DO NOT SHUT-UP< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Luke 18: 35-43

In any given situation where there is a need, do not shut-up from asking the Almighty God. Also, you should never allow the multitude or crowd to shut you out of your miracle. Jesus, in all His passing by, produces a miracle while in all of the multitudes passing by, there will always be obstacle. Jesus, in one of His trips to < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Jericho, was to pass by the blind Bartimaeus. Luke 18: 36-37, ÒAnd hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. 37 So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.Ó Bartimaeus was determined to receive his healing in the passing by of Jesus, but the crowds were out to deny his miracle. The crowd was an agent of hindrance; they were to serve as obstacle for his miracle. Are you experiencing any obstacle in your expectation for healing or breakthrough miracle? The same Jesus that was then is still the same that is today. Also, the same function of the crowd yesterday is still the same function of the crowd today. When there is a need is not the time to shut ourselves up; it is the time to ask and not pay attention to the crowd that is surrounding us. Today, ask for the grace of God not to shut up or allow the challenges of situations to keep us silent. Will you be willing to act like Bartimaeus? Luke 18:38-39, ÒAnd he cried out, saying, ÒJesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!Ó 39 Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, ÒSon of David, have mercy on me!Ó  Bartimaeus crying out did not fall on empty ground. Jesus responded to Bartimaeus and his obstacle was converted into a miracle. Ask God for the grace not to shut- up when crowds intercept your request.

COLT< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Luke 19:28-38

All things were created for His pleasure. He is the Lord God Almighty. He created man to serve Him. Anytime there is a shortage in serving Him, fullness in bondage will take its place. Besides going to Sunday service for two to three hours, can you as a believer identify or account for any area that you have been serving Him? Not serving God as required by Him is a result of being tie down either by self desire or affliction of the wicked. Jesus, at the time of His entering into < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Jerusalem needed to ride a colt. In Luke 19:30-31, Jesus called His disciples, Òsaying, go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. 31 And if anyone asks you, ÔWhy are you loosing it?Õ thus you shall say to him, ÔBecause the Lord has need of it.ÕÓ The service of the colt was needed by the Creator, but the colt was not available because it was tied down. The Creator needed to send His word for the colt to be released from being tied down. Are you being tied in any area of life that is attempting or actually taking you away from serving the Lord God? It does not matter if it is self tied down or tie down by the wicked; you need for His Word to sound in your direction. The Word of His command will bring your deliverance unto serving Him with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. The colt was released, it served the Lord and enjoyed in the glory of God. The colt was in place at the center of its assignment on earth. Luke 19: 35-36, ÒThen they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him. 36 And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road.Ó When you serve Him, He will re-serve you with favor and blessing.

CROWD ELIMINATION< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Luke 19:1-10

Crowd or multitudes are nothing but agents of hindrance. In order for a believer to move forward in the journey of life and get to where the Lord has ordained, there has to be an orderly elimination of crowd. There were a number of times that Jesus Himself had to put away multitudes before a miracle took its place. In the healing of a deaf and dumb man, Jesus put away the multitude. Mark 7:33, ÒAnd He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.Ó Multitudes or crowds are agents that are out to deny man from receiving Jesus. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus but the crowd was his biggest challenge. Luke 19:3, ÒAnd he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of a short stature.Ó What are the factors that are crowding your life in this journey of life? To see Jesus is to receive Jesus. The crowds that are in this world are more than enough to deny you. With the addition of the crowds that you have placed upon yourself, your chances of seeing Him in order to receive Him is beyond limitation.  You have to move to eliminate them by the grace of God. Luke 19:4, ÒSo he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for he was going to pass that way.Ó Jesus has always been passing by since the time He ascended to heaven. Are you available to catch up on Him? Are you putting any effort into effect? Eliminating crowds and multitudes requires sacrifice, not self centeredness. Zacchaeus, a short man came out of self and he ran and climbed tree He saw and received Jesus. You can do something to see Him.

YOURSELF< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Luke 14:15-24

Jesus communicated a parable of a great supper where a certain man sent his servants out with invitation for this great supper. Among all that were invited, none showed up. The invitees all gave the same kinds of excuses. Luke 14:18-20, ÒBut they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ÔI have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.Õ 19 And another said, ÔI have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.Õ 20 Still another said, ÔI have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.ÕÓ Self is a great terminator of man in answering the call of following Jesus fully. Self is a reasonable excuse. Self is an excusable excuse and self excuse can be a very popular one. Self excuse, however, is a self centeredness that will never add to progress of manÕs progress in the kingdom journey. Before God, the greatest and best excuse failed in the Garden of Eden. God gave Adam direction not to eat from the tree of life but he justifiably ate from the tree. At the visitation of God, there was indication he had eaten from the tree. God asked Adam if he had eaten from the tree. Genesis 3:12, ÒThen the man said, ÒThe woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.Ó Adam had a good excuse because it was not him that asked for Eve. AdamÕs excuse was rooted in ÒIÓ. All the ones that were invited into the home of the certain man in the parable of the great super had reasonable excuse but it did not count before the master of ceremony. Every man and woman does have a good excuse not to answer His invitation, after all it is our body and we can chose to do what we want. When His trumpet sounds, He will also do what He has said He will do. If you let self, self will let you down.

POSITIONING< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Luke 17:11-19

It is one thing to ask from God and it is another to be in a position to receive from Him. Often when we ask, and when it is time for Him to deliver our request, we are out of position. Imagine lepers working their healing through perfect positioning. When Jesus entered the village where the lepers were standing, the lepers knew what they needed to do to get cleansed from leprosy. Luke 17:12-13, ÒThen as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, ÔJesus, Master, have mercy on us!ÕÓ To the ten lepers, distance was not a hindrance. Standing far off from Jesus could not stop them from lifting their voices in calling on the Master for mercy. In your case, it is not a time of weeping and gnashing of teeth, it is time to call on Him despite the fact that your case is facing impossibilities and frustrations. When the lepersÕ voices were lifted, Jesus heard and He responded. Luke 17:14, ÒSo when He saw them, He said to them, ÒGo, show yourselves to the priests.Ó And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.Ó How could showing off leprosy bring forth cleansing from leprosy? The question did not cross the minds of the ten lepers; it was obeying the command that crossed their minds. The lepers went without questioning the MasterÕs command. Positioning yourself in obedience to GodÕs command will not fail to deliver the blessing of God. Which position do you need to enter in order to receive what you have asked from Him? God will open your eyes and ears of understanding.