Archives by: Gary Hoag

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1

“It is not the honor that you take with you, but the heritage you leave behind.”

Branch Rickey in Rickey and Robinson: The Men Who Broke Baseball’s Color Barrier (New York: Taylor Trade, 1982) 58.

Thanks for the prayers for me as I officiated Dan Busby’s online memorial service yesterday from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. It was an unforgettable experience and a recording will be available in the coming days.

In my last conversation with Dan, I let him know that his earthly ministry was drawing to a close. But soon he’d be more alive than ever. I added that he would join the cloud of great cloud of witnesses and simply asked that as a good baseball fan, he would cheer me on. His reply, “With you!”

Branch Rickey believed in a ball player named Jackie Robinson. Dan Busby believed in me. It was a generous gift. Who might you believe in? Your words can give them confidence to run the race marked for them. Your encouragement can make all the difference. It can help the persevere in times of trial.

Rickey and Robinson left behind a heritage that would change sports and change the world. Each of us can have the same impact. Dan Busby gave his life to helping churches and ministries follow standards in the USA and planted seeds for the global movement.

He planted those in me. I am his heritage. Will I let it stop with me or will I plant seeds in the lives of people all over the world? Each of us has people whose lives we can touch for eternity. Let’s generously sow in them. Intentional effort in this area is work but can multiply our impact.

We also learn in Psalm 127:3 that “children are a heritage from the LORD.” That means everyone who has children can leave a heritage that has impact far beyond our own lives. I’m growing convinced that this is one of our greatest areas of generosity.

The greatest among you will be your servant. Matthew 23:11

“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”

Jackie Robinson (1919-1972) in the words etched on his tombstone.

In case you missed my announcement yesterday, when a Hall of Fame caliber guy like Dan Busby asks you to lead his online memorial service, and you’ve been to the Hall with him, and he even got you a lifetime pass, you make a call!

Tom Shieber, the Senior Curator of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum who met Dan on many occasions when Dan used the Hall to do research for writing multiple baseball books, responded to my message immediately. He’s eager to co-host with me.

Tom will read these words as Dan’s life was great because he served others so generously. What impact is your life having on others? What changes might you need to make to increase your impact?

Click here to register. It’s today at 2pm ET on Friday 21 October 2022. All who register will get access to the recording, but I hope you can join live. Also, listen to Dan’s July 2022 GTP podcast here. And, read the ECFA announcement here.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. Hebrews 11:1-2

“I, a pilgrim of eternity, stand before Thee, O eternal One. Let me not seek to deaden or destroy the desire for Thee that disturbs my heart. Let me rather yield myself to its constraint and go where it leads me. Make me wise to see all things today under the form of eternity, and make me brave to face all the changes in my life which such a vision may entail: through the grace of Christ my Saviour. Amen.”

John Baillie (1886-1960) in A Diary of Private Prayer (New York: Scribner, 1952).

I made it safely back to the United States from Africa. But I am far from my Denver home. I ended my trip at Newark airport, rented a car, and drove to Cooperstown, NY.

It’s the location of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, and the location from which I will host the memorial service for Dan Busby tomorrow.

Why the Hall? Dan asked his three friends, John Pearson, Steve McVey, and me, to officiate an online, one hour, no-nonsense service that would glorify God.

John Pearson will read these words. I thought they were fitting to share here as I am just a fellow pilgrim who seeks to yield myself in generous service like that of Dan Busby.

So, when a Hall of Fame caliber guy like Dan asks you to lead his memorial service, and you’ve been to the Hall with him, and he even got you a lifetime pass, you make a call.

Tom Shieber, the senior curator who met Dan on many occasions when Dan used the Hall to do research for writing multiple baseball books, responded to my message.

Thankfully, he remembered meeting me in 2018. He jumped to arrange the broadcast from the Theatre at the Hall. Click here to register. It’s at 2pm on Friday 21 October 2022.

All those who register will get access to the recording, but I hope you can join live. Also, listen to Dan’s July 2022 GTP podcast here. And, read the ECFA announcement here.

Dan Busby is standing before God because of his deep faith in Jesus. Dan went where God led him, and was made wise and brave to finish his course.

May God give us all the grace to do likewise.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

“. . . let us hold fast to love of him, hating and rightly turning away from the devil. For as our benefactor is loved and cherished in proportion to his benefactions, so the wicked one should be hated and rejected for his ways in equal proportion. For he is the destroyer of our life. In the words of the Master, he is a murderer from the beginning. He is the one who has divided our race into ten thousand opinions, wounding it with many darts of sin and seeking to swallow down the inhabited world. If we do not hate him, there will be no escaping the punishment that will be meted out to us, because we joined to our foe and murderer. But, my brothers, let us fly from him! Let us fly most certainly. What is flight? The avoidance of wicked actions and thoughts, and also affinity with God, the assumption of good works.”

