Commitment and Discipleship

(Week 4 of our 5-week devotional series)

Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God."

Luke 9:23-27

In considering commitment and discipleship, I have 3 offerings this week: The first is from my dear friend, and partner in ministry, Claire Palmerino, the second is a song, and the last is a challenge.

Where Does the Spirit Lead You?

When I begin my day in prayer, thanking God for the privilege of walking one more day on this earth… and then giving that day back to Him to live and breathe in His service… my days are filled with adventure. Sometimes my adventure is an interesting, fleeting encounter with another brother or sister in Christ; other times my adventure gives me the opportunity to help another, often a stranger. My adventures always leave me in awe because I become more fully aware of God’s presence in my life. When I live and breathe in the Spirit, I am more alive, more aware and more blessed than when I stumble through life spiritually unconsciousness.

My adventures usually begin when I submit to an inner prompting by the Spirit to do or say something outside my comfort zone. Here’s an example: While vacationing in Lake Tahoe, my husband and I found ourselves crossing paths with another couple making the same trek we were making around the lake. At each vista point, I felt the Spirit prompting me to pray for the man as he was in obvious pain when he walked. I told the Spirit I would be glad to pray for him… by myself in the car. The Spirit continued to urge me to approach him and pray with him. After exchanging pleasantries with him and his wife on one stop and offering to take their picture on another, I finally took a deep breath and observed aloud that he looked like he was in deep pain. Barney explained that he had fallen off the roof of his house and crushed both of his heels; he had been in terrible pain ever since. I told him I felt the Lord had been asking me to pray with him… would he mind? Barney, his wife, Mary, and I joined hands there on the Lake Tahoe shore and I prayed. I don’t remember the words God gave me but the message was that He walked with Barney in every pain-filled step, there was purpose in his suffering and that God held him in the palm of His hand. Tears streamed down all of our faces as I asked God to heal him. Of course I have no idea what happened afterward, but I do know that God used me to give Barney a tender message of love and hope. I was filled with awe and reverence.

Most days my adventures are not so remarkable, but the Spirit guides me nonetheless. Sometimes a person comes to mind during my prayer time and I write her a note telling what I prayed. Often I learn later that the note came at just the right time or the words were particularly comforting. Other times the Spirit compels me to face a bitterness or selfishness taking root in me, prompting me to acknowledge it and ask for cleansing. I am always relieved and renewed when I follow Him.

Do I always follow that still, small voice that prompts me to action? Sadly, no; sometimes I even politely ignore the urging, telling myself I’m too busy, have other things to do, or it’s just too weird. I can hardly believe that I have the audacity to just tell the Lord, “No! It’s too hard!”, but I do. Does lightening come crashing down on my head? No. The Spirit quiets within me and I find I can’t hear Him any more. Then my spirit becomes parched and I ache in my regret and sadness. I have missed an opportunity to serve Him. I have revealed my cowardly shallow self. I return to Him in sorrow and He restores me through the grace and mercy of His Son, Jesus. I vow to do better… and sometimes I do.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ… will you follow the Spirit? Ask Him to open your ears and your heart to His Voice. You may not hear words in your head; the Spirit may call you with feelings or intuitions. But when He prompts you to say a kind word to a stranger, take a chance and do it! When He urges you to invite a stranger to join you at your table in the restaurant, try it! Live and breathe in Him! It’s a blessing-filled adventure!

Claire Palmerino

Mary Did You Know

Mary did you know… that pre-school boy will someday be a father?
Mary did you know… that pre-school boy will bring up sons and daughters?
Did you know… that pre-school child is living what he’s heard?
This child that you’ve instructed will someday teach God’s Word.

Mary did you know… that third-grade girl would give hope to the hopeless?
Mary did you know… that problem child will feed and clothe the homeless?
Did you know… the power of all the dreams you’ve given flight?
The joy that you have given… is precious in God’s sight.

Oh, Mary did you know…

The little boy… in Sunday school… will someday be a man
And because of all you taught him, he’ll magnify God’s plan.

Mary did you know… the teachers that you’ve helped to find their calling?
Mary did you know… how many kids that you have kept from falling?
Did you know… that the love you gave to each and every one?
You gave not just to God’s people… but also to God’s Son.

I wrote this music lyric in December of 2007 in loving appreciation and celebration of the many years that Mary Schweder shared with Messiah Lutheran Church in Yorba Linda, California as Director of Children’s Ministry. Mary was a fine example of commitment and discipleship.

And finally, the challenge:

There are little differences in people… but those little differences can make a big difference.

