What Shall We Have Therefore?
Matthew 19:27
Contents
1 Theme
“Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?” Matthew 19:27
A few verses earlier Jesus said, “…And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” “When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:24-26) Peter was never afraid to say what he was thinking. If they were not going to gain riches by being saved, what would they gain? I want us to look into the scriptures and think about what we gain by accepting God’s salvation.
2 We have everlasting life…
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
Peter asked, “What shall we have therefore?” (Matthew 19:27) In this very familiar verse, John 3:16, we learn that we can have everlasting life. Jesus died that we might live. He paid the price for our sin. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23) “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) When we Acknowledge our sin, Believe that He died to save us, and Confess with our mouth, we can be saved and receive everlasting life. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” (John 5:24) Death is just a step up into heaven where we will live forever with our God and Savior.
3 We have an advocate…
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;” I John 2:1
In the Old Testament God’s people had to offer up sacrifices to pay for their sins. They lived under the law. We live under grace. Jesus, who knew no sin, became our sacrifice so that we might live. When we get saved, we try to live according to God’s will and not sin. We have God’s Word for guidance and wisdom. We should strive to be a Christian example and light to those around us. However, due to our human nature, we sometimes fail. But I am glad that when we do sin, we have an advocate. We read in Romans 8:34 that “…It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Jesus is the only way to God the Father. John 14:6 tells us, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Try to live holy, but when you do sin, have this assurance that you can take it to the Lord in prayer.
4 We have a Father…
“And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” Galatians 4:6&7
Two years ago my Dad went on to glory. He was a good Christian man and I miss him. There are many living in our world today without their natural father. But when we receive God’s salvation, we become the sons of God. Verse 5 tells us that Jesus came “To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” He has adopted us into His family. God is our heavenly Father. He gives us love, guidance, protection, and supplies our needs. Not only that, our scripture also tells us we are heirs of God through Christ. God’s chosen people were the children of Israel. But Paul tells us in Ephesians 3:6 “That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:” God, in His mercy, has adopted us as sons. What a wonderful God we serve.
5 We have a Comforter…
“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” John 14:16&17
When we face pain and sadness, it helps for someone to comfort us. Jesus knew his disciples would have great sadness in His suffering and death on the cross. I think He was trying to prepare them. Jesus spoke these words at the last Passover with his disciples, after Judas had gone out. He speaks of “the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost…” in verse 26. Chapter 15:26 begins, “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father…” And once again in John 16:7 He says plainly, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” Four times Christ told the disciples He would send the Comforter to them. The disciples did not understand how the Comforter would manifest unto them and not the world. (John 14:22) Just as the world cannot understand today. But we understand because we can feel the presence of the Holy Spirit living within us. We can have inner peace when trouble comes. We can have joy in the midst of tribulation. We can find comfort in our times of sorrow. We have all this and more… with our Comforter.
6 We have an anchor…
“Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” Hebrews 6:19&20
We all have storms. Sometimes winds of doubt try to blow us off-course. Other times we feel waves of discouragement crashing over our heads. We all face many different storms in life. Becoming a Christian does not take away the storms. Jesus can, and many times He does, tell the winds and waves, “Peace, be still”. But there are other times of storms and tribulation that we must go through. For those times, we have an anchor of the soul. The writer of Hebrews tells us our anchor is both “sure and stedfast”. Is your hope anchored in Christ Jesus? Don’t put your trust in wealth and riches, or your own power and strength. These things will pass away. Put your hope in Jesus, the “anchor of the soul.”
7 We have forgiveness…
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” Ephesians 1:7
The Lord said to Jeremiah, “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.” (Jeremiah 18:2-4) In verse 6 the Lord said, “…Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand…” God’s message here was to the house of Israel. But we can apply this to our own lives. Our lives get marred. We fall into sin’s temptations. But I am so glad God doesn’t throw the clay away. He forgives us and molds us and makes us as He sees fit. Thank God for His mercy and grace. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9)
8 We have a home in heaven…
“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were no so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:2&3
If you know someone is planning to come to your house for an extended visit, you would probably prepare a place for him or her. You would want to clean up and make sure you have food in the house. Well, we are on our way to spend eternity in heaven. And Jesus has promised to prepare a place for us. John describes heaven with streets of gold and gates of pearl in the book of Revelations. We have friends and loved ones that have gone on to heaven. We can only imagine how wonderful it will be. We can look around us and see all of God’s creation, which he accomplished in only six days. Imagine the wonders and glory of heaven that Christ is preparing for us. And He has promised to come back and take us there with Him. We may not live in the biggest house down here on earth, but Christ is preparing a special place for us in heaven.
