Archives by: Gary Hoag

And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 Corinthians 8:1

“The exegetical analysis of 2 Corinthians 8-9 has pointed out that Paul uses the concept of χάρις [grace] in its various meanings to stimulate the Corinthians to resume their collection for Jerusalem. The Macedonians’ enthusiastic contribution to the collection is seen as the result of God’s χάρις (8:1), and as an example to be emulated by the Corinthians (8:8).

From the Macedonians’ amazing example, Paul passes to the self-impoverishment of Jesus Christ, depicted also as χάρις, a generous act for the benefit of the Corinthians (8:9). The collection itself is called χάρις in the sense of a generous undertaking (8:6, 7, 19), a generous gift (9:5) while participation in it is seen as χάρις, a privilege (8:4). Moreover, reference is made to God’s bestowing πᾶσαν χάριν (9:8) in the sense of material and spiritual resources to cheerful givers.

Therefore, serving the poor through the collection is an expression of God’s χάρις in the life of the believer (9:14); it is an aspect of righteousness on the part of the latter (9:10). The Jerusalem Christians will hopefully reciprocate this χάρις, gratitude by means of thanksgivings addressed to God and intercessory prayers for the Corinthians. Similarly, Paul, who expressed χάρις to God for Titus’ work among the Corinthians (8:16), invites the Corinthians and other Achaean churches to join him in worship to God for His all surpassing gift of salvation (9:15).”

Viateur Habarurema in Christian Generosity according to 2 Corinthians 8-9: It’s Exegesis, Reception, and Interpretation Today in Dialogue with the Prosperity Gospel in Sub-Saharan Africa (Carlisle, UK: Langham Monographs, 2017) 168-169.

Recently I was exploring responses to prosperity gospel from voices from the Lausanne Movement. Special thanks to Kevin VandenBrink, a Daily Meditation reader, who alerted me to this recently published dissertation. It just came in the mail, and I am enjoying it very much. I will make a few posts from it.

Today’s reading comes from the conclusion of his exploration of 2 Corinthians 8-9. Take time to read it in one sitting. Pause everytime you see the word χάρις or grace. Habarurema challenges us to see how it functions to help the Corinthians (and us) discover that all giving is a grace flowing from the gift of salvation to us.

This is not insignificant in the ancient world or to us in modern times. Giving is a grace. The work of Jesus for us is a grace. Our response or participation is a grace. Helping those in need is a grace. Being refilled for rich generosity is a grace. This runs counter to most modern and ancient thinking.

In the first century and today, giving is often motivated by law rather than love, measured by merit more than mercy, and shows favoritism instead of fairness. As a result, many give grudgingly or out of obligation rather than making the most of every opportunity. Only when do we grasp grace does all this change for the good.

Speaking of change, that’s the impact AfCAA is having in Africa: replacing systems of corruption with standards of accountability. And they need our help rooted in grace, even as the Jerusalem church needed aid from the Corinthians. The $5,000 USD matching gift has 3 days left. It’s at $3,152 from 30 givers. Click here to give and join this movement of grace.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Philippians 2:5-8

“I am thinking of John Woolman, an eighteenth-century American Quaker who had a successful retail business and gave it up because he felt it kept him from clearly seeing something that disturbed him: slavery. He came to see how money stood in the way of clear perception of injustice: people who had a lot of property and land needed slaves to maintain them (or so these folks reasoned).

He saw the same problem with his own reasoning. . . whenever he looked at an injustice in the world he always saw it through his own eye, his own situation and benefit. . . . Once he reduced his own level of prosperity, he could see the clear links between riches and oppression. He wrote: “Every degree of luxury has some connection with evil.” Reduction of his lifestyle gave him insight into the difference between “needs” and “wants,” something our insatiable consumer culture has made it almost impossible to recognize. . . .

To empty the self is not an act of denial, but of fulfillment, for it creates space for God to fill one’s being. We are satisfied by nothing less than God; our deepest desire is to be one with God, even as Jesus was. Made in the image of God, our destiny is to become one with God, so that we too can say, not my will but God’s be done. This is not a loss, but again, the greatest gain.

John Woolman as quoted by Richard Rohr in “Curbing our Appetites” blog post by the Center for Action and Contemplation dated 24 September 2021.

I gave remarks at a memorial service yesterday. A long time friend had passed away and gone to be with Jesus. Afterwards I was in the lobby of the church talking to someone I had not seen in years. We talked about the freedom of simplifying as we journey toward our eternal home.

I knew that whatever we own, owns us, and leads to slavery. But I never thought about traveling light through life as a pathway to fulfillment until I read this post. It’s spot on.

