Archives by: Gary Hoag

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19

“The core of the preaching both of Jesus and his early followers was the Kingdom of God. Such preaching had both political and economic implications. On the political side, it is clear that anyone proclaiming the coming Kingdom of God is at least by implication criticizing the present kingdom… It is the economic side of the preaching of the Kingdom of that interests us here. In the Gospel narratives, the preaching of the Kingdom does indeed have a strong economic or socioeconomic component. It relates to both the justice that the Kingdom requires and the need for drastic action in view of its impending reality.”

Justo L. González in Faith & Wealth: A History of Early Christian Ideas on the Origin, Significance, and Use of Money (Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2002) 75.

In today’s Scripture we see Jesus proclaim justice and drastic action. His design for us is to live according to the values of the kingdom.

When we do that, it naturally brings justice, not by political force, but by everyday action in the public by ordinary people.

This brings into view my radio interview yesterday and my preaching today.

Proclaiming the Kingdom is saying that we need to live differently. Again, when we do it brings about justice. And that different living appears as drastic action.

Lest this sound to theoretical, think of it this way. Panama is a country of 4.2 million people, crying “foul” because of systemic corruption.

Is the answer to point fingers and fight for agendas in the political realm? No! So what do we do? We get our model of what to do by watching Jesus and following His example.

He charted a new way forward. He proclaimed good news. We did the same thing on radio yesterday and I will do so in my preaching today.

God wants His people to announce a new way of living that reflects biblical standards.

Pray for receptive hearts here. And wherever you are, proclaim good news. And call people to live according to the kingdom values. When we do, we change our world.

And when we mobilize a nation to do this, like we will with events in three key cities, we can shape the future of ministry in a nation.

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. Philippians 1:3-7

“In Philippians 3:10, what the RSV translates as “share his sufferings” actually says “know the koinonia of his sufferings.” In 1 Corinthians 10:16, Paul says, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” The term that the RSV translates here as “participation,” with a footnote explaining that it could also be translated as “communion,” is koinonia.

Paul’s letter to the Philippians, which acknowledges receipt of a gift, begins with words in which Paul is thanking the Philippians for their partnership and sharing with him. In 1:5 he says that he is thankful for the Philippians koinonia, and two verses later he declares that they are “joint koinonia” of grace with him, that is, common sharers.

At the end of the epistle, he says that they have shared in his trouble (4:14), and the term he uses could be translated as “cokoinonized.” All. of this leads to the unique partnership “in giving and receiving” that he has enjoyed with the church of the Philippians (4:15), and once again the word he uses literally means “koinonized.” In short, koinonia is much more than a feeling of fellowship; it involves sharing goods as well as well as feelings.”

Justo L. González in Faith & Wealth: A History of Early Christian Ideas on the Origin, Significance, and Use of Money (Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2002) 83.

What do you share? It’s one thing to share feelings, but Christ wants us to share so much more. He wants us to share in both His sufferings and His life.

We get grace, forgiveness, and so much more. And because we have received it, He wants us to participate in His work by sharing these gifts, and everything we have, with others.

Have you been koinonized? It’s a funny Greek expression that might be rendered for modern readers as being “all in” no matter what, in good times or bad . Are you all in?

I’m safely in Panama and the program work starts today with a TV interview. I will speak on “Building a culture of integrity” explaining the positive impact of standards and how it grows accountability transforms and dismantles the spread of corruption in nations.

Then preaching tomorrow and events in three key cities this week along with Stations of Generosity training. Want to join in this work as a common sharer.

Reply to this email to get our prayer schedule and click here to make a gift. You are not supporting my ministry. When you pray and give, together we become common sharers in God’s work.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Acts 2:42

“As we look further at the description of this community in Acts, we must pay close attentino to the word koinonia, by which this community is described in Acts 2:42. The New Revised Standard Version and the New American Standard Bible translate it as “fellowship,” and the Jerusalem Bible as “brotherhood.” This is the common understanding of this word, which is usually taken to refer to the inner disposition of goodwill – “fellowship – toward other members of the group. Thus taken, what Acts 2:42 says is simply that there were good relationships within the community.

Yet koinonia means more than that. It also means partnership., as in a common business venture. In this way Luke uses the related term koinonós, member of a koinonia, for in Luke 5:10 we are told that the sons of Zebedee were koinonoí with Peter, meaning that they were business partners.” The same usage appears outside the New Testament, sometimes in very similar contexts. Koinonia means first of all, not fellowship in the sense of good feelings toward each other, but sharing. It is used in that sense throughout the New Testament, both in connection with material goods and in other contexts.”