One little difference in people is

ATTITUDE.

The big difference it can make depends on… whether it is POSITIVE or negative.

Another little difference in people is

COMMITMENT.

The big difference it can make depends on… whether it is FULL-TIME or part-time.

The final difference in people is

DISCIPLESHIP.

The big difference it can make depends on… whether it is LED BY GOD’S SPIRIT or
led only by your talent.

The choice… is always up to YOU!

So... If you are looking for more of God's Spirit in your life, how much of yourself are you willing to commit? Are you willing to at least set your foot on the path toward discipleship? It's an exciting journey! Do you have the courage and the faith to say:"

"Here I am Lord..."

Your brother in Christ,

Dave Hoag

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a day set aside to remember and honor our nation’s war dead. Created as a national holiday after our country’s horrific Civil War, it has come to symbolize little more than a 3-day weekend for most Americans. While I find it entirely right and proper to honor those who gave their all in the service and defense of our country, I can understand how the pace of life, and the passage of time can dim the observance to just a “National Moment of Remembrance”.

I can certainly be moved by the sight of small American flags fluttering at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery, but I have never known anyone closely who has died in the service of our Country. I did, however, know my good friend Diehl Martin very well. He recently died on the front lines of a spiritual war, while under very real physical attack. Diehl had been locked in battle with pancreatic cancer for the last 3 years. To the very end, he held his spiritual ground, and because of his faith and conviction many have been saved. Diehl was one of God’s good and faithful servants, a fervent disciple of Christ, and one of God’s spiritual heroes. Against what had become overwhelming odds, he was losing ground to cancer day by day. Here are some of Diehl’s thoughts on his approaching end:

“Cancer is a hard way to go, but there are a lot of other ways which would be worse. So my body fails me, and quits. Well, that happens to each one of us at some time, and in my case, I found out about it early and have had the time to prepare both myself and those around me for the changes.

All of the paperwork has been taken care of, the finances arranged, and the arrangements made. All of the earthly things are done. However, the earthly part of this passage is not the one which concerns most folks, it is what happens next. For
many people there is a lot of uncertainly, and even fear concerning their
own personal end.

Anyone who knows me knows that I wear my faith upon my sleeve. To know me is to know that I love Jesus. He has sustained me through all of my life, and now He is carrying me through my lowest valley. I have full confidence that He will do exactly what He has promised, because I have seen in my life that all of the time He has provided exactly what was needed, and guided things along. Oh, I might not see it at the time, but when looking back on each good time or hard time, I can see that He has seen me through every time.

So now I am preparing to go off to my final reward. My future is assured, not because of any goodness I might possess, but rather because, in spite of my failings. Jesus paid the price for my sins at the cross, and has forgiven every bit of it. He says that He has separated my sins from me as far as the east is from the west. I go to my reward, not in my own strength, but rather in His strength, because He has done everything which was needful for me.

I know about Heaven only that which I have read in the Bible and the information is not something I understand fully. What I lack in knowledge, though, I make up with absolute confidence that since Jesus has been so good to me thus far, and since I know Him well by now, that I have no worries about anyplace where He is in charge. With Him there and in charge, I know it will be exactly right. I have made my choice, and my choice is to live for Jesus, and to
go live with Him forever.

But enough about my situation - what about you? Cancer is killing my body right now, and I have but a little time left, but your time will come soon enough. Are you ready? Today is the day! Now is the time of salvation. Trust Jesus with your whole life. Give it all over to Him. He is the best friend you could ever have.”
Diehl Martin - August 10, 2007

Diehl lost his 3-year battle with pancreatic cancer on October 27th, 2007. Even as he was being overrun by the cancer, Dielh remained steadfast in his joy in the Lord, AND focused on sharing his joy with a lost and hurting world. 

Dear God, today while we honor the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who gave their lives defending our country and our freedom, let us also fondly remember those spiritual heroes who have passed out of our lives. We lift up their sacrifices and honor their courage, just as we honor the courage of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country… with their lives.

Have you had any spiritual heroes in your life?

Your brother in Christ, David Alan Hoag

We are one in the Spirit

(Week 2 of our 5-week devotional series)

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called--one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

- Ephesians 4:2-6

In pondering the verses in Ephesians 4:2-6, our brother in Christ, Doug Stricklin, has shared the following with us:

I NEVER ASKED FOR HELP

As a man I spent half my life determining my competence by my ability to master the world around me, on my own. I knew what I knew! I succeeded, so I thought, on my own, never thinking that the skills and gifts I had were God given. I certainly did not feel part of a body of believers that are one in the spirit.