Of course, the Apostle Paul said it to the Philippians. When we make ourselves nothing, we position ourselves to receive from God that which satisfies. And when we share this it is rich act of generosity because it offers others the fulfillment we are all looking for.

Then Jesus said to His host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Luke 14:12-14

“I’d like to contrast two economies or worldviews. The first economy is capitalism, which is based on quid pro quo, reward and punishment, and justice as retribution. This much product requires this much payment. It soon becomes the framework for our fundamental relationships, our basic self-image, and actions (“I deserve”; “You owe me”; “I will be generous if it helps me, too”), and constructs a faulty foundation for our relationship with the Divine.

We’ve got to admit that this system of exchange seems reasonable to almost everybody today. If we’re honest, it makes sense to us, too, and seems fair. I’m not going to say it’s wrong—it does much good. The only trouble is, Jesus doesn’t believe it at all, and he’s supposed to be our spiritual teacher.

Let’s contrast this “meritocracy,” the punishment/reward economy of basic capitalism, with what Jesus presents. I’m going to call it a gift economy. In a gift economy, there is no equivalence between what we give and how much we get. We don’t really like this model, because we feel we’ve worked hard to get to our rightful social positions. We feel we have earned our rights.

Yet if we call ourselves Christians, we have to deal with the actual gospel. The only way we can make the great turnaround and understand this is if we’ve had at least one experience of being given to without earning. It’s called forgiveness, unconditional love, and mercy. If we’ve never received unearned, undeserved love, we will stay in the capitalist worldview where 2 + 2 = 4. I put in my 2, I get my 2 back.

But we remain very unsure, if not angry, about anything “free,” whether it is free health care (physical, mental, or spiritual) or even free education. These benefits can be seen as natural human rights that sustain peoples’ humanity and dignity, as papal social encyclicals make clear. All too often, though, we only want people in our own group to benefit from health care, education, and bailouts.

We don’t “deserve” anything, anything! It’s all a gift. Until we have begun to live in the kingdom of God, instead of the kingdoms of this world, we will think exactly like the world. To understand the gospel in its radical, transformative power, we have to stop counting, measuring, and weighing. We have to stop saying “I deserve” and deciding who does not deserve. None of us deserves! This daily conversion is hard to do unless we’ve experienced infinite mercy and realized that it’s all a gift—all the time.”

Richard Rohr in “It’s All A Gift” blog post by the Center for Action and Contemplation dated 23 September 2021.

Special thanks to two Daily Meditations readers, Arnie Adkison and Michael Cherenkov who separately alerted me to Rohr’s recent posts on money. They are rich. Find them here. And though this post was long, I want to make a few pointed statements in response.

My doctoral research on 1 Timothy revealed that Paul wanted Timothy to remain in Ephesus to teach people to live according to God’s economy rather than adopt to the local mindset on money. As Ephesus was the financial capital of the ancient world, it’s no wonder that his letter would include a command for Timothy to tell the rich enjoy and share God’s blessings in order to take hold of life. It was precisely the opposite of the local, worldly thinking.

Only when we live in light of the fact that everything is a gift are we released us from the trappings of merit and set free to show mercy. Only when we realize we deserve nothing can we generously enjoy and share everything.

While capitalism appears to have done a lot of good, buyer beware. The greatest danger to the radical gospel may not be the obvious enemies but rather its close counterfeit. By definition, capital or money is the god served by that structure, and Jesus warned we could not serve God and money, though we might try. The former fosters greed and the latter champions grace, and it positions us to practice distinctly Christian generosity.

If anything that Rohr said (or that I have echoed) has ruffled your feathers, take it to Jesus. And know this, Rohr, Adkison, Cherenkov and I are not trying to rob you in pointing you to these ideas. We want to help you grasp life.

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. Jeremiah 18:1-3

“The potter was working at the wheel. He was working on the pot. The potter controls the wheel, using it to shape the vessel. God uses trials and circumstances to mold and shape us. God is working. Your life will be transformed as you serve Him. He is transforming not only the lives of the Treasures but also the lives of the staff, volunteers, and supporters who serve them on His behalf.

Most of the time, when seeking guidance, we do not look down, we look up. We look up to someone—someone successful, with more experience—to advise us. We look for the best of the best. How surprised would you be to learn that your adviser was a scavenger who works in the garbage dump? In Proverbs 6:6, we learn that guidance can come even from an insect: “Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider its ways and be wise.”

Please do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that you should not try to find the best help you can. I am advising you to open your heart and mind so you can hear God’s voice and be willing to learn from others. I met God in a very unexpected place, and you can too.”