Theodore the Studite (759-826) in Saints’ Quotes: Holy Quotations for Purification of the Soul, Collection of Prayers.

Theodore offers us a fresh perspective on how we can flee from the devil. We draw near to God and do good works.

Think about it. When we walk close with God and do the works He prepared in advance for us to do, we can rest in His care. It won’t mean we will not have troubles.

Most assuredly we will have troubles. But we can be of good cheer, because our victorious Lord has overcome the world.

So, the lesson for me today as I start my travel home is this. Urge everyone I know to draw near to God and to do the good works that He prepared for them.

In Malawi, we have urged the people to turn dependency into discipleship emphasizing “Give God What You Have!”

It’s working. In case you missed it yesterday, read this update from Malawi (click here to read the trip report). Notice, even the government officials and the news media proclaims acknowledge how God is at work (click here to view a two minute video).

And join the movement by making a gift to GTP. Part of doing good works links to service and it also relates to our giving.

Draw near to God with me. Pray with me for $80,000 right away to deploy staff to spread the vision of Palmful of Maize to 16 more districts. Thank you.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. 1 John 3:1

“See, My daughter, whether thou canst find a father whose love for his only son has prompted him to take care of him or to show him such tender proofs of his love as I have given and will yet give thee of Mine; for from thy earliest years My love has borne kindly with thee, and has trained and formed thee after My own Heart, awaiting thee patiently without growing weary of all thy resistance. Know, therefore, that if ever thou shouldst forget the gratitude thou owest Me and shouldst not refer the glory of everything to Me, thou wouldst thereby, as regards thyself, dry up this inexhaustible source of all good.”

The Lord to Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) in Saints’ Quotes: Holy Quotations for Purification of the Soul, Collection on Gratitude.

It’s a powerful idea that when we forget gratitude and fail to give God glory for everything, with regard to ourselves, we dry up the “inexhaustible source of all good.”

It makes perfect sense. We serve a God who inhabits the praises of His people. While He is always with us, He draws near to those who praise Him, rely on Him, who rest in His love.

But not everyone acknowledges this. I am not immune to thanklessness. It happens when circumstances get rough. When God seems silent. All the while He remains patient despite our resistance.

So, the lesson for me today as I prepare to leave Africa is clear. If I want God to continue to draw near and supply the needs of GTP’s work in remote places, I must praise Him with gratitude and give Him all the glory for what He has done here.

I praise God for all He did in Malawi, pictured above (click here to read the trip report). Even the government officials and news media proclaims acknowledges how God is at work (click here to view a two minute video).

And I invite the world to join the movement by making a gift to GTP. We are praying for $80,000 right away to deploy staff to spread the vision of Palmful of Maize to 16 more districts. Pray with me for this. Thanks.

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:2

“Since then the only-begotten Son of God has been sent from the Father as propitiation for the world, may we, the blind, see again, we captives be freed, we oppressed be forgiven. Who is blind? One short-sighted through attachment to the passions. Who is captive? One led away by unseemly thoughts. Who is oppressed? One broken by sins. The Lord heals them; for He is a physician of souls as well as bodies… Let no one then remain unenlightened and unhealed, but let them draw near with faith and they will receive blessing from the Lord and mercy from God their Savior.”

Theodore the Studite (759-826) in Saints’ Quotes: Holy Quotations for Purification of the Soul, Collection on Attachment.

My prayer today for everyone reading this is enlightenment and healing.

Jesus Christ not only served as the propitiation, the atoning sacrifice for our sins, He helps the blind see, sets the captives free, and forgives the sins of the oppressed.

This generous blessing and mercy is for everyone who draws near to God.

The reality is that many people have experienced the propitiation but they are still slaves to their passions. Christ is their atoning sacrifice, but they remain blind, captive, and/or oppressed.

Disordered attachments enslave and limit our generosity.

This comes into view as attachments to things like money or other possessions, slavery to addictions or debt that limit our present and future impact, and other sins that so easily beset us. All of us, me included.

So we must be free and healthy to help others. To experience this we take steps toward God.

Theodore would suggest that when we draw near to God in faith, so we experience enlightenment and healing to live in light of the freedom and forgiveness we have in Jesus.

If that sounds too complicated, just ask God what you need to detach or find freedom from to grow in generosity.

