 Only true friends of the Holy Spirit know this and it's rarely talked about. I wanna talk to you about something that I believe will challenge you, inspire you, and cause you to go deeper in your walk with God than ever before. I wanna talk to you about death to self. Now, when I use that term death to self, for some that may raise some negative feelings or negative thoughts because I understand that that term many times is used in a very legalistic sense, used to control and to manipulate. And I want you to know that death to self is actually a beautiful thing. And of course, I'm talking about spiritual death. That is that we decrease, Christ's increase, John 3.30. I must decrease, but he must increase. Less of me, more of you, Jesus. So that when people look at you, they see Jesus shining through. When people look at you, that they see the light of Christ impacting them. I want you to write this in the comment section right now. Make it a public declaration of faith. Christ lives in me. Again, say that, write that as a public declaration of faith. And as I minister to you about this truth, this rarely talked about word, death to self, the surrendered life, I want you to allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you. Don't be distracted by the cares of this world. Even as you watch, you may notice that the flesh tries to pull you to something that it craves, something distracting, something entertaining. I want you to fight that and be challenged, be inspired because I truly believe that as you are challenged by the word of God, that you will enter deeper places in your walk with Christ. Now again, when I talk about death to self, I don't mean that in the legalistic sense. This doesn't mean that you're not allowed to enjoy the blessings that God gives you here upon the earth. This is simply meaning that we put Christ first, that we allow Christ to have ultimate influence, that we serve him as Lord. He came that we might have life and life more abundantly. So death to self is life unto God. Death to self is life unto Christ, which is more fulfilling, more joyful, more filled with love, more filled with peace in anything that this world has to offer. Go with me to Luke chapter nine. Luke chapter nine will be our main text. I'll read for now verses 18 through 22. And this takes place after the feeding of the 5,000. Verse 18, one day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him and he asked them, who do people say I am? Well, they replied, some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead. Then he asked them, but who do you say I am? Peter replied, you are the Messiah sent from God. Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone who he was. At that time, God had not released him to reveal that on the larger scale. Verse 22, the son of man must suffer many terrible things. He'll be rejected by the elders, deleting priests and the teachers of the law. He will be killed, but on the third day, he will be raised from the dead. So here we see Peter receiving a revelation from the heavenly Father. Jesus asked the question, who do you say I am? Not what do others say, not what does your family say? What does culture say? Who do you say I am? And every single one of us must answer this question. Every single one of us will be confronted with this reality. Every single one of us must make up our mind. Who is Jesus? If Jesus is God, if Jesus is Lord, and of course we believe he is, then serve him, follow him, give him your all. It's all or nothing. It's everything you have or nothing at all, the surrendered life. Who do you say he is? Who is Jesus to you? Now this was a private moment between the Lord and his disciples, away from the crowds. It was their time to be pressed by that question. It was their time to receive that revelation. But again, every single one of us at some point must make up the mind. You must decide. When you decide to follow Jesus, it's a lifelong commitment. When you decide to follow Jesus, it's to forsake all. But you have to be convinced of that in your mind if you're going to continue to walk this walk of faith. You have to know by the Holy Spirit, have that inner witness. Jesus is God, Jesus is Lord, Jesus is the Christ. Because upon that revelation, the Holy Spirit will build many more things. It's a personal decision. Your parents cannot answer that question for you. Your friends cannot answer that question for you. Your pastor cannot answer that question for you. Your favorite YouTube preacher cannot answer that question for you. You have to answer that question for you. Who do you say I am? And once you catch a glimpse, once that amazing revelation is given to you, there is no going back. Who do you say I am? Answer that question. And when you answer that question, you are called to be a disciple. You are called to forsake all. Now, let me stress this. Ephesians 2, 8, and 9, those verses make it absolutely clear that salvation is by grace through faith not works so that we cannot boast. It's nothing that we do that produces that salvation. But that doesn't mean that the born again believer doesn't have a responsibility to walk in holiness, to live for God. We do good works not to be saved, but because he saved us. It's our reasonable service, our response back to him. Luke 9, 23 through 27. Then he said to the crowd, if