“As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”
Tipping Point, Point of No Return, Watershed Moment, Life-Altering Event.
As we look back on Holy Week on this Easter Monday, it is helpful to recognize the critical moment that occurred on Palm Sunday, which set in motion Christ’s path to His all-sufficient sacrificial death and resurrection.
On Palm Sunday Jesus sent two followers to bring a colt on which he would sit for his entrance into Jerusalem. By this intentional symbolic action, Christ clearly communicated his kingship to the expectant crowds of Passover pilgrims by fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9:
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Note the insight of Andreas Köstenberger and Justin Taylor in their book The Final Days of Jesus,
“Up to this point in Jesus’s ministry, he could still have managed to live a long, happy, peaceful life, but his actions on Sunday set in motion a series of events that could result only in either his overthrow of the Romans and the current religious establishment—or his brutal death. He has crossed the point of no return; there would be no turning back. Caesar could allow no rival kings.”
The rugged cross, empty tomb, ascension and intercession today on our behalf all have their origins in Christ’s willingness to cross the threshold of mounting the colt that Sunday so many years ago.
What tipping points will we encounter, as followers of Christ, that begin a domino effect of Kingdom Impact, as we live no longer for ourselves “but for Him who died and was raised again our behalf?” (2 Cor. 5:15)
Traveling abroad always involves determining if there’s a need for an adapter for the power outlets. However, the truths of Scripture differ in that their application is universal.
I recently began reading Thomas Watson’s wonderful book entitled The Beatitudes notes, where he provides a valuable commentary on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7.
The influence of the passage throughout history is well documented. Augustine described the Sermon on the Mount as a perfect standard of the Christian life. Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s classic work The Cost of Discipleship was inspired by an exposition of the Sermon on the Mount. Even unbelievers, such as Gandhi, were deeply impressed and influenced by the Sermon on the Mount.
One might wonder why Christ began with Poverty of Spirit in His list of eight beatitudes. Watson provides insightful thoughts:
“Poor in spirit signifies those who are brought to the sense of their sins, and seeing no goodness in themselves, despair in themselves and sue wholly to the mercy of God in Christ…Why does Christ here begin with poverty of spirit? Why is this put in the forefront? I answer, Christ does it to show that poverty of spirit is the very basis and foundation of all the other graces which follow. You may as well expect fruit to grow without a root, as the other graces without poverty of spirit. Until a man is poor in spirit, he cannot mourn. Poverty of spirit is like the fire under the still, which makes the water drop from the eyes. When a man sees his own defects and deformities, and looks upon himself as undone—then he mourns after Christ. Until a man is poor in spirit, he cannot ‘hunger and thirst after righteousness’. He must first be sensible of need, before he can hunger. Therefore Christ begins with poverty of spirit—because this ushers in all the rest.”
So while the need for power adapters differs from nation to nation, poverty of spirit is the required, universal prerequisite for ushering in other qualities that bring God’s blessing.
That’s the number of times I’ve almost fallen (plus 1 actual spill) recently at the end of runs, as a result of shuffling my feet. As I was nearing the finish line, instead of lengthening my strides and finishing strong, I found myself almost tumbling to the ground from my foot catching a curb, root, rock or sidewalk edge.
I’d become complacent and careless and have scar on my hand, even now, to remind me of the need to be vigilant to avoid obstacles on my path.
The Apostle Paul notes how the Lord kept him from stumbling on complacency, carelessness and conceitedness in 2 Corinthians 12 when he describes a “thorn in the flesh” that God used to keep him humble:
“Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor. 12:7-10)
No one knows for certain whether Paul was referring to a physical, spiritual, emotional or relational affliction; however, we do know the thorn’s purpose: “To keep him from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations.” God’s goal in allowing the thorn in the flesh was to keep Paul humble.
The above example of the Apostle Paul as well as this quote below should remind us of “God’s Gift of Unanswered Prayer.”
“If God answered all the prayers we put up to heaven, we should need no other scourge. Blessed it is that we have One who is too loving to grant what we too often so rashly ask.”—F. Whitfield.
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
After twenty years in ministry, I am constantly in search of analogies that can be used to help communicate that the truths contained in God’s Word. I’ve often found such object lessons sitting in DC traffic, by means of bumper stickers or vanity license plates…or in this case both. The above bumper sticker, affixed to the automobile of a proud atheist, addresses God’s gift of common grace.
Pastor John MacArthur provides a great explanation of this concept:
Common grace is a term theologians use to describe the goodness of God to all mankind universally. Common grace restrains sin and the effects of sin on the human race. Common grace is what keeps humanity from descending into the morass of evil that we would see if the full expression of our fallen nature were allowed to have free reign.
Scripture teaches that we are totally depraved—tainted with sin in every aspect of our being (Rom. 3:10–18). People who doubt this doctrine often ask, “How can people who are supposedly totally depraved enjoy beauty, have a sense of right and wrong, know the pangs of a wounded conscience, or produce great works of art and literature? Aren’t these accomplishments of humanity proof that the human race is essentially good? Don’t these things testify to the basic goodness of human nature?”
And the answer is no. Human nature is utterly corrupt. “There is none righteous, not even one” (Rom. 3:10). “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick” (Jer. 17:9). Unregenerate men and women are “dead in … trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). 1
And yet human beings, though fallen in sin, retain a semblance of the “image of God” in which they were originally created (Gen. 9:6: 1 Cor. 11:7), and as result, God exercises such influence that even an unsaved individual is enabled to feel, love, care and perform good deeds toward his fellow man. And so, in response to the above bumper sticker, “Yes, God does work in the world even through the lives of people who don’t believe in Him, and have rejected the gift of salvation from their sins in the person and sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, known as the gospel message.” (Rom. 5:8)
“The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works” (Psalm 145:9)
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail” (Lamentations 3:22)
“[God] causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45)
“[God] is kind to the ungrateful and wicked” (Luke 6:35)
By God’s grace unbelievers can be altruistic and charitable. However followers of Christ have a calling higher than that of philanthropy. The greatest good comes in glorifying God, and making Him known amongst the nations. “Altruism is not the Gospel, but only a shadow of it.”2 And, as Eric Wright notes in “A Practical Theology of Missions,” failure to address spiritual poverty as well as physical poverty is not, in fact, missionary activity but only common grace philanthropy:
“Missionary activity that fails to focus on the proclamation of the gospel fails to be missionary. Philanthropy, perhaps; missions, no.”
Even notable atheists, such as Matthew Parris, have recognized and affirmed the benefits of Christians offering more than common grace charitable efforts:
“Now a confirmed atheist, I’ve become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people’s hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good.”3
Common grace philanthropy is a gift from the Heavenly Father, but, far more important, is sustaining and saving grace found only in the person of Jesus Christ.
“For in [Christ Jesus] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together…For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Colossians 1:16, 19-20)
