Archives by: Gary Hoag

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon. Matthew 6:24

‘No one can serve two masters.’ What sort of masters? Christ explains it to you when He continues, ‘You cannot serve God and Mammon.’

It is clear then. Those who make Mammon their master cannot serve God, but they serve the master they have freely chosen. They love to be at Mammon’s disposal, they are happy to serve him because they have chosen Mammon, because they have voluntarily subjected themselves to him. Generally people love the masters they have chosen of their own free will more than those whom they have become subject to by compulsion.

A different pattern of behavior is exhibited by a small number of people who are pleasing God. They have become the masters of their own wealth. And they have used it, as if it were their faithful slave, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to free the debtors who are insolvent and in prison. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Job, Joseph. David, acted like this. Money was not the master of these people; they were the masters of their money.

‘You cannot serve God and Mammon.’ Here then is the commandment to be observed by those who possess riches. Christ, seeing that they were not raising themselves in the height of perfection, came down to their level with His word and established a law which they can keep in the situation they are.

In other words, it is as fit he had said, ‘Seeing that you are not willing renounce wealth, at least don’t become its slave. Become in actual fact its master and use it for all the very best of actions.”

Philoxenus of Mabbug (440-523) in Homily 8, 226ff. (SC44, pp. 225ff) in Drinking from the Hidden Fountain: A Patristic Breviary, Ancient Wisdom for Today’s World, ed. by Thomas Spidlik (Kalamazoo: Cistercian, 1994) 295-296.

The key that Philoxenus helps readers grasp is that you are either a slave to Mammon or money and possessions or you make Mammon your slave. There’s no middle ground. And he further explains how to do this, but using wealth for “all the very best of actions.”

Will you master money or will it master you? The key is to determine what good you will do with the wealth God has entrusted to you. The funny part is that if you don’t put wealth to work, it will come up with ideas for you that will enslave you.

As today is a feast day, celebrate all that God has richly supplied for you with thanksgiving. And determine some destitute person to help or ministry that serves the needy. This is what Jesus wants to find us doing with His resources as His hands and feet.

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

“Riches ought to be used in a reasonable way, and it is necessary to overcome avarice and share them generously with others . . .We must continually repeat those amazing words of the Lord: ‘Sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, where there are neither robbers nor rust.’ [cf. Matthew 19:21; 6:20] The truly rich are not those who keep their riches to themselves but those who give to others. Happiness comes not from possessing wealth but from giving it away. Whatever is generously given away becomes a fruit of the soul. It therefore becomes the soul’s wealth.”

Clement of Alexandria in The Teacher, 3.6 (PG8, 604) in Drinking from the Hidden Fountain: A Patristic Breviary, Ancient Wisdom for Today’s World, ed. by Thomas Spidlik (Kalamazoo: Cistercian, 1994) 294-295.

The Teacher, Clement, helps us discern richly that giving is the necessary step to overcoming the power of avarice in our lives. We discover that rather than hoarding riches, we get to enjoy and share them. And at least two things happen when we do this. On earth we experience happiness and in heaven we store up true wealth.

I want to make a suggestion today. The teacher called the command of Jesus “amazing” not because it robs us but because it shows us the path to true riches. Take some time to meditate on today’s Scripture above and the one in the quote. What action does this exercise inspire you to do? Whatever it is, go do it following the leading of the Spirit.

It is necessary to obey with open hands to overcome avarice. If you want inspiration and you like podcasts, click to hear me on the Robert Martin “Bigger Questions” show recorded on my last trip to Melbourne, Australia. It It’s called “Why be generous?” Enjoy!

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31

“Coronavirus is making the rounds across oceans and borders. Despite the relatively low rate of fatality, I am the first to admit that it is a daunting reality that I am desperately trying to avoid for me and my family in Hong Kong.

Having said that, shocking scenes of emptied supermarket shelves have followed the spread of the coronavirus around the world, racial and cultural differences aside. Not only are we as a human race, generally speaking, hoarders of money, we have also reduced ourselves to become hoarders of face masks, and of all things, toilet paper.

There is much irony in such behavior.

If you were the only household in your neighborhood with all the available face masks, it would actually increase your chances of getting infected with the coronavirus, with no one else having adequate protection in crowded places like public transportation and elevators.

If you were the only household in your neighborhood with all the toilet paper, it would also increase the likelihood of you getting infected with the coronavirus, as medical evidence has shown that it spreads through feces; if no else had access to toilet paper, you are actually in effect doing yourself a disservice directly or indirectly.

Jesus asked these relevant questions in Matthew 16:26 (CJB): “What good will it do someone if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or, what can a person give in exchange for his life?” How much more absurd if we ratchet down to such a primitive level and beat others in the queue to covet over gaining an excessive supply of face masks and toilet paper, of all things?

