front of a great big old fireplace, and she went off. The boy sat there for a while and thought to himself: John 3:16... I don't understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm.

Later she came back and asked him “Are you hungry?” He said, “Well, just a little. I haven't eaten in a couple of days, and I guess I could stand a little bit of food.” The lady took him in the kitchen and sat him down to a table full of wonderful food. He ate and ate until he couldn't eat any more. Then he thought to himself: John 3:16... Boy, I sure don't understand it but it sure makes a hungry boy full.

She took him upstairs to a bathroom to a huge bathtub filled with warm water, and he sat there and soaked for a while. As he soaked, he thought to himself: John 3:16... I sure don't understand it, but it sure makes a dirty boy clean. You know, I've not had a bath, a real bath, in my whole life. The only bath I ever had was when I stood in front of that big old fire hydrant as they flushed it out. The lady came in and got him. She took him to a room, tucked him into a big old feather bed, pulled the covers up around his neck, kissed him goodnight and turned out the lights. As he lay in the darkness and looked out the window at the snow coming down on that cold night, he thought to himself: John 3:16… I don't understand it but it sure makes a tired boy rested.

The next morning the lady came back up and took him down again to that same big table full of food. After he ate, she took him back to that same big old split bottom rocker in front of the fireplace and picked up a big old Bible. She sat down in front of him and looked into his young face. “Do you understand John 3:16?” she asked gently. He replied, “No, Ma'am, I don't. The first time I ever heard it was last night when the policeman told me to use it.” She opened the Bible to John 3:16 and began to explain to him about Jesus. Right there, in front of that big old fireplace, he gave his heart and life to Jesus. He sat there and thought: John 3:16... I don’t understand it, but it sure makes a lost boy feel safe.

You know, I have to confess I don't understand it either, how God was willing to send His Son to die for me, and how Jesus would agree to do such a thing. I don't understand the agony of the Father and every angel in heaven as they watched Jesus suffer and die. I don't understand the intense love for ME that kept Jesus on the cross till the end. I don't understand it, but it sure does make life worth living.

John 3:16…

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

The Parable of the Seed

This week, I was talking to a friend who was feeling pretty overwhelmed and depressed. Family problems, work pressures, and the seemingly endless downward spiral of the financial crisis had him wondering aloud why any of us should even keep trying.

“What’s the use,” he groused, “our lives really don’t amount to much, anyway.”

“Ever see a seed?” I asked him. Of course he had, and just that quickly, I shared with him what I call the Parable of the Seed.

You see, it’s just a seed to you, but to God it is the fulfillment of His plan… about to happen. Just a seed, like many others, and conditions may not be right for it to germinate for years. As a matter of fact, it might be blown about by the wind, washed about by rain, pushed down into the muck, and even buried under ground.

Buried… well, that would seem to be the end of it; but no, for God has placed into the tiny seed all the details of His plan for that fragile little seed. Though far underground, the seed begins an astonishing process: it begins to grow! In the darkness of the earth, against all the pressure and weight above it, the germinating seed begins to push upward, all the while reaching down further into the earth in search of nutrients. Pushing up and straining down, the seed eventually breaks through into the light.

Now, guided upward by the light, it grows at an astonishing pace, and must reach deeper and deeper for nutrients. The very struggle to grow and survive is what drives the roots deep enough to provide strength and security. With its roots as an anchor it can survive the storms that are part of the world. The seed doesn’t know it’s a tree, but it forms a trunk, and branches, and leaves… all the while setting down firmer and deeper roots. It continues to stretch, and spread, and grow. It weathers storms and drought, and it provides safety, shelter, and a home for many others.

Eventually, the tree produces fruit; a delight to others, but never tasted by the tree itself. In producing fruit, the tree also begins to send out seeds. Each fruit contains seeds to produce many trees; each seed containing the perfect plan to go from seed to tree, to fruit, to seed.

Certainly, we are not trees. God has an even more awesome plan for each of us than He has for a tree. When it feels like you are buried, when the world is crushing you, when everything seems dark… are you trying to grow? Are you setting down roots? Are you striving to grow toward the LIGHT… toward the Light of the World… toward God? Are you growing where and when you can? Are you stretching? Are you welcoming to others? Can others find shelter, rest, and a home within your sphere of influence? Are you producing fruit? Are you sharing your fruit freely, or trying to hoard what you will never taste? Are you sending out seed?!? Are our churches as faithful as a tree? I wonder.

