During the last half century, I have been fortunate enough to attend, listen and participate in numerous inspirational events. I went to Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during a Billy Graham Crusade to hear NFL Hall of Famer Reggie White speak. Shortly after getting married, I heard former Colorado football coach Bill McCarthy address a crowd of sixty five thousand men during a Promise Keepers event at Soldier Field. I spent a year under the spiritual leadership of Alistair Begg, the voice of Truth for Life ministries at the Chapel in Solon, Ohio. Finally, I spent another year soaking in the knowledge of John Ortberg via Community Services at Willow Creek Community Church in Barrington, Illinois.
But even as he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were [greatly] afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, My Chosen One; listen and obey and yield to Him!” – Luke 9:34-35
Many of these speeches invigorated my soul, eager to live out my faith. Yet, there is one message that stands alone in the Bible. In the passage above, there were only four people present. Beside Jesus, James, John and Peter were on a mountain that was engulfed by clouds. This formation is similar to a heavy fog, limiting your visibility to a couple of feet. Within this cloud, the voice of God the Father spoke. To make sure there isn’t any doubt, God identifies Jesus as his own son. Believing that brevity is clarity, God the Father shares seven words. The command is simply: listen, obey and yield to Jesus.
When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found there alone. And they kept silent, and told no one at that time any of the things which they had seen [concerning the divine manifestation], Luke 9:36.
Listening means to be attentive, concentrate, hang on and keep your ears open. Obeying is the act of accepting, bowing, carrying out, deferring to and submitting to that which is being recommended. Yield refers to bear, contribute, fetch, gather, provide and realize the plan. In this context, the calling that God has designed for your life. According to the passage above, theses three disciples were in awe, reflecting upon what had just happened. None of these men revealed this event until after Jesus rose from the dead. Although there were only three eye witnesses, God’s message to modern believers hasn’t changed. Listen, obey and yield to Jesus.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 