Gladys Acuña Güitz in Hidden Treasure: Finding God in Unexpected Places with Betsy Ahl (Guatemala City: Potter’s House, 2021) 112.

It was my privilege to speak at the Hidden Treasures book launch celebration last night. To view the recording, click here. I hope you take the time to watch it. Why?

If you join me in looking down at the destitute Treasures scavenging in the dump you just might meet Jesus in a powerful way and go away transformed.

Gladys is keen to point out that the ant can be out advisor! But we only learn when we are willing to look down. Are you? Read the book. Will you? I hope so.

My passion for serving the poor has been nurtured over more than a decade by Gladys and her husband Edgar, and I am so grateful. They are not friends to me, they are family!

You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’ Deuteronomy 15:10-11

“The reference is to the poor, afflicted, needy, weak, wretched person who is suffering from oppression and abuse—in general the lowest class in society then and now. My heart was released when I read the rest of the verse. I interpreted it as an exercise in obedience to God and charity to my brothers and sisters who are in need.

In this verses we can learn many lessons about the heart of God for the poor. First, serving the poor is not optional. The fact that there is poverty on the earth is not a judgment on humanity; it is an opportunity to serve and glorify God.

Second, the verse tells us that we should not harden our hearts. We should not keep our hand closed, holding on to our stuff. We should, instead, open that hand with a grateful heart—a heart thankful for what God has given us. And we should be generous in sharing our time, talents, and treasure with our less-fortunate brothers and sisters, helping them overcome their poverty…

Being openhanded will not encourage the poor to depend on us. It is an opportunity to help them recognize our reliance on God, who is our Provider.”

Gladys Acuña Güitz in Hidden Treasure: Finding God in Unexpected Places with Betsy Ahl (Guatemala City: Potter’s House, 2021) 33.

This is a great book, released to help Potter’s House celebrate 35 years of service to the poor in Guatemala City. I commend it to anyone who works with the poor. Find it on Amazon here. I am excited to participate in an online event celebrating the book launch this evening.

Until I visited Gladys in Guatemala, I did not learn that that serving the poor is a great opportunity both to be blessed and to bless. We get to help people who experience far more than financial poverty to rise up out of the trash heap of life and learn to trust God with us.

God’s design and desire in Deuteronomy is that our hearts become soft and compassionate rather than hard and calloused. When we serve those who may be the lowest of low on earth, we realize by experience what our Lord did for us. We minister and are transformed in the process.

When we make margin to serve the needy, God does something through us and also in us. It’s hard to describe. He changes our hearts. He teaches us that He is our Provider. And, I think the reason it is not optional is because when we don’t serve, we remain empty, but when we do, we are enriched.

Thanks for teaching me this Gladys! Learn from her, friends. Read the book! It’s a page-turner.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

“If we wish to become generous givers, then we must know this Scripture [John 3:16] intimately. It reminds us that God does not ask of us anything that he has not first done for us. God is the first generous giver. He has provided the highest model of generosity, and He calls for biblical people to follow.”

Gordon MacDonald in Generosity: Moving Toward Life That Is Truly Life (Alpharetta: National Christian Foundation, 2009) 8.

I fly to Dallas this morning to go to the Missio Nexus Mission Leaders Conference. I will speak and listen to great role models in Christian missions. It’s enriching to learn from seasoned brothers as sisters, isn’t it? But we must remind ourselves that the highest model is our Lord Jesus Christ. Why?

What we tend to do as humans is compare ourselves to others. We even pick the people we want to compare ourselves to, and in so doing, we rationalize that we are doing great in areas like generosity. But if we look at the highest model, who sacrificed everything out of love, we are inspired to grow.

To avoid the damaging effects of pride, to stay on the path of growing in the grace of giving, and to excel in generosity, let’s keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. When we do this, we get the right model and then when we follow, we only figure it out as we live it out that generosity is an invitation to life.

Shout out to my brother, David, in Lake Wales, Florida. Today is his birthday. I’ve always appreciated his example to me as a big brother and role model. He’s not perfect by any means, but he is tenacious in following Jesus. Happy Birthday David! Thanks for being a role model to me.

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:16-18

“The true goal of being generous is not that the church will prosper, the budget will be reached or raised, or that the building will get built. The goal of generosity is not that I will, in the end, be blessed because I have pleased God. The ultimate goal of generosity is transformation of the individual. Does that help you see the connection between giving and being like God? The deeper our transformation the closer we move to being like God in character, in thought, and in action. Transformation is never skin deep or outward; transformation is from the inside out. It begins and grows from the heart, a heart that is becoming more like our Savior.