The good news is: All of us CAN be even MORE faithful than a tree! We don’t need to be overwhelmed or depressed. For the tree, God’s plan is built right into each seed; a maple seed will always produce a maple tree. It’s exciting to know that God has a plan for each one of us, too.

“God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”
- Hebrews 11:40

Though God has a plan for each of us, we are given the free will to seek God’s plan for our life, or ignore it. We begin to germinate in God’s plan when we acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We grow in God’s plan when we lay down roots in fellowship, worship, study, and prayer. We begin to produce fruit and seed in God’s plan when we welcome, and give, and share, and teach, and live God’s word. Take a step on faith and you will stop being overwhelmed and depressed… you’ll be too busy growing up in God’s plan.

“Then Jesus asked, "What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches."”
- Luke 13:18-19

How deep are your roots? How wide are your branches? Ask your church these questions, and see what germinates.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Theology 101

Watch the video, and then contemplate the words Jesus spoke:

“At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.”
- Matthew 11:25

Boy, do we adults ever make things difficult! We have to study and catalog. We need to cross-reference, count, and correlate. We get wrapped up in confirming each and every miracle, confirming just how many people the 5,000 actually were, and confirming that all the prophesies were fulfilled by Jesus. There is nothing wrong in doing any of those things… as long as it deepens our relationship with our Lord and Savior. If it keeps us focused on satisfying our “learned” explanation of Jesus (and God), then it is paralysis by analysis, and that is just an empty promise… not the abundant, Spirit filled life that a real relationship with Jesus brings.

Here are the lyrics of the song that most every little child in Sunday school knows:

Jesus loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong,
They are weak but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.

We are ALL weak… except when we belong to Jesus. In Him we are healed; in Him we are strong! And we know this how? Why because the Bible (God’s Word) tells us so. Jesus explained in very simple terms how to come to God:

“He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
- Matthew 18:2-4

My prayer for myself is that I always remember to humble myself like a child… so I can belong to Jesus, and not be so adult and learned that the glory of God is hidden from me. Children get it! Children don’t need a word like “theology”… let alone even know what it means. Children have not yet had the world convince them that they are equal to, if not greater than, God.

So… play the video again. Can you sing along? The words aren’t hard. Can you sing with joy and absolute certainty… like a child? I hope someday to run into the Father’s arms, and have Him lift me up and swing me around while He beams with joy and says: “Well done my child! It’s good to have you home!” The awesome news is that God wants to greet every one of us like that. Come celebrate the fact that Jesus loves us at worship.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Bailout

This week the big news has been all about the bailout of the financial markets. It looks like every sector is in trouble. The sub-prime mortgage industry had a major meltdown, along with home equity growth, banks, insurance companies, and major financial institutions. Job losses are at an all-time high, industry is having a hard time securing the capital it needs to operate, gas prices are sky-high, and food prices are inching upward at alarming rates. Certainly, greed has fueled much of the problem, although there are already indications that corruption and fraud might have been much more widespread than anyone initially dreamed (the FBI has made 400 arrests); the Foreclosure Rescue Scammers are particularly odious. By the way… have you checked on your 401K recently? Many 401K investments are wrapped up in mortgage backed securities packages. Now, all those packages are good for is to bleed 401K investments to zero. I could go on and on, but you get the idea… the damage caused by this catastrophe (of our own making, BTW) continues to mount: homes in foreclosure, jobs being lost, and companies and lives in ruin.

Most of us, having made a bad financial decision, have to be accountable for our actions. We take the loss, or perhaps make restitution, or even go under and have to start again from scratch. Wall Street, however, and its financial institutions… after making incredibly bad financial decisions to the tune of $700 billion… has convinced our government [leaders] to bail them out of their bad debts. I don’t pretend to understand how the bailout will work, how money will flow, and to whom, and… neither (it appears) does the Fed. The details are to be worked out over the coming weeks and months. $700 billion passed by the Senate, forced through the House, and signed by the President, and they don’t know how it’s supposed to be implemented! Am I the only one who’s worried?