any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the kingdom of God. Now, of course, when Jesus is talking about the Son of Man coming in his glory, the glory of the Father and the holy angels, he's talking, of course, about his return. But here in verse 27, if you look at this word kingdom, Basileia, which is the original word, it can mean royal power or splendor. And here's a comment about that particular word from the outline of biblical usage. Not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right to authority to rule over a kingdom. This could be referring to the transfiguration of the Lord which takes place just in the next few verses. And in fact, when you look at all of the narratives that share this particular story, you'll find that that's exactly what follows in each one of those instances. So it could be a reference to the transfiguration of the Lord. But before we read that portion of scripture, let me show you in the scripture what we forsake. What does this mean when he talks about picking up your cross? Because we hear it said, does picking up your cross mean that you're now committed to a controlling individual who can tell you what to do? And if you don't do it, you're not picking up your cross? No, because that's what some people try to do. They use the scripture in an abusive manner to keep people under their control. They manipulate them, they instill them with fear so that if you don't do exactly what they say, believe exactly what they believe down to the very last detail, then you're compromised. You're not one of them. You're not one of the remnant, you don't belong. That's not at all what's being described here. And again, death to self, though it's used sometimes as a negative term, it's actually a positive thing. I'm gonna show you what it means here in the scripture. Number one, it means to forsake your sinful ways. Yes, this counts. I can't tell you how many times I've heard that giving up sin isn't carrying your cross. Absolutely it is. It's a death to self. It's something you are giving up. It's something you are allowing to be crucified. I'll show it to you here in scripture. Now that doesn't make up the entirety of what it means to carry your cross, to give up your sinful ways, but it is one of the ways that you experience death to self. Romans chapter six, verses 10 through 12. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. Do not let sin control the way you live. Do not give in to sinful desires. Galatians 5, 24 puts it this way. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions. Notice the language being used here. It's referring to the cross. Have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. So these two portions of scripture, Romans six, 10 through 12 and Galatians 5, 24 are talking about the death to self specifically in reference to our sinful ways. Giving up your sinful ways, that is a crucifixion of self. That is to carry your cross. Again, I'm gonna give you a couple more points that doesn't make up the entirety of death to self, but forsaking sin is in fact a form of death to self. It's to embrace your cross. It's to say no to the man of sin. It's to say no to those desires, to that side of you that craves the things of sin, to that side of you that is tempted, to that side of you that longs for something that is ungodly. To say no to that. And in fact, not just to say no to the sin, but to even flee the very boundaries of temptation. That is a death to self. Why? Because you are allowing that side of yourself to be weakened. And it's not really even who you are, but it's still a reality that we face in the world today. You have to allow that side of you to be weakened every time you say no to sin, you are dying to self. Every time you say no to temptation, you're alive to Christ and dead to self. That is to sin. Romans 13, 14 says, but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, almost like a garment, wear him, and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof. Now, something that we should note about the use of the word flesh in the New Testament, sometimes the word flesh is referring to your physical body. And we know, of course, the physical body is not evil unto itself. After all, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. What know ye not? Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. You are not your own. So the physical body is not sinful unto itself. It's an instrument that can be used for disobedience, but it's also an instrument that can be used for obedience. It's an instrument that can be used to displease God. It's also an instrument that can be used to please God. It depends upon what you choose to do with the body. So the physical body, this flesh, that is that earth suit, if you will, is not evil unto itself. And sometimes when the New Testament uses the term flesh, it's talking about the sin nature and the desires that come with that. So here the scripture is talking about making no provision for the flesh. And of course, it is referring to this sin nature, this side of you that is under the law. It's Romans 13, 14. Make no provision for it. I like to say starve the man of sin. I don't mean don't eat and I don't mean starve yourself literally, but don't even give that side of you opportunity. Often we say, Lord, I'm picking up my cross, but then we have a