Command 28 : Deny Yourself | Day 196

Glory in the Words of Jesus!

Eight days after Jesus instructed His disciples to deny themselves, take up their crosses, and follow Him, He took Peter, James, and John up into a mountain to pray. As Jesus prayed, He was transfigured before them, and Moses and Elijah appeared with Him. Peter burst out, “Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for … [Elijah]” (Luke 9:33). Suddenly a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son: hear him” (Luke 9:35). With this, Moses and Elijah vanished.

It is significant to note the major portions of Scripture that were represented by this gathering: Moses—the Pentateuch, Elijah—the Prophets, John—the Gospels plus Revelation, and Peter and James—the epistles. Peter wanted to put Jesus on equal standing with the Law and the prophets, but God the Father made it clear that Jesus is the One Whom we need to hear.

Jesus is the Living Word. Therefore, to be ashamed of the words of Jesus is to be ashamed of Him.

When I began to memorize the Sermon on the Mount, I experienced a strange feeling of guilt, because I had been taught that the teachings of Jesus were not for our day but for His future "kingdom age." However, God gave me a deep love for the commands of Christ contained in Matthew 5-7, and I delighted in trying to apply them to my daily life.

As I began to share with others the exciting results of applying Christ's teaching to daily living, the Basic Youth Conflicts Seminar resulted. I am convinced that God blessed that seminar to make known to the world the importance and tremendous value of all the teachings of Jesus. Through Christ's words, we can understand the true meaning of both the Old Testament and the New Testament, because all Scripture relates to Jesus!

Jesus is the Bread (Manna) from heaven. Those who eat it will find life, because His words are spirit and they are life. (See John 6:63.)

A medical student who had average intellectual abilities began to memorize and meditate on large portions of Scripture during his years in medical school and throughout his residency. His grades steadily improved until he was in the top 1 percent of the nation's residency students. Today he has a thriving medical practice and has sent hundreds of his patients to the Basic Seminar.

Recently he conducted a study on the number of visits his patients make to his office in a year. The average per patient was 4.8 per year; however, those patients who attended a Basic Seminar reduced their number of visits to 1.2 per year! This doctor and those he treats have discovered that there is nothing to be ashamed of in the words of Jesus!

As you record your spiritual growth in your journal this week, it would be a treasure for your children and grandchildren to learn about times you chose to deny yourself, as well as the ways you have sacrificed your life for Christ's sake and how you were benefited because of it. Also, write about the ways that you have proved you are not ashamed of Jesus Christ or His Word. God will richly reward you for your obedience to this important command!