MOTHER'S DAY- The Mother of Jesus
MOTHER’S DAY 2019
THE MOTHER OF JESUS
May 12, 2019, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Happy Mother’s Day to the wonderful Saints of our Church fellowship. I want to extend my love to Lucy Beaton and the Beaton family in the passing of Lucy’s mother to Heaven this past week. She is comforted to know her mother was translated gently into Glory as she was sitting in her favorite chair.
Psa. 116:15Precious in the sight of the LORD
Is the death of His saints.
I extend my love to my own mother who is now 98 and has again found a new way of life in Assisted Living for her last days. She is popular, loved, and cheerful. It was very challenging for her to change her life style at 97 especially being blind. However, she is of the Great Generation where challenges were a way of life and “just the right thing to do.” My mother is well reported for good works. She brought up her children. She lodged strangers. She washed the saints’ feet. She fed those who were needy. She diligently followed every good work. (1 Ti. 5:10) She took care of her parents and my father in his illness. When it was necessary, she worked beside my father in the field. She taught school and started a business.
But this honor not only goes to my own mother, but to yours, and to each one of you who are saints.
Psa. 16:3As for the saints who are on the earth,
“They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.
“Four things in any land must dwell,
If it endures and prospers well;
One is manhood true and good;
One is noble womanhood;
One is child life, clean and bright;
And one an altar kept alight” (Author unknown)
Today the Lord has asked me to bring forth a different and challenging message. At least I feel challenged. I even begged off claiming I wasn’t qualified and I had no idea of how to do this. He spoke to me to preach on His Mother, Mary. Actually I tried to beg off by making excuses. Then remembered when He rebuked me when I was challenged over writing “The Mustard Seed.” He said, “Who is going to write this you or me?”
“Lord Jesus take the writer’s ink horn you put in my hand and show me what I should write.”
I salute Mary, the Mother of Jesus…the Mother of the Son of God….the earthly Mother of God.
As Protestants we don’t worship Mary, but she is surely a Saint. The Angel Gabriel visited her telling her she was chosen to bring forth the Son of the Highest. His name would be Jesus and he would reign over the throne of his father, David; and over the house of Jacob forever; and of his Kingdom there shall be no end; and He shall be called the Son of God.
In Phil. 4: 21-22, Paul instructed us to salute every saint in Christ Jesus.
As Children of God in Christ Jesus, and Sons of God through the Blood of Jesus, we graciously salute the Mother of Jesus as a Saint. Saints are described in both the Old and New Testament as that which is sacred (physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially consecrated)---(most) holy; free from defilement of crimes, idolatry, unclean or profane things.
1Co 1:2To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
Jesus Christ was born from the pure seed of the remnant of Israel.
Frances Metcalfe wrote concerning the Church/Ecclesia: “Are we so uninstructed in divine matters that we do not know that souls are brought forth in the new creation by being conceived and born through those in the earth who are in union with God. These souls are in the “Mary” company who will bring forth the “sons of God,” and the “nations will be born in a day.” Zion, New Jerusalem (Purity) the mother of us all, the remnant company, the undefiled Church, will conceive these offspring of God in the King’s House on Zion’s Hill and not in ‘Babylon.’ Do we not realize that the King is going to have a great feast to the nations, even as Ahaseurus, who after feasting his princes, nobles and servants, made a feast for all the people? Have we not realized that we shall be the “golden vessels” who carry the wine to the nations? Yes, we should go out and compel multitudes to come---by the compulsion of divine love! How can this be unless we ourselves have been partakers?”
Just as Jesus was born of a woman, so shall the Church, (a woman=God-seed) travail in birth and deliver a man-child company (the Sons of God) which will “rule all nations with a rod of iron.” (Rev. 12)
In the New Testament, women have been granted new dignity by the ennobling influence of Jesus Christ and His gospel. We must not abuse this liberty. Any failure in these matters will expose the Word of God to contempt in the world.
In the Book of Proverbs, there are two women: The virtuous Woman and the Strange Woman of Proverbs 7. There are two kinds of minds as well as two kinds of churches, the freewoman and the bondwoman of Paul’s allegory in Galatians 4: 21-31.
I wish to honor all the woman of our church today with the blessing of the virtuous woman. Through the Blood of Jesus, we are freewomen, no longer bond slaves.
The virtuous woman is a lady of some position, who has servants to mange and money to invest. As her husband’s trusted partner, she has sole responsibility in her domain, which extends beyond the house to the management of her lands and to dealings in the market, where she is a shrewd seller and a shrewd buyer. Her prosperity is not a means for self-indulgences but as a widening of her responsibilities. She is a tireless worker. There are the poor to help and life to meet forearmed.
31:10: “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.