resurrection of the sin nature just days later. And I don't say that to condemn you. I say that to challenge you, to recognize that when you say no to sin, sometimes that's gonna be a painful experience for you. That that will be difficult, but the more you say no to sin, the more you say no to the flesh, the stronger your spirit becomes, the more alive to Christ now you become. And I should say that the more that your life in Christ begins to influence you, I think that's a better way to put it because you are indeed alive to Christ. But to experience the influence of that reality and have it manifest in your everyday life in a way that counts, you have to participate with what God is doing. You have to cooperate with the Holy Spirit. And so the Bible says, make no provision for your flesh. Well, that means if you have an issue with pornography, get rid of social media and don't have your phone or your computer with you in the times that you are tempted. You say, well, that seems to be rather drastic. Yes, make no provision for the flesh. If you're struggling with an addiction and you can't overcome it and it's beginning to take over your life to the point where you don't know if you're going to be able to break it. Well, then move to a different place. I know that that doesn't solve every issue, but if you're in a place where you know everybody and you're getting a certain connection from a certain area, then at least give yourself a reset period, find someone who can keep you accountable and get out of there. Delete the phone numbers from your phone. Go off the grid if you have to. Get drastic about giving no provision for the flesh. If you have an issue in any particular area when it comes to sin, you should seek out accountability, tell a fellow believer what you're going through and then create boundaries that keep you not just from the sin but also from the temptation itself. Flee temptation. Don't even put yourself there. We are to pray that we be not led into temptation. Jesus said to pray, lead us not into temptation. He didn't say, pray, Lord, help me to overcome temptation when I put myself there. No, don't even go to that place. Don't even cross that boundary. If this is challenging you, let me know on the comment section right now. What about this is challenging you? This is the word of God, but it also should inspire us to know that that power has been broken over our lives. I mean, look at what the scripture says in Romans 6, 11, we'll read it again. So you should also consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin. We've been delivered from that. In other words, we now have the choice to overcome that, how, life unto Christ. And so we choose every day, whenever you say no to sin, whenever you say no to what you desire in the flesh, and by the flesh I mean sin nature, whenever your sin nature desires something and you refuse to give it that, you are crucifying the sin nature. So that's number one, forsake sinful ways. Number two, forsake secular ways. Now, this has a very subtle distinction from sinful ways. I'll explain that to you in a moment. Romans 12, 2, do not conform to the pattern of this world. That is, don't live like everyone else. Think like everyone else. Don't live according to the systems of the world. Again, in a similar way, just as the physical body is not evil, but the sin nature is. So planet earth itself, the material world is not evil, but the systems of the world are. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is God's will, his good pleasing and perfect will. So again, the patterns of this world, don't live like everyone else. And again, I'll say, let's draw that comparison just like the sin nature is different from the physical body. So the patterns of the world or the systems of the world are different than the planet earth, that is the material existence of this globe. And so this is to live in the prioritization of pleasure, possessions and power. That's what it means to live in the pattern of the world. To live in the patterns of the world, that is the prioritization of pleasure, possessions and power. Now, pleasure is not evil unto itself. There are many pleasures that God has given to us that we are meant to enjoy in a holy way. Possessions are not evil unto themselves. You are likely watching this on a device that you possess. You are likely watching this in a house or home, maybe you rent, but it is a form of a possession. You're sitting on a chair that you possess or you're lying in a bed that you possess. You're wearing clothes that you possess. So this is not evil unto itself, possessions. Now, it's okay to have things as long as things don't have you, but the prioritization of pleasure, the prioritization of possessions, the prioritization of power, that's what evil power is not evil unto itself. I mean, think about what good people can do with the proper legal power. Think about what good people can do with physical power and strength. Think of how they rescue children from very vile situations, evil people, and they go in with a certain physical power and they're able to remove those children from those very dangerous, very wicked situations. That's a good use of power. Think about the power that an employer might have over an employee, and I don't mean one is better than the other, but of course we understand that there