At the Global Gathering for GTP we replicated a training called Stations of Generosity which I pray spreads around the world through enlightened and healed people.

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14:12-14

“I see that the sweet God is so solicitous for the welfare of the soul, that no human being could have a like anxiety to gain the whole world even if he were certain to obtain it by his efforts; when behold the love he displays in providing us with all possible aids to lead us into heaven, I am, as it were, forced to say that this sweet Master appears as if he were our servant. If man could see the care which God takes of a soul, nothing more would be necessary to amaze and confound him than to consider that this glorious God, in whom all things have their being, should have so great a Providence over his creatures; yet we, to whom it is a matter either of salvation or damnation, hold it in light esteem.”

Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510) in Saints’ Quotes: Holy Quotations for Purification of the Soul, Collection on Providence.

Today’s biblical text are the verses that Simon Rattray of Project 114 spoke over the staff in our commissioning service on Friday night. They have been in my heart since. Then early this morning I read this post by Catherine of Genoa.

I realized afresh that God cares more about my needs than I do. He is more solicitous about the Palmful of Maize vision spreading across Malawi than I am. He loves GTP more than I could ever dream. So I rest in His care today.

This is significant for me because the costs of convening and deploying everyone have risen. So rather than fear, because I have been amazed and confounded by His sweet Providence which fuels our generous service, I trust Him to supply.

Join me in this. Pause today to reflect on the goodness of our sweet God. May the reality of His attentive care amaze and confound you and root out all fear and deepen your faith to live, give, serve, and love generously.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

“The key to the missionary’s work is the authority of Jesus Christ, not the needs of the lost. We are inclined to look on our Lord as one who assists us in our endeavors for God. Yet our Lord places Himself as the absolute sovereign and supreme Lord over His disciples. He does not say that the lost will never be saved if we don’t go — He simply says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” He says, “Go on the basis of the revealed truth of My sovereignty, teaching and preaching out of your living experience of Me…Go therefore…” To “go” simply means to live. Acts 1:8 is the description of how to go. Jesus did not say in this verse, “Go into Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria,” but, “…you shall be witnesses to Me in [all these places].” He takes upon Himself the work of sending us.”

Oswald Chambers “The Key to Missionary Work” in My Utmost for His Highest on 14 October.

The GTP board, staff, regional facilitators, and special guests convened this week. As we go forth from here, I am thankful that my mom sent me this post which serves as a generous reminder.

We go with the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our lives witness to His sovereign and supreme power and authority. As we live in light of it, may we have victory and bless other generously.

The Lord replied, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14

“In all your affairs lean solely on God’s Providence, by means of which alone your plans can succeed. Meanwhile, on your part work on in quiet co-operation with Him, and then rest satisfied that if you have trusted entirely to Him you will always obtain such a measure of success as is most profitable for you, whether it seems so or not to your own individual judgment.”

Francis de Sales (1567-1622) in Saints’ Quotes: Holy Quotations for Purification of the Soul, Collection on Providence.

God has been with us at the Global Gathering for GTP as 34 people from 20 countries have convened to share testimony of God’s faithfulness, to discern direction, to map plans in co-operation with God.

As the meetings draw to a close today, we will rest satisfied knowing that we understand our role and we can trust God to do His part. The same is true for you. May God’s presence be with you today and give you rest.

What a generous God we serve! He calls us to give our lives generously and simultaneously restores us for service through fellowship, co-operation, and rest. And only in Him can we rest satisfied.

If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Matthew 6:30

“I have never worried about our temporal affairs, and I have seen by experience that God has always provided for us. When we were two, providence provided enough for two; for four when we were four; and when our number increased the needs of all were supplied, thus verifying the divine promise. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matt. 6:33) “Be not solicitous for your life, what you shall eat, nor for your body, what you shall put on.” (Matt. 6:25).”

Paul of the Cross (1694-1775) in Saints’ Quotes: Holy Quotations for Purification of the Soul, Collection on Gratitude.

I really needed to hear this for GTP as we are growing. And I even had to look up the word “solicitous” because I wanted to understand the nuance. It’s basically concerned to the point of anxiousness. I am tempted to fear often.

Seriously, we went from 5-10 staff members in the last 6 months. Four of the positions were directly funded by grants but we still have some significant unmet financial needs. Should I worry? Not for a minute.

I reminding myself to pray and to invite people to participate with GTP in God’s work. For an example of the impact, check out the national news story about Palmful of Maize in Malawi.

At GTP, our efforts are breaking the dependency syndrome, as the Malawi government minister described it, and we are building generous disciples of Jesus Christ in the process. Please join in this work by giving here.