When I Say…

Many of my Christian friends send emails that aggravate me. Oh, in their mind, they are passing along something they feel is inspirational or uplifting… and it often is. The aggravating part is that they seldom (read: NEVER) bother to check out what they send, verify the source, or remove the ubiquitous email wrapper that usually contains a false lead-in and concludes with a call to send the message on to everyone you care about.

Today, the email was to let me know that it is Christian Person Week.

Officially, THERE IS NO SUCH THING!

What followed that false statement was an unaccredited poem that turned out to be originally written by Carol Wimmer. Part of the reason that the original author of the email did not give Carol credit for her beautiful poem is that the anonymous email author changed just about every line of Carol’s poem! Here is Carol’s poem in its original form:

When I say, “I am a Christian”

by Carol Wimmer - Copyright 1988

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I’m not shouting, “I’ve been saved!”
I’m whispering, “I get lost!
That’s why I chose this way”

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I don’t speak with human pride
I’m confessing that I stumble -
needing God to be my guide

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I’m not trying to be strong
I’m professing that I’m weak
and pray for strength to carry on

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I’m not bragging of success
I’m admitting that I’ve failed
and cannot ever pay the debt

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I don’t think I know it all
I submit to my confusion
asking humbly to be taught

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I’m not claiming to be perfect
My flaws are far too visible
but God believes I’m worth it

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartache
which is why I seek His name

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I do not wish to judge
I have no authority
I only know I’m loved


On her site, Carol explains the history of her poem:

My heart was heavy as I wrote the poem, When I say, “I am a Christian.” The year was 1988. I had begun to sense an increasing societal resentment toward the attitude of self-righteousness that has been adopted by so many Christians. I knew such behavior was and is a perversion of Christianity. Thus the sentiment of the poem was born out of my personal awareness of this perversion and the heartache it can cause in our pluralistic society.

I jotted down my thoughts with an inner determination to define the Christian spirit as I wished to experience it. The resulting words formed a reflection of my own beliefs and the reputation I hoped to secure for myself. Four years later, I sent the poem to 5 different publishers. As a result of its first publication in 1992, someone placed the poem on the Internet where it miraculously began taking on a life of its own.

From Manila to South Africa; Australia to Singapore; Finland to Bahrain—I’ve received e-mails from people all over the world who express a common desire to walk humbly with God. Therefore I owe a sincere “Thank You” to the unknown person who originally posted the poem on the Internet and the countless number of readers who have subsequently passed this simple expression on to others.

Used with permission; Carol Wimmer.

For more information about Carol, she has a web site at:

                http://carolwimmer.com/

How do YOU say: “I am a Christian”?

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Fortune Teller

Several of my friends have discovered an online app (application, for the uninitiated) called: Fortune Teller. It’s a humorous app that ties into Facebook, and predicts… where you will be in 20 years. I’m pretty sure that all MY friends are intelligent enough to realize that this online, social media predictor of their future is no more accurate than, say… a spiritualist, a card reader, or Magic Eight Ball. Depending on how you respond to the app, it will predict that you will be:  

• A millionaire;
• Locked up;
• Divorced;
• Famous;
• Pregnant… AGAIN?!?

You get the idea. It made me chuckle, and it certainly elicits some interesting responses in Facebook… as people either agree, or disagree with the prediction. Hahahaha! Often they offer up their own counter-prediction. But that’s kind of what these types of apps are designed to do: not actually predict anything, but generate comments, discussions, and dialog.

 

Now, I’m not promoting this particular app; quite the contrary! I never personally used the app, since it takes you to an unsecure site, requires that you grant it access to your Facebook account, and hence, gains access to all of your Facebook information. Like many apps of this type, it may be perfectly innocuous, but I rarely place my computer at risk… at least not knowingly.

 

But it did get me thinking. Where will I be in the future? I’m old enough that I can consider the prospect of NOT living forever. What will MY eternity be like? Well, I have a prediction.

