SPIRITUAL MOTHERS

Let The Spiritual Mothers Arise!

1. Prayer-meeting in the upper room.

"And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers."
Acts 1:13-14

"with the women" Here in Acts we see men and women praying together; there is not a separation. We know that there were women that traveled with Jesus. Read Luke 8:1-3, Matthew 27:55-56. These were women who Jesus had healed, or were mothers of his apostles, or wives 1 Cor. 9:5. Luke stands out in mentioning women and their roles during Jesus' earthly ministry. Women were clearly an important part of the early church and were valued for their contributions.

"And Clemens Alexandrinus has particularly remarked that the apostles carried their wives about with them, "not as wives, but as sisters, that they might minister to those who were mistresses of families; that so the doctrine of the Lord might without reprehension or evil suspicion enter into the apartments of the women." And in giving his finished picture of his gnostic, or perfect Christian, he says: "He eats, and drinks, and marries— having the apostles for his example." Adam Clarke's Commentary

2. Spiritual mothers and grandmothers.

"And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living." Genesis 3:20

"As a result of this gift, of the supernatural grace of God, which was infused into him by the breath of life, Adam could see, understand the Lord walking in Paradise, comprehend His words, understand the conversation of the holy Angels, the language of all beasts, birds and reptiles and all that is now hidden from us the fallen and sinful creatures. All this was so clear to Adam before his fall. The Lord God also gave Eve the same wisdom, strength, unlimited power, and all the other good and holy qualities. He created her not from the dust of the ground, but from Adam's rib in the Eden of delight, the Paradise which He had planted in the midst of the earth." S. Seraphim

"I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." 2 Tim 1:5-7 (NLT)

3. Let the spiritual mothers arise!

Now is the time for the flame of spiritual motherhood to be ignited in those called to be mothers of church. Napoleon once said, "The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world." World changing leaders and world changing movements must be mothered into being. A commercial tells us "There's never been a better time in history to be a girl." Likewise, there’s never been a more needful time to be a woman in the Lord’s church. Now is the time for women of faith to rise.

The Bible gives us many examples of women operating in faith who changed the direction of the human race. Oliver Wendell Holmes once said "The real religion of the world comes from women much more than from men - from mothers most of all, who carry the key of our souls in their bosoms." Throughout human history, the faith of women have given birth to not only men but movements. It has been said that women of faith conceive the seeds of the future. You might say each of these women conceived ideas upon which they acted and thus mothered into being movements that changed their world.

God gave Sarah the grace to conceive, as He did mother Mary, and hundreds of other Christian women whose lives made a huge difference in the spiritual direction the world was heading in. God is asking the question today, "Where are the spiritual mothers of the church?" Indeed the Spirit of the Lord is searching near and far for women who will receive and embrace a passion for the salvation of the lost and the renewal of the sons and daughters of the church of Jesus Christ.

"But when the time arrived that was set by God the Father, God sent his Son, born among us of a woman, born under the conditions of the law so that he might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the law. Thus we have been set free to experience our rightful heritage." Gal 4:4-5 (MSG Petersen)