Justo L. González in Faith & Wealth: A History of Early Christian Ideas on the Origin, Significance, and Use of Money (Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2002) 82-83.

You may recognize the header photo from November 2022. That was my first trip to Panama. I return today for a week to activate a task force to form another peer accountability group.

In USA, the peer accountability group (PAG), ECFA, enhances trust in 2,800+ churches and ministries and last year motivated more volunteer service and greater giving ($32+ billion USD).

GTP has been invited by influential workers to host meetings in multiple cities, give a TV interview, preach, train, and more. We pray it will unleash koinonia in Panama!

I grabbed the classic work by Latino scholar, Justo L. González, off my shelf for my travel reading and meditations. I hope you enjoy his perspective. Today he unlocks koinonia.

Too many people see it as a warm “sense of good feelings toward each other.” It’s not that. It’s vested partnership in the gospel. Think in terms of a business venture as he urges us.

But the business we are about when we bring our giftedness and resources to the table is the King’s business. That’s how GTP sends teams to places like Panama.

God’s people want to see flourishing ministries in places like Panama so they share their resources with GTP generously. The result shapes the future of God’s work in countries.

This trip with events serving hundreds of the top Christian workers will cost about $10,000 and when we activate a PAG we will help them build capacity with a $10,000 matching grant.

As God’s workers there give to help the entity get started, we teach them how to raise local funds and when they raise $10,000, we match it with $10,000.

I pray someone out there reading this will make a gift today. If you contribute $10,000 you will cover the cost of our trip and $20,000 will help us launch the PAG in Panama.

Consider your giving as koinonia. Click here to have a share in this ministry. Your sharing brings accountability and grows local generosity. It shapes the future of ministry in a nation.

A man with leprosy came to Him and begged Him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus was indignant. He reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. Mark 1:40-42

“I regard love – as I do friendship – not only as feeling but chiefly as an action.”

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) in Life According to Vincent, edited by Nienke Bakker and Ann Blokland (Van Gogh Museum) 178.

I love this quote. Short and sweet. Love may be something we feel. But it’s more. We should see it “chiefly as an action.” We see this when we look at Jesus.

Repeatedly in His ministry Jesus sees things. He’s moved with compassion. Then he moves toward brokenness with blessing. And it results in healing, hope, and life.

May we do the same thing so that our lives appear as generous and compassionate as our Lord. May we have eyes to see and ears to hear needs and hands to touch and feet to take action.

When this comes together, our action shows love to the watching world.

As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

“People who do nothing other than be in love are perhaps more serious and holier than those who sacrifice their love and their heart to an idea.”

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) in Life According to Vincent, edited by Nienke Bakker and Ann Blokland (Van Gogh Museum) 167.

As I pondered this quote, it made me ponder afresh about how I approach my calling to dedicate my life to encouraging Christian generosity.

It teaches me that if I focus on generosity, I am focusing on a fruit rather than the root. What is the root of all generosity but a love relationship with God!

Only when we contemplate His unfathomable love and care for us, can we even start to extend such gracious and bountiful kindness toward others.

On this note, I pause to honor my wife, Jenni. Her primary focus every single day, every minute of every day is her love relationship with God.

She’s always encouraging me (and those she serves as a spiritual director) to notice God at work every moment of every day around her. As a result, she’s “more serious and holier” than me.

Like Mary focused on Jesus vs. Martha on all that had to be done and Jesus, let us keep Christ at the center of our focus if we want to grow in generosity or any other areas of life.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7

“I’m always inclined to believe that the best was of knowing God is to love a great deal.”

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) in Life According to Vincent, edited by Nienke Bakker and Ann Blokland (Van Gogh Museum) 167.

Today’s my sister’s birthday. Happy Birthday Heather. I hope you have a great day.

I felt this painting of two couples captured the heart of today’s post. To love a great deal is not easy.

People are difficult and even unlovable a lot of the time, even those close to us, who step on our toes or push our proverbial buttons. To be generous then is to choose to love a great deal.

Pause. Think of someone right now that’s hard to love.

Choose today one way you can love that person a great deal. Go do it and process with the Lord how you come to know Him better in so doing. Tell someone close to you what you learned. Inspire them to try it.

As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. Psalm 103:15-16

“A person who doesn’t feel small – who doesn’t realize that he’s a speck – what a fundamental mistake he makes.”

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) in Life According to Vincent, edited by Nienke Bakker and Ann Blokland (Van Gogh Museum) 156.

With these words Vincent the painter that echoes David the psalmist.

