Archives by: Gary Hoag

So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:2-4

“What sort of gift is it, beloved brethren, whose setting forth is celebrated in the sight of God? If, in a gift of the Gentiles, it seems a great and glorious thing to have proconsuls or emperors present, and the preparation and display is the greater among the givers, in order that they may please the higher classes; how much more illustrious and greater is the glory to have God and Christ as the spectators of the gift! How much more sumptuous the preparation and more liberal the expense to be set forth in that case, when the powers of heaven assemble to the spectacle, when all the angels come together: where it is not a four-horsed chariot or a consulship that is sought for the giver, but life eternal is bestowed; nor is the empty and fleeting favour of the rabble grasped at, but the perpetual reward of the kingdom of heaven is received!”

Cyprian of Carthage (190-258) in his Treatise 8. On Works and Alms, 21.

The ancient pattern related to giving included a big show in front of people. Cyprian echoes the teaching of Jesus in the heart of the Sermon on the Mount to make heaven and not humans the audience.

What sort of gifts will you give during Lent 2024? And before whom will you do this giving?

The reality then and now is that we can get lots of glory for our good deeds on earth. But that must not be our motivation. We must do them, with intentionality, seeking only the perpetual reward of the kingdom.

Today marks a “Last Call” if you want to start Lent from the beginning.

Register here to journey with GTP through Lent, starting tomorrow. To get a head start, download Lent Companion here and think about what you will fast from this Lent to make more space for Jesus.

Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. Matthew 5:42

“Be rather such a father to your children as was Tobias. Give useful and saving precepts to your pledges, such as he gave to his son; command your children what he also commanded his son, saying: “And now, my son, I command thee, serve God in truth, and do before Him that which pleaseth Him; and command thy sons, that they exercise righteousness and alms, and be mindful of God, and bless His name always.” And again: “All the days of thy life, most dear son, have God in your mind, and be not willing to transgress His commandments. Do righteousness all the days of thy life, and be not willing to walk in the way of iniquity; because if thou deal truly, there will be respect of thy works. Give alms of thy substance, and turn not away thy face from any poor man. So shall it be, that neither shall the face of God be turned away from thee. As thou hast, my son, so do. If thy substance is abundant, give alms of it the more. If thou hast little, communicate of that little. And fear not when thou doest alms; for thou layest up a good reward for thyself against the day of necessity, because that alms do deliver from death, and suffereth not to come into Gehenna. Alms is a good gift to all that give it, in the sight of the most high God.”

Cyprian of Carthage (190-258) in his Treatise 8. On Works and Alms, 20.

Cyprian gets today’s quotes for his treatise from Tobit, a wisdom literature text (dated to the second or third century B.C) that ranks among the Deuterocanonical books, also known as the Apocrypha.

For Protestant Christians, Tobit is not included in the list of canonical texts, though it finds a home in Jewish Scriptures and in the canon for Roman Catholics and most Orthodox traditions.

Regardless, the content from Tobit, provided Cyprian, and provides us today with a great ancient example of the importance of a father teaching his children about the importance of almsgiving, or giving to the poor.

The advice from Tobias echoes the teaching he would have received from Deuteronomy 15:7-8.

“If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need.”

And it mirrors the words of Jesus in today’s Scripture.

Whether we have a little or a lot, almsgiving is part of our identity as Christ followers. We must let fear of running out ourselves keep us from this practice. It is so vital to our faith, the early church included it as a discipline in Lent.

As Christ fasted for 40 days before His earthly ministry, the early church adopted the same timeframe and determined to practice annually the three disciplines in the heart of the Sermon on the Mount: giving, prayer, and fasting.

Don’t forget to register here to journey with GTP through Lent, starting on Wednesday. To get a head start, download Lent Companion here and think about what you will fast from this Lent to make more space for Jesus.

And thanks again your prayers for our GTP work in Cayman Islands. John Roomes returns to Jamaica today and I return to Denver. Pray for safe and uneventful travel home. And reply here for a copy of the trip report.

