the Sacrifice of Self .. (Oswald today)

February 6th.

ARE YOU READY TO BE OFFERED?

"I am already being poured out as a drink offering." 2 Timothy 4:6

"I am ready to be offered." (it's the readiness / willingness he is after in us, to love Him and to follow Him in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in day in and day out)

It is a transaction of will, not of sentiment. Tell God you are ready to be offered; then let the consequences be what they may, there is no strand of complaint now, no matter what God chooses. *It's been settled in our hearts - God is truly on the throne of our lives*

God puts you through the crisis in private, no one person can help an other. Externally the life may be the same; the difference is in will. (ie to those on the outside, all others, they never know what is going on inside, the intense personal outworking is so deep, only Christ knows. It makes no sense whatsoever to another, to one who has never allowed the Cross to have it's way within)

Go through the crisis in will, then when it comes externally there will be no thought of the cost. If you do not transact in will with God along this line, you will end in awakening sympathy for yourself. (If we go thru the crisis in our will we will no longer say to God, "can't you see what you are requiring of me" ... or "that you are asking too much of me" for you have counted and settled the cost. You will no longer be tempted to say to God, why can't I ? Why God are you not requiring such of so and so ??)

"Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar." The altar means fire - burning and purification and insulation for one purpose only, the destruction of every affinity that God has not started and of every attachment that is not an attachment in God. You do not destroy it, God does; you bind the sacrifice to the horns of the altar; and see that you do not give way to self-pity when the fire begins. After this way of fire, there is nothing that oppresses or depresses. When the crisis arises, you realize that things cannot touch you as they used to do. What is your way of fire? (The outcome is a calm and peaceful countenance that radiates to others His presence and keeping power in all things)

Tell God you are ready to be offered, and God will prove Himself to be all you ever dreamed He would be.