I’m reminded of the parable of the unmerciful servant that Jesus first related to Peter:

23"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand
talents [a million trillion gazillion dollars] was brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

26"The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

28"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii [a few bucks]. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.

29"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'

30"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

- Matthew 18:23-35

As Christians we understand that we are all sinners. We owe a debt to God that we can never repay. A debt, next to which even $700 billion pales by comparison… yet a debt which has already been completely paid on our behalf by the blood of Jesus Christ, shed for us upon the cross. While we are sometimes reluctant to believe it, God does love us, God does forgive us, and THAT… is good news!

That good news brings with it a challenge, because God calls us to forgive one another with the same spirit of compassion and generosity that God in Christ has already shown to us. Theoretically most of us would agree that we should do exactly that, yet there is often a considerable disconnect between our heads and our hearts when it comes to our willingness to forgive those who have hurt us… or betrayed us… or provoked us to rage. But just understanding that we should forgive is rarely enough.

In his book, The Art of Forgiving, Lewis Smedes said:

“We probably won’t do much forgiving unless something inside of us makes us want to do it. I am certain that people never forgive because they believe they have an obligation to do it or because someone told them to do it. Forgiveness has to come from inside as a desire of the heart. We forgive when we feel a strong wish to be free from the pain that glues us to a bruised moment of the past. We forgive when we feel God’s Spirit nudging us with an impulse to pull ourselves out of the sludge of our disabling resentment.”

Understanding forgiveness is rarely enough and sometimes… most of the time… we REALLY need God’s Spirit to push us out of that disabling resentment, and into the freedom that forgiveness brings. As I said before, I don’t know how the bailout will work, but if it is… and if our nation is to heal, and learn, and grow from this… I believe we must start with forgiveness.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave Hoag

Wisdom from the Spirit

Thursday evening, I was on my way from here to there, running late as usual. I usually alternate between a classic rock station and a Christian rock station in what I listen to while driving around. At that moment, both were in the middle of commercial breaks, so I switched to the other preset button I have programmed on my radio, which happens to be a Christian radio station that plays traditional worship music between various different sermons, teachings, and studies. A woman was in the middle of a message about heaven. My trip was pretty short, so I only heard a portion of her message. She quoted dozens of Scripture references to support how wonderful heaven is, but only one jumped out at me:

“No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him”

1 Corinthians 2:9

It is wonderful to see God’s Holy Spirit at work in so many ways. The woman gave 1 Corinthians 2:9 as a Scripture reference, and for some reason the verse stuck in my mind; especially the part about “…no mind has conceived what God has prepared…” My mind kept coming back to that verse, as I thought about all the changes in scientific thought and theory over the years. I thought a good picture to highlight that concept would be one of the Deep Field pictures from the Hubble telescope. For the Deep Field study, they aimed the Hubble telescope at a rather dark area at the edge of the universe. What they found was not a few rogue stars, but thousands upon thousands of GALAXIES… each with millions of stars of their own!

While searching for a good picture of all those galaxies, I stumbled upon another object that was studied by the Hubble astronomers, namely Hoag's Object (the picture, above). It had to be a sign! LOL!!! Hoag’s object is a non-typical galaxy of the type known as a ring galaxy. The galaxy was discovered in 1950 by astronomer Arthur Allen Hoag (I kid you not; look it up) who identified it as either a planetary nebula or a peculiar galaxy.

A nearly perfect ring of young hot blue stars circle the older yellow nucleus of this ring galaxy. It’s slightly larger than our own Milky Way Galaxy. The gap separating the two stellar populations may contain some star clusters that are almost too faint to see. As rare as this type of galaxy is, oddly another more distant ring galaxy can be seen, between the nucleus and the outer ring at the one o'clock position.

“No mind has conceived…” Scientists do not understand how such a galaxy could have formed. Thankfully, the universe does not rely on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power! Can any of us imagine what the sky looks like from different points in that galaxy? From the nucleus? From the outer ring? And that’s just one galaxy. It would seem that galaxies are as numerous as the sands on the beach!

Getting back to the Scripture verse… when I read the verse in the context of chapter 2 of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians I found Paul to be communicating not about heaven, but about us receiving wisdom from God’s Spirit.