 

My prediction stems from my inviting Christ into my life, and from allowing Jesus to strengthen my faith… even in my weakness. My prediction comes from spending time in God’s Word and with God’s people and hearing the promise that the creator and sustainer of the universe loves me. KNOWING THAT, my prediction is:

 

God willing, I'll be touring the nebula, star systems, black holes, and other amazing astronomical phenomenon of the universe. I wonder... do you think Sagan, Einstein, or da Vinci lead tours or workshops? I mean, how much time can you spend in the mansion… no matter how nice? But who knows? An app? 

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”  -- 1 Corinthians 13:12 King James Version (KJV)

 

What does your eternity look like? I may not really be able to predict mine, but I do know… that through Jesus… I will come to the Father. And THAT… will be glorious!

 

Your brother in Christ,

 

Dave

Only a Man

Thank you, God.

Do I tell you that enough, Lord? Probably not... definitely not! Do I come to you in prayer enough? Talk with you? Share with you? Lay my burdens down at your feet? Again… probably not… definitely not!

Thank you, Lord, for friends that share their heart, their lives, their delights, and their music with us on Facebook. They plant seeds without trying, they melt icy hearts without design, and they spread the Gospel message of God’s great love without any theological training or ideology.

Thank you, Jesus, for coming into my life. Thank you for enriching it with a continual blessing of friends who reflect your love and encouragement. Specifically, for this, thank you for the enduring faith and beautiful talent of Stacey Baltes, the Facebook video of zanna726, and the talent and voice of Jonny Lang.

When I tend to overthink and complicate things, to worry about what to say and how to witness, thank you for reminding me of the simplicity of the words of Jesus: “Just follow me.”

Thank you for not giving up on ANY of us. Thank you for continuing to call out to me… moment by moment.

Thank you, God!

Dave

Hold My Heart

How often are we adrift on a sea of pain? The Christian group, Tenth Avenue North, looks at that pain from a very personal perspective… and some moving lyrics. Judging by the large number of music videos on YouTube that use this song, it would seem that the lyrics resonate with a lot of people… people who are in pain… who feel afraid, and alone… and people who are adrift in a sea of painful questions for which they have no answers.

Of course, it’s not about nice neat answers, explanations, or even religious doctrines… it comes down to accepting that Christ has already paid for our deliverance, and through HIM, and ONLY THROUGH KNOWING AND ACCEPTING HIM, can we come to a place where God can hold our heart.

Listen… can you hear Christ call YOUR name? As you watch the video, pay close attention to the lyrics, and then listen with your heart.


Hold My Heart
Performed by Tenth Avenue North
Written by: Mike Donehey, Phillip Larue, and Jason Ingram
Video by cindy4gsus

How long must I pray, must I pray to You?
How long must I wait, must I wait for You?
How long 'till I see Your face, see You shining through?
I'm on my knees, begging You to notice me.
I'm on my knees, Father, will You turn to me?

One tear in the dropping rain,
One voice in a sea of pain
Could the Maker of the stars
Hear the sound of my breaking heart?
One life, is all I am
Right now I can barely stand
If You're everything You say You are
Would You come close and hold my heart?

I've been so afraid, afraid to close my eyes
So much can slip away before I say goodbye
But if there's no other way, I'm done asking why.
Cause I'm on my knees, begging You to turn to me.
I'm on my knees, Father, will You run to me?

One tear in the dropping rain,
One voice in a sea of pain
Could the Maker of the stars
Hear the sound of my breaking heart?
One life, is all I am
Right now I can barely stand
If You're everything You say You are
Would You come close and hold my heart?

So many questions without answers, Your promises remain
I can't see but I'll take my chances to hear You call my name
To hear You call my name

One tear in the dropping rain,
One voice in a sea of pain
Could the Maker of the stars
Hear the sound of my breaking heart?
One life, is all I am
Right now I can barely stand
If You're everything You say You are
Would You come close and hold my heart?