Our lives are like a speck, like a blade of grass. Here today, gone tomorrow. So, we should give every moment we have to making a contribution with the gifts and goods God has entrusted to us.

The impact we leave behind are the good deeds or the beautiful paintings that follow after us.

Van Gogh’s painting, Wheatfields under Thunderclouds, pictured above, illustrates the brevity of the life. One minute grass flourishes, then factors bring an end to its existence: from sun to storm to some animal eating it.

That’s you and me. If we fail to grasp this, we make a fundamental mistake.

To many live foolish lives. Like the rich fool they think their resources and decisions control their destiny. They’ve wrongly listed to the world’s way of thinking which tends toward comfort and self-preservation.

If we aim to get comfortable in this life, we miss the purpose of our brief existence altogether.

Don’t make the fundamental mistake. Life is short. Use what time you have to make a difference for God, to do good works which He prepared in advance for you to do. Flourish vivid green like the painting in your short life.

Live, give, serve, and love as generously as possible. You will have no regrets at the end of life.

Do all things without complaining or arguments; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world. Philippians 2:14-15

“To know how to suffer without complaining, that’s the only practical thing, that’s the great skill, the lesson to learn, the solution to life’s problems.”

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) in Life According to Vincent, edited by Nienke Bakker and Ann Blokland (Van Gogh Museum) 140.

On the recent GTP trip to Kazakhstan, Michael and I endured a difficult sleeping situation. The heat was in excess of 30-36°C / 86-97°F by day and there was little breeze so it did not cool off at night and we had no air conditioning.

We prayed, tossed, and turned, fell asleep, then woke up sweaty and did it again. It was hard. We managed not to complain, but endured it for 5 nights. The sleep deprivation exhausted us. I slept much of the way home and another 10 hours last night.

I think our hosts noticed our willingness to endure difficulty. I think we shined like lights. But if I am honest, I don’t always have shining moments. A lot of times I complain. When things are not right, I struggle. Perhaps you can relate?

Today, I chose to use Vincent’s painting of Sunflowers as the header image. He actually wanted to be known as the painter of sunflowers and did at least five. This is one of them. I connect it to knowing how to suffer for a specific reason.

The most generous response to suffering is not grumbling, complaining, or arguing. It’s pressing on. He did one painting of sunflowers, then another, then another, then another, then one more. He pressed despite the brokenness around him.

May our generosity today shine like a light or bring beauty like a flower. And may we look to the example of Jesus to know how to suffer. Sometimes how we navigate life’s difficult moments makes the most generous contribution to the place God has us.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

“I say it again – work against indifference – perseverance isn’t easy – but things that are easy mean little.”

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) in Life According to Vincent, edited by Nienke Bakker and Ann Blokland (Van Gogh Museum) 132.

I chose Van Gogh’s painting, The Yellow House, to illustrate this idea of working against indifference or choosing perseverance for a reason.

This is the place where he lived when he persevered as a painter and determined not to quit but to focus on growing and learning new things every day.

He lived in the yellow house with green shutters and desired to give beauty and color to everyday life through his paintings.

And this has everything to do with you and me. Life is not easy. Often, I get tempted to quit to give up. I have to work against indifference where God has put me.

Where are you? Where’s your yellow house? Where has God put you to labor, to contribute, to make a generous impact on those around you and long after you.

Interestingly, Van Gogh’s life would end two years after he painted this. Many say it was suicide. Some think he was shot. Regardless, his days were few.

So are ours. What will we do with the time given us. Let us persevere. Let us work against indifference while bringing beauty and blessing to those around us.

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Colossians 3:16

“I’m concerned with the world only in that I have a certain obligation or duty, as it were — because I’ve walked the earth for 30 years — to leave a certain souvenir in the form of drawings or paintings in gratitude.”

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) in Life According to Vincent, edited by Nienke Bakker and Ann Blokland (Van Gogh Museum) 132.

What will you leave behind in gratitude after your time on this earth?

Vincent left over 900 paintings plus other drawings. What a legacy! As he painted for only 10 years, art experts say he produced a work every 36 hours. No wonder he often complained that the layers of paint were still wet!

When we soak in the truth of who we are in Christ, it inspires us to tireless service. For me, it motivates me to teach and empower others with gratitude to God for the opportunity to serve, despite the difficulty or danger.

For me, the more I travel, even to the hardest places, the more energy I get for the next service opportunity. I am writing my legacy through my service to my family, my assistance to God’s workers, and my blogs and books.

Again, what will you leave behind in gratitude after your time on this earth?