The following is ALL of chapter 2 of 1 Corinthians (it’s only 16 verses):

1 Corinthians 2

1When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

Wisdom From the Spirit

6We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9However, as it is written:

"No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him" -

10but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment:

16"For who has known the mind of the Lord
that he may instruct him?"

But we have the mind of Christ.

Now, as we gather for our annual Congregational Meeting, I pray that we come together in the mind of Christ. Let us express ourselves, not in words of human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit. Let us open our hearts to God’s Spirit, so that we may discern and make judgments with God’s wisdom. Let us love one another, seek to serve rather than be served, and remember that Christ has promised to be where 2 or more are gathered together… in agreement.

What have our minds not conceived about our fellowship? Let’s be of one mind… with God!

Your brother in Christ,

Dave Hoag

For the Glory of God

If you are an active partner in ministry with us at Messiah, you recently received a letter about our annual congregational meeting from Pastor Bob. The agenda for the meeting is on one side, and Bob’s letter is on the other. Pastor Bob starts off with a Scripture quote from a portion of 1Corinthians 10:31:

“…whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

Bob boldly states that this verse is central to who we are at Messiah. That in everything we do, we want to make sure that it is all to the glory of God. His letter is an awesome letter inviting and encouraging everyone to attend the congregational meeting on Sunday September 28th, at 5:30 pm. Of course there’s a potluck dinner to kick it off (no self-respecting Lutheran function can happen without food). I love how Pastor Bob ends the letter:

“Together we can make a greater impact on people who do not have a relationship with God’s family or the God who created them. Together, we can dent the world. TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE!”

How are YOU making a dent in the world? How are YOU making a difference in people’s lives? What could WE be doing to make a bigger dent? Are there any things we should STOP doing? Think about the verse from 1 Corinthians, and then answer the question. Going back to the thought that Bob starts with, do we give God the credit for making a bigger dent, or do we instead recognize our good works, our congregation’s planning, or our charismatic leadership? How should we give all the glory to God? How do we? Do we at all?

I’ll take the posted replies to the meeting next Sunday, so they will be heard… even if you cannot attend.


--- And now for something NEW AND EXCITING! ---

New blogger tools have become available, and yours truly has already integrated them into this blog. The new features are:

Subscribe:
This is an easy way to get automatic notification when there is a new post or reply on the blog.

Followers:
This is a way to let the world (and me) know who is following this blog (even if you never post or reply).

Both of these new features are available on the right-hand side menu selections. Remember… you don’t even have to be a member at Messiah to participate in any and all of the features of this blog. I would LOVE to know who is watching this blog on a regular basis. Won’t you take a few minutes and sign up? You only have to do it once. You even get to place your own avatar or picture in your profile. There’s no need to lurk in the shadows; go ahead, declare your connection to our community.

Remember the congregational meeting on September 28th.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave Hoag

Hurricane!

I have been thinking about a Bible passage from Matthew 7:24-27 where Jesus teaches the following:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundations on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Hurricane Ike has been the top news story for the past week. From its birthplace off the African coast, moving along at a leisurely 15-20 miles per hour, it took Ike a week to make landfall in the Galveston area. People had a whole week to evacuate, and yet… some chose not to heed the warnings. There was ample time to get out, there was ample transportation for all, and there was ample shelter in safe havens on higher ground. Some people can hear the words, but don’t want to put them into practice. In their minds, they thought they would ride out the hurricane much like any other storm. After all, Ike was only a category 2 hurricane, perhaps strengthening a bit to become a category 3 upon making landfall.

The trouble was that this particular hurricane had become as big as the whole state of Texas… filling up the entire Gulf of Mexico! Even with only 100 mile-an-hour winds the driving rains were enough to blow out windows in many of Houston’s high rise buildings, raining lethal shards of glass onto the streets below. While the city of Galveston is protected by a 17-foot high seawall, Ike was pushing a 20-25 foot storm surge toward a protective wall that would come up just a bit short. The streams were sure to rise, along with a huge wall of water coming in from the sea! The very thing that makes Galveston so popular, being right on the Gulf Coast and right at sea level, is the very thing that places the city at such risk to the forces of hurricanes.