9 We have a friend…
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13
Everybody needs a friend. A friend listens when you need someone to talk to. A friend helps you out when you are in need. “A friend loveth at all times…” (Proverbs 17:17) And Proverbs 18:24 tells us “…there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” Jesus is that friend. In John 15:15 Jesus continues, “Henceforth I call you not servants… but I have called you friends…” It is amazing that Christ would choose to be our friend. He loves us so much that He laid down His life for us. He gives us salvation, and we should be willing to serve Him, but He has called us to be His friends. Are you a friend of God? We read in James 2:23 “…Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” Abraham was called the Friend of God. Would those around you call you a Friend of God? How do we become a friend of God? In John 15:14 Jesus says, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” Won’t you follow Him and be His friend?
10 We have our need supplied…
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19
The previous verses tell us that the Philippian Church had abundantly given to Paul again and again. Because of their “sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God” Paul told them God would supply all their needs. In Matthew 6:25-34 we read the words of Jesus which remind us that God clothes the lilies of the field, and feeds the sparrows. He tells us “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?…for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” We don’t need to worry about our food and clothing. We may not get all our wants in this world, but God will supply our needs. In I Timothy 6:8 Paul writes, “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” When we put God first in our lives, God will supply all our need. We also read in I Timothy 6:6 “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” Live Godly, and be content, knowing your heavenly Father cares for you.
11 We have compassion…
“And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” Jude 22
I am afraid that many of us are lacking in this area of our Christian service. We should have compassion for the lost. In Matthew 14:14 we read one of the verses in the New Testament that tells us of the compassion of Christ. “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.” Jesus had compassion on the multitude and fed five thousand men, also the women and the children. He had compassion and healed the sick. We cannot feed five thousand and we cannot heal the sick, but we can have compassion on the lost. We read of the death of the rich man in Luke 16:23 & 24, “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” One day it will be too late for us to have compassion on those around us. We must have compassion for them now. You may be the one to make a difference in someone’s life. Pray for compassion.
12 We have living water…
“Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water…But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:10 & 14
The Samaritan woman went to the well to draw water and left saying, “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” (John 4:29) Everyone is searching for something. The woman could not see the living water and said to Jesus, “Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep…” (verse 11) Do you remember feeling that way when you were lost in your sin? Did you long for something, but have no way to draw it to you? Did you reach out for something, only to find that the well was too deep and you could not reach it? Many today reach out for alcohol, drugs, or relationships trying to find life for their soul. Each time they drink of those wells, they have to reach deeper and deeper. But Jesus has living water. Once you drink from His fountain, you no longer thirst for the things of the world. You want to say like the Samaritan woman, “Is not this the Christ?” Have you accepted the Lord’s invitation? “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17)
13 We have a message…
“He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus…” John 1:41 & 42
When Andrew met Jesus he went to get his brother Simon Peter and brought him to Jesus. When we meet Jesus we should tell our family and try to lead them to Jesus. When Jesus healed the man with the unclean spirit He told him to “Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.” (Mark 5:19) We should also tell our friends what great things the Lord has done for us. After His resurrection, Jesus told his disciples, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…” (Matthew 22:18) Then we are to proclaim the Gospel message to others. Even if we aren’t led to become missionaries, we can support them in prayer and through financial support. There are many in the Bible who proclaimed the message… The angel gave the message, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10 &11) John the Baptist was faithful with his message, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:2) The woman at the well went into the city proclaiming, “Come, see a man…is not this the Christ?” (John 4:29) We have a message. It is as simple as John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Are you doing your part to send the message? My purpose for this web site is to help send out the gospel message. I pray God will use it to glorify His name.