I have faith that this episode of coronavirus will pass sooner or later. I trust that a medical solution is in the works to either prevent or cure this illness, but there is no cure for fear or expressions thereof, apart from trusting in our Ultimate Provider, Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides at all times.

Fear is the expression of insecurity in provision. It is an outward demonstration of pure self-reliance, and as a corollary a complete forfeiture of good sense and long-term perspective. Selfishness cannot be a successful strategy for survival, and it cannot be a desired legacy one would wish to pass down to the next generation.

It is more blessed to give than to receive (Act 20:35), and our Heavenly Father, who has infinite ability to understand and supply all our needs, has made a promise especially to those who obey His life-giving ways.

Friends, choose life.”

Roger Lam in “Loving Your Neighbour as Yourself Makes Good Sense, Especially in the Time of Coronavirus” blog post dated 5 March 2020. I consider Roger a friend, a fellow author and speaker, and dear brother in Christ.

Join me as a subscriber to Roger’s blog (by clicking and subscribing above), and if you have not read his two books, buy them today on Amazon, Lost and Found: Money vs. Riches and Lose to Find: Change of Control. I formally endorsed them and can’t say enough good things about these books.

What’s been your reaction to Coronavirus?

I think Roger is spot on with articulating that “fear is the expression of insecurity in provision.” If crisis situations immobilize us with fear or cause us to hoard, we must pause and ask ourselves where we place our trust.

Sure, there are prudent responses to such maladies but things have gotten out of hand.

Not only do I believe, with Roger, that we should share whatever masks and the toilet paper we possess, I think we need to look at our hearts and see what our actions are saying about where we find our security.

Lent is a season of fasting and setting aside our self-reliance and choosing instead to rely on God. Only as we walk in the way of Jesus do we discover that His commands are good and they actually save us from selfishness.

Along with fasting, perhaps pray for those affected by the virus and move toward the sick rather than away from them. Consider giving to someone experiencing infirmity right now. Ask the Spirit to guide you.

Or you can allow fear to destroy you. It’s your choice.

Not me! Roger, I’m with you. Friends, choose life.

Now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus Himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” Acts 20:32-35

“If money competes with God in our life, it is giving that can counter it. Giving breaks the hold that money has on us. If we keep increasing our giving as a matter of discipline, we will be able to turn our eyes away from money, on onto God, the Provider of all things. Giving is the very nature of God and learning to care and provide for the needs of others is absorbing the character of God in us . . .

The ultimate objective of God’s provision of riches is not just to provide for our personal needs, but to use us as a channel to bless the world. We give out of love for our Father whose nature is to give out of His love for us. So great is His love that He sent His Son to die for our sins so that we may have eternal life. As we respond out of that love in generosity, it leads to a blessing to the world that God desires through us.”

Manju George in Enjoy Money, God’s Way (Bengaluru, India: Eudemonia Consulting LLP, 2018) 14, 17.

This is a great little book! Manju graciously gave it to me in Bengaluru, India, when we met up in January 2020 and I brought it on this trip and read it on my long flight home. I am glad I did.

I strongly endorse it. Though it may be hard to access outside of India. It’s readable, biblical, and has practical tips for application. And the excerpts from the book, which I cited above, struck me as so beautiful!

God’s very nature is generosity and love. When we give, we absorb that character. The act of giving transforms us. We become channels of love and blessing that God desires us to be.

How are you? We are one week into the journey of Lent. Are you increasing giving “as a matter of discipline” to help you grow in this grace? God does not need the money; we need to give it to turn our eyes to Him.

This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. They are like sheep and are destined to die; death will be their shepherd (but the upright will prevail over them in the morning). Their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions. But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; He will surely take me to Himself. Psalm 49:13-15

“Isidore said, ‘In this fleeting life the rich do not have the satisfaction of permanently enjoying their power, their fame, or their money. Suddenly death carries them off, the abyss swallows them up, and they disappear, condemned to eternal torments.’

‘Greed makes the rich haughty. It does not happen because of their riches, but because of their free choice. Evil does not consist in things, but in the use we make of them.’

‘Those who spend their riches on beneficial objects are making good use of good things. The same good things are being badly used by those who plan to multiply their wealth or who only do good to their neighbors for reputation’s sake.’

Defensor Grammaticus (seventh century monk from St. Martin’s Abbey) in Book of Sparkling Sayings, 58 (SC86, p. 160) in Drinking from the Hidden Fountain: A Patristic Breviary, Ancient Wisdom for Today’s World, ed. by Thomas Spidlik (Kalamazoo: Cistercian, 1994) 292-293.

