AS THEY APPROACHED JERUSALEM AND CAME TO BETHPAGE ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, JESUS SENT TWO DISCIPLES, " GO TO THE VILLAGE AHEAD OF YOU AND AT ONCE YOU SHALL FIND A DONKEY TIED THERE WITH HER COLT BY HER. UNTIE THEM AND BRING THEM TO ME. IF ANYONE SAYS ANYTHING TO YOU, TELL THEM THE LORD NEEDS THEM FOR TRANSPORTATION. THIS WAS THE PROPHECY. OF COURSE THAT JESUS WAS TO FULFILL. IN THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE, ONE TURNS THE PAGE AFTER MALACHI AND FINDS MATTHEW AS IF A FEW DAYS FELL BETWEEN THE ACTIVITIES OF THE PROPHET AND THE ARRIVAL OF JESUS CHRIST. IN REALITY, HOWEVER, FOUR HUNDRED "SILENT YEARS" LIE BETWEEN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND NEW, A TIME WHEN GOD DID NOT SPEAK TO ISRAEL THROUGH HIS PROPHETS.. YET DESPITE THE PROPHETS SILENCE, GOD CONTINUED TO WORK IN HIS PEOPLE, AND OTHER NATIONS, AND THE SUPERNATURAL REALM. HE LED ISRAEL THROUGH A TIME OF TESTING THAT DEVELOPED A SENSE OF HOPE, AND A BURNING DESIRE FOR THE PROMISED MESSIAH. HE BROUGHT THE FOUR NATIONS PROPHESIED IN DANIEL
VISION. GOD ALSO PREPARED TO FULFILL HIS PROMISE TO THE SERPENT IN EDEN: " I WILL PUT ANIMOSITY BETWEEN YOU AND THE WOMEN, AND BETWEEN YOUR DESCENDANT AND HER DESCENDANT; HE WILL BRUISE YOUR HEAD, AND YOU WILL BRUISE HIS HEEL (GEN 3: 15). YOU KNOW GOD NEVER SLEEPS, AND THOUGH HE MAY NOT COMMUNICATE AS WE EXPECT HIM TO, BUT HE ALWAYS SPEAKS TO A RECEPTIVE. HEART. IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN, THE OLD TESTAMENT IS YOUR SPIRITUAL HISTORY, THE PROMISES AND CALLING OF GOD TO ISRAEL ARE YOUR HISTORICAL CALLINGS. WHEN WE ALL GET HOME, THERE'S SOMEONE I WANT TO KNOW. I DON'T KNOW HIS NAME, OR WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE. I ONLY KNOW FROM SCRIPTURES WHAT HE GAVE JESUS. HE GAVE A DONKEY TO JESUS ON THE SUNDAY HE ENTERED JERUSALEM. "GO TO THE TOWN YOU CAN SEE THERE. WHEN YOU ENTER IT, YOU WILL QUICKLY FIND A DONKEY TIED THERE WITH A COLT UNTIE THEM AND BRING THEM TO ME. IF ANYONE ASKS YOU WHY YOU ARE TAKING THE DO WAS IT HARD TO GIVE? WAS IT DIFFICULT TO GIVE SOMETHING TO JESUS. I KNOW THE TIMES I TRY TO GIVE MY WIFE SOMETHING, SHE ALWAYS RESPONSES :"I DON'T NEED THAT? HOW DID IT FEEL TO LOOK OUT AND SEE JESUS ON THE BACK OF A DONKEY? WERE YOU SURPRISED? WERE YOU PROUD? WERE YOU ANNOYED? DID YOU KNOW? DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEA THAT YOUR GENEROSITY WOULD BE USED FOR SUCH A NOBLE PURPOSE? DID IT EVER OCCUR TO YOU THAT GOD WAS GOING TO RIDE YOUR DONKEY? WERE YOU AWARE THAT ALL FOUR GOSPEL WRITERS WERE GOING TO TELL YOUR STORY? DID IT EVER CROSS YOUR MIND, THAT A REV. DEACON IN 2019, WOULD PUT IT IN HIS BLOG? I WONDER OF YOUR PLIGHT AS I PONDER MY PLIGHT! SOMETIMES I GET THE FEELING THAT GOD ONCE ME TO GIVE HIM SOMETHING AND SOMETIMES I DON'T BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE? THEN I FEEL I MISSED MY CHANCE? AND OTHER TIMES, TOO FEW TIMES WOULD BE USED TO CARRY JESUS TO ANOTHER PLACE. STILL OTHER TIMES I WONDER IF MY LITTLE DEEDS TODAY WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LONG HAUL? MAYBE YOU HAD THOSE QUESTIONS TOO. ALL OF US HAVE A DONKEY. YOU AND I EACH HAVE SOMETHING IN OUR LIVES, WHICH IF GIVEN BACK TO GOD COULD, LIKE THE DONKEY MOVE JESUS AND HIS STORY FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD. WHICH EVER, THAT'S YOUR DONKEY. THAT DONKEY BELONGS TO JESUS. YOUR GIFTS ARE HIS AND THEY BELONG TO HIM. THE ORIGINAL WORDING OF THE INSTRUCTIONS JESUS GAVE TO HIS DISCIPLES IS PROOF: " IF ANYBODY ASKS WHY YOUR TAKING THE DONKEYS, YOU ARE TO SAY, ' ITS LORD IS IN NEED'"
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