The Portrait of A Godly Mother

Proverbs 31:10-31

By: Pastor Mike Sanders

 

There is no adequate pen or adequate words to express how much we owe our mothers for their hard work, good words, and loving deeds.  Without taking away the joys, rewards, and those extra special moments of motherhood, the daily tasks of motherhood can be grinding!  Washing mounds of laundry; ironing; folding; cleaning; shopping; cooking; carpooling, being a referee, a coach, an encourager, a counselor, a cop, remaining tactful, lovable, compassionate, cheerful, responsible, balanced and sane, all have a way of making today’s mothers feeling strung out and spent.

 

No wonder eight-year-old Carol wrote her mother and said, "Dear Mother, here are two aspirins, have a Happy Mother’s Day."  The unselfishness of a mother shows a heart of love for her family. And all of us can remember many unselfish acts of devotion our moms made to our families.

With all these responsibilities as a mother each mother must remember her Priority is her relationship with the Lord.  (Proverbs 31:30 KJV)  Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.  It’s easy to get busy and forget to nurture your own soul. 

 

A godly mother is more about being than doing.  Yes there is much to do but don’t forget to feed your faith and spirit through a daily time with Christ in the word and prayer.  What a blessing is a mother who prays, and reads her Bible at every opportunity!

 

Neglecting our time with Christ will cause a mothers soul to grow lean. If you’re going to be a godly Mother, be sure you have a sound flourishing faith.

Finding Hope at Easter

Finding Hope at Easter

1^st Peter 1:3-5

People today are searching for hope amid financial struggle, amid personal despair, and family tragedy.  The world knows only of a dying hope.  The Bible says, “Such are the paths of all who forget God; the hope of the godless shall perish” (Job 8:13 ESV). 

In Contrast, believers in Christ have a living hope. We are reminded in (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV)  “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

The Bible delivers that hope in the good news of Jesus Christ. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the reason for our Hope. It was the hope of a living redeemer that sustained Job in the midst of suffering. “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth” Job 19:25 (NASB).

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation for all Christian hope.  Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” John 11:25 (NKJV)

The Resurrection of Christ is a pledge to you that you will also be raised to new life.  Because His resurrection is our resurrection.  (Revelation 1:17-18 KJV)  “… Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore…”

The Resurrection is the heart of the gospel message (1st Corinthians 15:1-3).  Therefore our belief of the resurrection is essential to our salvation.  (Romans 10:9 KJV)  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Viktor Frankl, in Man’s Search for Meaning, tells of his days in a World War II death camp and prison. He said, “The person who lost his faith in the future-his future- was doomed” (p. 74). He mentions further that those who had hope increased their chances for survival, the hope of seeing a loved one again or the hope of a dream they possessed.

The hope of Christ will never let you down and will sustain you through the deepest valleys of your life.  Romans 5:5 (NKJV) Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Guidelines to a Meaningful Marriage

Guidelines to a Meaningful Marriage

1 Corinthians 7:2-40

The following, classified ad, appeared in the Rocky Mountain Newspaper in Denver, Colorado. Will trade. Will trade my non-cooking and non-shopping wife with attitude problem for one Super Bowl ticket. No Indian givers. Call Jim,

762-1000. Hurry!

Jim claimed that he wasn’t kidding, although he was known to play practical jokes. He said the idea occurred to him the day after the AFC championship game, when it snowed heavily in Denver.

“She refused to go shopping,” he said. “She said the roads were too slick, so she made me do it. I get tired of that stuff after a while. If I could get a Super Bowl ticket, it would be a one-way trip.”

Sharon, his wife of eighteen years, was asked what she thought about his little advertisement. She said, “He’s dead meat.”

Marriage is the first institution created by God, and remains the holiest of all earthly relationships. When a couple believes marriage is more about self-fulfillment than self-denial it will soon self-destruct. Marriage is the unselfish union of a man and a woman who care more about each other than themselves. Therefore, all couples need to identify each other’s needs and never neglect each other. Make every effort to seek to please each other for the glory of God.

(1 Corinthians 7:3 NKJV) Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.

There is no human institution more sacred than the union of one man and one woman in marriage. Marriage is a place where we learn about commitment. The Bible teaches that marriage is to be a permanent relationship of one man and one woman freely and totally committed to each other as companions, for life. Therefore, see your marriage as an ordained partnership. Declare your commitment regularly to each other. Working through our problems is harder than walking out on our spouse. Resolve to not walk out. Don’t use the word or reference “Divorce.” Seek reconciliation and quit looking for a way out.

I once read about an older woman who was celebrating her golden wedding anniversary. Someone asked what her secret was to a long and happy marriage. She said, “On my wedding day, I decided to make a list of ten of my husband’s faults which, for the sake of our marriage, I would overlook.” One of the relatives jokingly asked her what were some of the faults she had chosen to overlook. She replied, “To tell you the truth, I never did get around to listing them. But whenever my husband did something that made me hopping mad, I would say to myself, ‘Lucky for him that’s one of the ten!’”

 

The Meaning of Christmas to Us

Luke 2:8-18

     When Jesus was born people from all walks of life came to see Him.  The keenest minds of all of the ages have been those who have humbly bowed at the manger of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

     The shepherds came and they represent the simple, common, ordinary people who are drawn to this baby Jesus who is born in Bethlehem's manger.

     Life for a shepherd was a difficult kind of life.  They were low on the social scale.  Most people didn't even regard them with a great deal of respect.

     When Jesus was born on a hillside a group of shepherds had gathered, tending their sheep and the Bible says these shepherds had an experience which brings the wonder and the beauty of the meaning of Christmas to us.

     (Luke 2:15 KJV)  And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

     The shepherds were saying, "Let's go find out about it.”

     Think about it.  When those shepherds looked into the face of that little baby Jesus.   They saw Jesus; the Son of God is now the son of Mary.  They saw Jesus, the One who fills this universe is now confined to a little manger.

     (John 1:14 KJV)  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

 

Victory over Death

By: Pastor Mike Sanders

     The story is told of a dad who took his son on a fishing trip.  A window was rolled down slightly and a bee buzzed his way into the car.  The little boy was frightened and grew more agitated as the bee flew around the interior of the car.

    
     Moments later the dad stopped the car and quickly grabbed the bee in his hand.  He gripped the bee tightly until it penetrated the flesh of his palm. Leaving the stinger embedded in the flesh. Then he let it go.

     The dad then explained, “Son, his stinger is in my hand. He will fly around a bit but just remember that he cannot hurt you.  The stinger is gone.”

     Today you and I don’t have to fear death even though its presence may be near in our life.  For Christians death has no more power, because God has taken away our sin.  Jesus said, “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.” John 14:19 (NKJV)

     Jesus has removed the sting of death through His resurrection.  If we have faith in Christ then for the believer death is simply a transition from this earthly life to our heavenly life with Christ forever.  Therefore, we agree with the Apostle Paul when he said, “Oh death where is your victory, oh death, where is your sting?” 

     How we live and how prepared we are to die are both extremely important. It’s important to understand, however, that only those who are prepared to die are really ready to live!  And to be prepared to die we must know Jesus.