Hold my heart, would you hold my heart?
Hold my heart.


Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Step Out of the Boat

Save the date…

Messiah Men’s Conference
April 13-14, 2012

The theme is: “Step Out of the Boat.”

Men… are you ready for a challenge? Are you looking for new focus? Are you fired up to serve? Are you prepared to be changed?

Join us on the campus of Messiah Lutheran Church for a powerful speaker, stimulating workshops, great food, and manly conversation.


Keynote Speaker: Keith Rhodes

Keith Rhodes

• CEO of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Orange County;
• Grew up in rural Alaska;
• Recruited to play basketball and football at Grambling;
• Recruited to play for the NFL;
• Endured the devastation of Hurricane Katrina;
• Worked with abused and neglected children in various levels of residential care for 20 years;
• Holds degrees in Criminal Justice and Criminology, with an emphasis in Juvenile Delinquency and Domestic Terrorism;
• Has worked with counterdrug taskforce and gang suppression in 87 cities over the past 20 years, and also trains federal, State, and local law enforcement worldwide.

Keith has a great personal story and a great challenge for every man!

Your $20 ticket includes Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast, and all workshops and materials.

Register:

• Online at http://www.messiahyl.com
• At the Messiah Church office;
• At the registration table on Sunday.

If We Are the Body

We are progressing through a Sunday sermon series called:

“Tough Questions About the Christian Faith.”

Today’s topic in that series was:

“But isn’t the church responsible for so much injustice?”

I’m not going to give you a blow-by-blow of Pastor Bob’s awesome teaching, except to state that his answer to the topic question was: “Yes.” If you want to listen to Pastor Bob cover the many injustices perpetrated by Christian churches, check out the MP3 library on the Messiah site (it will be filed under today’s date: January 29, 2012). Besides the obvious injustices like the Crusades, the Inquisition, Witch Trials, the selling of Indulgences, and forced mass conversions… there are other, less obvious, injustices that pastor Bob covers. If you listen to his sermon, let me know if he left out your pet-peeve injustice.

He spoke of how the church went from being focused on the servant ministry of Jesus, to being so successful that it turned its focus on ruling, administration, law-making, judging and condemning, and protecting its power and holdings. When you are busy ruling you cannot be busy serving.

As Pastor Bob spoke of the servant heart of Jesus and His ministry, and what WE should be doing, I suddenly heard the song “If We are the Body” by Casting Crowns playing in my head. OK… maybe I was just recalling the lyrics. Here’s a video set to the song. It looks like something from a time capsule from another age. I think it’s very well done.



Are you part of the ministry body of Jesus? Where are your arms reaching? Where are your hands healing? Where are you teaching God’s Words? Where are your feet going? Where is your heart showing… that Jesus is the way?

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Renewal

Very likely, by the time you read this, it will be a new year; 2012. So, let me start off by conforming to centuries of tradition and wish you a happy, prosperous, and healthy New Year.

Every year, people make New Year’s resolutions… to stop smoking, get more education, lose weight… as many, and as varied resolutions as there are people (times a WHOLE bunch). Often, the resolutions are the reiteration of resolutions from past years that usually didn’t last more than a couple of weeks. Perhaps we need to look at resolutions differently.

Let’s change our vocabulary. Change ‘resolution’ to ‘renewal’.

Resolutions depend on our resolve… which is notoriously weak, completely dependent on our will, and often weakened by stressful circumstances. How many times have we resolved to start a new habit (or stop an old one), only to completely abandon the resolution’s good intentions at the slightest bump in the road?

Renewal is a different story altogether. Think about all the successful renewals in your life. You might renew a magazine subscription, auto insurance, a commitment to charitable giving, or health insurance. In each case, you renew a commitment and someone else renews their commitment to you… on an on-going, continuous, and mutually beneficial basis.

