What am I hiding from?
Do I really want to be a sacrifice for the Lord?
This calls for suffering and DENYING of myself AND DEATH TO WHAT I AM or ever think I will be.
Can’t I have it all. Be what I want and do what Jesus wants?
Can you mix oil and water?
Water just evaporates and oil, well, oil renews. Oil is healing. Oil sustains and rejuvenates life if used properly. Oil is representative of the Holy Spirit in my life.
My life is nothing but a vapor that is going to dissipate on its own. But if I accept myself as a sacrifice as Jesus wants me to be, daily, then He will pour out His Spirit upon me so that I am His. So that I may bring honor and glory to Him, not to myself.
I can run or try to hide from what is right, good and acceptable to God, but then I will lose out on His blessings. I will miss out on the relationship He desires to have with me. I will miss out on the abundant life He has for me. If I accept this place as a sacrifice, it is no long my life but His. Then it is His life in me that is revealed, I will be a vessel that He can reveal Himself in and through.
Leviticus 23:19 Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings.
Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present (give freely) your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (rational and logical) service. [2] And be not conformed (fashioned) to this world: but be ye transformed (metamorphic change – like a caterpillar to butterfly) by the renewing (renovated, transformed) of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
I am to die to self and renewed by God’s Spirit, this is pleasing and right before Him, it is His desire for me. If I desire to be godly, I will desire to give up all that I even think I am or want to be for His way of life for me.
Mark 8:31-38 And he (Jesus) began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. [32] And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. [33] But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.
[34] And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. [35] For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. [36] For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? [37] Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? [38] Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Jesus suffered and died…should I do no less. If I try to save my life, protect myself from hurt, sorrow, suffering, that God is allowing in my life, then I will lose it, notis salvation but in reward with Jesus. If I turn loose of my life for Christ’s sake it shall be saved, rewarded later with Him. If I am in the Lords hands what greater place could there be.
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
When I asked Jesus into my heart and life to be my Saviour and Lord of my life, I died with Him. When I acknowledged my sin before Him I died with Him. When I accepted His blood that was shed for me, I was also crucified with Him on that cross. My life was put to death there on that cross. Jesus took it there. As I accepted His death for my sin and His Lordship of my life, I was never the same from that moment on.
Each day needs to be a conscious decision to give myself as a sacrifice to Jesus.
2 Cor. 4:10-11 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus (Daily denying, dying to self), (this is why) that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. [11] For we which live are alway delivered unto death (die daily to self) for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
If I am His, then I want to be transformed day by day to give and bring Him honor in this mortal body of mine. Why? Because I DO NOT have it to do so in my natural being…it’s just not there and never has been in my self. To what I can make and do with my own hands or conger up. It is water, vapor, is worthless and gone in a second.
Dearest Jesus, Help to teach me to turn loose of my flesh so that your Spirit may reside and be honored in this vessel. I cannot do it on my own, no matter how hard I try, I need You, lead and encourage me to that altar daily. I desire to come to a place where that it will be the normal daily act of pleasure to lay myself on that altar for Your pleasure. Thank you my Lord, for You are forever faithful.
God bless you and may you desire all He has for your life. Amen and Amen!
pinchofgrace 