Thursday, May 31, 2007

Faith Comes

Faith Comes

gtcotr/ws053106

Faith is believing that what God says is true.

Key Scripture: Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (NKJV)

The Bible is very plain about man’s continuing need for faith.

Jesus spoke quite a bit about faith:

Matthew 17:20 So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. (NKJV)

Luke 18:8 " … when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (NKJV)

Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." (NKJV)

John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. (KJV)

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. (KJV)

Faith is believing that what God says is true.

So then, in order to have a basis for faith, there must of necessity first, be a Word from God.

Without a word from God, there can be no basis for faith --- nothing to believe in.

We must believe in a thing before we believe for it. (If, for example, we do not believe in healing, prosperity, forgiveness of sins and salvation - it will not only be impractical but actually impossible to believe for it.)

Sometimes people attempt to believe for something when they really need to work first on believing in it.

Our key scripture, Hebrews 11:6 tells us the continuing importance of our faith. It is through faith that we are saved and with faith that we live a pleasing life to God.

So then, where can we get some faith?

There are basically Four ways faith comes

First: God gives each person a measure of faith.

Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. (NKJV)

This, I believe, is the measure which God knows it will take for that individual to believe in His Son as Messiah, Savior and Lord.

Just because each person has that measure, it does not mean that they will use it and allow it to spark the great fire of salvation which burns out the eternal damning power of sin in their lives and leaves them as a believer in Christ.

I believe that every person has the faith to believe and be born again. However, this measure of faith is just that, a limited quantity which is given to each person for salvation.

Many people are attempting to live the victorious, overcoming, glory filled, abundant life on just that little measure of salvation faith.

Jesus described faith as a mustard seed, which is the smallest of the seeds - but, when it is properly cultivated, it grows into a tree so accommodating that birds can lodge in its branches. Matthew 13:32

The Apostle Paul said that faith had the capacity to grow exceedingly. 2 Thessalonians 1:3

Second: Faith comes from hearing the word.

Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Conviction of the truth, (faith), comes from us listening to and receiving instruction as we are spoken to by the rhema word of God.

The widow of 1 Kings 17 had here faith awakened when Elijah spoke the word of God to her.

Third: Faith is a fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5 KJV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

John 15:16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

Our faith grows as we spend time drawing our life from the True Vine. Fellowshipping with Jesus causes our spirit to bear the fruit of faith. The more time we spend with Jesus, the more faith we will have.

Acts 4 (NKJV)

13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.

14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

Time with Jesus builds faith!

Fourth: Faith is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 12 NKJV

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:

8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,

9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,

10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

At times, when we need more than the measure of faith we currently have and we don’t have time to read and hear the Word to build our faith and perhaps we have not been spending the necessary amount of time with Jesus to grow a crop of extra faith, but we need it anyway, God shows up in His presence as the Holy Spirit and just manifests Himself in us and through us supplying the faith necessary to overcome the obstacle we are facing.

God has reserved to Himself the right to just show up and be the faith you need.

Sometimes He does this through the encouragement of others, at other times through angels, songs, sermons, scriptures, unseen interventions, seeming coincidences where no one gets the credit.

God can and does manifest Himself as faith.

Having faith is one thing, but exercising faith is another.

Having faith is the first step, putting it to work is something else.

This evening we have seen how we can get faith and more faith.

Next week, the Lord willing, we will take a look at actually putting faith to work.

How does a person take the faith they have in a thing and believe for that thing?

(hupo-meno)

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Memorial Day

Memorial Day

Gtcotr/ss052707

A memorial is a remembrance of someone who has died. In our nation we understand that freedom and peace have a price. Freedom and peace costs us the lives of our sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, friends and neighbors.

In honor of those who gave their lives in sacrifice for our freedom we have set aside a national day of remembrance, we call it Memorial Day, which we celebrate tomorrow, and this is Memorial Day Weekend. Everyone is encouraged to take a moment at 3 p.m. tomorrow and remember those brave souls who chose the course and served the cause, giving their lives in defense of our Nation’s decided best interest.