I spent years accomplishing tasks and accumulating stuff, but I was always looking for the “key” to unlock the mystery of my life’s purpose. It was not until I started to accept the possibility of abiding in Christ that I began to discover that it was the locksmith that I needed, not the key.

No matter how impressive my personal achievements, I could never find lasting significance as long as I refused to recognize my dependence on Christ. It’s only in Him that I have begun to make sense of myself, my purpose, my thoughts, feelings, passions and dreams.

Through this journey I have found no more painful punishment then futile hopeless labor. Now as I have begun to abide in Christ’s presence and trust in the Holy Spirit to empower my thoughts and actions, He saturates all I think, say and do, with eternity and purpose.

Some define courage as the ability to do what needs to be done in spite of fear. The Bible offers the elimination of fear.

For me, strength and courage to change did not come from within. It came from God’s hand opening doors to possibility. In July of 2006 I lay in a hospital bed half paralyzed from a sudden stroke. The doctors said this should not have happened. As I lay there thinking of my options I did not have an awakening and turn myself over to God. No! I started to contemplate and design, in my head, ways I could build mechanical devices to allow me to continue the path of futility I was on. Two days later, by the grace of God, I walked virtually unscathed from the hospital. That following Monday I went back to work as if nothing had happened. In fact I did not even tell anyone at work about my stroke. That Wednesday I lost my job that I had spent a lifetime achieving. I was devastated, but now God had my attention! The truth was, a lasting sense of significance had eluded my grasp. I was lost and needed help. But who could help me?

I began to realize that Jesus did not call me to spend the rest of my life trying to endlessly jump back and forth over a bar of achievement and material possessions. He calls all of us to a life of freedom, joy and purpose.

I am now surrendering to God’s will and know the Holy Spirit is my most important advisor. I look to others whom are also one in the spirit; my wife, my family, and other men, to help me figure out what God is calling me to do. Each night I pray and ask Him to confirm it in my heart.

Jesus doesn’t call us to a life of insignificance. He wants our life to matter. He calls us to live a supernatural life that changes people for eternity.

Now, and for the first time in my life, I am one in the spirit. Through Him, I no longer trust in me, I give Him the credit for all that I have, knowing I would have nothing without Him. I want to share what I have been given.

-----------------------------

Doug’s awesome testimony and the verses from Ephesians raise the following questions:

We are one in the Spirit and nothing can destroy that unity which God himself has formed. But we are told to "make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit." How do we do that? Where do we start?

Members of an earthly family can hold different opinions but still exhibit love. How much more important is being a member of one body of Christ than being a member of an earthly family?

We may differ in our views of how and when the Lord returns, in our concepts of church government or spiritual gifts. Does this keep us from recognizing one another as brothers and sisters in the Lord?

It is not easy to keep the unity of the Spirit, but as people who are in the Holy Spirit we are called to be holy people. It is hard work, but the Spirit who makes us one body also empowers the new life He gives us. Keeping the unity of the Spirit is not an impossibility. Let us make every effort to show that we are one in the Spirit.

Led by the Spirit

(Week 1 of our 5-week devotional series)

Susan Hassebrock is both author and contributor of this week’s posting. If you worshiped with us at Messiah either Saturday or Sunday, you received a very cool brochure that contains much of the same information as this blog posting. The idea is to get people to share their thoughts and comments here on the blog, and thereby communicate with a far greater reach than just 1 or 2 people on the patio. Don’t let the technical newness of responding with a comment keep you mute… let the Spirit lead you… YOU don’t know who needs to hear YOUR voice! And now, here’s Susan’s post:

How do you know when you are being led by the Spirit? We make hundreds of decisions every day, big and small, that affect our lives in significant ways. Traveling through rural America you are bombarded with a succession of billboards advertising a restaurant or tourist attraction at the next exit, but there’s no marquee in our daily lives to announce “God’s way up ahead, turn right at the cross.” For several of Messiah’s partners in ministry, being guided by the Holy Spirit meant life-altering career changes and relocation.

Fifteen years ago the company my husband worked for was sold and we had to decide whether to move to New Hampshire for a job that was pretty much a sure thing, or come to California for a consulting position that might have been temporary,” recalled Susan Hassebrock. “We chose California and if we hadn’t I probably would never have become as close to my mother-in-law, Ruth, who lived in Fullerton, and I would not have been influenced by her to come back to church and get involved in a Bible study group. The move changed our home, Ruth’s faith changed me.”