Read all of Psalm 49 today. It is the message about money for the world that is echoed by Defensor and Isidore. This Psalm seemed fitting as I wrap up this trip around the world with fruitful service and meetings in five countries thanks to the faithfulness of God.

A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Matthew 7:18-19

“Do you have wealth? It is a good thing. But only if your use of it is good. You will not be able to make good use of it if you are evil: wealth is an evil for the evil, a good for the good, but it is converted into good when it is in the hands of the good.

Do you want to have honor? It too is a good. But only if used well. How many are those whom honor has led to a bad end! Yet how many others have been helped by honor to behave well!

Be a good tree. Do not fool yourself that you can produce good fruits if you are a bad tree; good fruit comes only from a good tree. So, change your heart and your actions will change too. Weed out greed and plant love. As the root of all evil is greed, so the root of all good is love.

If only you knew what goodness is! What you want is not good, the good is what you do not want. Look within yourself, seek within. What is not pleasing to your renewed heart, kill off; what is pleasing to it, nourish.

If you find yourself void of good works, why are you so keen to have external goods? What use is a coffer brimming over with money, if your conscience is empty? What use are the things you have, if you do not have the One who gave all?

Do not put your trust in untrustworthy riches. Hope in God, in God alone. He gives you all in abundance: the goods of the earth for your use, the goods of eternity for your pleasure.”

Augustine of Hippo in Sermons 36, 5ff (PL38, 217) in Drinking from the Hidden Fountain: A Patristic Breviary, Ancient Wisdom for Today’s World, ed. by Thomas Spidlik (Kalamazoo: Cistercian, 1994) 292-293.

We must weed out greed, that is, the desire for money, and plant love. To plant love is to plant the reminder in our hearts that we have everything we need, have ever needed and will ever need in Christ.

What Augustine is getting at is the source of our power and trust. He’s asking us to consider what we are trusting in to produce any results, any fruits in our lives. Only love, not money, can produce fruit that lasts.

I head from Cairo to London today. I have a meeting there with Sas Conradie and hope it bears fruit between Tearfund and GTP. Make it so Lord Jesus.

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4

“You are guilty of over-simplification if you define as fortunate the rich and the powerful. They are on the contrary most unfortunate and miserable because they possess the good things of this world and use them in pursuit of vice and wickedness.

Therefore if you see depraved people wallowing in wealth, don’t say ‘What happiness.’ They are unfortunate precisely because they have too many opportunities of living in iniquity.

If you see other people who seem upright, imprisoned by adversity and poverty, and don’t at once think they are unfortunate and don’t accuse God of injustice. They will suffer no harm through their misfortune, because they have been educated by it to bear discomfort like the champions of virtue that they are.

For just as dwellers in iniquity pervert even good things to use as weapons of wickedness, so lovers of virtue can adapt even bad things to act as material for true wisdom.”

Theodoret of Cyrus (393-457) in Drinking from the Hidden Fountain: A Patristic Breviary, Ancient Wisdom for Today’s World, ed. by Thomas Spidlik (Kalamazoo: Cistercian, 1994) 291.

Today’s Scripture celebrates the gift of trials. They develop our character and make us ‘perfect’ (our word yesterday) and complete, ‘lacking in nothing.’ Let’s lean into that idea of ‘lacking in nothing.’

When God allows difficult situations in our lives to shape us into new people, He does this for our good and His glory. But it’s only when God is all we have, do we realize that He’s all we’ve ever needed.

My family is facing quite a trial right now. Whilst I’ve been traveling and teaching around the world, literally more that circumnavigating the planet on this five country tour, my wife’s car was smashed by a reckless driver.

Thankfully she walked away. And though she has headaches, bumps and bruises, what we lost was a reliable vehicle. Of course the motorist was uninsured and while we have that coverage, it’s yet another headache.

But what have I learned afresh in the process? It was only a car. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord. I have been reminded that when God is all I have, He’s all I’ve ever needed all along.

Now when we find ourselves in hard times, we tend to dream of riches and power. We do. Instead, we must see that place for what it is. Wallowing in wealth positions us to trust in ourselves and commit all manner of sins.

Let us rather, as ‘champions of virtue’ allow the trials to make us into people who as Theodoret keenly noted ‘can adapt even bad things to act as material for true wisdom.’ We’ve got this, because God’s got us.

And he even knows what our next car will look like.

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48

“The perfect person does not only try to avoid evil. Nor does he do good for fear of punishment, still less in order to qualify for the hope of a promised reward. The perfect person does good through love.

His actions are not motivated by desire for personal benefit, so he does not have personal advantage as his aim. But as soon as he has realized the beauty of doing good, he does it with all his energies and in all that he does.

