Archives by: Gary Hoag

“This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:12

“Advent is, of course, first of all a preparation for Christmas; which commemorates God’s saving entrance into history in the incarnation of Jesus Christ…All men saw was a poor girl unconditionally submitted to God’s will, and a baby born in difficult circumstances…He comes and the revelation is not a bit what we expect.

So the next lesson Advent should teach us is that our attitude towards Him should always be one of humble expectancy. Our spiritual life depends on His perpetual coming to us, far more than on our going to Him. Every time a channel is made for Him He comes.

Every time our hearts are open to Him He enters, bringing a fresh gift of His very life, and on that life we depend. We should think of the whole power and splendor of God as always pressing upon our small souls. “In Him we live and move and have our being” [Acts 17:28].”

Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941) in Advent with Evelyn Underhill, edited by Christopher L. Webber (New York: Morehouse, 2006) 1-2.

What does “humble expectancy” have to do with generosity? Everything!

It’s how we who live as conduits of material and spiritual blessings must position ourselves to receive so that we may richly give. Try taking this posture this Advent season and see what happens. Likely God will show up in ways you could never imagine, just like the first Christmas.

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. 1 Peter 4:1-2

“We want to avoid suffering, death, sin, ashes. But we live in a world crushed and broken and torn, a world God himself visited to redeem. We receive his poured-out life, and being allowed the high privilege of suffering with him, may then pour ourselves out for others.”

Elizabeth Elliot in A Lamp unto My Feet (Ventura: Regal, 1985) 34.

Today’s post reminds us of the purpose of the incarnation, that is, why God came to the world. He came to suffer to redeem a messed up humanity. Our proclivity is to avoid suffering. Jesus calls us to embrace it while no longer living for ourselves but for the will of God.

As we draw closer to Christmas, our greatest act of generosity will not likely be the material gifts we give, but the spiritual blessing we impart when we set aside our desires and will and pour ourselves out for others as Christ did.

For further reading on this topic, I wrote an article for the Christian Leadership Alliance Outcomes magazine that you may wish to click to download: “Disciples of Accountability: Four Instructions for Exiles Awaiting the End”. I pray it’s a blessing to you.

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. Mark 12:41

“Jesus’ attention to people giving their offerings calls us also to look at giving. Jesus did not just happen to be watching. It was no accident that he noticed the poor woman putting in a few coins as her offering. Jesus was acting intentionally. He sat in front of the treasury – the offering box – in order to see.

He watched people giving. And it was not the amount they gave that interested him but the way they gave. This shows that Jesus paid close attention to the money question. He spoke of it often, and here we see that in money matters, no behavior escapes Jesus’ observation.

We must not deceive ourselves: our honesty and generosity are not being questioned, but how we give. Even if Jesus does not make a negative judgment here, we know by the positive judgment he expresses that he is judging. This implies then that we must pass under Jesus’ scrutiny each time we handle money. He sat there on purpose.”

Jacques Ellul (1912-1994) in Money and Power (Eugene: Wipf and Stock, 2009) 90-91.

In recent meditations, we have considered heart-related matters linked to giving. We’ve reflected on the “why” of giving and about whether or not we have repentant and obedient hearts. Today’s post follows along those lines, and comes in the wake of Giving Tuesday when many organizations fixed our eyes on digital offering boxes.

Ellul’s work is a classic and well worth reading. He candidly reminds us that Jesus is observing us, and not just observing, He’s judging, scrutinizing, and teaching us based on what He sees. It is not until He witnesses humble sacrifice that He celebrates a giver as a model for the rest of us.

Jesus watched people give then and is observing us today. With precision, Ellul rightly notes: “no behavior escapes Jesus’ observation.” As you think about your giving now and at the end of this calendar year, what will Jesus see when He looks at you?

Father, regardless of what everyone else is doing, work in our hearts so you see humble sacrifice when you observe our giving. Make it so by your Holy Spirit at work in us I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“The multitude of your sacrifices — what are they to me?” says the Lord. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.” Isaiah 1:11

“When people give gifts, it is not the gift alone that is meaningful; the gift signifies the love and the thought behind it. A gift is one way to express love and gratitude for another in thoughtful, tangible ways. But what happens when a gift is given out of an obligation instead of from the heart?

In Isaiah 1, God is addressing an issue he has with offerings or gifts that are made in vain…The people of Judah were thorough in performing sacrifices and ceremonies, but they were not repenting of their sin…It might be easy to dismiss this passage as only a critique of Jewish practices, saying that it does not pertain to us as the Church today.

However, there are practices we regularly offer as gifts to God such as worshipping with fellow believers in church, participating in Bible studies, and quietly meditating on God’s Word. These practices are vital to our spiritual lives and communities, but without love for the things that God loves and for our fellow man, they fall short.

As I reflect on this passage in Isaiah, I am examining areas of my life where I am giving my time and energy to God and the Church, but not seeking to love the things that God loves. Even though recognizing those shortcomings is difficult, I am encouraged by the words of verse 18: “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”

None of our gifts begins to compare with the gift of Jesus’ life and loving sacrifice. When we receive this gift and repent, we are free to give to one another and offer our lives to God from the place of transformed hearts.”

Amanda Wicker, videographer, Trinity School for Ministry, Ambridge, PA in 2016 Advent Devotional Day 2. If you have not picked an advent devotional this year, you may want to try this one.

Wicker closes her advent devotional with this humble prayer. Let’s join her today.

