Archives by: Gary Hoag

There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Luke 2:36-37

“Let not us, then, who are in Christ — that is, always in the lights cease from praying even during night. Thus the widow Anna, without intermission praying and watching, persevered in deserving well of God, as it is written in the Gospel: She departed not, it says, from the temple, serving with fastings and prayers night and day. Let the Gentiles look to this, who are not yet enlightened, or the Jews who have remained in darkness by having forsaken the light. Let us, beloved brethren, who are always in the light of the Lord, who remember and hold fast what by grace received we have begun to be, reckon night for day; let us believe that we always walk in the light, and let us not be hindered by the darkness which we have escaped. Let there be no failure of prayers in the hours of night — no idle and reckless waste of the occasions of prayer. New-created and newborn of the Spirit by the mercy of God, let us imitate what we shall one day be. Since in the kingdom we shall possess day alone, without intervention of night, let us so watch in the night as if in the daylight. Since we are to pray and give thanks to God for ever, let us not cease in this life also to pray and give thanks.”

Cyprian of Carthage in Treatise 4.36 On the Lord’s Prayer.

Fasting at night is not hard. We are sleeping. By day, of course, is another story. Fasting by day simply teaches us that Christ is the only thing that satisfies. That’s what Anna learned by experience.

There are some who argue that the generous person needs to have a “balanced” life. It looks something like this, they “care for yourself” and then “care for others” but that care flows out of their capacity and depends on self rather than God.

Then there are people like Anna who “without intermission” serve in God’s house, day and night. How did she do it? What sustained or fueled her? The text reveals her secret: fasting and prayer.

If you are reading this, I urge you this Lent to stop pursuing a “balanced” life with frequent intermissions. as your ability to care for yourself is insufficient compared to what God can do for you, in you, and through you.

Instead, without intermission, live, give, serve, and love like Anna. In so doing, when you have desires, give them over to God and ask Him to fulfill them whilst simultaneously fueling you to bless others. See what happens.

You might emerge as a modern day Patrick. His life impacted all of Ireland. That’s my hope for Malawi. Today the national workers we have served will train about 60-70 trainers to spread the generosity curriculum in 28 districts.

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One… Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth… Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. 1 John 2:1, 3:18, 5:21

“And now, my children, hearken unto me and beware of the spirit of deceit and envy. For envy ruleth over the whole mind of a man, and suffereth him neither to eat nor to drink, nor to do any good thing. But it ever suggesteth (to him) to destroy him that he envieth; and so long as he that is envied flourisheth, he that envieth fadeth away. Two years therefore I afflicted my soul with fasting in the fear of the Lord, and I learnt that deliverance from envy cometh by the fear of God. For if a man flee to the Lord, the evil spirit runneth away from him, and his mind is lightened. And henceforward he sympathiseth with him whom he envied and forgiveth those who are hostile to him, and so ceaseth from his envy.”

The Testament of Simeon 3:1-6 in The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs. From The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament by R. H. Charles, vol. II, Oxford Press.

It’s been rewarding to participate in creating a generosity curriculum for the Sunday School programs of Malawi. Each of 12 lessons had a memory verse. One verse we used, above, was 1 John 3:18, about loving with actions and truth. It prompted me to read other “children” verses and to go to the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs.

In The Testament of Simeon, he warns children about deceit and envy. This is a good lesson for adults who want to be generous. Why? Wealth is deceitful according to Jesus and it leads us to desire the wrong things which is envy. What’s the way out of its power? It’s fasting in the fear of the Lord! It’s setting aside your desires and desiring God over all.

Today in Malawi we focus on the parallel idea of accountability that must accompany generosity. If you have not been tracking with us, GTP is rolling out a program called Palmful of Maize for Malawi, inspired by Handful of Rice from India, in partnership with STUM and GenerousChurch.

We created a 16 lesson generosity curriculum for the Sunday School programs of Malawi that will run from 24 April to 7 August 2022 all across Malawi. Now we are working with the national team that will facilitate like Levites the work of training people to give maize so that it can be converted to resources for mission and mercy efforts.

God help us stand on the foundation of the AfCAA standards which exhibit fear of God. God help us set aside our desires and understand your heart for mobilizing the next generation to be generous with what they have. In your mercy hear our prayer in the matchless name of Jesus. Amen.

During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul. Acts 11:27-30

“It is interesting also to compare the custom of the early Christians in the matter of fasting, that they might relieve by their self-denial the necessities of the poor. This is precisely what we find described so fully in the Similitudes of Hermas (Sim. v. 3), where the directions are given that on the day when we fast we are ourselves to eat only bread and water, and calculate the amount saved thereby and bestow it on the poor. Now very many of the later fathers teach the same doctrine, that fasting and alms are conjoined in duty and merit, and that it is proper, under certain circumstances, for the church to call for such an expression of religion. But what makes for the antiquity of the apology is that the whole church fasts, not merely one day, but two or three days, and that not by direction or rule, but because they are poor and have no other way of meeting the needs of those who are poorer than themselves. It is a spontaneous, rather than a commanded charity, dictated at once by love and necessity.”

