Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” (John 12:21, NKJV)
Jesus responded to them, most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. (John 12:23-26, NKJV)
Matthew 16:24, NKJV: “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.””
To see Jesus, you must embrace the cross. It’s through the cross that we encounter Him. You must die to self, selfish ambition, and anything that is of the flesh.
Galatians 5:24, NKJV: “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
The biggest hindrance to having an encounter with the Master is the flesh.
You must crucify the flesh and get rid of any of its wills that contradicts heaven.
Phillippians 3: 7-8 says, “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”
To encounter the master, Paul had to get rid of all his natural talents, credentials, giftings, and advantages so that he would completely lean on the master.
Leaning on these would be a hindrance and blockage for God using him because he would be boasting in them. (See 1 Cor 1:31)
Philippians 3:3, KJV: “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
Until we arrive in that place where we no longer trust in what we have in our natural dimension as our advantages and strengths, we will not be able to encounter the Lord Jesus in His fullness.
Shade off the things in the natural dimension that men pride in. Crucify the flesh so that you can be able to see and encounter the Jesus!.
Joshua 3:5, KJV: “And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify (consecrate) yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”
With a consecrated life, you separate yourself for God. You crucify the flesh. Without a consecrated life, there’s very little that heaven can do through you. A non-consecrated life limits the flow of the grace of God in and through it.
Your desire to see more of the power of God operate in your life calls for higher levels of consecration.
Dying to self will expose you to greater dimensions of God’s power, grace, and anointing. It’s the price for seeing Jesus and letting Him find expression through your life daily.
2 Corinthians 4:7, KJV: “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”
This anointing, beauty, and glory are covered up by the flesh. Just like the woman with the alabaster box (Mark 14:3), the bottle had to be broken for the fragrance of the perfume to be experienced in the room.
Crucifying the flesh is breaking the bottle so that the beauty, anointing, glory, power, grace, and presence that is on the inside flows out to bless the generation.
1 Peter 2:11, KJV: “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;”
Master the flesh, so that your spirit-man can have dominion over your soul. The wonders in your spirit will then flow out and God can find expression through you.
1 Corinthians 3:3, KJV: “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?”
Being flesh ruled makes us a disgrace to the kingdom of God whereas death to self makes us usable in the hands of God.
2 Timothy 2:20-21, NKJV: “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.”
Sanctify yourself therefore by taking heed to the voice of God and being a doer of the word.
Romans 12:1, KJV: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
It is you to offer yourself as a living sacrifice on the altar of sanctification. You will soon start discerning His will and soon become usable in His hands. The Holy Ghost will help you get rid of all the flesh desires and plant into you the desires of God.
Psalm 37:4, NKJV: “Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.”
When you delight in the Lord, God’s desires, passions, and will become your will.
May the Holy Spirit help you offer yourself as a living sacrifice, and may the beauty of the Lord find expression through your life.
Stay blessed and highly favored.
Based in Kampala, Uganda, Pastor Ben Ochola is a minister of the gospel. He is passionate about the Holy Spirit, and how He can make a remarkable, supernatural difference in you and in those you come into contact with.