Lord, sometimes our efforts to please you outweigh our desire to repent and to love the things you love. I pray that you would cultivate in us repentant and obedient hearts. May our lives be gifts of praise and gratefulness for what you have done for us. Amen.”

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

“We don’t give gifts because we want to earn something in return. We give without the expectation of return. We give, because we can’t help but feel so overjoyed with the good news of a God who comes near, becomes incarnate, walks with us, is given for us, and loves us. In our joy, we can’t help but want to share our joy through the sharing of our stories, time, the giving of gifts, living fully in God’s abundance and love.”

Timothy Siburg in Compass: Navigating Faith & Finances blog post dated 28 November 2016 entitled Returning to “Why,” in Hopes of Getting Off the Consumer Escalator.

Siburg rightly directs our focus to the “Why” related to giving: the good news. We give because God loved the world so much that He gave.

Often, in reality, outside forces motivate us to give out of obligation or guilt. When we respond accordingly, we experience little joy.

This advent season, let’s choose to focus on the the good news and let our joy-filled generosity flow from there.

If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it. Psalm 50:12

“This may hurt some of you but I am obliged to tell you that God does not need anything you have. He does not need a dime of your money. It’s your own spiritual welfare at stake in such matters as these. There is a beautiful and enriching principle involved in our offering to God what we are and what we have, but none of us are giving because there is a depression in heaven. The Bible teaching is plain: you have right to keep what you have all to yourself – but it will rust and decay, and ultimately ruin you.”

A.W. Tozer (1897-1963) in Christ, The Eternal Son (Camp Hill, PA: Wing Spread, 1992) excerpt from chapter 3.

Tozer gets our attention with today’s post. It’s fitting for Giving Tuesday. If people you know at ministries tell you that God needs our money, please graciously set them straight. God does not need our money. We need to give it. Jesus used similarly shocking language in telling the disciples what would happen with treasures stored on earth.

So what will you do today? I pray you give generously to a host of ministries that engage with the work God cares about: such as evangelism, discipleship, and mercy. That’s our plan. And if you’d like a tool I developed a decade ago to help you offer to God all that you are and all that you have, click here to download: Spiritual Formation and Stewardship.

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23

“When we let go of money we are letting go of part of ourselves and part of our security. But this is precisely why it is important to do it. It is one way to obey Jesus’ command to deny ourselves…

When we give money we are releasing a little more of our egocentric selves and a little more of our false security…Giving frees us from the tyranny of money. But we don’t just give money; we give the things money has purchased…Have you ever considered selling a car or a stamp collection to help finance someone’s education? Money has also given us time and leisure to acquire skills. What about giving those skills away? Doctors, dentists, lawyers, computer experts, and many others can give their skills for the good of the community.

Giving frees us to care. It produces an air of expectancy as we anticipate what God will lead us to give. It makes life with God an adventure of discovery. We are being used to help make a difference in the world…”

Richard Foster in The Challenge of the Disciplined Life: Christian Reflections on Money, Sex, and Power (San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1985 ) 43-44.

Since tomorrow is Giving Tuesday, try this today. Take inventory of what you have: money, assets, skills, and other things. These are the abundant resources in your stewardship. Ask God how He wants you to use them to make a difference in the world.

If you want a suggestion, consider joining us in helping finance the education of a young man training to be a pastor despite limited financial resources. Click here to support Peter Gomez. Before you give to this opportunity, or anything else, start with a prayer.

Father in Heaven, thanks for resourcing me with bandwidth and bounty to bless others. Guide me by your Holy Spirit in how I should put to work what You have entrusted to me as a faithful steward on an adventure of discovery. In your mercy, hear my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.

In [Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. Ephesians 1:7

“If you want to feel rich, just count up all the things you have that money cannot buy.”

Daniel Webster (1782-1852) in The Speaker’s Quote Book: Over 5,000 Illustrations and Quotations for All Occasions, ed. Roy B. Zuck (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2009) 535.

As we move from a season of Thanksgiving to focus on the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, join me in celebrating the riches of God’s grace toward us: the greatest act of generosity and a priceless gift money cannot buy.

Also take five minutes to give thanks for the gift of love shared with family and friends, neighbors and co-workers, and brothers and sisters at church and in small groups. Money cannot buy the richness they bring to our lives.

Greed causes fighting; trusting the LORD leads to prosperity. Proverbs 28:25

“One of the weaknesses of our age is our apparent inability to distinguish our needs from our greeds.”

Don Robinson in The Speaker’s Quote Book: Over 5,000 Illustrations and Quotations for All Occasions, ed. Roy B. Zuck (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2009) 237.

The desire for things that can’t save us, satisfy us, or give us security can destroy us. Instead, trusting in God leads to peace and prosperity (don’t think “prosperity gospel” but think of this as grasping life as God designed for us).

When we shift from greeds to contentment with basic needs, it positions us not only for prosperity, but also for generosity. I am preaching tomorrow on generosity at Redeemer Christian Church in Denver. I’d appreciate your prayers.

One is as it were rich, when he hath nothing: and another is as it were poor, when he hath great riches. Proverbs 13:7

“The poor of the world do not have the luxury of assuming that external things will offer them fulfillment. They don’t have access to them, so they have to find life at a deeper, immediate, and more simple level.”

Richard Rohr in Simplicity: The Freedom of Letting Go (New York: Crossroad, 2003) 169.

Make purchases today (of things you need), but don’t look for “life” there. People with money are more susceptible to the marketing messages that promise “life” in external things.

We are learning from Solomon (today’s Scripture verse) and from experience that giving generously and having very little money actually positions us to find life in God.