Oh… and all the houses built right along the shore… just what do you suppose those foundations are built upon? Sand; that’s right! If I lay a tape measure up against the outside of my house (in Galveston), and EVERYBODY is predicting a storm surge of 20-25 feet, I can pretty accurately gauge just how much of my house is going to be underwater. Those that chose not to evacuate soon found themselves in need of rescue, and that was before the full force of the hurricane came ashore. Emergency crews worked to rescue foolish people; people who had not listened and suddenly found themselves being washed and blown away. The crews worked heroically until the force of the storm made further rescues impossible. Ultimately, the rain came down, the sea rose, and the winds blew and beat against the houses, and many fell with a great crash.

My heart, our hearts, should go out to all the people who suffered loss from this hurricane. We should lift them up in prayer. We should support and contribute to relief efforts, but we should also take heed!

Jesus said that we should not just listen to His words, but put them into practice! How can I emphasize that enough?!? Are the foundations of your life built upon Jesus (the rock)? Or… are your foundations built upon what you can do (sand), on what the world says is acceptable (more sand), or perhaps on nothing at all (quicksand)? Rest assured there are hurricanes coming into your life. Some of you have already endured a hurricane or two. What will yours be: death of a loved one, divorce, addiction, depression, rejection, loss of employment, betrayal, or sickness? Sometimes it can feel like you are right in the middle of the storm track, with hurricane after hurricane slamming into your life.

Want to make sure your life is built upon the Rock? Listen to Jesus, and put His words into practice! How do you accomplish that? Simple… get involved in your Christian fellowship (church). Make sure that you are studying God’s Word (Bible study), attend worship and get involved, and open your heart to God in regular prayer (Jesus taught his disciples a good prayer; see Matthew 6:9-15). Jesus told us how to lay our foundation on the rock:

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
John 15:12

I’ll see you at worship, and we can lay some foundation… together.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave Hoag

Backyard Block Party

Wow… what an awesome day to drop by Messiah Lutheran Church here in Yorba Linda, California!

From the moment you got close to the church, you noticed that something was happening. Cars were parked all up and down the street facing the church, and vehicles were streaming in and out of the north and south parking lots all morning. People arriving for Sunday worship were greeted by a huge inflatable obstacle course, a bounce-house, and handprints on the sidewalk, balloons, and signs inviting everyone to the picnic from 11:30 am to 3 pm… right there, at church.

The picnic is an annual fall kickoff event, and used to be held in a nearby regional park. With the addition of the new Community Life Center, our campus layout now includes substantial north and south lawn areas, so it just made sense to try having the picnic in our own backyard. It turned out to be our best picnic ever… IMHO. There were foods to satisfy any taste. In tubs of ice, were dozens of drink selections (from soda and juices to water); all ice cold. Families participated in fun and exciting games on the south lawn, and the little ones had a wealth of creative and fun games and activities on the north lawn. It was such a great welcoming atmosphere that nobody really wanted to leave. There was a raffle with prizes that people actually wanted to win (rather than white elephants). There was NO charge for anything; not the raffle ticket, not the food, not the games, not even for the parking! Admittedly, we did have a fundraiser silent auction, but those items were simply fabulous, and people really wanted to bid on, and win, those items. Even our neighbors from the surrounding community came, had a great time, and even won a prize or two. If you were there, you understand why I can say that this was our best picnic ever! If you weren’t, you’d better mark your calendar for next year.

Of course, an event like this just doesn’t happen by itself… innumerable volunteers made it such a great success. I’d like to name them all, but I can’t; simply because I don’t know who they all are. There were people who set up, people who tore down, cooks, servers, organizers, helpers, musicians, face painters, and so many others. To all of the volunteers: “Thanks for making the picnic so awesome!”

Now I know that there are a whole bunch of key people that planned, organized, and totally committed themselves to making the picnic the grand event that it was, but one person really stands out (in my opinion). That person is Matt Bagne. Matt coordinates, organizes, cajoles volunteers, sets up, takes down, runs power cords, and empties trash… basically anything that needs to be done. But Matt goes way beyond that, he also commits resources from his own business for the event (and other events, too). Knowing Matt, I probably only see the ‘tip of the iceberg’ of what Matt does for our fellowship.