J. Rendel Harris in the introduction to “The Apology of Aristides on Behalf of the Christians” which he wrote in A.D. 125 to Roman Emperor Hadrian, who reigned from A.D. 117-138 about the Christians (Cambridge University Press, 1893) 15.

What I am seeing in the people of Malawi seems to echo what Aristides reported of the early church. They were poor but they practiced self-denial out of love and necessity for those who were more poor.

It’s a powerful witness.

Our GTP team in partnership with GenerousChurch been working with four influential workers of STUM (Sunday School Teachers United Movement) to create the generosity curriculum for use in churches across Malawi.

So far so good. We work to finish a draft today so it can be translated tomorrow.

Appreciate your prayers for us.

And like the Christians in the early church, as you are able, can you help GTP finish the Trust Fund campaign which ends today. We are so close! We are at $9,710 toward the goal of $10,000. Only $290 to go today.

Click here to learn more about the GTP Trust Fund which will support projects like the work we are doing in Malawi. Thanks in advance for your help. Please give as you are able out of love and necessity.

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. Acts 2:32-35

“As the early Christians faced the world, they saw immense spiritual and physical poverty all around them. Rather than acting as individual givers, they came together and sought collective impact with their giving.

Could one giver have administered the daily distribution of food to widows? No. But, acting in unison, many believers accomplished this task together. The loving community they formed – feeding the hungry, welcoming children, and worshipping in joyful unity – allowed the early Jesus communities to spread.

In this milieu of collaborative giving and spiritual devotion, Barnabas took a bold leap of faith into generosity. This initial step in his discipleship journey would propel him forward, as he became a partner to Paul and one of the most critical leaders in the early days of the missionary expansion of the Church.

Giving generously, in community with other believers can facilitate leveraged impact for God’s kingdom. And it might just propel you into a new calling you never anticipated, like it did Barnabas.”

John Cortines in “4 relatable lessons on giving from the early church” article by NCF on 2 March 2022.

This is a good little article about giving in Acts. It’s fitting for us during Lent because we are journeying together to grow in this grace. When we join forces in giving we are certainly better together.

Collaborative giving moves us toward common kingdom objectives. When we work together, needs are eliminated, problems are solved, and God gets the glory before a watching world.

That’s the ultimate objective of our efforts in Malawi. Today it was estimated that the contextualized generosity curriculum and Palmful of Maize will touch upwards of 500,000 children in 1,000+ churches this year.

That’s collaborative giving among the poor so that there is no needy person among them and so that mission is fueled by local giving. So beautiful! So encouraging! To God be the glory.

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 2 Peter 1:5-7

“A mild man, observing the folly and the error and the unrighteousness of men, yearns for God and prays to Him with inward trust, that He may cause His divine gifts to flow, and may nurture His mildness in all men, till they acknowledge Him and turn themselves to the truth. This mild man also observes with compassion the bodily needs of all men: he serves them, he gives to them, he lends, he comforts each man according to his needs, according to his own ability and to discretion…

By means of knowledge a man shall purge his conscience of all faults, and adorn it with all virtues: and with moderation a man shall give and take, shall do and let alone, be silent and speak, fast and eat, hear and answer, and act in all things according to knowledge and discretion, clad in a moral virtue which is called temperance or moderation.”

Jan van Ruysbroek (1293-1381) in The Spiritual Espousals (London: Faber and Faber, 1952) 70, 76.

As we journey through Lent with fasting and feasting, we realize that it’s a journey of observing our error and unrighteousness and adorning ourselves with virtues for a purpose. God forms us into “mild” people who meet the needs of others.

Notice that prayer is a place of inward trust that births temperance and moderation in us. This propels a “mild” person to outward service that is measured according to needs and according to one’s ability. Do you give accordingly? Let me explain.

To give according to needs is to discern them. To give according to your means is to put to work what you have. You serve, give, lend, and comfort holding nothing back. The capacity to do this flows from temperance and moderation.

This is the aim of Palmful of Maize project in Malawi: to teach a generation of children in every Sunday School class in the country that God blesses us with divine gifts to enjoy and share according to our ability with those around us.

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. Jeremiah 18:1-6

“The work of God is fashioning man.” Shaping the creature, whom He formed out of the mud of this earth with His own hands, into His own image and likeness, and so bringing him to share ever more fully in His own life…“The business of the Christian is nothing else but to be ever preparing for death.”