14 We have a good shepherd…
“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep… I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.” John 10:11 & 14
Isaiah 53:6 tells us “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” We are the sheep. Our Lord is the good shepherd. He laid down His life for us. David wrote a Psalm that reminds us of the goodness of our Shepherd. Read the following verses slowly and think about how good God has been to you. “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” (Psalm 23) Take a few moments today to give thanks to God for being your Good Shepherd.
15 We have a foundation…
“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” II Timothy 2:19
Jesus told the story of the wise man and the foolish man. The wise man built his house upon the rock and when the winds and rain came the house stood firm. The foolish man built his house on the sand, and Christ said, “And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:27) We are all going to face stormy weather. We may have to go through financial struggles, sickness, or the loss of loved ones. Will you be able to stand when troubles come? What is your life founded on? Many put their trust in their wealth, but sickness for an extended time can wipe out bank accounts and make it impossible to work again. Businesses can fall,… acquaintances can fail. You can be destroyed in an automobile crash, or a stock market crash. You can’t put your trust in the things of this world. Build on the solid foundation. Our scripture tells us that the Lord knows them that are His and I had rather be known by the Lord than any person on this earth.
16 We have church fellowship…
“And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers… And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house,… Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” Acts 2:42, 46, & 47
When we are saved, we become a child of God. We gain many brothers and sisters in Christ as we join the family of God. We meet to worship in our churches, which we call the house of God. We sing songs to the Lord. We have times of Bible study, and preaching of God’s Word. It is comforting to share prayer requests, knowing that God hears each and every prayer. And we have times of fellowship with our Christian family. Many churches have fellowship buildings, or family centers where groups can gather for special times of fellowship with meals, or refreshments. I am thankful for my Christian family. I am thankful for my church. We should be faithful to the house of God. I know that we can study the Bible on our own. We should spend time in prayer to God each day. We can sing or listen to Christian music on the radio. But we cannot enjoy the fellowship with our Christian family at home alone. I leave you today with this promise from our Lord and Savior, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20)
17 We have an adversary…
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith…” I Peter 5:8 & 9
We can go to church on Sunday and have a glorious service and wonderful fellowship with our Christian family… only to wake up on Monday morning stressed under the attack of the devil. He is our adversary. We need to expect his powerful attacks when we are doing a work for our Lord. The 10th chapter of Daniel tells us of a vision of Daniel. “Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen… and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire… and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent… Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me;…” The angel fought against the devil three weeks when trying to deliver his message to Daniel. After delivering the message He told Daniel, “O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea be strong.” That is the message I want to give you today. When you face tribulation and temptation from the devil, “Be strong, yea be strong.” Pray with David, “O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.” (Psalm 25:2)
18 We have armor…
“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11
Yes, we have an adversary… but, we also have the armor of God. We need the armor of God “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” (Ephesians 6:12-17) God has given us armor, not only defensive armor, but the Word of God as our offensive armor. Take a stand… with the Word of God.
19 We have the Word…
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105
God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet, guiding each step that we take. If we need guidance for today, we can pray and read God’s Word and trust in His leading. There are also times when we need God’s leading for our future; what direction we should take in our schooling, jobs, or marriage. Then it can be a light shining before us, illuminating our path ahead. All of Psalm 119 is devoted to the Word of God. Verse 11 says “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” God’s Word not only gives us light, but it can also give us strength in times of temptation. If you have trouble with a particular temptation, find a verse for strength and learn it, meditate on it, and God can use His Word to help you in those times. Finally, after we learn the Word, we must be doers of the Word. “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (James 1:22) This not only applies to the things we should not do, but also to the positive aspects of His Word. “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.” (I Thessalonians 5:16-22) Those are just a few of the positive things we are told to do in God’s Word. God doesn’t try to “keep us in the dark” about His leading… He has so graciously given us His Word.
