THE RIGHTEOUS WOMAN

THE RIGHTEOUS WOMAN

Mother’s Day Sunday

May 12, 2013, the Year of Our Lord

Pastor Carolyn Sissom

Happy Mother’s Day Mighty Women of God!

 I especially want to honor my mother who is 92-years young.  She made the 630 mile drive from her home in Missouri to Texas in one day to her grand daughter's wedding (my daughter).    I wouldn’t attempt that.  I would have to make it a two-day journey.

 Mother received the blessing of Ephesians 6:2 because she was the care-giver for her aging parents as well as my father.  “Honor your father and mother, (which is the first commandment with promise);  That it may be well with you; and you may live long on the earth.  

This verse occurs eight (8) times in the Holy Scriptures and six (6) times in the New Testament.  The promise of a long life and favor is conditional on the honor we give to our parents.

Bill O’Rielly spoke a word of wisdom Friday evening after honoring his mother as an honorable woman.   He said to those who do not have honorable mothers,  “If your mother was troubled with addictions or other emotional dis-orders, help her if you can.  If you cannot help her, then stay away, but forgive her.”  

All of us, even the best of parents, pray that our children will forgive us for all of our mistakes.

Mother’s Day is a Christian holiday.  During the sixteenth century, (in the UK) people returned to their mother church to worship with their families.   This became known as Mothering Sunday.  Domestic servants were given a day off to visit their mother church.    It was often the only time that whole families could gather together.   

Mothering Sunday was set forth as a Christian principle out of Galatians 4:26:  “Jerusalem which is above is free; which is Mother of us all.”   The word for “Mother” in this verse is “metaph”, the source of something, the motherland.

This is an allegory comparing those born under the “Law” (Hagar the bond-woman/Mt. Sinai in Arabia) and those of us “born again” into Jesus Christ, the New Jerusalem which is above and is free, which is the mother of us all.

Gal. 4:31:  “So then brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

Even though Paul is speaking of Jerusalem (under the law)  which now is as those who are in bondage, it is interesting that he uses Mt. Sinai in Arabia in the allegory.  We are even now threatened by Obama with Sharia Law which is a law of bondage and abuse especially for women.

As Christians we must never come into any “covenant” which puts us into a commitment of bondage.  We are in “covenant” with the Lord Jesus Christ.  Within his government, we are free.  Our marriage “covenant” with our spouse will never be in “bondage” within the love of Christ.

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.

Further as we have viewed this past two weeks on our television screens, we see that both woman-hood and mother-hood are under attack.  There is the bazaar abuse of the abortionist, Dr. Gosnell, and then even more monstrous was the ten-year captivity of the three young women in Ohio.

These young women were kid-napped in their teens.  It was a simple matter for this man to frighten them into submission. However, as the church, parents, and family, we have a duty to educate our young women of their importance, their self worth and to strengthen them in the face of such horrors.

Fathers if you treat the mother of your children with respect, your daughters will expect to marry someone who treats them with respect.  We must honor women-hood so as to teach our daughters that they deserve to be treated with respect.

Women of God we must hold ourselves to such a high standard of self-respect that we do not ever submit to abuse or dis-respect.

The bond-slave society in many of our churches today still teaches submission to abuse in the name of religion.   Even pastors and policemen have been known to blame the abused as the cause of the abuser’s behavior.

Even the principle of "tribute money" for favor with famous ministry personalities is a form of abuse.

No one has the right to accuse anyone for liking or wanting the abuse.

You do not have to take it!

If you believe your staying in the abuse will help the abuser, you are wrong and in bondage.  Your leaving may be the very thing that shocks him/her into realizing their behavior is against the laws of man, and more importantly against the laws of God.

If no one knows what is happening, there is nothing anyone can do.  Stop hiding.  Talk to someone.  Ask for help.

“If an abuser meets no formidable resistance, either from the spouse, church, friends, or from the authorities, they become so comfortable with their lifestyle that it easily becomes a pattern.

When an abuser discovers he can get away with hitting his victim, he hits her more and more.  Eventually, as her emotional health declines and she becomes less and less able to cope, her abuser loses all respect for her.  As he becomes more experienced in battering, he becomes more aggressive, and as he becomes more aggressive, the potential for serious injury and death rises.”

Children are always affected in a home where there is abuse.  Teenagers who stay at home must choose one of two courses; either they support their mother, putting themselves at risk by trying to stop the batterer from hurting her, or they identify with the abuser, and begin to support him.  Imagine the battered woman’s horror when she finds herself being attacked not only by her husband, but by her child as well!

Sometimes both the abuser and the victim are terrorized by their teenage children.  There are those parents who have been such good teachers, such effective examples, that their lives come to violent ends at the hands of their own abusive children.

God is all powerful.  There is no problem he cannot solve.

I think it is relevant that 42,000 groups of people in the United States joined in prayer to God for this nation on May 2, 2013.  In the past two weeks, gross evil, wickedness and darkness have been uncovered in government, i.e., Benghazi,  finding these young women, etc.

These young women have suffered unimaginable abuse at the hands of Ariel Castro.  We the church, Christians, parents, grand-parents, family must teach our children of their worth and value so they will have the courage to “Stand fast in our liberty wherewith Christ has made us free…”

Amanda Berry had amazing courage to cry out for help.  Yes, to break free from bondage and abuse takes courage.  It is harder if it is someone you love who is abusive because once you break free, the sick relationship has to change.

These young women were victims due to no fault of their own.  Yet, this monster wrote in his diary that it was their fault because they should not have gotten in a car with a stranger.

Many immigrants from foreign countries are bringing their heathen mind-sets toward women into our nation.  Christ set us free from the law of sin and death.  Those who Christ has set free are free indeed. 

The woman is the standard-bearer for righteousness.   If she cannot walk in the grace of righteousness, then righteousness is lost to not only the family, but to a nation.

Women of God, this Mother’s Day, we must raise the standard!  We must set the standard! We must not fear the rejection, scorn, abuse and mocking of the immorality of the world system.  We must dignify woman-hood for the sake of our daughters.  We must earn the respect of men with a clean mouth-- free of profanity; refusing to watch unclean movies; keeping our temples clean from drunkenness and drugs; no gossip or criticism; courtesy, kindness, good manners---all the fruit of the Spirit.

Lev. 18: 6-17: (Paraphrased) “None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to uncover their nakedness; I am the Lord.  The nakedness of your father; your mother; your father’s wife; your sister; the daughter of your father; or daughter of your mother; your son’s daughter; your daughter’s daughter; your father’s wife’s daughter; your father’s sister; your father’s brother; your aunt; your daughter-in-law; your brother’s wife; of a woman and her daughter; you shall not uncover their nakedness…”

Satan continues with the deception that a woman with loose morals and a revealing appearance is what men desire.  Yes, they may be attracted, joke and act macho in her presence, but these women will not have the heart or respect of the man they had hoped to seduce.

May the Lord bless all women this Mother’s Day that we will rise up and crush the head of Satan.

Lord raise up mighty Deborah’s who will be mother’s in Zion for your Kingdom

Carolyn Sissom, Pastor

Eastgate Ministries, Inc.

www.eastgateministries.com