Irenaeus of Lyons in Against Heresies 5:15:2 and commentary by John Behr in On the Apostolic Preaching (Crestwood: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1997) 104.

If God has given you apostolic work to do, the Apostolic Fathers can provide rich inspiration.

Today’s Scripture from Jeremiah reminds us that God can make broken people into useful vessels. Irenaeus describe it similarly that God’s work is fashioning us. Our work is preparing for life eternal with Him.

We do that by fulfilling the calling He has for us: to do good works which he prepared in advance for us to do. As our team has convened from around the world in Malawi, this idea inspires me.

And the word “mud” struck me in reading Irenaeus. God made us from mud. Many things in Malawi are fashioned from mud. Each one is fashioned for a purpose. That’s the same for us. God made us for a purpose.

It’s a bold vision to create a contextualize generosity curriculum for every Sunday School class in Malawi. Therein we will remind each child the purpose God made them: to love God and love others generously.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide us as we work together with influential national workers. And lift yourself up to the Lord asking Him what you need to do to prepare for your death, which is experiencing life eternal.

At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. Acts 10:1-2

“Let thy outer man and thy inner man fear God wholly, for God observeth thee always, and His eyes are ten thousand times brighter than the sun, and. the walls and roof of thy house cannot screen thee from Him. It is easier to sin in thought than in deed, and to guard against this facility for sin, a man must possess the fear of God which must be swifter than the motion of his thoughts. The fear of God may be called the “guard-house of virtues”, for it giveth alms, it quencheth lust, it purifieth the thoughts, it driveth what is hateful from the mind, and it is a shield against all abominable things. Fear is also a schoolmaster to remind a man of what he hath received.”

Philoxenus of Mabbug (440-523) in the Discourses of Philoxenus of Mabbug, from the sixth and seventh discourse on the fear of God.

To fear God and keep His commandments charts the way to life.

It also inspires us toward generous giving to the poor because it reminds us who we are in light of who God is. Cornelius understood this. He was a man under authority, a soldier who knew his place. He pointed his family to fear God, pray, and care for those in need.

The reality is that many children were not taught from this “schoolmaster” which is the “guard-house of virtues.”

This line of thinking points to why GTP is working in Malawi. We are catalyzing a project with national workers from STUM (Sunday School Teachers United Movement) in partnership with Generous Church called Palmful of Maize, inspired by the Handful of Rice story from Northeast India.

In India the effort was driven by women. In Malawi, we plan to do it with teachers and children.

We will create a contextualized generosity curriculum, map out collection processes consistent with AfCAA standards, and to launch the project nationwide. In the words of John Msowoya of STUM, it is “to grow generosity and spread the joy of giving as a reflection of true Christianity in Malawi.”

Our target audience is children in every Sunday School class in the country to impact communities.

I shot the new header photo on my first trip to Malawi back in December 2021. Back then they were planting maize. I am hoping to see green in the fields and praying for God’s workers across the country to join in the effort. In the end, we pray the work teaches the whole country the fear of God.

Give us today our daily bread. Matthew 6:11

“But how gracefully has the Divine Wisdom arranged the order of the prayer; so that after things heavenly, that is, after the “Name” of God, the “Will” of God, and the “Kingdom” of God–it should give earthly necessities also room for a petition! For the Lord had withal issued His edict, “Seek ye first the kingdom, and then even these shall be added:” albeit we may rather understand, “Give us this day our daily bread,” spiritually.

For Christ is our Bread; because Christ is Life, and bread is life. “I am,” saith He, “the Bread of Life;”and, a little above, “The Bread is the Word of the living God, who came down from the heavens.” Then we find, too, that His body is reckoned in bread: “This is my body.” And so, in petitioning for “daily bread,” we ask for perpetuity in Christ, and indivisibility from His body.

But, because that word is admissible in a carnal sense too, it cannot be so used without the religious remembrance withal of spiritual discipline; for (the Lord) commands that bread be prayed for, which is the only food necessary for believers; for “all other things the nations seek after.” The like lesson He both inculcates by examples, and repeatedly handles in parables, when He says, “Doth a father take away bread from his children, and hand it to dogs?” and again, “Doth a father give his son a stone when he asks for bread?”

For He thus shows what it is that sons expect from their father. Nay, even that nocturnal knocker knocked for “bread.” Moreover, He justly added, “Give us this day,” seeing He had previously said, “Take no careful thought about the morrow, what ye are to eat.” To which subject He also adapted the parable of the man who pondered on an enlargement of his barns for his forthcoming fruits, and on seasons of prolonged security; but that very night he dies.”

Tertullian of Carthage (155-220) in On Prayer chapter 6.