are power dynamics. Think about the power or the authority that the parent has over the child. That can be a healthy thing. But again, the prioritization of pleasure, the prioritization of possessions, the prioritization of power for the sake of themselves and to never be fulfilled, to always want more and more pleasure, more possessions, more power, that is what it means to live according to the pattern of this world. So don't live like the rest of the world. All they seek is pleasure. That's the whole point of their existence. All they seek are possessions. That's the whole point of their existence. All they seek is power. That's why they wake up in the morning. Don't be like that. They consume, consume, consume. First John 2.16 says, for the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see and the pride in our achievements and possessions. Let me read this again. It's a powerful verse. First John 2.16. For the world offers only craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see and a pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And so to prioritize those things, to make that your entire life's pursuit, that is to miss that which is truly worth anything, the spiritual. Do not sacrifice the eternal for the temporary. Do not sacrifice the spiritual treasures for worldly treasures. We are dead to this world. Galatians 6.14 puts it this way. As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross. Listen to this. This is talking about the death to self in regards to forsaking the secular ways. Watch this now. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified. And the world's interest in me has also died. Think of what the world lives for. Just education. Is education evil? No, you can use it for the kingdom of God. Get an education if the Lord tells you to. But if that's all you're living for, you're living according to the patterns of this world. Wealth is wealth evil by no means. The Lord gives wealth and adds no sorrow with it. Okay? So wealth in and of itself is not evil, but if that's all you're pursuing in this world, you're missing something very important. Achievements, possessions, power. Is that all you're living for? Is this it? I mean, think about this. If that's all you're living for, then this is it. You're never gonna get any joy that's, well, you'll maybe get temporary joy, but not permanent joy. Not permanent peace. You'll never really experience love through the material. I mean, this is it. If that really is all you want, then this is it. There was an experiment that was done, I believe, by a philosophy professor. I remember how this parable goes. And he told all of his students that in the next room, he had prepared some coffee for them. And whether you're a coffee drinker or not, the analogy will still hold true. So stay with me even if you don't drink coffee. And he sends the students into this room where they can get some cups and mugs and whatever was available. And in that room, on various different shelves, he had mugs, he had cups, he had tumblers, all these different vessels that could hold the coffee. And when the students went into that room, they were fighting over the best mugs, over the best tumblers, over the best coffee cups. They all came out and they had picked theirs and then he serves them the coffee and asked them how they enjoyed it. They all enjoyed it. And he said, do you realize, and this was the point of his experiment, he said, do you realize you were all in there taking quite a while to make a decision as to what vessel you want it to use out of which you would drink your coffee. You all drank the same coffee. Yet here you are worried about the cup that you drank it with. He said, this is what people do in life. Life that God has given to us, that's to love and to have joy and to have peace, to glorify God, to enjoy the company of one another, to experience the goodness of God and His creation. That's all wonderful. But then we fight over the vessel in which we enjoy it. We fight over what car we drive, what house we live in, what clothes we wear. And this is why people who achieve wealth and power and gain possessions end up depressed because it never does what they thought it would do. They get to that point, and I've spoken to several wealthy people who've told me this all the same, that they get to that point and they realize it's really all the same. You have a car, you have a car, you have a house, you have a house. I mean, even the wealthiest person in the world who has the most rooms in their house can only be in one room at a time. They still have to go to sleep on a bed. They still have to eat from a plate. It may be the finest dining they can find, but it's food. And so I look at the things of this world and sometimes I wonder, is this all there is? And if this all there was, if this was all there was, it'd be miserable. If not for the presence of God and the presence of God within one another and our connection with one another and the substance of life itself, well, we wouldn't find any joy in this at all. We would just be going through the motions. I remember one time we were ministering in Las Vegas. Now, here in the United States, in some parts of the culture, Las Vegas is considered the pinnacle of living. They call it Sin City. In other words, you go and you just do whatever it is that you