20 We have the seed…
“He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Psalm 126:6
We have the seed, the Word of God. In three of the gospels, (Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8) we read the parable Jesus told about a sower that went out to sow seed. Some of the seeds fell by the way side where the birds ate them. Some fell on stony places where they came up, but had no deep soil for their roots and the sun scorched them. Still others fell among the thorns and the thorns choked them. But some fell on good ground where it grew and brought forth fruit. Jesus explained the parable to the disciples. The seed is the Word of God. Some hear God’s Word and don’t understand and the Word is snatched away from them. Some hear and receive it with joy, but have no root and when tribulation comes they are offended. Those in the thorns are those in which the cares of this world and deceitfulness choke out the Word. Finally some seeds fall in good ground. Those are the ones who hear, receive, and understand the Word and bring forth fruit. We are the sowers. We have the seed, the Word of God. It is our job to sow the seed. There will be times when the seed does not fall on good ground. But that should not stop us from sowing the seed. We have the promise of Psalm 126:6, “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Some of the seed will fall on good ground and bring forth fruit. Keep sowing the seed.
21 We have hope…
“For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” Romans 8:24 & 25
So, how was your day? Did the computer eat your final big project? Did you momentarily forget everything you knew during your final exam? Did your co-workers become totally rude about something that you were actually right about? These things may seem big for the moment, but they are really small compared to the suffering that some live with everyday. And furthermore, we, as Christians have hope that the world cannot understand. It has been nearly three years since 9-11, but I will never forget the scenes of horror I saw on the television news coverage. The images of those helpless and hopeless people leaping to their death from the top of the towers are still burned in my mind. Many of them died without hope. We live among many today that are helpless and hopeless. But we have hope the world cannot see. We know that one day all our problems will be over. Paul reminded the Ephesians, “Wherefore remember… That at that time ye were without Christ,… having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:11-13) Christ gives us hope. When nothing seems to be going our way, maybe we need to draw up a little closer to Christ. And although we may not be able to see our way out of our present situation, we may just have to wait with patience in the hope of our God.
22 We can have a crown…
“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” Revelation 3:11
There are several different crowns in the scriptures. I Peter 5:4 speaks to the elders which feed the flock of God, “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” We also read of the crown of life in James 1:12. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” Paul tells Timothy, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” (II Timothy 4:8) We are told to strive for an incorruptible crown in I Corinthians 9:25. Reading once again in Revelation 3:11, we have the words of our Lord, “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” Hang in there. Don’t let Satan rob you of your crowns by falling to temptation. Then when we are gathered around the throne in heaven we can cast our crowns before the throne, and say with the four and twenty elders, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Revelation 4:11)
23 We have joy…
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” III John 4
Happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers out there. This has been my favorite verse for many years. I pray always that my children will walk in truth. But, maybe you are reading this and you are not a mother. Well, you are somebody’s child. Do you give your parents great joy by walking in truth? And going a step further, not only for those whose parents are not around, but for all of us who are saved by His grace, do we give our Heavenly Father joy? When we are saved, we become a child of God. Do we walk in the truth? Jude ends his letter, “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen” Jude 24 & 25 We can have joy as Christians, but we can also be a joy to God. Luke 15:10 assures us that there is joy in heaven, “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” We need to live in the truth so that we may hear Christ say to us one day, “…Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” (Matthew 25:21)
24 We have a testimony…
“By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” Hebrews 11:5
We had many people at church yesterday morning. Many visitors came to be with their mothers for our time of worship. To me, this shows the testimony of those mothers. Their children know their lives and chose to be with them for Mother’s Day in the house of God. Enoch had a testimony, that he pleased God. I often wonder if those around me see Christ in my daily walk. Acts 14:3 tells us of the testimony of Paul and Barnabas. “Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace…” Also in II Timothy 1:8 we are told to “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord…” We can have a walking, talking testimony of our Christian faith. It is easy to go to church and be a Christian on Sunday, but we should also carry the testimony of Christ to work or school with us on Monday. How is your testimony?