I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be a blessing. Psalm 37:25-26

“Neither should you think that he is father to your children who is both changeable and infirm, but you should obtain Him who is the eternal and unchanging Father of spiritual children. Assign to Him your wealth which you are saving up for your heirs. Let Him be the guardian for your children; let Him be their trustee; let Him be their protector, by His divine majesty, against all worldly injuries. The state neither takes away the property entrusted to God, nor does the exchequer intrude on it, nor does any forensic calumny overthrow it. That inheritance is placed in security which is kept under the guardianship of God. This is to provide for one’s dear pledges for the coming time; this is with paternal affection to take care for one’s future heirs, according to the faith of the Holy Scripture, which says: “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed wanting bread. All the day long he is merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.” And again: “He who walketh without reproach in his integrity shall leave blessed children after him.” Therefore you are an unfair and traitorous father, unless you faithfully consult for your children, unless you look forward to preserve them in religion and true piety. You who are careful rather for their earthly than for their heavenly estate, rather to commend your children to the devil than to Christ, are sinning twice, and allowing a double and twofold crime, both in not providing for your children the aid of God their Father, and in teaching your children to love their property more than Christ.”

Cyprian of Carthage (190-258) in his Treatise 8. On Works and Alms, 19.

These last few days, the Scriptures and this treatise have really opened my eyes to something. Let me explain. The human tendency says that I have to look after my children.

This often leads to spoiling them with material possessions and leaving them a measure of wealth.

This says some thing different. What comes into view as the best way to bless my children is to choose the path of righteousness and generosity and watch God supply for me and them as a way of life.

Notice in today’s Scripture that the children of the one who is generous and lends freely will be a blessing.

Want your children to connect to the person of Christ instead of property? Don’t be an “unfair and traitorous” parent. Show your children righteousness and generosity as the only way to live.

I have hope for the next generation in the Cayman Islands because of the group pictured above.

Yes, that’s me in the back right side with the community of stewards that will collaborate to form a peer accountability group for the Cayman Islands as a light to the Caribbean and the world. It was an impressive group.

They want to exhibit greater accountability, transparency, and integrity to win the generosity and the engagement of the community and especially the next generation. It will happen by the grace of God.

Thanks for your prayers for our GTP meetings in this beautiful place with amazing people.

And don’t forget to register here to journey with GTP through Lent, starting on Wednesday. To get a head start, download Lent Companion here and think about what you will fast from this Lent to make more space for Jesus.

Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 11:19

“Moreover, also, (you say) there are many children at home; and the multitude of your children checks you from giving yourself freely to good works. And yet on this very account you ought to labor the more, for the reason that you are the father of many pledges. There are the more for whom you must beseech the Lord. The sins of many have to be redeemed, the consciences of many to be cleansed, the souls of many to be liberated. As in this worldly life, in the nourishment and bringing up of children, the larger the number the greater also is the expense; so also in the spiritual and heavenly life, the larger the number of children you have, the greater ought to be the outlay of your labors.”

Cyprian of Carthage (190-258) in his Treatise 8. On Works and Alms, 18.

Don’t overthink this one. If you have children, you should get it quickly.

The more children you have, the more times you need to repeat yourself. We don’t give an example once to children to make something a way of life. And the more children we have, the greater the outlay.

Yesterday John Roomes and I got to facilitate Stations of Generosity for the youth of Grand Cayman.

We did the seven stations over and over with motions: (1) God owns everything. (2) God provides enough. (3) God gives generously. (4) We respond lovingly. (5) We hear God. (6) We find joy. (7) We store treasure.

We did not say these once. Not twice. But dozens of times with motions. In time, they got it.

And, As today’s Scripture notes, we don’t just do this at church. We repeat ourselves and model the way in various settings of everyday life so our children make generous living a part of their everyday lives.

Today we facilitate a launch event to form a peer accountability group for the Cayman Islands like ECFA in USA. Appreciate you prayers for a great meeting.

The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing. She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.” 2 Kings 4:1-7

“Thus that widow in the book of Kings, when in the drought and famine, having consumed everything, she had made of the little meal and oil which was left, a cake upon the ashes, and, having used this, was about to die with her children, Elisha came and asked that something should first be given him to eat, and then of what remained that she and her children should eat. Nor did she hesitate to obey; nor did the mother prefer her children to Elisha in her hunger and poverty. Yea, there is done in God’s sight a thing that pleases God: promptly and liberally is presented what is asked for. Neither is it a portion out of abundance, but the whole out of a little, that is given, and another is fed before her hungry children; nor in penury and want is food thought of before mercy; so that while in a saving work the life according to the flesh is contemned, the soul according to the spirit is preserved.

