We’re talking about being tied up for purpose, not “a purpose” or “on purpose” just purpose. At the beginning of the year, we kicked off with our theme of “Purpose.” Each weekly devotional connects back to our purpose. In the text (Matthew 21 and Mark 11), we read about a donkey and her colt who have been tied up, never used by anyone, with owners who were amicable with them being used, as it was prophesied (Zechariah 9:9) that they would be used by Jesus during His triumphal entry. Matthew 21:1-11 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5 Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”[ a ] 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna[ b ] to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[ c ] “Hosanna[ d ] in the highest heaven!” 10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” Mark 11:2-6 2 “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” 4 And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. 5 And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. The prophecy referred to in Matthew 21:4-5 comes from Zechariah 9:9 Hosanna means Lord save us now 6 points about being tied up for purpose: Recognize Multigenerational Purpose (passing the mantle): • The donkey and her colt were not tied up alone, they were together in purpose; and prepared for the moment. • When we have children and/or people connected to us sometimes our gift, mantle is something that is shared or passed along (e.g. Elijah and Elisha in (2 Kings 2:13-15). • It’s likely Jesus road the donkey on the more difficult parts of the journey and the colt in the city. • I’m tied up, you’re tied up, we’re we’re tied up together for our respective purposes. 2 Kings 2:13-15 13 He then picked up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him. When he returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan, 14 he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen off him, struck the waters and said, “Where is Adonai, the God of Elijah?” As he indeed struck the waters, they parted here then there. Then Elisha crossed over. 15 When the sons of the prophets at Jericho saw him some way off, they said, “The spirit of Elijah has rested on Elisha.” So they came to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him. Visibility • Be visible, while tied up for your specific purpose. •Jesus had th e donkey and colt on reserve since the Old Testament or the beginning of time. What to do/not do while you’re while you are tied up and when you’re waiting to be deployed into purpose? • Be prepared, be ready, be relevant. • Don’t wander fr om your assignment during your waiting period. Sometimes when things are not happening as fast as we want or the way we would like, we try to trade in our gifts for what trending or bargain with God for another calling — when all along we’ve been called for a specific purpose. Psalms 46:10 God says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Let your answer (to God) be YES! • The donkey, colt, and their caregivers did not resist the request. • When we answer the call of God in any capacity we’re out to be willing to go where He is taking us. • God is always with us, so He’ll never send us somewhere alone. • Only God is omnipresent, Satan is not, nor is he God's equal. • When the donkey and colt were called they were cooperative and fulfilled the prophecy carrying Jesus during His triumphal entry. Palms represent victory. • They were waved and laid down before Jesus indicating He was the one they were waiting for, the Messiah. • The victory was Jesus overcoming death and the grave. • The people were shouting Hosanna which means "Lord save us now" Peace. • Jesus entering Jerusalem riding a donkey and/or colt symbolized the arrival of peace. • Operating in our purpose we should be ushering the peace and presence of God when we’re on assignment. • As children of God who are called according to His purpose, we are agents of Peace as Elder Shan Wilson shared in the Advent Series' devotional on PEACE .

The Value of the Oil - JESUS Anointed at Bethany (Mark 14:3-9) We have to know the value of this oil, we have to also know the purpose of this oil. Dr. Myles Munroe said, "when we don't know the purpose of something, abuse and misuse is inevitable" The Oil is sent from GOD through the HOLY SPIRIT This oil breaks yokes and is given to us through obedience to the WORD of GOD. The Overflow of Oil - The Widow's Olive Oil (2 Kings 4:1-7 & Psalm 23:4-5) The LORD said, "In this season, the oil will not stop flowing!" The benefits of obedience is grain, new wine and OIL. In this season, we have to watch the distractions and we have to be careful to not get caught up in what it looks like because GOD doesn't want us to miss the fact that although we may go through some things, the OIL WILL NOT STOP FLOWING. As the oil is flowing, we must be sure to note that it's also harvesting and planting time very similar to Joseph. The widow had enough to pay back the debt and live off of it. This oil won't stop flowing in this season, but it's not just for the season. The Oil of Wisdom (Proverbs 3:13-15) The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7:12 NLT that wisdom and money can get us almost anything, but only wisdom can save our lives. As the oil is flowing, it isn't just about money, but as we study our WORD, we will receive the increase of wisdom, knowledge, understanding and discernment. It's important to note that we must be good stewards over our money in order to harvest, plant and save for the future. We also need the wisdom to know that satan will come with deception and manipulation. We can't confuse Godly oil with the oil sent to confuse us, we must test every spirit. The oil sent to confuse us, is oil that has been tampered with and manipulated by satan. Satan can try to duplicate it like Pharaoh's sorcerers and magicians, but they can only get so far...we will know that we know that every good and perfect gift comes from GOD! Preparing for the Oil As we head into the season of the oil flowing, we want to be spiritually, mentally and emotionally prepared to receive it. The LORD doesn't want us to miss it. Isaiah 43:19, the LORD is doing something new, will we not be aware... As we prepare ourselves to receive this overflowing oil, wait with great anticipation and excitement that the LORD wants to bless us and be ready to receive just what you have been praying for.