There are so many heroes in our past who served in one way or another to make America great. Men and women alike … those who sailed with and supported Columbus, families on the Mayflower, the colonialist who braved the elements of a new harsh world, those early pioneers and settlers of the west, men and women of science and medicine, those who brought the railways to connect the Atlantic with the Pacific, people like Lewis and Clarke, Henry Ford, the Wright Brothers and the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr., … so many educators and philanthropist, inventors and astronauts, homemakers and shipbuilders, factory workers and farmers … America is the land of the free and the home of the brave, a land filled with heroes.

Every day of the year could be a special day commemorating a different segment of our society for their unselfish and sacrificial contribution in making America great and leaving a legacy behind.

However, one class of citizen stands out on the front lines of our nation when we think of the heroes of our past, its the American Soldier. Memorial Day is about those who died defending us in war.

Bow your hearts with me as we remember these brave men and women in a prayer of thanksgiving to God for their service and their sacrifice.

Key Scripture: John 15 NKJV

12 "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

13 "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

One Sunday morning a father and his young son were sitting in church and the young lad noticed a plaque hanging on the wall with several names engraved on it. “What is that father?” the young man asked. It’s the names of all those who died in the service, the father replied. Which service was it, questioned the son, the 9 o’clock or the 11 o’clock.

Turn in your bibles to our text for today … Mark 8 … we will be reading from the NKJV this morning.

Mark 8

34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

35 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.

36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

37 "Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

One of the things we notice about this passage is that it is an open ended invitation entitled, “Whosoever” … Whosoever desires, wills, or wants to … let him …

The greatest journeys of man, (whether imaginary or real, fantasy or fact), begin with desires.

God’s army is an all volunteer army that anyone can join without respect to race, color, creed, national origin, gender, stature, IQ or disability. It begins with a desire but demands commitment.

The requirement of fully following Christ is that we give our lives while we live.

Galatians 2

20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Jesus speaks to the volunteers in His army as a General would to soldiers in boot camp. In order for a soldier to make the most out of his desire to serve the Lord, he must commit. Jesus said he must:

1. Deny Himself

2. Take Up His Cross

3. Follow Me

Mark 8: 35 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.

We have but two choices. Either we will be the Lord’s free man, the Lord’s volunteer, or a slave to the world. There are no other choices.

And by the way, what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul or what would a man give in exchange for his soul?

This morning lets ask ourselves two questions:

1. What would I give my life for?

People will seldom die for something which they are unwilling to live for.

2. What would I take in exchange for my soul?

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Pentecost

Pentecost

Gtcotr/ws052307

Today begins the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot which is Pentecost. This is the time celebrated by the Jews commemorating God giving the Law to Israel on Mount Sinai. It also has a very significant correlation to us Believers who know it as the Day of Pentecost.

Key Scripture: Deuteronomy 16: 16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty (KJV)

Feast of Unleavened Bread – Passover – Salvation

Feast of Weeks – Pentecost – Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Feast of Tabernacles – In Gathering – Full Maturity/Rapture

In the New Testament our Lord talked about the reproductive capability of the good Word of God in the hearts of men. Some reproduce 30, some 60 and some 100 fold, coinciding with salvation, baptism of the Holy Spirit and full maturity in Christ will happen to most people at their personal ingathering to Him.

Furthermore Jesus spoke more about this subject in:

Mark 4 KJV

26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;

27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.

28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

Again we see the three levels or there glories of man.

2 Corinthians 3:18 “… are changed into the same image from glory to glory …”

Even the natural man uses steps to get from one place or one level to another. This is also true with the spirit man. As we are on our journey from birth to maturity in Christ, we progress from one level of growth and relationship to another along a predestined pathway.

It begins with Salvation. This is enough to get us to heaven and to miss an eternity in hell. However, we need power and greater gifting of God to deal with the hell of this life.

Lets look at the scriptures concerning this Baptism of the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost, whichever you prefer … it is the same.

Acts 1

4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.

5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

Acts 2

1 ¶ And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 8

5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.

6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.

8 And there was great joy in that city.

9 But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:

10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.

11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.

12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

14 ¶ Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:

16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

Acts 10

44 ¶ While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.

46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,

47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?

48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

Acts 19

1 ¶ And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,

2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.