Therefore Elisha, being the type of Christ, and showing that according to His mercy He returns to each their reward, answered and said: “Thus saith the Lord, The vessel of meal shall not fail, and the cruse of oil shall not be diminished, until the day that the Lord giveth rain upon the earth.” According to her faith in the divine promise, those things which she gave were multiplied and heaped up to the widow; and her righteous works and deserts of mercy taking augmentations and increase, the vessels of meal and oil were filled. Nor did the mother take away from her children what she gave to Elisha, but rather she conferred upon her children what she did kindly and piously. And she did not as yet know Christ; she had not yet heard His precepts; she did not, as redeemed by His cross and passion, repay meat and drink for His blood. So that from this it may appear how much he sins in the Church, who, preferring himself and his children to Christ, preserves his wealth, and does not share an abundant estate with the poverty of the needy.”

Cyprian of Carthage (190-258) in his Treatise 8. On Works and Alms, 17.

This may be a long post and may employ somewhat archaic English but don’t miss the powerful message. The widow did not do two things we also must not do.

Firstly, she did not hesitate. In our generosity to God’s work, we must not hesitate. Not for a minute. When God whispers, nudges, moves us to give, or puts opportunities before us to deploy His resources, we must not hesitate.

Secondly, she gave no preference. This may even offend some people. But hear this. We must put God ahead of our family. God will also call us to care for our family but we must never say family first but rather God first in all things.

If we do not hesitate and show no preference, God will look after us and our families like he did look after the widow. This is what Christ will do for us.

Our role is to live, give, serve, and love with no hesitation and no preference trusting Christ to care for us and our families better than we can. Let’s do this.

And pray for God’s blessing today on the Stations of Generosity Youth event serving the young people of Cayman Islands. Thanks. We pray a movement starts here from their radical obedience.

[Jesus] looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; He also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them, for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.” Luke 21:1-4

“But you who are such as this, cannot labour in the Church. For your eyes, overcast with the gloom of blackness, and shadowed in night, do not see the needy and poor. You are wealthy and rich, and do you think that you celebrate the Lord’s Supper, not at all considering the offering, who come to the Lord’s Supper without a sacrifice, and yet take part of the sacrifice which the poor man has offered?

Consider in the Gospel the widow that remembered the heavenly precepts, doing good even amidst the difficulties and straits of poverty, casting two mites, which were all that she had, into the treasury; whom when the Lord observed and saw, regarding her work not for its abundance, but for its intention, and considering not how much, but from how much, she had given, He answered and said, “Verily I say unto you, that that widow hath cast in more than they all into the offerings of God. For all these have, of that which they had in abundance, cast in unto the offerings of God; but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.”

Greatly blessed and glorious woman, who even before the day of judgment hast merited to be praised by the voice of the Judge! Let the rich be ashamed of their barrenness and unbelief. The widow, the widow needy in means, is found rich in works. And although everything that is given is conferred upon widows and orphans, she gives, whom it behoved to receive, that we may know thence what punishment, awaits the barren rich man, when by this very instance even the poor ought to labour in good works.

And in order that we may understand that their labors are given to God, and that whoever performs them deserves well of the Lord, Christ calls this “the offerings of God,” and intimates that the widow has cast in two farthings into the offerings of God, that it may be more abundantly evident that he who hath pity on the poor lendeth to God.”

Cyprian of Carthage (190-258) in his Treatise 8. On Works and Alms, 15.

Let Cyprian’s words sink in.

Jesus cares “not how much, but from how much” we give. Or in plain terms, He cares not about how much we give, but about how much we hold back and what that says about our hearts.

If you have an abundance, let me suggest a place to put it.

Share it with the poor of the world, but not as a handout that creates a dependency. Give them a hand up to build them as disciples who can build up others. Give to GTP here.

That’s our work at GTP. Let me explain.