We will be taking a look at the 5 Stages of Grief from the book "5 Stages of Grief" written by Elisabeth Kubler Ross & David Kessler, but then looking at what GOD says about each stage as well as some principles that we can use to work through grief. As we read through the different stages of grief and look at the Scriptures, we will use the SOAP method (shown below) as it pertains to the Scriptures. SOAP Method Scripture – read through the Scriptures, and meditate on the Scriptures when you get a chance. Observation – Think about the following: What are your thoughts on the Scripture? What do you believe GOD is saying in the verse(s)? How can satan manipulate the WORD to fit his agenda? Application – How can you take this WORD and apply it, even while grieving? Prayer – In prayer, be honest and acknowledge where you are; pray the WORD of GOD and give HIM thanks! Five Stages of Grief with Scripture References ONE: Denial Denial is the first of the five stages of grief. In this stage, the world becomes meaningless and overwhelming. Life makes no sense. We are in a state of shock and denial. We go numb. We wonder how we can go on, if we can go on, why we should go on. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” – Proverbs‬ ‭4‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬ “He says, 'Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.' ” –Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV ‬ TWO: Anger Be willing to feel your anger, even though it may seem endless. The more you truly feel it, the more it will begin to dissipate and the more you will heal. There are many other emotions under the anger and you will get to them in time, but anger is the emotion we are most used to managing. The truth is that anger has no limits. It can extend not only to your friends, the doctors, your family, yourself, and your loved one who died but also to God. You may ask, “Where is God in this? Underneath anger is pain, your pain. It is natural to feel deserted and abandoned, but we live in a society that fears anger. “Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah” – Psalm 4:4 ESV 26 “In your anger do not sin”[ a ]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold." –Ephesians 4:26-27 NIV THREE: Bargaining We become lost in a maze of “If only…” or “What if…” statements. We want life returned to what is, what was; we want our loved ones restored. We want to go back in time: find the tumor sooner, recognize the illness more quickly, stop the accident from happening…if only, if only, if only. Guilt is often bargaining’s companion. The “if onlys” cause us to find fault in ourselves and what we “think” we could have done differently. We may even bargain with the pain. We will do anything not to feel the pain of this loss. We remain in the past, trying to negotiate our way out of the hurt. 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” –Matthew 11:28-30 FOUR: Depression After bargaining, our attention moves squarely into the present. Empty feelings present themselves, and grief enters our lives on a deeper level, deeper than we ever imagined. This depressive stage feels as though it will last forever. It’s important to understand that this depression is not a sign of mental illness. It is the appropriate response to a great loss. We withdraw from life, left in a fog of intense sadness, wondering, perhaps, if there is any point in going on alone. Why go on at all? 17 "The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; HE delivers them from all their troubles. 18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 19 The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all." –Psalm 34:17-19 NIV FIVE: Acceptance This is often confused with the notion of being “all right” or “OK” with what has happened. This is not the case. Most people don’t ever feel OK or all right about what has happened. This stage is about accepting the reality of what has happened and recognizing that this is a new reality. We learn to live with it. It is the new norm with which we must learn to live. In resisting this new norm, at first, many people want to maintain life as it was before. In time, through bits and pieces of acceptance, however, we see that we cannot maintain the past intact. It has been forever changed and we must readjust. We can never replace what has been lost, but we can make new connections, new meaningful relationships, and new inter-dependencies. Instead of denying our feelings, we listen to our needs; we move, we change, we grow, we evolve. We may start to reach out to others and become involved in their lives. We invest in our friendships and in our relationship with ourselves. We begin to live again, but we cannot do so until we have given grief it's time. “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25 NIV “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.” –1 Thessalonians 4:13 NIV “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” – 2 Thessalonians 3:16 NIV "Having Hope will give you courage. You will be protected and will rest in safety. You will lie down unafraid, and many will look to you for help." – Job 11:18-19 NLT