We've moved online, for the time being! But even so, it's good to welcome you here on this special day.
All of us have three things in common. We are all children of God, we are here to worship. And we all have or have had Mothers!
Mothers come in all shapes and sizes and guises. Mums, grand mums, great-grand mums, step mums, adopted mums. Foster mums
Godparent mums, and to widen the circle aunties, even granties, child mums, who have unwell parents to look after. All part of God's family, and His rich plan. More of this later.
Things our mothers taught us - hope they make you smile!
When preacher John Wesley was a student at Oxford, he was shocked by the amount of drinking done by the students He wrote to his mother, she said this. "My dear son, remember that anything which increases the authority of the body over the mind is an evil thing."
Winston Churchill was once checking a list of his teachers. He returned the list with this comment:
"You have omitted to mention the greatest of my teachers, my mother”
Preacher G Campbell Morgan had four sons, and they all became Ministers of the Gospel. At a family reunion, a friend asked one of the sons, “Which Morgan is the greatest preacher?” While that son looked at his Father, he replied “Mother”. She was the greatest preacher.
Thomas Edison once said "I did not have my mother for long, but her influence has lasted all my life. Without her influence and faith in me, I would not have become an Inventor. My mother was the making of me,and the memory of her will always be a blessing."
An American Pastor D.E. Buffaloe speaks highly of his Christian mother's sensitivity to his need to know about things of God. When he grew up, he did what many have done, he walked away from the Christian example, and teaching of his mother. After being beaten to the point of unconsciousness, he found himself lying in the hospital bed in a juvenile Hall in California, scared to death. It was at that time he remembered the teaching of his mother about prayer, and the word of God, so he prayed a very heartfelt prayer to receive Christ as Saviour and Lord. As a Pastor he constantly reminds Mothers to plant the seeds in the minds of their children, so the Holy spirit can use them at a later date.
Throughout the Bible we can read of well-known sons and their mothers;
All of these stories are worth reading both from the mother's point of view, and the son's point of view.
Genesis 17:15 | Exodus 2:10 | 1 Samuel 1:1
In the New Testament, the most well known Mothers and influential sons has to be Elizabeth and John the Baptist the one who paved the way for the Messiah, and of course Mary and Jesus, the beloved Son of God.
Right from the very start with the visit of the Angel, Mary knew he was someone very special. At His birth in a humble stable Angels and shepherds visited followed later by the Magi. She was there when He got separated from them, only to be found in the synagogue discussing Gods word.
She was there when he performed His first miracle. She was there when He was crucified so cruelly. She was there on Easter day, when He was resurrected. And I’m sure she is with Him now!
Because Mary accepted what God asked of her, and because Jesus was willing and knowingly prepared to follow what God asked of Him right to the very end, we have been forgiven, and promised an Eternal life, when we accept Jesus as our friend and Saviour.
The most wonderful thing about this, is that it is available to each and every one of us without exception, it's there for the asking.
The Gospel of John Chapter 3 Verse 16 tells us:
God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, will not perish, but have everlasting life. (KJV)
Thank you for reading. We hope this has been beneficial to you and you have been able to worship from the comfort of your own home at this difficult time.
Written by Joan Moorby
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