We have workers in places like Albania, Brazil, and Japan begging for GTP to engage translation work of resources to help them strengthen administration, local resource development, and biblical governance of ministry.

They don’t want to rely on handouts from outsiders. They want to be taught and trained to aid others.

That’s partly what I am doing in Cayman Islands this week (pictured above). At GTP, we’ve poured into workers like Rev. Dr. Sylvia Wilks. She has passed the instruction on to others.

It’s resulted in a movement to form a peer accountability group here.

But let’s go back to your situation. If you are sitting on earthly wealth, then Cyprian’s words are fitting for you. Don’t be overcome by “barrenness and unbelief” but put in all you have so that you too may be “praised by the voice of the Judge.”

You never realize that Christ is all you need until He’s your only hope for today and the future.

If this seems radical to you, I want to invite you to journey through Lent with me and GTP. I wrote a devotional book called Lent Companion, and will be doing three instructional zooms during Lent on Giving, Prayer, and Fasting.

Click here to register to join this global Lent cohort at no cost.

You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Revelation 3:17-18

“You are mistaken, and are deceived, whosoever you are, that think yourself rich in this world. Listen to the voice of your Lord in the Apocalypse, rebuking men of your stamp with righteous reproaches: “Thou sayest,” says He, “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness may not appear in thee; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see.” [Revelation 3:17-18] You therefore, who are rich and wealthy, buy for yourself of Christ gold tried by fire; that you may be pure gold, with your filth burnt out as if by fire, if you are purged by almsgiving and righteous works. Buy for yourself white raiment, that you who had been naked according to Adam, and were before frightful and unseemly, may be clothed with the white garment of Christ. And you who are a wealthy and rich matron in Christ’s Church, anoint your eyes, not with the collyrium of the devil,  but with Christ’s eye-salve, that you may be able to attain to see God, by deserving well of God, both by good works and character.”

Cyprian of Carthage (190-258) in his Treatise 8. On Works and Alms, 14.

This post touched me deeply. My prayer for my 5,322 daily posts and counting is for them to serve as salve “so you can see” what to do with earthly riches.

I appreciate hearing him say that almsgiving and righteous works purge us.

Some people misunderstand that as sounding like our works save us. They do not. Almsgiving and righteous works sanctify or cleanse us from worldly thinking and behavior.

I fly from Newark to George Town, Grand Cayman today. Pray for safe travel.

Pray also for my GTP meetings this week activating a peer accountability movement in Cayman Islands. That country is known for great banking standards.

Soon also for their church and ministry administration and governance standards.

But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ Luke 12:20

“Wherefore do you applaud yourself in those vain and silly conceits, as if you were withheld from good works by fear and solicitude for the future? Why do you lay out before you certain shadows and omens of a vain excuse? Yea, confess what is the truth; and since you cannot deceive those who know, utter forth the secret and hidden things of your mind. The gloom of barrenness has besieged your mind; and while the light of truth has departed thence, the deep and profound darkness of avarice has blinded your carnal heart. You are the captive and slave of your money; you are bound with the chains and bonds of covetousness; and you whom Christ had once loosed, are once more in chains. You keep your money, which, when kept, does not keep you. You heap up a patrimony which burdens you with its weight; and you do not remember what God answered to the rich man, who boasted with a foolish exultation of the abundance of his exuberant harvest: “Thou fool,” said He, “this night thy soul is required of thee; then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?” Why do you watch in loneliness over your riches? why for your punishment do you heap up the burden of your patrimony, that, in proportion as you are rich in this world, you may become poor to God? Divide your returns with the Lord your God; share your gains with Christ; make Christ a partner with you in your earthly possessions, that He also may make you a fellow-heir with Him in His heavenly kingdom.”

Cyprian of Carthage (190-258) in his Treatise 8. On Works and Alms, 13.

Cyprian has a way with words.

Today he points out that fear and solicitude seem logical but they limit our generosity and guide us down a path of foolishness and disobedience.

Instead, he beckons us to do the opposite of what the world teaches us.

He says, “Divide your returns with the Lord your God; share your gains with Christ; make Christ a partner with you in your earthly possessions, that He also may make you a fellow-heir with Him in His heavenly kingdom.”