25 We have the power of prayer…
“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Jeremiah 33:3
When my oldest son was about three years old we had a tire that blew out on the highway. I wanted to use the situation to teach him that God answers our prayers. So we prayed out loud for God to help us. Just as we finished praying our simple prayer a man pulled up and changed my flat tire. He then asked me about my salvation. He was a Gideon, who places the Gideon Bibles in hotels and such, and gave my son a New Testament Bible. God indeed answered our prayer in such a beautiful way. My son learned at an early age that God answers prayer. I recently received a prayer journal as a gift. The upper sections of the pages are to record your prayers, and the lower portions of the pages are to record your answers. You could keep a prayer journal using a simple notebook. Jesus encourages us to pray in Matthew 7:7 & 8. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” Call out to God in prayer today… and expect great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
26 We have a lily in our valley…
“I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.” Song of Solomon 2:1
Have you been in the valley of discouragement? In Numbers 21:3 the Israelites had victory over the Canaanites, but the very next verse says, “And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.” Even the great prophet Elijah sat down under a juniper tree in discouragement after his victory over the prophets of Baal. (I Kings 19:4) We get discouraged because of the way. Maybe you are in the valley of decision. If so, you are not alone. “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.” (Joel 3:14) And we can’t forget about Solomon, the wisest man and king over Israel in the valley of despair. “Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 2:20) Joshua 7 tells of the valley of disobedience and defeat. Or, you may be going through a valley of dry bones. The LORD carried Ezekiel to a valley of bones and “they were very dry.” (Ezekiel 37:2) Do you find yourself in one of these valleys? David said, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4) Yes, we go through these valleys. But we have a Lily in our valley. He comforts us, He protects us, and He provides for us. Jesus said, “Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” (Luke 12:27) If you are in a valley, look around for the lily.
27 We have commandments…
“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” John 15:14
We can go all the way back to chapter 20 of Exodus to find the 10 Commandments. (1) Thou shalt have no other gods before me. (2) Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image… (3) Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain… (4) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (5) Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. (6) Thou shalt not kill. (7) Thou shalt not commit adultery. (8) Thou shalt not steal. (9) Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. (10) Thou shalt not covet…
But the Old Testament is not the only place we have commandments of God. Beginning in Matthew 22:35 we read, “Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” If we could love God with all our being, and love our neighbors as ourselves, maybe those around us could see that we are friends of Christ.
28 We have promises…
“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) Hebrews 10:23
We can read many promises of God in the Bible. Every time we see a rainbow we are reminded of God’s promise that He will never destroy the earth with water again. We have faith that God will keep His promises. We have faith to believe unto salvation. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” That is an amazing, wonderful promise. Another promise that we find comfort in is in Matthew 28:20, “…lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Jesus has promised to be with us always. Again in Hebrews 13:5 & 6, “…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” But not all the promises are positive. We are warned in Numbers 32:23, “…be sure your sin will find you out.” Galatians 6:7 tells us, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” We may make promises to others with all intentions of keeping them, only to have circumstances beyond our control get in the way. But God will keep all His promises. He is faithful.
29 We have so much more…
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20 & 21
For the past four weeks we have looked at some of the things we have in Christ. But we have so much more… “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think…” I wanted to just list some of the things we may not have mentioned: advocate, an altar, anchor, assurance, benefits, blessing, charity, cheer, church, cleansing, a new city, comfort, Comforter, communion, counselor, courage, covenant, cross, daily bread, deliverance, devotions, direction, door, ears to hear, enough, ensample, everlasting life, evidence, family, faith, forgiveness, freedom, great gain, garment, gladness, Gospel, grace, guide, healing, hedge about us, heritage, hope, integrity, intercession, journey, joy, judge, justification, king, knowledge, Lamb, laughter, liberty, life, Light, Lord, love, Master, meekness, mercy, message, new name, opportunity, overcome, pardon, patience, peace, Great Physician, pleasure, portion, power, promises, protection, provision, purpose, reason, Redeemer, redemption, rejoicing, rest, revelation, reward, righteousness, robe, sacrifice, safety, salvation, Savior, Shepherd, shield, sight, sign, songs, soul, Spirit, storms, supplication, sword, Teacher, temptation, testimony, thanksgiving, tranquility, treasure, trust, Truth, victory, vision, walk, water, Way, wisdom, witness, Word, work, yoke, and zeal. We have these things and so much more. Lift up your voice in thanksgiving for all He has done for you.
Updated Entries
As we talked about following Jesus to bring us nearer to God we looked at Peter's question found in Matthew 19:27.
"Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?"