The picture this week is of Matt. When I took it, I did not realize just how well I had captured him. Notice how much of his face is in shadow. That’s exactly how Matt serves… mostly in the background, and what you do see is his smiling and welcoming attitude. Notice also, that the other thing that shines through is Matt’s servant’s heart! Matt really demonstrates how to “love your neighbor as yourself” through service.

Who do you know that has a servant’s heart like Matt? How can you show them how much you appreciate what they do? People like Matt inspire me to be a better servant. I hope they inspire all of us.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave Hoag

Hitting the Wall

God’s love for us is so large…

His grace for us seems inconceivable…

The blessings He has planned for us are incredible!

Until that wonderful day when I surrendered my heart to Jesus, I was unfazed by the vocabulary of evangelical Christians. Simple terms, like ‘grace’ or ‘blessing’, had no greater meaning for me than their dictionary definitions. Certainly, the term ‘mountaintop experience’ was an empty expression I was quick to scoff at or ridicule. How ironic that the moment I accepted Christ as my Savior, God would bless me with one of those mountaintop experiences.

Try to contemplate being lifted so high as to see beyond your imagination! Imagine standing at the pinnacle and seeing the world connected in ways you can barely comprehend. Imagine being at such a height that there were no limits or boundaries. Imagine being at such a dizzying height, but secure, and at peace, and in God’s presence. Until it happened to me, I could not have imagined anything close to that experience.

And yet, it seems that many Christians who are raised up in the faith have not received such an experience. Perhaps it is only those of us who, like Doubting Thomas, require some special intervention. I imagine myself as having been to the mountaintop, but I did not get to stay there. In the here-and-now, I’m right back with all believers: delivered out of bondage by Christ, and now moving ever toward a deeper relationship with God. Though I may be off the mountaintop, I can clearly see the incomprehensible mountain of God’s love, blessings, and grace.

Now, go with this picture of a mountain of grace, and love, and blessings for a moment. It’s easy to move forward toward a more meaningful relationship with God, as long as we keep the mountain in sight.

Satan, however, doesn’t want us to be moving toward God. So, he throws up barriers in front of us to try and stop us or turn us away from God. We may be moving toward God in one moment, and suddenly… BAM… we hit a wall! “Ouch… that hurt!” That’s our natural reaction. Now, since we are right up against it, we cannot see anything but the wall. All we see are the impenetrable stones that have stopped us. We can’t see God’s mountain of grace anymore because there’s a wall in the way; it’s not a very high wall, but it blocks our view. After a while, if we just focus on the wall, Satan will convince us that we are supposed to go no further. Once we give in to that, we might then be convinced that we should even go back to where we first started… it’s an easy and wide path back to where we were.

We all hit walls. Satan is pretty equal opportunity when it comes to stopping us from moving toward God. What walls have you hit? Are you up against a wall right now? One of the most formidable walls that Satan erects is one that just seems temporary. Then Satan comes along and tries to convince you that you are not worthy, since you have lost sight of God.

This is exactly why we need fellowship; why we need to travel through life together as believers in Christ. When a wall of despair is thrown up in front of me, my brothers and sisters in Christ help me over. When I crash into a wall of hopelessness, they lead me around. And when I’m inches away from a wall of sin, they support me with their prayers, they strengthen me with their encouragement, and they carry me right through the barrier as if it wasn’t even there… on their faith. In fellowship, in love, and in Christ, we can all reach the mountaintop… together.

I’ll see you during the climb this week.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave Hoag

Good News Ministry

The other day, I was with some friends, studying the Bible. We had recently completed reading through the Gospel of John, and were starting to delve into the Gospel of Mark. Immediately, right from the first chapter, we were struck by the simplicity and the urgency of Jesus’ ministry.

14After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

16As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 18At once they left their nets and followed him. 19When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

Mark 1:14-20)

In verse 14, Jesus started his ministry. He didn’t need special training, or a doctorate of divinity from the Sanhedrin Seminary. Equipped ONLY with the good news of God, he went into the world. When he called people to follow him, they too, needed no special training, no degrees, no rituals or prayers to recite, and no release forms to sign. The invitation from Jesus was a simple call: “Come, follow me.” Immediately, at once, and without delay they dropped what they were doing, left family, friends, and community… and followed Jesus.

