Gregory of Nazianzus: Show yourself generous

Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it. 2 Corinthians 8:24

“Let me turn to what is of less importance: the visible world around us. What Benefactor has enabled you to look out upon the beauty of the sky, the sun in its course, the circle of the moon, the countless number of starts, with the harmony and order that are theirs, like the music of a harp? Who has blessed you with rain… Who has given you dominion over animals, those that are tame and those that provide you with food? … Is it not God who asks you now in your turn to show yourself generous above all other creatures and for the sake of all other creatures?”

Gregory of Nazianzus (329-390) in his Oration 14 as recounted Milton Walsh in Witness of the Saints: Patristic Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012) 228.

Jenni and I bought a home in Sterling Ranch. It’s a carefully planned community in the southern part of Littleton, Colorado. They will build 12,000 homes and ours around number 1,800. Hopefully you can visit us sometime.

Why mention this today? It inspired me. When I am not serving the Lord around the world for GTP, God has give us a peaceful place to live with mountain views and fields for Grace (our German Shorthaired Pointer) to run.

Here, we soak in His mercy and love, His lovingkindness and faithfulness, His boundless grace and matchless love. The stuff we cannot see about God with our eyes is the best of all. We only see it when we pause to ponder.

His goodness is better than the sun by day and the stars by night. It surpasses the beauty of blue sky and the snow that can falls in 11 of the 12 months of the year. This is why our hearts overflow with gratitude and generosity.

What about you? Walk outside. Count the blessings from our Benefactor God that you can see. Then go beyond those. What good things has He lavished on you that you cannot see. Now determine how you can show yourself generous.

Consider a gift to GTP today. As part of the cancel culture, our bank accounts were closed abruptly and frozen because of our Christian commitment. We’ve had to open new ones and need to make payroll this week. Show yourself generous.

And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” Mark 15:39

“His prayer to God was pure, His alone out of all mankind, for in the midst of His suffering He prayed for His persecutors: Father, for give them, for they do not know what they are doing. It is possible to offer, or even to imagine, a purer kind of prayer than that which shows mercy on one’s torturers by making intercession for them? It was thanks to this kind of prayer that the frenzied persecutors who shed the blood of our Redeemer drank it afterward in faith and proclaimed Him to be the Son of God.”

Gregory the Great (c. 130-202) in his treatise on Job as recounted Milton Walsh in Witness of the Saints: Patristic Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012) 634.

As I process generosity in light of the unwarranted injustice and affliction this week, God is revealing to me that we must not be overcome by evil, but that we can overcome it with good by praying for our persecutors.

In the case of the crucifixion of Christ, our Lord was not overcome by their evil but overcame it with good with His “purer kind of prayer” from the cross. He asked God to show mercy on those whose aims were malicious.

Notice what happened. Gregory rightly reveals that how He spoke to them. How He prayed for them. How He died, convinced them that He was the Son of God. It led the worst people to see Him for who He was. What’s the lesson for all of us?

I am learning that anger is an easy, fleshly response to evil treatment. And, it accomplishes nothing. Alternatively, when we show generosity in times of crisis, we reveal a power greater than evil and it can transform our oppressors.

To learn more about the recent adversity, read the 14 April 2023 post here. Thanks to those who made gifts to GTP in response. We remain unsure whether we can make payroll and pay bills this week. Give as you are able here. Thanks.

Father, for give them, for they do not know what they are doing.

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5

“The reason why God requires service from man is this: because He is good and merciful and He desires to confer benefits on those who persevere in His service. In proportion to God’s need of nothing is man’s need for communion with God. This is the glory of man: to persevere and remain in the service of God.”

Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130-202) in Against Heresies as recounted Milton Walsh in Witness of the Saints: Patristic Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012) 235.

If you read yesterday’s post, you will see that at GTP we are experiencing a time of affliction. Thanks to those who have come to our aid. We are still in need of assistance. If you are able, make a gift here.

I am discerning this week in studying the lives of Nehemiah, Joseph, and Daniel that they did what God called them to do, and endured great difficulty, and grew through the process. God help us endure likewise.

I am praying that GTP grows stronger through this time of suffering and glorifies God by our perseverance. If you are facing hard times, I pray your suffering produces perseverance and hope because of the matchless love of God.

This is God’s generosity at it’s best. He gives us what we need, when we need it. He confers unfathomable benefits on those who don’t grow weary and lose heart. We’ve got this. God’s got us. Let us glory in our sufferings.

And He directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. Matthew 14:19

“If God is love, charity should know no limit for God cannot be confined… Let us now extend to the poor and those afflicted in different ways a more open-handed generosity, so that God may be thanked through many voices and the relief of the needy supported by our fasting.