This is a woman of Abraham’s seed, a woman of Faith. She is a woman of beauty, a freewoman and has the mind of Christ.
She is a good woman: 31:13-14:”She seeks wool and flax and works willingly with her hands. She is like the merchants’ ships; she brings her food from afar.” (16) “She considers a field and buys it: with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. She girds her loins with strength, and strengthens her arms. She perceives that her merchandise is good; her candle goes not out by night. She lays her hand to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.”
She works diligently – “she works willingly with her hands (vs. 12, 15, and 19).
She contrives prudently – “She considers…and then buys (v. 16).
She behaves uprightly – Strength and honor are her clothing.”
She seeks husband’s good - “She will do him good all the days of her life.”
She keeps his confidence – “The heart of her husband does safely trust in her.”
She aids his prosperity – “Her husband is known among the elders of the land.”
She is a Good Mother: 31:15:
She clothes family wisely – “All her household are clothed with scarlet.”
She feeds household well – “She rises and gives meat to her household.”
She shops sensibly – ““She brings her food from far.”
She is moving toward the perfect day. Her day begins at night.
She occupies herself with all areas of daily home life. Her interests are in her vineyard (her children, her husband, the local church and her livelihood). She leads in the way of righteousness.
She is a Good Neighbor: 31:20:
She helps the poor – “She stretches out her hand to the poor.”
She uplifts the needs – “She reaches forth her hands to the needy.”
She speaks graciously – “In her tongue is the law of kindness.”
She is loving, kind, and strong, gracious, respected, sensible, understanding, diligent, sturdy and fruitful.
31:24: “She makes fine linen, and sells it; and delivers girdles unto the merchant. Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
Her value “Her price is far above rubies.”
Her Praise – “Her children arise and call her blessed.”
She is a great teacher and dispenser of the Love of God.
Her Pre-eminence – “Many daughters have done virtuously, but you excel them all”
She is an overcomer. She is the choice one – Song 6: 8-9.
Her secret – “Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
Her Reward – “Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.”
Her day gets brighter, and her way is stable. (4:18) Hers’ is the path of the just. Her house dwells in safety and is quiet from fear of evil. She dwells with discernment, experience, and wise counsels. She furnishes (spreads) her table. Her ways bring health and healing. Her mouth is Wisdom. Her words are excellent things. She speaks kindly instruction, truth and righteousness.
Blessed are those who keep her ways. (8:32) “Her path leads to happiness and the favor of the Lord. Her purpose is to increase days and years of life.” (Prov. 9:11; 4:5-8) Her purpose will deliver a crown of glory. (4:9) Her place is the building (the encouraging) of her house (14:1).
To hate her is to love death. (8:36)
She is a tree of life! (3:18)
She is confident because she knows that she has done well! Her prayer life; overcomes her circumstances.
It is the Lord’ divine order and purpose that older women should teach younger women.
In Luke 1:39, in accordance with this principle of God, Mary the teenager went to visit Elizabeth, who was of up in age when she became pregnant with John the Baptist.
Titus chapter two Paul writes to Titus that he must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. This is a recurring demand in the Pastorals, but the emphasis that Paul makes here is that Titus should instruct them in behavior in accordance with their faith.
Verse 3, “Older women are to be reverent “in behavior as becomes holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teacher of good things; that they may teach the young women to be sober to love their husbands, to love their children; to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”
The commands may imply a connection between the devastating sin of slander, and the tongue loosening effect of wine. Thoughtless gossip indulged in on social occasions remains a prevalent evil in the early church. The danger should be overcome by occupation with private instruction in what is good and by the recognition of duty to train the younger women both by word and example.
Younger women in character must be self-controlled and pure. Paul’s main recommendations for them are to relate to their home responsibilities. They are to be devoted to their husbands and children. Husbands and wife you should never trash your spouse.
Children can have no better inheritance than believing parents that though we made mistakes, there was always love and the Lord was present in our prayers and in our conversations. “The beauty of a house is harmony. The security of a house is loyalty. The joy of a house is love. The plenty of a house is in children.” (Frank Crane).
The family in the United States and in the world is under attack. The family was created before the church. The Lord Jesus Christ was born into a family of a mother and father thus further affirming the Godly plan of man and woman being joined together to pro-create family.
There is a bill pending in the House of Representatives H. R. 5 which we must pray to have it rendered null and void. The bill “prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation, and for other purposes.” If this bill is approved, we as Christians will lose all of our Freedom of Religion to preach the pure Gospel as it is written. Our law will require that we submit and agree with homosexuality, transgenders, beastiality and all that is unclean and wicked.
Genesis 1:27: God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created he them.
God’s word has sealed the union of male and female and cannot be changed unless He says it is changed. Not only is the family sealed by His Word, and His Name; but the union of male and female is sealed in His image.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Scripture from K.J.V.