As we approach Lent, it takes shape as a season to learn to divide and share.

The more we do it, the more we realize that it loosens the chains and bonds of covetousness and puts us on a path of freedom and joy. Stay tuned as I will invite you to do Lent together.

And pray for me as I travel to Newark today to connect to Grand Cayman in the morning tomorrow.

GTP has been invited to come do a “Stewardship and Standards” launch event to form a working group who will draft standards and start a peer accountability group (like ECFA in USA) for Cayman Islands.

I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. Luke 16:9

“Unless you imagine that he who feeds Christ is not himself fed by Christ, or that earthly things will be wanting to those to whom heavenly and divine things are given, whence this unbelieving thought, whence this impious and sacrilegious consideration? What does a faithless heart do in the home of faith? Why is he who does not altogether trust in Christ named and called a Christian? The name of Pharisee is more fitting for you. For when in the Gospel the Lord was discoursing concerning almsgiving, and faithfully and wholesomely warned us to make to ourselves friends of our earthly lucre by provident good works, who might afterwards receive us into eternal dwellings, the Scripture added after this, and said, “But the Pharisees heard all these things, who were very covetous, and they derided Him” [Luke 16:14] Some suchlike we see now in the Church, whose closed ears and darkened hearts admit no light from spiritual and saving warnings, of whom we need not wonder that they contemn the servant in his discourses, when we see the Lord Himself despised by such.”

Cyprian of Carthage (190-258) in his Treatise 8. On Works and Alms, 12.

We show whether we rank among Christians or Pharisees by how we relate to and handle worldly wealth. This statement from Cyprian aims to shock us and get our attention. He adds that in the Church we see people with “closed ears and darkened hearts” and this condition admits “no light from spiritual and saving warnings.”

At times, I can relate to this perspective. I feel my role is prophetic. To call people, myself included, to align with biblical patterns and to remind people of the consequences of disobedience. To hold on to worldly or material wealth on earth or store it up for yourself instead of using it for eternal purposes places you among the Pharisees. Is that where you want to be?

To rank among Christians, use all you are and all you have for earthly responsibilities and to accomplish eternal purposes. You will find life and joy coupled with inevitable challenges that strengthen your faith and dependence on God when you choose the righteous path.

Don’t allow covetousness to trick you into holding on to wealth, like it did to the Pharisees, lest it drag you to destruction like it did for them.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. Psalm 23:1

“Are you afraid that your patrimony perchance may fall short, if you should begin to do liberally from it? Yet when has it ever happened that resources could fail the righteous man, since it is written, “The Lord will not slay with famine the righteous soul?” [Proverbs 10:3] Elijah in the desert is fed by the ministry of ravens; and a meal from heaven is made ready for Daniel in the den, when shut up by the king’s command for a prey to the lions; and you are afraid that food should be wanting to you, laboring and deserving well of the Lord, although He Himself in the gospel bears witness, for the rebuke of those whose mind is doubtful and faith small, and says: “Behold the fowls of heaven, that they sow not, nor reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them: are you not of more value than they?” God feeds the fowls, and daily food is afforded to the sparrows; and to creatures which have no sense of things divine there is no want of drink or food. Thinkest thou that to a Christian — thinkest thou that to a servant of the Lord — thinkest thou that to one given up to good works — thinkest thou that to one that is dear to his Lord, anything will be wanting?”

Cyprian of Carthage (190-258) in his Treatise 8. On Works and Alms, 11.

We are getting a massive winter storm in Denver. It’s wet and heavy. It’s how God supplies moisture to the land. He’s a faithful Supplier of everything creation needs and everything we need. And it’s beautiful to look at!

I appreciated the recollection that He cared for Elijah and Daniel and will care for the righteous. This represents another one of those choices we must make. If we choose the right path, He will care for us too.

This brings to mind the well-known psalm and today’s Scripture reference. When the LORD is our shepherd we shall have no want. If we decide, instead, to shepherd ourselves, we will live in perpetual want. It’s the result of our own choice.

Generosity comes into view today in two ways. One, God is the faithful Provider of the righteous. And two, those who trust in Him to supply get to reflect a righteous witness of experiencing no want to a watching world.