4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

7 And all the men were about twelve.

Is It For Everyone

Acts 2

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

How Do You Get It

Acts 5

32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

Luke 11

13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

What Do You Get

Luke 24

49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Acts 1

8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

This is what John The Baptist was trying to tell everyone:

Luke 3

16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is for every Believer. This step into God’s greater will and purpose for life gives the Believer a supernatural power to be an effective witness for Christ.

Some instances in scripture show people receiving the Holy Spirit at salvation before water baptism while others received the Holy Spirit after being water baptized. Some had hands laid on them while others did not. It seems like God wants to be God and pours out His Spirit on those who are willing and ready vessels.

There is no doubt that the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost to birth the church in Jerusalem then to Samaria next to birth the church there. Then, as a reflection of Acts 1:8 and the great commission, Acts 10 shows the Holy Spirit being poured out on the Gentiles as the Church is birthed to the uttermost parts of the world. If the Baptism occurrences would have stopped there, it could be argued that the commission had been fulfilled, however, we see again in Acts 19 another incident of people being baptized in the Holy Spirit accompanied by speaking in tongues and prophecy.

It is true that the Holy Spirit was given to birth the Church however, the Church must be birthed in each heart and every generation. This Promise of the Father is to you, to your children and your children’s children, to as many as are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call!

Believe and receive today. Lets pray!

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Good & Faithful Servants

Good & Faithful Servants

Gtcotr/ss052007

We may never serve Christ in this life except we engage ourselves in service to others.

Colossians 1:10: The way you live will always honor and please the Lord while you will continually do good and kind things for others. (Paraphrased)

Key Scriptures: Ephesians 5 (New Living Translation)

1 ¶ Follow God’s example in everything you do, because you are his dear children.

2 Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ, who loved you and gave himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, because that sacrifice was like sweet perfume to him.

God is all about others.

In fact, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son for others, even those others who were the worst sinners.

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John contain the accounts of the life of Jesus. These stories show that He spent His earthly ministry on others and not for Himself.

We are told in Philippians 2 that Jesus chose the life of a servant.

Philippians 2

7 He made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant …

Whether teaching one person, the 12 disciples or whole multitudes of people, Jesus occupied the days of His earthly life with ministry to others.

If we wish to be more like Jesus perhaps we too must consider our willingness to serve and what we are doing with our opportunities.

Two accounts in the book of Matthew show Jesus spending quite a long time, sitting in one place teaching exhaustively on one central topic to a group of people.

In Matthew chapters 5, 6, & 7 Jesus, very early in His ministry, taught a multitude on a hillside in Galilee. We have come to remember this as the Sermon on the Mount, the Mount of Beatitudes.

Later, at the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, on the side of another famous hill, the Mount of Olives just outside the Eastern Gate of Jerusalem, Jesus again teaches a long sermon on a single topic. He begins in Matthew 24 and continues for two very long chapters.

In this sermon Jesus responds to a question about the end times.

Matthew 24: 3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" (NKJV)

Jesus takes the following 94 verses to tell His disciples about the coming end of the world and what people must do to escape the deceptions of this age.

After His long discourse detailing:

* wars and rumors of wars

* false prophets

* mass deception

* the love of many waxing cold

* the gospel proclamation reaching around the world

* afflictions, sorrows, tribulations and woes

* false Christs

* deceptive signs, wonders and miracles

* He talks about the parable of the fig tree and

* the fact that only God knows the day and the hour

* but we are to be continually ready, serving the Lord

Matthew 24

44 "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

45 "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?

46 "Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.

Jesus continues in Chapter 25 with:

* the parable of the Ten Virgins – 5 wise & 5 foolish

* the parable of the talents & the difference between:

> v.23 “Well done, good and faithful servant”

> v.30 “Cast the unprofitable servant into …”

Then He concludes this sermon with a description of the final gathering in heaven.

Matthew 25 NKJV

31 ¶ "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.

32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.

33 "And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 ‘for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;

36 ‘I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?

38 ‘When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?

39 ‘Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’

40 "And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

These are the things righteous people do. In other words:

People who are right with God serve God by serving others.

We serve others because we love God and because we know our sacrifice and the demonstration of our love pleases and honors God.

Serving others is the fruit of a life right with God.