I recall the story of a young boy from a poor family walking home with a bag of groceries, a meager supply for the large household. It was cold and getting dark as he made his way through the busy streets, and then it happened––the bag tore, the load dropped, and the groceries scattered from one side of the walk to the other. Most busy pedestrians side-stepped the mess, except for one gentleman who had mercy on the boy. He bent down and helped him gather his supplies, clean up what was broken, and restock the grocery bag. As together they finished the task the little one, with tears staining his checks, looked into the face of the older man and asked, “Mister, are you Jesus?”

Dennis Fast in “The Goal of Generosity: Living a Transformed Life” excerpt from Day Seven of Seven Day Generosity Challenge by John Wiebe and the MB Foundation. Click to download the PDF and go through it.

When we love with “actions and truth” as John writes in today’s Scripture people see the love of God in our actions. We look “like God.” They experience God through our interaction with them. Few short stories illustrate this better than the poor young boy who drops his bag of groceries.

Notice the counter-cultural nature of the aid the man. When everyone else side-stepped the mess, he stopped. While the task was too big for the lad, he helped. Despite the mess, he cleaned up what was broken. This is generosity. The boy could not help but exclaim, “Mister, are you Jesus?”

God wants to transform us from the inside out as people who understand our role on earth and play it, not for blessings we get but to serve as conduits of blessing. He desires that we have mercy, extend kindness, and show love. God, make us into such people so others see You in us. Amen.

Join me and others from GTP for Monthly Global Prayer Hour tomorrow morning at 5am Denver Time. Then I fly to Dallas through Friday to speak and attend the Missio Nexus 2021 Mission Leaders Conference. Praying for a good time of service, networking, and learning.

Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Isaiah 58:5-7

“If you want to have real fun, you must ride the generosity roller coaster. I live in Guatemala, a country with many challenges. But maybe the biggest challenge is to be able to see what the Lord sees and do what the Lord wants. There is so much poverty here that those who were born here have learned to accept it as part of the landscape. I am pastor of a church called Real Life, and through verses in Isaiah 58, the Lord began to awaken my heart to help the needy. In this passage, God says to His people, “I’m not impressed with your religion if you do not dedicate yourself to help the poor.”

As a result of understanding the will of God, we decided to start a movement called Iniciativa 58 and also to do a nationwide campaign called 40 Days of Generosity. We wanted to teach churches and Christians across Guatemala the blessing of giving and to show God’s love for needy people in our country. We had a vision event and challenged pastors to give out the devotional, to preach on generosity, and to invite families to read the devotional together every day. At the end of the forty days, we asked each church to raise the greatest offering that they had ever collected. But to do this with pure motives, the offerings that churches received were to go to help the needy. Over one hundred churches, denominations, ministries, businesses, and groups decided to join the 40 Days of Generosity for our country…

When the forty days were over, we didn’t receive a $20,000 offering or a $40,000 or $60,000 offering. When all the offering monies were counted at our church, we received $469,000 USD—enough to build 312 houses! This was the greatest offering our church had ever received in one event. We praise the Lord for what He did in us and through us during these forty days.

It’s fun to be generous. In this short devotional, I cannot tell about all the miracles we saw in the process. What I can do is invite you to have fun on the generosity roller coaster, in which we obey God and see Him supernaturally provide.”

Rony Madrid in “The Generosity Roller Coaster: Forty Days of Generosity” excerpt from Day Six of Seven Day Generosity Challenge by John Wiebe and the MB Foundation. Click to download the PDF and go through it.

Rony Madrid is a friend. He not only leads Real Life Church, he helped activate CONFIABLE, the peer accountability group for Guatemala, like ECFA in the USA. He wants to multiply faithful stewards and have ministries follow standards to contribute to the sustainability of God’s work there.

And I love the word picture he uses of the roller coaster. Trusting God and giving generosity puts us on an adventure. On the way, we quickly realize we are not in control, that the journey is a breath-taking adventure, and afterwards we want to do it again because of the joy of the experience.

Don’t miss that Rony desired this not just for his church, but also for his country, his people. What about you? What if you not only tried to rally generosity for your home but what if you ignited a movement in your church and that impacted your community? If you do, it will be a roller coaster!

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16

“A famous saying tells us, “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.” Giving a fish and giving a fishing lesson are both small and simple acts of generosity but with vastly different outcomes. Development organizations have long recognized the strategic relevance of this concept. A spirit of generosity is wonderful, but it can become something truly transformational when we get strategic!