As I was thinking and writing about this, I received a Jews for Jesus newsletter that completed my musings in a far better way than I had originally planned. I have renewed my support of the Jews for Jesus ministry year after year and they bless me through their newsletter with their ministry news, their zeal, their evangelical fire, and their incredible faith in God and Jesus Christ as our sovereign Lord. In Remember to Renew, the cover article of the Jews for Jesus January 2012 newsletter, Executive Director David Brickner seemed to finish my thoughts about renewal (quite wonderfully, in fact). He also makes a profound comment about struggles and disappointments that I found to be just what I needed.

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Renewal is not only a matter of the mind, but also of the heart. We remember the past because it builds our faith to recall what God has done. We need that faith in order to be transformed and renewed. Renewal is not to occur only once a year with a New Year’s resolution or two. It is a daily response to God as He calls us to present ourselves as living sacrifices as in Romans 12.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”  – Romans 12: 1-2

The problem with living sacrifices is that they tend to wriggle off the altar! We need to bind ourselves to that altar with cords of love and trust in the One who sacrificed Himself for us. We need God’s renewal in our lives to stir up fresh dedication, new commitment, and the kind of faith that enables us to see a future that is brighter than our past. I want that renewal. I want to remain on that altar for Jesus. That is my commitment before the Lord…

Maybe this past year has held struggles and disappointments. Perhaps there are physical problems for which there is no relief in sight. Do not lose heart, but remember that even though we are perishing outwardly, inside we are being renewed day by day. And our light momentary affliction is working a far heavier weight of glory that will last forever and ever (see Corinthians 4:16-17).

As we enter 2012, I invite you, dear friends, to remember and renew your relationship with the Lord Jesus.

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To David Brickner’s words, I say: “AMEN!” And if you don’t yet have a relationship with Jesus, I invite you to accept the gift of salvation, joy, and peace that Jesus freely offers to every person. That’s EVERY person. That includes you… even if you don’t believe. See me on our campus on Sunday, or contact me if you need to know more.

And, once again: Happy New Year!  It’s my prayer that 2012 be the year you begin a lifelong renewal in the Lord!

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

FYI: Jews for Jesus exists to make the Messiahship of Jesus an unavoidable issue to Jewish people worldwide.

You can find out more about their ministry online at: jewsforjesus.org

Alive in Your Loss – Untitled Hymn

Christmas is near.

Of course, search engines have little respect for time, place, or situations… focusing, as they do, merely on the keywords you have supplied them. Loss (read: death) is no respecter of time, place, or situation. And sometimes, a shared holiday tradition will hit us with a sharp reminder of a loss… be it recent, or something you thought was dealt with long ago.

As Christians, we should never trivialize loss. It’s very real. It hurts, and I am sorry for the loss that has brought you here today.

Chris Rice sings a moving song called:

Untitled Hymn (Come to Jesus)

It will touch your heart, and might give you some peace. I’ve attached a beautiful video (with lyrics) of the song that Chris Rice first released in 2003.

The song’s lyrics invite us to go to Jesus in a variety of ways. I find that I have come to Jesus singing… I have fallen on Jesus… I have cried to Jesus… I have danced to Jesus…  and at the end of MY days, I pray that I will fly to Jesus… and live!

How have you come to Jesus? Be mindful that each way YOU come to Jesus is reflected out to a lost and hurting world. The world is seeking answers, reassurance, and salvation… that can only happen when they come to Jesus… and live!

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

2011 Christmas Card

Christmas Eve is fast upon us!

This year, we have 4 Christmas Eve worship services scheduled (3:30, 5:00, 8:00, and 9:30 pm). Christmas Day falls on a Sunday this year, so we will have just one worship service (with Communion) at 10:00 am on Sunday.  If you are in our neighborhood, consider yourself invited. You don’t need to be a member, you don’t need to bring anything, you don’t need anything at all… just come and join us as we give thanks to God for the greatest Christmas gift of all!