No act of devotion on the part of the faithful givers God more pleasure than that which is lavished on the poor. Where he finds charity with its loving concern, there he recognizes the reflection of his own fatherly care. In these acts of giving do not fear lack of means.

A generous spirit is itself great wealth. There can be no shortage of material for generosity where it is Christ who feeds and Christ who is fed. In all this activity, there is present the hand of Him who multiplies the bread by breaking it, and increases it by giving it away.”

Leo the Great (c. 400-461) in Lent 10 as recounted Milton Walsh in Witness of the Saints: Patristic Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012) 602.

GTP has been afflicted. Rather than express animosity toward a bank, I want to extend to them what I want to receive: charity. This is one of those, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” moments.

I am sad to share that our bank accounts, both for operations and savings, were (unjustly!) cancelled and frozen. The cancel culture is real and antagonism toward Christian causes has brought affliction to GTP. Here’s the short story.

I went to the bank to withdraw cash for GTP program work in Benin, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal, parts of the world where most everything required cash for payment. The new manager, not sympathetic to Christian work asked me probing questions about GTP and it’s operations.

It started to get uncomfortable and then to my surprise, he refused to allow me to make a withdrawal which was well under the $10,000 legal limit for notifying the government. His claimed reasoning was that it would lower their available cash for other customers. But I could tell he had an alternate agenda.

I left and called the CFO and said, “How close are we to opening an account with our new bank?” For months the GTP Finance and Audit Committee has discerned this might happen, by the grace of God, were in the final stages of opening an account. Due diligence in the current banking world takes a long time.

And it has been hard to locate a financial institution comfortable with the fact that GTP is unashamedly Christian and legally receives and sends money from all over the world. We have gotten gifts from 56 countries. We’ve sent money to far fewer countries. Mostly capacity building grants, and we do all the necessary government processes for sending money overseas.

At any rate, our account failed to pay a credit card bill on Monday and we learned the hard way that our accounts were frozen and we don’t have access to our funds for at least a few weeks. That’s hard when payroll is next week. God has supplied some checks this week, for which we praise Him.

But we may have obligations this month and have insufficient available funds. So that said, if you have resources you can deploy to GTP, please make a gift using our Square or PayPal giving portals today. Or reply to this email if you want our new bank account info to make a transfer to us.

Let Jesus multiply your bread by breaking it and sharing it. Please give generously in our time of affliction. Thank you.

So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures. James 1:16-18 (The Message)

“Since God knew that man is enticed by favors, He wished to bind him to His love by means of His gifts… He gave Him a soul, made in His likeness, and endowed with memory, intellect, and will; He gave him a body equipped with the senses; it was for him that He created heaven and earth and such abundance of things. He made all the things out of love for man, so that all creation might serve man, and man in turn might love God out of gratitude for so many gifts.”

Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) in Practice as recounted Milton Walsh in Witness of the Saints: Patristic Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012) 234.

Today’s post comes with a friendly warning in life after Easter. As you walk with God, don’t be surprised if He showers you with gifts. Receive them. Enjoy them. But don’t stop there!

Share them as well. Because whatever we hold onto tends to get a hold onto us. The gifts can replace the Giver in our hearts. Don’t let it happen. What’s the remedy to avoid this problem.

You guessed it. Generous giving. As God blesses you. Respond lovingly. Imitate His generosity by giving gifts from what you have. See what happens. Join me in cultivating gratitude and generosity.

Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man. Nehemiah 1:11

“O God, grant that whatever good things I have, I may share generously with those who have not, and whatever good things I do not have, I may request humbly from those who do.”

Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) in Bitter and Sweet: A Journey into Easter by Tsh Oxenreider (Eugene: Harvest House, 2022) 54.

Tomorrow I am teaching in the GTP Emerging and Established Stewards webinar series offering a biblical perspective on top pressing issues for CEOs. Click here to attend (or get access to the recording). One of my biblical examples is Nehemiah.

I love how he asks questions, demonstrates empathy, cries out to God with fasting, confession, and prayer, and then requests humbly what he needs from his friend, King Artaxerxes, while trusting God to grant him favor. CEO’s today need to do likewise.

With Aquinas let us share generously what God supplies. And when we have needs, teach us to request them humbly while trusting God to supply. When we follow this path, God’s work gets done in a way that brings God maximum glory.

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:7

“Prayer is an aspiration of the heart. It is a simple glance directed to Heaven. It is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trial as well as joy. Finally, it is something great, supernatural, which expands my soul and unites me to Jesus.”

Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897) as recounted by James McCaffrey in The Way of the Carmelites: A Prayer Journey Through Lent (London: SPCK, 2017) 43.

During Lent we focused on prayer to prepare us for life after Easter. Thérèse calls a cry of gratitude and love that expands our souls and unites us to Jesus.

After the resurrection, Jesus commissioned the disciples to multiply themselves, and He promised the gift of His presence. We can talk to our risen Lord anytime.

And prayer is not some lofty exercise. We abide with Him in real-time with a “simple glance” heavenward in times of trial as well as moments of joy.

This relates to generosity because in life after Easter, He will call us out of our comfort zones. He beckons us out of the grandstands of life and into the game. It’s go time!

And because His tomb is empty, we know we will be filled with whatever we need to live, give, serve, and love generously. All we need to do is ask with gratitude and love.

Don’t overcomplicate this. Remain connected with our risen Lord through prayer and sense Him with you every moment.

We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! 1 Corinthians 4:10

“Out of gratitude and love for Him, we should desire to be reckoned fools and glory in wearing His livery.”

Ignatius of Loyola in his Constitutions as recounted by Jean-Joseph Surin in Perfect Fools, ed. by John Saward (Oxford: OUP, 1980) 141.

Through church history, those who celebrate the resurrection have been reckoned as fools. We get to join those ranks in life after Easter. And I particularly like what Ignatius adds to this idea. He says to “glory in wearing His livery.”

But what does this mean? Our gratitude and love motivate us to wear His name and proverbial uniform. It basically means that because of gratitude for His work on the cross for us we will bear his name and any public shame that goes with it.

The Corinthians, it seems, had conformed to the culture instead of Christ. They wanted to look good for the world. Let’s not fall into that trap. Instead, let your love and gratitude drive you to live differently and radically generously.

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7

“Cheerfulness consists in not regarding things as our own, but as entrusted to us by God for the benefit of our fellow servants. It consists in scattering them abroad generously with joy and magnanimity, not reluctantly or under compulsion.”

Symeon the New Theologian (949-1022) in “Wisdom of the Saints” posted by the Greek Orthodox Community of Prince George.

Happy Easter. My word for the year is gratitude and I am learning how it connects with cheerfulness.

When our gratitude motivates us to give our lives as generous, living sacrifices like Christ gave His life for us, the motivating factor that surfaces is cheerfulness. We don’t have to do it, we get to do it.

I pray you have a blessed day of celebrating the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. But I hope it does not stop there. In response, let us live, give, serve, and love others with cheerfulness.

Everything we possess has been entrusted to us to be enjoyed and scattered “abroad generously with joy and magnanimity.” What will this look like for you in life after Lent?

My prayer is that our Lenten fasting, praying, and serving has prepared us for cheerful and generous living on Easter and beyond.

What does “He ascended” mean except that He also descended to the lower, earthly regions? Ephesians 4:9

“The view of the early church fathers and the consensus view through the centuries has been that it refers to a descent of Christ to the underworld. Although a difficult issue, this view appears to have the greatest amount of evidence to support it. Many theologians refer to it as the decensus ad infernos…

This passage thus has significant lines of correspondence with 1 Peter 3:19 where Peter says that Christ “went and preached to the spirits in prison” following his death… the text speaks of Christ’s descending to the underworld and proclaiming a message of victory over the rebellious demonic powers.”

Clinton E. Arnold in Ephesians (ZECNT; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010) 253-254.

What did Jesus do between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday?

A few verses give us clues that come together to reveal He was working in Hades. Today’s Scripture places Jesus in the lower earthly regions. And this verse from Matthew locates Him in the heart of the earth.

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:40

It seems He was in Hades proclaiming good news, victory over death. This would explain why saints who had died were raised from the dead.

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. Matthew 27:51-53

He also appears to have been preaching to the dead. Perhaps giving them an opportunity to find life. We don’t know exactly.

For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. 1 Peter 4:6

But the cool part for us is that Jesus did not stay there.

Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that He was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did His body see decay. Acts 2:31

This relates to our generosity in this way. And don’t miss this. Between His death and the resurrection, Jesus did the proverbial “dirty work” the Father mapped out for Him. He went to Hades to do good work: decensus ad infernos.

Now I realize you and I cannot travel to Hades, but God might have us go to some difficult places to accomplish His plan and purposes. And often no one will see or know what precisely we did. That’s okay, God sees and knows.

And we can proclaim good news in those places like Jesus did. I have experienced this in my recent travels. It’s true, which is why I testify that when we do this, prepare to watch life conquer death. See the evil spirits run and help captives find freedom.

Ponder with gratitude the life you have in Jesus today and where He might want you to descend.