21They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.

(Mark 1:21-22)

Teaching in the synagogue was nothing new. There were plenty of teachers willing to give their interpretation of the law. The people were amazed at Jesus’ teaching because he taught from the authority of God’s word; not interpretation, not the laws of the synagogue, and certainly not the laws and traditions imposed by people who were looking to bolster their own importance or position.

29As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. 31So he went to her, took her hand, and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

32That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33The whole town gathered at the door, 34and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons...

(Mark 1:29-34)

Ever have a fever? A fever pretty much incapacitates you, and you usually don’t know (or care) about what is happening around you. Jesus simply took the hand of Simon’s mother-in-law and helped her up. Immediately, the fever left her and she began to wait on them. Now, you can think: “how chauvinistic,” but you would be wrong. Over and over again, Jesus tried to impress the importance of us becoming servants. Jesus had just healed her, so it is natural to assume that she would want to wait on him, but the Bible clearly shows that she waited on all of them… in receiving the healing power of Christ, she naturally wanted to serve… everyone!

If you live in this world, you are likely to be sick or demon possessed at one time or another. None of us are perfect, and all of us are under constant attack. A cruel word or deed can wound your heart more seriously than a wound you can see. Which of us has not been attacked by the demons of jealousy, pride, addiction, or fear? Which of our friends or family have never sustained such attacks? Mark says that the whole town gathered at the door. Jesus brought the good news, but he never forced it on anyone. As word spread, it took less than a day for the entire town to come to Jesus. I wonder if WE could be bold enough to tell people that they can hear Jesus preach the good news into their hearts. What would it be like to have the whole of OUR town gather at the door to our church?

Notice that Jesus taught in the synagogue, but he healed in the home. Don’t be shy inviting him into YOUR home! Pray that people want to gather at YOUR door… because they know that a new life in Christ awaits them on the other side of the threshold. See you on Sunday… in OUR church home.

Your brother in Christ, Dave Hoag

Olympic Spirit

I love watching the Olympics… from the amazing opening ceremonies, to the thrilling competitions, to the emotional medal ceremonies, all the way through to the closing ceremony with its hope and challenge for the future.

Yet it seems that so many commentators (and many of my friends) have a hard time focusing on anything but the negative aspects of the Olympic Games. Who in the world doesn’t know that the beautiful little girl who sang during the opening was actually lip-syncing for a girl with better pipes… but who was deemed not cute enough? The amazing fireworks… it turns out they were digitally enhanced. So many controversies: the actual age of gymnasts, scoring irregularities, people displaced to make room for a sterile Olympic environment, doping accusations, and so much more. As always, people persist in looking for the splinter in their neighbor’s eye, while ignoring the log in their own eye.

I started off on this Olympic theme because of a comment by my good friend, Monica. She mentioned how Olympic athletes train for competition; specifically how swimmer Michael Phelps eats somewhere in the neighborhood of 12,000 calories per day! That’s 4-6 times what most of us take in on a daily basis. Of course, he burns all of those calories training 5 hours every day, and unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve seen what that training can accomplish: 8 Olympic Gold Medals (in just these games). Monica drew the analogy that if we exercise and grow our faith more, we need to be nourished more… spiritually! She graciously suggested that this blog is one opportunity, but there are so many more ways that we can train, and grow, and be strengthened, and… be nourished by the power of God’s Holy Spirit.

Think of all the ways that you might enhance your spiritual training beyond Sunday worship; you could (deep breath):

• Add your voice to the choir;
• Join a prayer group;
• Participate in Bible Study;
• Volunteer your talents;
• Serve on a committee or counsel;
• Pray for someone;
• Give joyfully;
• Turn away from sinful habits;
• Share the Good News with a hurting world;
• Be open to new spiritual growth opportunities.

(I bet you can think of many other ways).

For me, I will continue to train. I will continue to run the race. For me, there is no Olympic medal stand, but for every spiritual victory I will delight in the glory of God. I won’t wrap myself in a flag of some nation… but I will be covered in the love, and forgiveness, and salvation of Jesus Christ.

I’ll see you on the practice field! Your brother in Christ,

Dave