The Father's Menu
Apostle Dr. Richard Udoh
Wednesday, July 3, 2024
DENY THYSELF
“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
Mark 8:34
Main Text: Main Text: Luke 9:23
The Greek word used to describe 'deny' in this context is aparneomai. It means to forget oneself, lose sight of oneself, and one's own interests. In the New Testament, denial is the intentional disassociation from a relationship with a particular person. Another translation might be 'disown' or 'renounce’.
To experience the blessedness of the gospel, one must deny oneself certain pleasures. For instance, you must be willing to sacrifice your finances for the furtherance of the glorious gospel of Christ. Denying oneself for the work of God is a sacrifice that God does not take for granted. To experience the power of God, you must be willing to forego certain pleasures of life.
Jesus said that if you want to follow Him, you must deny yourself. This is a literal statement, implying that you may need to deny yourself finances, pleasures, certain individuals you love, leaving your nation, or anything else God points out for the furtherance of His work. To follow God, you must deny yourself and commit to what He calls you to do.
Confession:
Dear Lord, I confess, I deny myself for your work and I am open to forgo whatever pleasure you point to me for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God.
Further Reading:
Matt 16:25-26 “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?”
Mark 8:34-38 “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Read through the bible in 1 year: 2 Kings 22:3-23:30 Acts 21:37-22:16 Psalm 1:1-6 Proverbs 18:11-12
Read through the bible in 2 years: Luke 14-15 & Pr 24.1-22