I’ve started handing out my Christmas cards to everybody that I can connect with. This year I’m allowing for more time for this, as I’m hobbled a bit by a torn tendon in my left ankle. I usually hand out 500 cards each Christmas, so please be patient with me as I offer you a card… for the fifth or sixth time. I don’t keep a list. As a matter of fact, I will extend my Christmas message to everyone I see during this season… at the market, pumping gas, at work, at the post office… everywhere. This blog allows me to connect with a few other people, too. If you are one of them, here is this year’s Christmas card from me:

Front:

Sweet Christmastime…

Inside:

O Come, O Come…
Sweet Christmastime to Me

By David Alan Hoag – December 1, 2011
(sung to O Come, O Come Emmanuel)

O come, o come… sweet Christmastime to me
I want to see my grandkids trim the tree
I want to walk through bright streets of light
And like a child renew my lost delight.
O come…
O come…
Sweet Christmastime to me
And change my heart to what it ought to be.

O come, o come… sweet Christ child unto Earth
Again renew the promise of your birth
You come to us in meekness, not might
That we might move from darkness to light.
O come…
O come…
Sweet Christ child unto Earth
In me renew the promise of your birth.

According to that most accurate of sources, the Internet, the words to the favorite O Come, O Come Emmanuel carol were originally written in Latin in the 12th Century. The author of the words and composer to the music of O Come, O Come Emmanuel is unknown. It is, however believed that the melody was of French origin and added to the text a hundred years later. The Latin was translated into English by John Mason Neale in 1851. It seems a rather long gestation period for any song, but I suppose they wanted to get it just right! And now, in 2011, I add 2 verses of my own. Enjoy.

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 Hoag

Where’s the Line to See Jesus?

Becky Kelly has recorded a beautiful song that every Christian should hear and reflect upon. Listen to her perform, watch the video, and then read Becky’s story about the song.

About the song (from Becky’s site):

While at the mall a couple of years ago, my then four year old nephew, Spencer, saw kids lined up to see Santa Claus. Having been taught as a toddler that Christmas is the holiday that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, he asked his mom, "where's the line to see Jesus?"

My sister mentioned this to my dad, who immediately became inspired and jotted words down to a song in just a few minutes. After putting music to the words, and doing a quick recording at home, he received a great response from friends. He sent the song off to Nashville without much response, except for a Christian song writer who suggested adding a bridge at the end of the first chorus. My dad then asked if I wanted to record the song to see what we could do with it. I listened to the song, made a few changes to the words to make it flow better, and we headed to Shock City Studios.

It was at the studio where Chris, owner and producer, rewrote the 2nd verse and part of the chorus... with goose bumps and emotions high, we were all hopeful and felt like we had something special. The demo was recorded in just under 2 hours and sent off again to Nashville... still no response.

Then 2 weeks before Christmas last year, my cousins Greg and Robbie decided to do a video to see what we could accomplish on YouTube. The first day we had 3000 hits and it soared from there. We received e-mails, phone calls, Facebook messages from people all over asking for the music, CD's, iTunes, anything... we had nothing'. After a couple of meetings with Chris following the amazing response, we got serious. We headed back into the studio this past spring... this time with guitars, drums, bass, pianos, choirs... the real deal.... and here we are today.

Getting iTunes set up, a website put together, and loving that thousands upon thousands of Christians have come together... remembering the true meaning of Christmas. Out of the mouths of babes come profound truths that many adults cannot understand. Hopefully Spencer's observation will cause people all over to reflect on the love of Jesus, and that one day we will all stand in line to see Him. We are most thankful to our Heavenly Father to have this chance to share our music with you. Merry Christmas everyone!

Jesus IS the reason we celebrate Christmas. Blessings to you this Christmas.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

P.S.: Want to support Christian songwriting and Christian artists? Then buy a couple of copies of Becky Kelly’s CD to give as gifts… and maybe one to enjoy for yourself. Her official site is at:

http://wheresthelinetoseejesus.com/

One final credit: Where's the Line to See Jesus?
Song and Lyrics by Steve Haupt & Chris Loesch.