Learning to Die

The Lord has really been speaking to me lately about denying self. This has been the topic of every sermon, devotion, or lesson I have heard recently. Tonight was no different. Bro Adams gave a devotion about carrying your cross and following Jesus.
I would like to share with you what God has been dealing with me about.

Genesis 22:2-3 "And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two if his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him."

No questions, no comments, no "But God that's too much." He just obediently "Rose us and went." Isaac, his only son, the son he loved, was being asked of him.

Tonight Bro Adams stated: "Abraham’s attitude on Mount Moriah was, “I don’t have to survive. What I want, what really makes me happy in life doesn’t have to survive today. God’s will that is what must survive.”

Today, what I want, what I desire, my thoughts, my feelings, none of those matter. None of that is important to me. Jesus, His will, His desires, they must survive. They must live on. Even when it hurts me. Even when it's uncomfortable, I must die.

Matthew 16:25-26 says; "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"

That day, Abraham was giving his all, his very precious "self."

Tonight I sit here faced with a question. What will you give. What sacrifice will you make for Me?

You see when it comes down to it, Hannah doesn't have to survive. Hannah isn't important, but, Jesus, his will, his calling, are.

Paul said in Philipians 3:4-7 "Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh I more. circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee, concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ."

Abraham gave all. Paul gave all. What will you give? What will I give? These last few weeks I have been "Learning to Die." Not physically, but spiritually die out to the flesh. Give literally everything to Jesus.

No, it isn't easy. No, i'm not perfect. Yes, there are days when I totally fail. (It's an everyday thing.) Yet, I can't give up. I must die.

So, my question for you is; in these last days when material possessions are everything and people live only for themselves, are you willing to die? Are you willing to give all?