In Ephesians, Paul tells us to “be very careful” how we live. The phrase implies the ideas of observation, thoughtfulness, and focus beyond the normal. “Making the most of every opportunity” extends this concept further. Not just recognizing an opportunity, not just mak- ing something of it, but squeezing the absolute maximum out of it! And not just occasionally—every opportunity!

Early in my ministry, I applied for a grant from a foundation that I knew supported the concept of what we were doing. I was hopeful of receiving $10,000 or maybe even a bit more. Their considered response: “We’ll give you $10,000 now, and if you can raise another $10,000 from other sources, we’ll match that with another $10,000.”

First, I was blessed by their generosity. We had a vision, and they were glad to respond. But I was doubly blessed (triply, in fact!) because of their strategic generosity. We were able to use their gesture to challenge other people to respond to our need, and we ended up with $30,000. But guess what? We weren’t the only ones who were blessed. The other givers were excited that their gift had been strategically doubled, and the original giver was encouraged to see additional support emerge for us. And our mission was significantly advanced.”

Gary Williams in “Strategic Generosity” excerpt from Day Five of Seven Day Generosity Challenge by John Wiebe and the MB Foundation. Click to download the PDF and go through it.

Gary’s a dear Aussie mate. I must tell you “the rest of the story” to strengthen His word today about strategic generosity. He heads up CMA which builds up Christian ministry workers across Australia.

I don’t know who gave the $10,000, but I know the outcome. It helped CMA grow capacity. Today, CMA provides training in all facets of ministry administration and governance. And it formed CMASC.

CMASC is the peer accountability group for Australia (like ECFA in the USA or AfCAA for Africa). CMASC accredits ministries for following standards to honor God and position them for sustainability.

This week I get to speak at the CMA Resilient Conference on “Discerning Direction: Mapping faithful activities for teams and measuring fruitful outcomes that honor God.” Pray I serve them well.

And may I challenge you to practice strategic generosity. Yesterday I alerted you to the status of the matching gift for AfCAA. With 11 days left we are up to 22 givers and $2,359 USD toward the $5,000 goal.

Make the most of this opportunity. Gary Williams might add, a gift to AfCAA moves beyond giving a person a fish. Like CMASC, AfCAA teaches people to fish to ensure God-honoring, fruitful ministry!

One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. She said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.” 2 Kings 4:8-10

“It is not unusual for a prophet of Elisha’s status to have people come to him primarily for what they can get. What he may not be familiar with are people who show acts of kindness and generosity without expecting anything in return. This is exactly what he gets and even more on a trip to Shunem. When the wealthy woman invites him in, he may think her family has a problem that money cannot solve. They must need deliverance, or healing of a disease that has defied medical care. They certainly need a spiritual intervention.

Rather than asking for support of any kind from the man of God, this family takes the initiative to make their resources available by offering him a meal after a tiring journey. This invitation of guests—or, better put, strangers—to meals appears to be a norm for this family as she persuaded Elisha to eat! Wow! She is giving away her meal, and is not ready to take no for an answer. What a generous spirit!

It appears that the meal was lavish and the atmosphere so cordial that Elisha soon becomes a regular guest at meals in this home. The woman, in consultation with her husband, then decides to take their generosity even further by building a guest chalet for Elisha. They are willing to release their resources freely to build and furnish a chalet for an itinerant minister. Notice how thorough they are in providing essential furnishings in order to guarantee a comfortable stay for their guest.

Kehinde Ojo in “Generous Living: Taking Initiative” excerpt from Day of Seven Day Generosity Challenge by John Wiebe and the MB Foundation. Click to download the PDF and go through it.

What would it look like for you to take the initiative to support someone in ministry? Imagine the gift that the woman enjoyed: fellowship with Elisha. While it came at a cost, the gain outweighed the price.

Imagine if you started with extending an invitation to support someone doing God’s work? Pause and ask God what it might look like to make space for someone serving God like Elisha today.

Kehinde is a dear Nigerian brother to me. We are both passionate about the work of AfCAA for Africa. AfCAA is replacing corruption with accountability, and in so doing, turning darkness to light.

Like ECFA serves ministries across the USA, AfCAA is accrediting ministries for following standards in Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, and other countries are in queue. But they need our help.

Like Elisha, AfCAA needs support from people in places like Shunam. Can you be hospitable today? Please make space to share. Join me in supporting this work. Give to the AfCAA matching effort.

When we support those we do not know in the work of God we get the gift of community. The match has only 12 days left. It’s at 20 givers and $2,228 USD toward the $5,000 USD goal. Click here to give.