I think it would be good to look at some of the great gifts that we receive from the Lord when we accept His gift of salvation. You are welcome to join us as we talk about His great blessings.
We Have A Heavenly Father…
“And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” Galatians 4:6&7
When I woke up yesterday morning, I had been dreaming about my Dad. It has been fourteen years since he went on to glory. He was a good Christian man and I miss him, and still think of him. He loved spending time in the garden and I think of how special it would be if I could share my garden with him. There are many living in our world today without their natural father. But when we receive God’s salvation, we become the sons of God. Verse 5 tells us that Jesus came “To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” He has adopted us into His family. God is our heavenly Father. He gives us love, guidance, protection, and supplies our needs. Not only that, our scripture also tells us we are heirs of God through Christ. God’s chosen people were the children of Israel. But Paul tells us in Ephesians 3:6 “That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:” God, in His mercy, has adopted us as sons. What a wonderful God we serve!
We Have Forgiveness…
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” Ephesians 1:7
Little Elsa is only a year and a half but she has learned how to aggravate her big brother Jedidiah. She likes to take the toys he is playing with or sit on his track so he can't push his cars along. This week after she kept pulling apart his blocks I decided to get out several containers of toys and poured them in the center of the rug. I told Jedidiah that he could play with what he wanted, and all these other toys would keep her busy. I said, "I don't know who mixed all these toys up, but we will dump them all out and sort them." I began sorting the toys, blocks in the bucket, dinosaurs in one container and cars in another. Jedidiah was helping me and in a little while he said, "I'm sorry MeMaw, I did it." "You did what?", I asked. "I put the toys up wrong." I quickly said that all of the grandchildren had played with them lately and I think everybody had mixed them up. I thought about how hard it is to say, "I'm sorry, I did wrong" yet at four years old, Jedidiah did just that. I thanked him and told him that he was such a big boy. In thinking about this devotional, I realized that God wants us to come to Him in just the same way and we can have forgiveness. Jesus told His followers, "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." (Luke 18:17) Sometimes it is hard, but we can talk to our God and say, "I'm sorry, Lord, I did that, I ..." He already knows what we have done, and He has promised to forgive us if we ask Him. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9)
We Have A Home In Heaven...
“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were no so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:2-3
When I know that our son Matthew and his family are coming for a visit from out of state, I start planning and preparing for their visit. I go to the grocery store and stock up on things I know they like. I think of special things I can do with the grandchildren if they are planning to be here a while. I clean and make extra space for their luggage and things they bring with them. I have always enjoyed planning for special times.
It is exciting to know that the Lord is preparing a place for me! John describes heaven with streets of gold and gates of pearl in the book of Revelations. We have friends and loved ones that have gone on to heaven. We can only imagine how wonderful it will be. We can look around us and see all of God’s creation, which he accomplished in only six days. Imagine the wonders and glory of heaven that Christ is preparing for us. And He has promised to come back and take us there with Him. We may not live in the biggest house down here on earth, but Christ is preparing a special place for us in heaven. We also have blessed promises of the joys of heaven. "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful." (Revelation 21:4-5) That will be a wonderful day when God makes all things new!
We Have Our Need Supplied…
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19
Several years ago I lost my job. The day our department was "let go" came as a complete surprise and I went home that afternoon filled with mixed emotions. I did not know what I would do, or where I would go to find another job. I didn't know if I would be able to find another job in the current economic conditions. The one thing that stands out in my mind about that day was that God gave me perfect peace that He was still in control, and He would continue to supply our needs. God has always provided for our family and the peace I felt was sure and comforting. We have His promise in Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” The previous verses tell us that the Philippian Church had abundantly given to Paul again and again. Because of their “sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God” Paul told them God would supply all their needs. In Matthew 6:25-34 we read the words of Jesus which remind us that God clothes the lilies of the field, and feeds the sparrows. He tells us “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?…for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” We don’t need to worry about our food and clothing. We may not get all our wants in this world, but God will supply our needs. In I Timothy 6:8 Paul writes, “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” When we put God first in our lives, God will supply all our needs. I close with one of my favorite verses found in Malachi 3:10. "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." I am blessed!
