Being Creative in the Spirit

Have you ever written a song, a poem, a prayer, a letter, a story, or anything similar while you were creative in God's Spirit? I know that many of you have. Indeed, some of the previous posts and comments authored by others are overflowing in God's Spirit!

Hopefully, this post will start a long and creative comment thread... of example of your creative efforts while tapping into God's Spirit. Share with a comment how you came alive creatively in the Spirit. Share how you felt. Share the result (poem, story, song, etc.) in a comment. We are all family here, so there's no need to be shy, so go ahead... share.

Here is a song I wrote to include in my annual Christmas card in 2001. I print and fold 500 cards, and then give them out (personally, by hand) to family, friends, co-workers, and my Messiah family at most of the services on Christmas. This song only took me about an hour to write. Sometimes the Holy Spirit just lays things almost fully formed on my heart. I almost feel like I just have to transpose it. Praise God!

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They Call The Child Messiah

(to the tune of “They Call The Wind Mariah”)


Messiah… Messiah…
They call the child Messiah.

On a cold and starry night
One star shone bright as fire,
Three wise men came and each brought gifts
For the child they call Messiah.

A baby born to be like us,
To feel each base desire.
Temptation had no hold on Him
On the child they call Messiah.

Messiah… Messiah…
They call the child Messiah.

To touch his cloak or see his face
Shook you to your soul.
When his eyes turned to gaze at you
You had faith to be made whole.

Ten outcast men cried out his name,
Diseased and surely dying.
All were healed, but just one returned
With praise to God, and crying…

Messiah… Messiah…
He called the man Messiah.

To pay our debt, he sacrificed
Himself to set us free.
He kept his word, and rose again
And will walk with you and me.

So now you know you’re not alone,
But you don’t know where to start.
It’s not too hard to feel his touch,
Simply open up your heart.

Messiah… Messiah…
Just call out to Messiah.

Messiah… Messiah…
Such great love for me… Messiah.

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Your brother in Christ, Dave

You Are In My Prayers

So many of you are in my prayers... and I know SO very many of YOU. Like most of you, my days are hectic; filled with family, business, and commitment pressures. Plus, some of the people that needed prayer the most were either in the hospital, sick at home, or located a great distance away from me. I wanted to be more faithful (on a daily basis) in my prayer life, but "life" kept distracting me. Am I the only one that has faced this problem?

A few years ago, I would stick a “prayer reminder” note in my pocket, but I often got so busy that I didn't reach into my pocket until the end of the day. Sometimes I overlooked it altogether. One day, as I was scheduling a recurring meeting on my computer in Outlook, I got the idea of scheduling a time for prayer in Outlook, too. It schedules just the same as a recurring meeting, takes less time than getting a cup of coffee, and anyone reading about this on the blog already has Outlook (or a similar tool) available to them at their fingertips.

Day by day, Outlook would then force a pop-up window onto my computer screen (at a specified time), reminding me to pray, with something like: “Pray for so-and-so.” Day by day, I saw very little effect, but I had resolved to stay faithful. “To a pop-up window?” you ask. No, I had resolved to stay faithful to my commitment to come before God in prayer. Looking back, I see God’s awesome faithfulness… year by year.

Oh, and don’t be afraid to let people know that you are praying for them. You’ll be surprised how many will tell you how grateful they are. Sometimes I will reply to people by email with a prayer. Here’s one I have sent to people… some of you might even have received it from me at one time or another:


You are in my prayers…

I pray that God grants you strength; to weather the storms of life.
I pray that God grants you wisdom; to learn from every adversity, as well as every opportunity.
I pray that God grants you vision; to see a bigger part of life’s great tapestry.
I pray that God grants you joy; greater than happiness or satisfaction.
I pray that God grants you faith; to KNOW who loves you, and to whom YOU belong.
I pray that God grants you love; to share AND to receive.
I pray that God grants you patience; to trust and to move in God’s plan.
I pray that God grants you exactly what you need; not necessarily what you want, but what you NEED.
I pray that God grants you courage; to proclaim God’s Good News to the BEST of your gifts.

I pray that you remember…

To pray in Christ’s name… “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” ” – John 14:6

To ask in Christ’s name… “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” – John 16:24

To be saved in Christ’s name… “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.” – John 10:9

To know exactly where our power comes from… “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:13

You are greatly loved!

Your brother in Christ, David Alan Hoag

Witness in the Spirit

My friend, Kathi Avarbuch, is an awesome Christian woman of faith and commitment. A widow, she had recently started to participate in singles events again with her church. She met a man, and after several dates, she suggested that perhaps they sign up for a couple’s Bible study, as that might be a good way to gain a deeper spiritual understanding of each other. He basically said “no”, stating that he really didn’t believe that Jesus is God. Kathi explains the rest far better than I could retell it. See how she is led by the Spirit, and listen to her strong witness…

I felt the Lord has had our paths cross for a reason and good can come from our relationship as friends. If you ever need me I would be there for you. Jesus has said, “Love one another.” The Lord has also placed these thoughts that I’m going to share with you in my heart, and it is my prayer that you will seriously pray and open your heart and listen. I care very much for you and do want God’s best for you.