want to do. And we were doing a ministry event there. And it was packed. We were amazed at how packed that event was. Right there in Sin City, packed miracle service. People were standing outside the building, couldn't get in. But I remember we were driving on the way to the service and we're passing all these casinos and bars and I'm looking out the window and I told the team, I said, this is what they live for. Right here, this is it. And I'm looking inside of the casinos or like right there on the outside, you can see into some of the buildings. And you can see the faces of the people. No one's laughing. No one's smiling. They are miserable. It was just emptiness. And I said, this is what everyone thinks they live for. This is everything you could ever want in the world in terms of sin. Here it is and they're unfulfilled. That is why we have to forsake our secular ways. You're gonna be miserable. You're going to be miserable if your priority is pleasure, power and possessions. Christians who think they have to be involved in everything. They can't miss anything this world has to offer. So distracted by the cares of this world. And again, I'm not coming to you from the legalistic perspective saying that you can't enjoy your life. That's a life in the pit of hell. God came to give us life. And of course, he is the giver of those things in which we find pleasure in a holy manner. But if that's all you're living for, that's not life unto Christ. So forsake your secular ways. So forsake your sinful ways. Forsake the secular ways. Forsake your selfish ways. Now, when I talk about selfishness, I'm not specifically talking about sin. Like we know, for example, drunkenness is a sin. Adultery is a sin. I can go on listing various different things. You can read like, for example, First Corinthians chapter six versus nine to 12 to see the various different things listed there that count as sin that keep you from the kingdom of God. But when I talk about selfishness, I'm talking about those things that are seemingly good, not necessarily immoral, not blatantly sinful, but they're not of God because they're not for you. Galatians two, two says, 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, there you see that word flesh meaning physical body, 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. I'm crucified with Christ. I'm not alive anymore. What does that mean? It means giving up your dreams for God's dreams. That happens sometimes, you know. It means giving up things that are blessings to obey God. There have been seasons of life where I just want it to coast and rest in the blessing of God. I would reach a certain point and say, Lord, can I just stop here and rest a moment? And the Lord says, we'll live a lifestyle of rest, but on this particular matter, you're going to have to give that up. You're going to have to say no. Not every good thing is a God thing. Now again, we have to be careful here because those who have the tendency to fall into legalism will just give up everything that's good to them simply because they think God doesn't want them to have it. So I know people who just won't enjoy anything, they give up anything and everything that's a blessing because they think every blessing is a test from God. That's not the case. In fact, more often than not, it is not a test from God. So be very careful about how you allow your mind to think about the blessings of God. But there are times that God will ask you to give something up that is good. And again, let me say this again because I know there may be someone hearing this right now and already you're thinking of all the good things God's given you. And because of that legalistic mindset, automatically you're going to say, well, I want to give it all up even though he hasn't required it of you. Now, should you give up your sinful ways? Yeah, always 100% of the time. But when I talk about selfish ways, we can't confuse that for the blessings of God. Sometimes, here's I guess the simple way to put it and succinctly so, sometimes when God gives you a blessing, he wants you to enjoy it. And don't be so religious that you can't enjoy it. Don't be so religious that every blessing that comes your way, you say, surely this is a test, let me give that up. You're going to be miserable that way. And you're going to say, let me give that up. You're going to be miserable that way. And then sometimes when God gives you a blessing, maybe not as often as is the case with the other example, but sometimes when God gives you a blessing, he's testing you. Sometimes when there's something in your heart that you want to do, you want to have, a way you want to handle the situation, sometimes that is your selfishness and God wants to test you in that. This is to lay down your life for God's glory, to say no to good things that aren't God things. So you forsake selfish ways. Now remember, after Jesus says these words, going back to Luke chapter nine, let's read verse 28 now, we left off on verse 27. After this now, about eight days later, Jesus took Peter, John and James up on a mountain to pray. So we see that they had a revelation, you are the Messiah. And then Jesus talked to them about crucifixion. And now we see here glorification. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem. Peter and the others had fallen asleep when they woke up. They saw Jesus's glory. And remember, we talked about that word, royal splendor. So this is what they're seeing now. When Peter woke up, they saw Jesus's glory and the two men standing with him. Verse 33, as Moses and Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, master, it's wonderful for us to be here. Let's make three shelters as memorials, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah. So he just, he said something because he felt like he had to say something. But even as he was saying this, a cloud overshadowed them and terror gripped them as the cloud covered them. Then a voice from the cloud said, this is my son, my chosen one, listen to him. When the voice finished, Jesus was there alone. They didn't tell anyone at that time what they had seen. You see, when you commit to the crucified life, when you forsake sinful ways, secular ways, selfish ways, now God invites you in, please hear this now. I can sense a strong anointing as I'm talking about this. God invites you in to catch a glimpse of his glory reserved only for those who live that yielded life. Take anything, take everything. Give me the presence of Jesus. Take anything, take everything. Don't take your presence, not to say that the Holy Spirit will leave you, especially if you're a believer, the Holy Spirit does not leave you. But that should be the mindset, Lord, that if it were the case that you were to take something and I had to choose, that I would say, take everything else, just leave me your presence. Because from that really flows life. And this isn't a life of misery, joyless existence, stoicism, seriousness. It's not what it means to die to self. Because death to self, again, is life unto Christ. And that life is not a miserable one. It's not a burden someone. Jesus told us that we should give him our burdens. His burden is light. The scripture says, his commandments are not grievous. In other words, they're not overbearing. They're simple. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. On these, hang all the law and the prophets. So it's simple. And it's joyful and it's peaceful and it's love filled. And it is a life of power. It is a life of vitality. It is a life of refreshing springs of living water. It is a life unto Christ. I'm not wallowing in misery under some dark cloud of heaviness, these sets of rules. I can't enjoy that meal because I don't wanna enjoy the pleasures of this world. Stop with that. That is a very, forgive me. That's a very immature way to look at spiritual growth, especially considering that the scripture doesn't describe it that way. Of course, if that's your priority, the pleasures of this world, that's different, but I'm talking about life unto Christ. That's what happens when you now begin to say, Lord, I'm not gonna be ashamed of you. I've made up my mind. I know who you are. I know who you are to me. I know what you've called me to do. And I'm laying it all down. I'm crucifying it all. Crucify my will, Lord, in its place resurrect your own. I'm going after Jesus. I'm not looking back. I'm keeping my hand to the plow and I'm looking forward. And you begin to glimpse his glory. Notice he only took Peter, John and James. Why? Because they had been invited in. There was a favor on their life because of how they had so dedicated themselves to him. Those degrees of dedication came with degrees of revelation. Romans six, four, for we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Crucifixion is always followed by resurrection, power and glory. And so when you live that life, you're not just giving up these things for nothing. You're not giving up pleasures for a dull existence. Life with Christ is colorful. Life with Christ is exciting. Life with Christ is grand. Life with Christ is magnificent. More so than any other life you can live. Right here and now, not then and there. Here and now it's magnificent. Here and now it's wonderful. And I use that word literally. It is full of wonders when you live unto Christ. Now look what happens. So we saw that they got a revelation, made up their mind, you are the Christ. And then they were challenged to lay it all down. And then after they accept that challenge, they are invited in to catch a glimpse of the glory of God. But watch this, it goes even further. Not only do we see greater measures of His glory as we yield ourselves, but we also begin to impact lives around us. There's a prayer that the Holy Spirit led me to pray when I was about, I want to say 12 or 13 years old. And I wrote it down and it was a simple prayer. And I prayed it with all sincerity. To this day I still pray it with sincerity. I said, Lord, let my hands be your hands. Heal through them. Lord, let my eyes be your eyes. I want to see things, people and situations the way you see them. Lord, let my ears be your ears, speak to me. Let my mouth be your mouth. I want to speak your truth. Let my feet be your feet. Take me wherever you want me to go. Let my being be your being. Let my heart beat as one with yours. Crucify my will and in its place resurrect your own. I surrender, take over. And when you begin to live like that suddenly now, that light that shines through you begins to impact others. Watch this now, this is so powerful. John 12, 24 through 26. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels, a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me. There are many different things that we can point out about this passage of scripture. As is commonly pointed out, yes, there is a death to self and when you are planted, it's a dark place, lonely place, a place where part of you goes to die, that part of you that's not of God. Again, the sinful ways, secular ways, selfish ways, all of that is crucified. And in that place, you're either serving Jesus because you love him or you're not serving him at all. It's when you are planted in the ground that your motives become purified. So yes, we understand that about this scripture, but think also about the fact that the Bible says here that you will reap a harvest of what? A harvest of new lives. What does that mean? It means that the crucified life is a life planted in good soil. And when you plant your life like a seed in the ground, you allow it to be hidden even for a time. What you reap from that is more lives being impacted. In other words, a life surrendered is a life multiplied. Souls come into the kingdom. God can use you for his glory. God can use you to win the lost. God can use you for touching others. We die to self, not just to see the glory of God. We die to self that others might live. That others might hear the gospel. That others might see the love and light of God demonstrated through us. That they too would taste the goodness of God. Turn from their wicked ways, pick up their cross and go after him, your seed planted in the ground. And you're not dying for nothing. You're dying for the glimpse of the glory. You're dying that Christ may live in you. You're dying that you might live in Christ. And you're dying to self that others might live also. A single moment spent in the presence of God can transform your life. But a life spent in the presence of God can transform nations. May we be as a drink offering poured out for the purpose of God's glory. May every last drop be used, Lord. Use every last drop of my life. Every last drop of my time, of my energy, of my gifts. Lord, I pour it out. Spend me for your glory. Say that in the comment section right now. Spend me for your glory. Lord Jesus, I pray you help us to do it. Here's what I'm gonna ask. Let him challenge you here. Holy spirit, bring to their remembrance. Bring to their minds those things that need to be surrendered. Those areas that need to be yielded. We surrender all, Lord. Lift your hands and tell them I surrender. I give it to you, Jesus. Spend us for your glory. May our lives impact others. Shine through us that when the people see us, Lord, they see Jesus. In his name we pray. Type it because you believe it. Type, amen. You were blessed by this message, challenged by this message. You think that other believers have to hear this. Guys, we rarely hear this talked about anymore. You think others need to hear this. Do me a couple of favors. Leave a like and then don't forget to subscribe to this channel for more content like this. Now I'm gonna ask you to do something that may challenge you even more. I wanna ask you to get involved with this ministry. You see, there is a side to us that is the flesh, that is fearful, that is controlling, that is greedy. All of us have that in us. It's just a matter of keeping the flesh under subjection. So I'm gonna challenge you to crucify the flesh in the area of finances. The flesh holds. The flesh grips in fear. The spirit releases in generosity and love. Will you consider giving a financial gift to this ministry right now so that you can help us on our mission to spread the gospel all around the world and the power of the Holy Spirit to events and media? It's making an impact. People are being saved, healed, delivered, empowered. It's a wonderful thing that God is doing. The ministry is expanding, growing every single month. It has been for years. That's the favor of God. I can't explain it. That's all I can say about that. It's the Lord, but it's His work and it's working. The darkness is dissipating. Souls are being saved. Get involved right now. Say yes to whatever the Holy Spirit tells you to do in this moment. I'm asking you to give a single gift by going to davidhernandezministries.com slash donate. You can also become a monthly ministry supporter by going to davidhernandezministries.com slash partner. Your gift, large or small, single or monthly makes an impact. Don't discount yourself. Don't say, oh, somebody else watching will do it or maybe I'll do it another time. If you haven't done so yet, do that now. And I am asking many of you to hear that call, to partner with me on a monthly basis. That's gonna make a huge difference. You have no idea. And all of us joining together, pouring in our resources, our time, our effort, we are going to see that harvest of souls for these last days. So go right now. One more time, davidhernandezministries.com slash donate to give a single gift, davidhernandezministries.com slash partner to become a monthly supporter. Do your part today. Pay it forward. You've been blessed by this ministry. Here's how you can make a difference and help us reach even more people. Do try the website first, but if the website does not work for your currency or country, then you can give through Facebook or through YouTube. Thank you for your support. Thank you for your help. And until next time, remember, nothing is impossible with God.