He is not interested in fame, or a good reputation, or a human or divine reward. The rule of life for a perfect person is to be the image and likeness of God.”

Clement of Alexandria in Miscellaneous Studies, 4.22.135ff (Stählin II, p. 308)  in Drinking from the Hidden Fountain: A Patristic Breviary, Ancient Wisdom for Today’s World, ed. by Thomas Spidlik (Kalamazoo: Cistercian, 1994) 158.

When people hear the word ‘perfect’ they often think it means without sin. In the biblical sense it refers to something that is ‘mature’ or ‘rightly aligned’ with God’s design and desires for us.

Clement shows us the perfect way: do good through love. Each time I have taught on this trip, either solo or with fellow instructors, I have prayed for God to fill us with the Spirit and love. Any fruits flow from that!

Love is the one thing Christ wants us to be known for and the only thing that can overcome the evil and corruption in this world. This is timely inspiration for each of us on the Lenten journey.

On retreat today we will reflect on God’s love for us and for this region. A dear friend and Abiathar to me, Rich Haynie, is also praying Isaiah 11:2-4 over us as we retreat with the Lord. God be with us. God be with you.

I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has [found] nothing in Me. John 14:30

“The devil does not have only one weapon. He uses many different means to defeat human beings: now with bribery, now with boredom, now with greed he attacks, inflicting mental and physical wounds equally.

The kind of temptation varies with the different kinds of victim. Avarice is the test of the rich, loss of children that of parents and everyone is exposed to pain of mind and body. What a wealth of weapons is at the devil’s disposal!

It was for this reason that the Lord chose to have nothing to lose. He came to us in poverty so that the devil could find nothing to take away from Him. “I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has [found] nothing in Me.” John 14:30

The devil could only test Him with bodily pains, but this too was useless because Christ despised bodily suffering.”

Ambrose of Milan in On the Gospel of Luke 4.39 (SC9, 162ff) in Drinking from the Hidden Fountain: A Patristic Breviary, Ancient Wisdom for Today’s World, ed. by Thomas Spidlik (Kalamazoo: Cistercian, 1994) 133-134.

The more we fast and do without certain things during Lent, the more we discover that we really don’t need those things like we thought we did. Jesus ministered without them, so do we really need them?

I have a friend that is “going for broke” this Lent. While the world aims for prosperity, he’s aiming for poverty following Christ’s example. Does that shock you? It means traveling lightly and living generously.

Remember, Jesus modeled the way! He had nothing to lose. For example, when He sent out the 70 in Luke 10, He wanted them to go out broke, to have nothing to lose, to teach them God would supply.

The conference went great today in Amman. GTP provided biblical and practical governance teaching to 40+ influencers. Pray the seeds planted will bear fruit, and praise God we’ve already been invited back.

Now Andrew Mahfouz, Ereny Monir, and I have arrived at the Dead Sea to retreat with the Lord together to discern next steps regarding all we have seen and heard from these governance trainings in Cairo and Amman.

And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 1 Thessalonians 5:14

“The cradle of all temptations and all useless and unhealthy thoughts is idleness. Idleness contains all sin. The idle are never servants of God. Those who do not do what they must with fidelity and fervor, those who do not do it with the intention of serving God, are idle when they come to act.

And it is ridiculous to look for idle works to escape idleness. An idle work is one that has no usefulness or is done with no intention of becoming useful: useful in the first place to one’s own conscience, enriching the heart’s treasure.

Do you want to know what you should busy yourself with? Over and above daily prayer you need to work — in such a way, though, as to preserve, or rather, to increase your spiritual happiness.

Certainly, some kinds of heavy work distract the soul and weary it. All the more reason for you to have a sense of your own weakness and to have humility of heart.”

Bernard of Clairvaux in Letters to the Brethren 21 (PL 184, 321) in Drinking from the Hidden Fountain: A Patristic Breviary, Ancient Wisdom for Today’s World, ed. by Thomas Spidlik (Kalamazoo: Cistercian, 1994) 133-134.

Prayer and practice helps us nurture our fidelity and fervor. Why warn the idle? God does not need us to do works. We need to do them to increase our spiritual happiness. I pray your Lent is off to a strong start.

Today I flew to Amman, Jordan, with Ereny Monir and Andrew Mahfouz to lead a governance training on Saturday and then to have a prayer and fasting retreat by the Dead Sea. I’m excited for this.

Our hosts treated us to some tourism seeing ancient ruins in Amman (pictured above), a Roman Amphitheater, and a trip to Mt. Nebo, from which Moses looked into the Promise Land.

The ruins made me think. If you visit the “Who are we?” page of the GTP website, you see that we are builders of trust. Pray with us that tomorrow’s seminar accomplishes this objective for the 40+ planning to attend.