It is God’s will and purpose for our life that we:

* Make A Living

* Make A Life

* Make A Difference

Consider a lifestyle of service to God by committing to serve others with your time, your talents and your resources.

Make room in your life for others outside your self, your family and your circle of friends.

God is all about others.

We may never serve Christ in this life except we engage ourselves in service to others.

“Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while, you will learn to know God better and better.” Colossians 1:10 (NLT)

Brother McGee’s altar call opportunity.

Monday, May 14, 2007

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother’s Day

gtcotr/ss051407

Every daughter’s father is but some mother’s son.

We don’t get to life without a mother.

The one who brought you to life, is equipped to help you through life.

The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world. (William Wallace)

(Perhaps other quotes from the last page of this sermon before our: …)

Key Scripture: Psalms 113:9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD. (KJV)

I. Judges 5:6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways.

A. In the days of Shamgar & Jael

1. Shamgar killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad ...

> Judges 3:31 And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.

2. Jael, she went softly and drove a tent peg into Sisera’s head

> Judges 4:21 Then Jael Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.

Note: (Even though in those days there were mighty men and women of God … Judges 5:6 tells us that:)

B. The right ways were abandoned (good paths --- highways)

C. People walked a hard, dark and dangerous path (byways)

II. Judges 5:7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased …

A. Village Life Ceased?

1. No community

2. No family, friends or social life

3. Everyone afraid of everyone else

4. No common bond with others

B. Judges 5:7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.

Until … when it gets bad enough for mama to get up, something is going to change.

Conversely, when mothers do not arise, things often deteriorate.

What Happens When A Mother’s Job Goes Undone?

Proverbs 29:15 ¶ The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. (KJV)

III. Judges 5:8 They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?

A. On top of what we have already read:

1. v.6: People abandon the right way for the wrong way

2. v.7: Family, community & eventually society will cease to meaningfully exist

B. When there are no mothers making their voice & demands heard:

3. v.8: People will choose new gods and stray from Jehovah God

4. v.8: Fussing, fighting and all out war comes into the house

5. v.8: People grow defenseless without a Mother’s protection, or perhaps without a mother to protect.

IV. Mothers We Need You … Arise … Take Your Place

Note: When God needs a job done, a child is born … however, God entrust these children to Mothers!

Remember, Mary gave her Firstborn & Moses’ Mother gave her son, but they raised them first!

Every man and woman is nothing more than some mother’s child.

Mothers, we need you to:

A. Teach us the straight ways of life

1. not to lie, cheat, steal, lose our tempers, be dishonest

2. to respect our elders and honor our parents

3. to keep our commitments and pay our just and honest debts

B. Build our family and give us community relationships

1. you have the grace for intimacy - for kononia - relationship

2. you have the pattern for family imprinted in your lives

C. Introduce us to the Living God

1. Don’t leave us to our own imaginations

2. Don’t leave us to fashion our own gods

D. Keep our homes free of fussing, fighting & all out war

1. make us a peaceful people

2. teach us the value in others

E. Arm us against our enemies

Teach us to both defend ourselves and conquer our enemies

Defense & Offense

> Ephesians 6:16-18

* The Shield of Faith

* The Sword of the Spirit

* The Spear of Prayer

Mothers Arise – Lets Pray For Mothers & Women To Be Mothers

Biological Mothers

Spiritual Mothers

Mothers who rise to the day

Make Mother’s Day a Happy Mother’s Day!

Mother’s Day Quotes

All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his. ~Oscar Wilde, 1895

A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest. ~Irish Proverb

Parents often talk about the younger generation as if they didn't have anything to do with it. ~Haim Ginott

There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it. ~Chinese Proverb

A Freudian slip is when you say one thing but mean your mother.

A mother understands what a child does not say.

One ounce of mother is worth a ton of priest. Spanish Proverb

God could not be everywhere so He made mothers. Jewish Proverb quoted by Rudyard Kipling

My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her. George Washington

All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother Abraham Lincoln

No one makes it to life without a mother. (rlh)

The one who brought you to life is equipped to help you through life. (rlh)

Every daughter’s father is but some mother’s son. (rlh)

Each time a child comes into this world, a mother is born. (rlh)