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

John 20:1-18

Anytime we allow His hand to pass over without holding on to Him, He will pass it on to who is available to catch His hand. Mary Magdalene, out of whom Jesus had cast seven demons, was the first at the tomb where Jesus was laid. John 20:1, ÒNow on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark , and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.Ó Her findings made her the first to announce to the disciples that the Lord has been taken away from the tomb. Peter and the other disciples came and confirmed that the Lord was no longer in the tomb, but they could not wait, they went back to their own homes. Mary Magdalene stayed. John 20:11, ÒMary stood outside of the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stopped down and looked into the tomb.Ó In her weeping and waiting, Jesus eventually appeared to Mary. Jesus asked her why she was weeping and who she was seeking. Mary, a woman with ill-repute got commissioned by Jesus to go and declare that the Lord was ascending. John 20:17, ÒJesus said to her, ÔDo not cling to Me, for I have not ascended to my Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, I am ascending to My Father and your Father and to my God and your God.ÕÓ A woman who had seven demons cast out from her was able to wait and receive a commission that could have been passed to any of the disciples if they have been able to wait. Jesus will send and use whoever makes himself or herself available. It is time to stop rushing to your own home. Let his peace give you rest, wait on Him where He has been waiting for you to receive Him and His hand will not pass you or leave you behind.

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

1King 18:1-19

Nowhere was Elijah mentioned in the Bible until he appeared to king Ahab. In the name of God, he commanded rain to cease for years and it was honored in heaven. After his declaration he began to run from place to place. Elijah could no longer show himself to king Ahab. There was no rain in the land and Elijah could not be located anywhere. Elijah could not present himself to at the ground where the power of God was demonstrated through him. 1 Kings 18:1, ÒAnd it came to pass after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year saying, ÔGo, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain to the earth.ÕÓ The word of God is power; it has neither limitation nor barrier. The word of God cannot be stopped by any force under heaven. The word is already here for you if you will pay the price to have it become your indwelling. The price for the word is your commitment to the word of God, and the word will be committed to you. The word will break every barrier that is stopping you from presenting yourself where you choose to. When the word of the Lord came to Elijah, Elijah broke away from hiding, and he had the liberty and freedom to present himself where he would not have been able to. 1 Kings18:2, ÒSo Elijah went to present himself to Ahab and there was a severe famine in < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Samaria.Ó The word that sounded for Elijah was power, and no man could deny the move of the power of God. Psalms 107:20, ÒHe sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.Ó Do you believe? If you believe, ask God for the word that delivered Elijah from hiding. Ask that the word of God will deliver and establish your freedom on grounds that have kept you in hiding.

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

2 Kings 5:1-16

There are so many claims on how to know God, but nothing to show for besides going to church on Sundays. Knowing God is not in only by words but also in the way of life. Going to church on Sundays could be a religion but not Jesus-reality. Among the evidence of knowing God is in obedience to His word. Naaman, a commander of the army of the king of < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Syria, needed healing from leprosy. Naaman was directed to Elisha by the king of Israel. Naaman knew he was going to meet a man of God. He had the knowledge that there is a God who can get him cleansed from leprosy but he did not know God. In getting to Israel, Naaman could not see Elisha as was expected but only received direction of what to do for him to be cleansed: he was to go and wash in the Jordan River seven times. Naaman responded with anger generated from pride. 2 Kings 5:11, ÒBut Naaman became furious, and went away and said, ÔIndeed, I said to myself, ÒHe will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.ÓÕÓ Are you having anger issues like that of Naaman? If you are having anger problems you need to address your pride first. Pride was the root of NaamanÕs anger. Naaman later on was reasoned with and went back to follow the direction of the man of God; he received his healing. 2 Kings 5:15, ÒAnd he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, ÔIndeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.ÕÓ Naaman proved that it is not possible to know God until you become obedient to his word. You may only know about God, and if you have not known God, ask Him to reveal Himself to you.

ALL YOU NEED < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Luke 3:1-18

In the race of life, all you need to be able to posses what God has for you is the word of His grace. Paul emphasized it in Acts 20:32, ÒSo now, brethren, I commend you to the God and the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among the sanctified.Ó The word of God is power and it is to a believer as gasoline is to a car. Without the word of God any move that you make will not survive. John the BaptistÕs birth was announced by the angel of the Lord–who also gave the name John. Notwithstanding, John needed the word to move out of the wilderness of waiting. When it was time for GodÕs ministry in his life to take a full swing, he needed to receive from the word of God. Luke 3:2, ÒWhile Annas and Caiaphaas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son Zacharias in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.Ó John waited in the wilderness until he received the Word. When the word of God came to John, he went into the entire region and began the purpose of his calling in full gear. Have you taken a step before the word? It is never too late for you to go back where you have been waiting. Allow the word of God to come and get you to where it is taking you. Do you know for sure if He has called you? All you need is the word that will carry you to the next level. Be patient, the word that you will need is coming, and you will take your rightful place in the business of God by the grace of God. All you need is the word of God. It will not come rushing so do not go out rushing. God has a set time; it will come at an appointed season.

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

Genesis 22:1-14, 46:1-7

Giving God a reasonable sacrifice will allow Him to direct you in all areas of life. Jacob and his family were to go down to < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Egypt to avoid famine and to join Joseph. Jacob did not leap into the journey; instead he gave it to the Lord first. Genesis 46:1-3,  ÒSo Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, ÒJacob, Jacob!Ó And he said, ÒHere I am.Ó 3 So He said, ÒI am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there.Ó Because Israel (Jacob) offered sacrifices that were reasonable, God showed up on his behalf. Israel heard from God all that was needed in order for him to embark on his journey. In another example of a reasonable sacrifice, Abraham without doubt had given up Isaac in his heart as a sacrifice to God. Genesis 22:11-13, ÒBut the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, ÒAbraham, Abraham!Ó So he said, ÒHere I am.Ó 12 And He said, ÒDo not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.Ó 13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.Ó What are you giving up to God? All that you have, all that you are and all that you can be is in the hand of God. It is clear in the pages of the Bible that every reasonable sacrifice will bring forth GodÕs attention in every area of life. Will you consider the kind of sacrifice that you are rendering unto God? If your sacrifice is reasonable He will give you a reasonable visitation.