Each year Empowering Action receives approximately 30% of its $400,000 budget in the year-end months of November and December, making it an extremely critical time in defining the degree to which EA can continue to serve our network of over 1,000 pastors in 3 countries, in reaching over 20,000 impoverished individuals yearly.

Over the past 4 years God has been beyond gracious in providing supportive donors who have served us financially, in order that we might serve others proudly in the name of Jesus Christ.

There is a wonderful story in Exodus chapters 35-36, where God gives instructions to the Israelites for a voluntary offering to be taken to build the tabernacle. It is a powerful story of hearts stirred to contribute to a God-ordained initiative, apart from human manipulation and with such generosity that supporters had to be told to stop giving!

I’ve provided a few of my notes below, as I have been reflecting on and praying over this passage during this defining moment in the life of EA, in the hope that God might also move the hearts of EA supporters to give with such overwhelming generosity for His glory.

I pray you also are edified and encouraged by this example of faithful stewardship.

“And the people came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord’s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments.” (Exodus 35:20-21)

• Literally, whose “affections were set on the work”

“And they received from Moses all the contribution that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning.” (Exodus 36:3)

• Even willing hearts need to be told, now is the time to give. Moses informed them, and the people responded.

“The craftsman said to Moses, “The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.” So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more.” (Exodus 36:4-7)

• Giving can be abundant apart from human manipulation and tricks.
• “When the heart is truly stirred, and the spirit makes willing, giving ceases to be calculating. Nothing is too precious to be given, no amount is too great.” – G. Campbell Morgan
• The job was organized and planned to the extent that they understood what they needed, and when they had more than enough.
• When God’s people are asked to give to something, they should expect that it be well organized, planned, and managed.

“It must have been both a disappointment and a frustration to those who had delayed their gifts because they could not bear to part with their treasures, and who now found that God had no further need of them. His work was finished, but they had excluded themselves from any share in it: God deliver us from such a frustration.” – R. Alan Cole

“We are convinced that if there were less solicitation for money and more dependence upon the power of the Holy Ghost and the deepening of spiritual life, the experience of Moses would be a common one in every branch of Christian work.” – Hudson Taylor