My focus on prayer this Lent links to maintaining a posture of complete dependence on God to live, give, serve, and love generously. In exploring Tertullian on the prayer, he took me to the heart of the Lord’s prayer: “Give us today our daily bread.”

This reminded me that my perpetuity is rooted in Christ. He beckons me to “take no careful thought about the morrow” but trust Him to sort what I need. It’s harder some days than others. Do you trust Him to sort what you need or do you stockpile for yourself? He Himself says that’s foolish!

Today, I am flying to Frankfurt, Germany, en route to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Lilongwe, Malawi. I won’t get to Malawi until Saturday. It’s a long journey. I’ll tell you more in the days ahead about the program work. In the meantime, I want to sit in a place of dependence on God for safe travel and good health to position me for generous service.

What about you? Are you in a place of complete dependence on God? How do you know? 

Long ago a bishop from Florida taught me that a person trusts whatever he or she am holds on to. He added a comment that sounded like Tertullian: to expect whatever the object I trust can deliver. If I trust money, it will let me down. When we trust in Christ, He will never let me down.

Father in heaven, give me today my daily bread. Thanks for your faithfulness to care for me. Amen.

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. Luke 4:1-2

“He whose heart was habitually found lifted up rather than fattened up, who in forty days and as many nights maintained a fast above the power of human nature, while spiritual faith ministered strength (to his body), both saw with His eyes God’s glory, and heard with His ears God’s voice, and understood with His heart God’s law: while He taught Him even then (by experience) that man liveth not upon bread alone.”

Tertullian of Carthage (155-220) in On Fasting chapter 6.

Jesus is the perfect example of fasting for us. He showed us that people do not live on food alone. We are fed by every word that comes from God.

Fasting for 40 days was the Spirit’s plan for Him.

In Lent we follow His example. Every person must learn by experience to say “no” to that which cannot satisfy. We learn this during Lent. We discover that God sustains us.

This practice also positions us for greater generosity.

My good friend, John Stanley, often reminds me that we need to create “margin” in our lives for living, giving, serving and loving like Jesus.

Do you need margin in your life?

Fast like Jesus for 40 days (Lent). You will see God in high definition, ear Him in surround sound, and learn by experience that He will fed you what you need.

I want to shout out a happy birthday today to my son, Samuel David.

Sammy, I see you are “habitually found lifted up rather than fattened up” like Jesus. Stay the course. You will always be well fed. I love you!

Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. Luke 12:33

“But you also oppose Scripture, seeing it expressly cries “Seek first the kingdom of heaven, and all these things shall be added unto you.” But if all things have been conferred on you, and all things allowed you, and “if all things are lawful, yet all things are not expedient,” says the apostle. God brought our race into communion by first imparting what was His own, when He gave His own Word, common to all, and made all things for all.

All things therefore are common, and not for the rich to appropriate an undue share. That expression, therefore, “I possess, and possess in abundance: why then should I not enjoy?” is suitable neither to the man, nor to society. But more worthy of love is that: “I have: why should I not give to those who need?” For such an one–one who fulfils the command, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”–is perfect. For this is the true luxury–the treasured wealth.

But that which is squandered on foolish lusts is to be reckoned waste, not expenditure. For God has given to us, I know well, the liberty of use, but only so far as necessary; and He has determined that the use should be common. And it is monstrous for one to live in luxury, while many are in want. How much more glorious is it to do good to many, than to live sumptuously! How much wiser to spend money on human being, than on jewels and gold! How much more useful to acquire decorous friends, than lifeless ornaments!

Whom have lands ever benefited so much as conferring favours has? It remains for us, therefore, to do away with this allegation: Who, then, will have the more sumptuous things, if all select the simpler? Men, I would say, if they make use of them impartially and indifferently. But if it be impossible for all to exercise self-restraint, yet, with a view to the use of what is necessary, we must seek after what can be most readily procured, bidding a long farewell to these superfluities.”

Clement of Alexandria in Paedagogus or The Instructor, Book II, Chapter XIII–Against Excessive Fondness for Jewels and Gold Ornaments (Roberts-Donaldson Translation).

Today’s Scripture reminds us that Jesus desires that we handle money in radically different ways than the world beckons us to use it. Then Clement urges us to bid a long farewell to luxuries, to value people over possessions, and to exercise self-restraint instead.

Will we?

We need not hoard an undue share of God’s provision. This is what Lent is all about. It’s a time when we can grow in our care for those in need rather than remain callused and captivated by things. We learn to exchange the sumptuous for the simple.

Will we?

I am praying for revival among God’s people everywhere this Lent. Teach us, Lord to bid a long farewell to superfluities and be found good and faithful stewards. Amen.