Our earthly destiny and eternal lives depend on our faith and belief in Jesus Christ. In John 14:6 “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” This is what separates Christians from every other belief in the world... including the Jewish faith. It was because Jesus Himself claimed to be God that the Jews wanted to kill Him. Jesus stated many times to be God. Here are a few scriptures and I know if you ask any of the pastors at our church they will agree with what I have written. This is the core of what being a Christian is all about. He said, “I and the Father are one” (John10:30), “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I AM!” At this they (the Jews) picked up stones to stone him,” (John 8:59). It was very clear when Jesus spoke to the leaders in the temple who he was claiming to be. The leaders in the temple asked him who his father was and Jesus answered, “You know neither Me, nor My Father: if you knew Me, you would know My Father also” (John 8:19). Also Paul is telling us in a nutshell, so to speak, how Jesus left heaven to be among us in 1 Timothy 3:16 “Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.” The “He” was God Jesus in the manuscripts. One of my favorites is in Philippians 2: 6-8 “Who, being in very nature GOD did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in the appearance of a man, he humbled himself and become obedient to death even death on a cross.” I feel this is one the clearest scriptures there is on the deity of Christ Jesus. It is due to our differences in who you and I believe Jesus to be that ended our relationship. For the Bible makes it clear to me that I am “not to be unevenly yoked” in 2 Corinthians 6:14.

It is my prayer that you will understand and turn your life over to Jesus. He wants to be on the throne of everyone’s heart. Even after being a Christian, we will fail at times but that’s where repentance and loving forgiveness comes in when we ask for it. Going to church every Sunday and doing good things doesn’t make us a Christian. Keeping Jesus on the throne of our heart as our Lord and God and doing our best to obey His word, repenting when we fail Him, is what He expects of us. We don’t have to be perfect, just do our best and leave the rest to Him.

I pray this makes my beliefs about who Jesus is clearer to you. My prayer for you is that one day you will know Him as is stated in the Bible. Yes, He is God’s Son who emptied himself of godhood and walked among us.

In Loving Friendship, Kathi

When’s the last time you gave THAT powerful a witness? Have you EVER witnessed your belief in Jesus in public? How about to just one other person? Do you ever wish you could?

Thankfulness and Gratitude

(Week 5 of our 5-week devotional series)

Kristin Gibbons put this week’s blog entry together to remind us to be thankful and grateful. What are some of the things in your life that you are grateful for? Is there a song or a person that reminds you to give thanks to God? Do you ever give thanks in creative ways (poetry, song, dance, etc.)?

Here’s Kristin’s entry. Enjoy.

“As stewards of God we must be truly appreciative of the things we receive. One has said that, “ingratitude is a crime more despicable than revenge which is only returning evil for evil, while ingratitude returns evil for good.”…A beautiful legend tells the story of two angels that were sent forth throughout the land, each given a basket, one to gather up requests and the other thanksgivings. The angel of requests came back with her basket running over full. The angel of thanksgivings came back with her basket practically empty. So it is in life. It seems that all have requests to make, but few of us think to return and give thanks.”
-Heber Q. Hale

GRATITUDE
Words and Music by Nichole Nordeman

Send some rain, would You send some rain?

'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again

And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade

Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?

Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down

Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid

But maybe not, not today

Maybe You'll provide in other ways

And if that's the case. . .

-

(Chorus)

We'll give thanks to You

With gratitude

For lessons learned in how to thirst for You

How to bless the very sun that warms our face

If You never send us rain

-

Daily bread, give us daily bread

Bless our bodies, keep our children fed

Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight

Wrap us up and warm us through

Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs

Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time

Or maybe not, not today

Maybe You'll provide in other ways

And if that's the case. . .

-

(Chorus)

We'll give thanks to You

With gratitude

A lesson learned to hunger after You

That a starry sky offers a better view if no roof is overhead

And if we never taste that bread

-

Oh, the differences that often are between

What we want and what we really need

-

So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace

Move our hearts to hear a single beat

Between alibis and enemies tonight

Or maybe not, not today

Peace might be another world away

And if that's the case. . .

-

(Chorus)

We'll give thanks to You

With gratitude

For lessons learned in how to trust in You

That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream

In abundance or in need

-

And if You never grant us peace

But Jesus, would You please. . .

Want to hear Nichole Nordeman sing the song? Just scroll down to the bottom of this post for a video.

THE HEALING POWER OF GRATITUDE

Studies have shown that love-related qualities, like gratitude, actually make us physically healthier. Here are just a few things having a grateful heart will do:

1. Focusing on the things you’re grateful for just 15 minutes a day will significantly increase your body’s natural antibodies.
2. Naturally grateful people are more focused mentally and measurable less vulnerable to clinical depression.
3. A grateful state of mind is associated with healthier blood pressure and heart rate.
4. Gratitude strengthens caregivers, who tend to be healthier and more capable than less grateful ones.
5. Recipients of donated organs who have the most grateful attitudes heal faster.

Stephen Post, PhD, author of Why Good Things Happen to Good People.



A Simple Daily Prayer…

Lord, Thank you for this brand new day. Give me guidance and inspire me to make it the very best. Amen.



WHAT DOES GRATITUDE DO?

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
- Melody Beattie

If…

“If you own just one Bible, you are abundantly blessed; one-third of the world does not have access to even one. If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than a million who will not survive the week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of five million people around the world. If you attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death, you are more blessed than almost three billion people in the world. If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy. If your parents are still married and alive, you are very rare. If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not. If you can hold someone’s hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer God’s healing touch. If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read anything at all.”
Source: unknown

SHOWING GRATITUDE

1. Start and end each day with a thankful prayer and a grateful heart.
2. When you have noticed a blessing, e-mail or leave a message telling the person of how they were a blessing. Thank God as you dial the phone or type on the computer for the blessing and the person with whom you share it.
3. Do an act of kindness and support for one of the pastors. Pray for them.
4. Tell one other church member why you are grateful for your congregation.

- From Disciples Home Missions 2005