Jennifer Walter said the time to trust and be led by the spirit came when her husband, Chris, had an opportunity to interview for a job in L.A. They were living in Washington at the time and Jennifer “just knew Southern California wasn’t the place” for her. But, she “prayed all over it and kept an open mind” when it came time to fly down and take a look. “I thought Chris would change his mind, but God really made it clear that this was what we were suppose to do,” she said. There were too many coincidences. The Orange County couple they bought their house from had lived near their home in Washington. “Our lives overlapped theirs in so many ways. The whole situation was in God’s hands. There is no way I would have gone down this road on my own,” Jennifer said.

Live by the Spirit…

Another Messiah member, Susan Blase, was an OB/GYN with a very busy practice. She wanted to cut back her hours and spend more time at home with her kids, but it seemed impossible. Then she injured her neck and the choice was taken out of her hands. “It’s weird to say that the injury was a blessing from God. I didn’t think of it that way then, but now, being home with the kids is really a blessing to me,” Susan said. “It’s connected. It’s not random. There are things I have prayed for and it has happened—just maybe not in the way I wanted.”

In step with the Spirit…

Susie Snyder recalled the housing recession of the early 1990s, when she and husband, Rick, were “led” through some tough times. “Rick had 55 houses drop out of escrow in one day. Times were extremely lean. We were afraid we might not ever come out of it, but Rick was led to go to Texas to build apartments. We never stopped our giving, our pledge to the church. Eventually, the market turned around and Rick was into apartment building and buying and developing land. The company came back stronger than ever. It was an avenue he would have never gone down. God took us through that to show us how to be faithful. You have to trust God even when you can’t see your way out.”

The following prayer was written by Thomas Merton (1915-1968), a poet, author and monk:

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You. And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this, You will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore, I will trust You always, though I may seem lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone.

How do you know when YOU are being led by God’s Spirit? You probably have a story to share, too. Just click on “comments” (just below) and follow the instructions. Can’t figure it out, and you don’t have a kid to help you? No problem, contact the Admin for help (dave@rith.biz).

Led by the Spirit Concert Info

Get Ready To Rummmmmble

It is an exciting time here at Messiah Lutheran Church. God has blessed us in so many different ways, and now the disciples at Messiah are boldly living out these blessings in our community. In the coming weeks we will begin to explore the theme for a new capital appeal at Messiah: Led by the Spirit.

This appeal invites us as individuals AND as a faith community to act on our partnership in this ministry, and to discover not only how we have been blessed, but how we can become a blessing to others.

So, make sure your plans include attending at least one of the services for our kick-off next weekend… Saturday, May 10th or Sunday, May 11th! You’ll hear a special sermon from Pastor Bob on how the Spirit leads us, and you’ll learn more about the vision and goals of our new 3-year Led by the Spirit Appeal. Plus… there will be goodies in the courtyard… so we can all share and fellowship! I don’t know what the goodies are yet; they want to surprise us.

The new $400 million Americana at Brand shopping center opened this week across the street from the Glendale Galleria. It’s not called a mall anymore… today it’s a “lifestyle center”. Thursday night, it opened with a gala black-tie event attended by 2,000 invited guests, dignitaries, celebrities, and even Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. With Jay Leno hosting the event, Wolfgang Puck hosting the dinner, big-name entertainment, and fireworks, I’m pretty sure most of us would have jumped at the chance to attend.

God is calling us to participate in the opening of the Life Center at Messiah. We’re kicking it all off next weekend (May 10th and 11th) and you’re invited. We have entertainment, too: Jeff Askew and Nancy Andeel will perform in the Led by the Spirit Concert (May 17th, 7-9 PM). We didn’t forget the food, either: We’ll have selections of the world’s cuisine at the Taste of Messiah celebration (May 30th, 6:30-8:30 PM). And… as I hope you already know… when you open your heart to the Lord and allow yourself to be led by His Spirit, the fireworks in your heart are incredible!

We didn’t build another shopping center so people could purchase “lifestyle”; we built a “Life Center” so people could have life… and have life more abundantly. So come. Come for the fun… come for the fellowship… come for the food, and when you come, you’ll learn how our Led by the Spirit Appeal will help change the Life center, and… change lives.

Finally, who do you know that needs life more abundantly? Who do you know that needs healing? Who do you know that needs purpose in their life? Who do you know that needs love? Who do you know… that YOU can invite to God’s gala opening?

I’ll be there. I hope to see YOU there, too.

YBIC,

Dave