The Power of Motherhood

This is a true statement: none of us would be here without mom. And let that sink in for just a minute. Had to have a mom to be here. So, I am blessed to have a great mom. She's with me today. Mom, I love you. Thank you for all that you did, and all you poured into me. Thank you for putting up with dad. Also blessed to have a great mother to my children. She's here with me today also. Chastity, I love you very much. Thank you for loving our girls the way you do.

Being a good parent is a hard task in the world we live in today. It's not not an easy thing to do. The job is made harder by so many things that seem to be going against and attacking the family unit. There's so many ways in which we can escape in life. Addictions, entertainment, etc. Our busy lives — everyone in the family is busy. I know our life is no different than many of there, you there here today. We all have things going on. There's school events and after school activities, and then what we have going on with our jobs and our work, and trying to find time to sit together. And it seems like just trying to schedule in a family meal is almost an impossibility. Many times it's grabbing some food here, and quickly sitting down for just a minute. And I feel like that element is missing from family life.

Did you notice there was very little mention this year, on any of the mainstream media, about the fact that today is Mother's Day? Seems as though the world's going quiet when it comes to anything that is involved with the family. And I don't believe that to be an accident, but I believe that it's done on purpose. I want you to know that no one puts more value on motherhood than God. He values motherhood. Fact that the fact that we are celebrating Mother's Day today actually came from a Christian mother. Her own mom was trying to do something to help all the Civil War mothers who had lost their sons in battle. And it was such a, such a dark time in our country's history. And so moved by the grief that was there, they tried to do something to honor the mothers, which eventually got turned and instituted into what we celebrate today. Fact, it was 1914 when President Wilson designated the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

I don't think it's any surprise — at least not to me, and I, and I dare say to anyone else in the room — that that when the enemy decided to attack, his very first attack on the human race began with a future mom. In fact, it was even — her name means the mother of all living, or living simply, that is Eve's name. And he became, or she became, the first target of the enemy. For I know that he knew that he could cause everything to fall apart, if he could simply get a little bit of wedge, a little bit of disgruntlement, inside that family unit. A little bit of doubt, little bit of disbelief, is all he needed to do to cause everything to seemingly tumble and fall apart. But I want someone to know — in fact, I want a mom to know in this place — that a godly mom can destroy the enemy. A godly mother can destroy the enemy. In fact, the mightiest of nations will crumble under the power of a godly mom. We're going to talk about that today. We're going to go to Exodus chapter 1. Going to read a few verses there, and then we'll go to Exodus 2 before we get out of here today. But I want to talk about the power in motherhood. The power in motherhood. I want you to go with me through this story. I'm going to pull out some words that are here in this scripture, that are this telling us a story. I believe it's an important story for us today.

It says this in verse number 8 of chapter 1 in Exodus: Now, there rose a new king of over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, "Look, the people of the children of Israel are more mightier than we. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land." Therefore, they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with burdens, and they built for Pharaoh supply cities. Verse number 12: but the more they afflicted him, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel. So, the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor, and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, and mortar and in brick, and in all manners of service in the field. And their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.

Now, when I read this — especially this week, as I was beginning to put together this message — to me, there was so many parallels about where we are as a nation, and what was going on during this time, as it was being penned about the lives in the, in the book of Exodus. As I see what's taking place here, there was a new king that took over, that did not know Israel. The Egyptian nation that had known God — of the God of Joseph, and the benefits of of being faithful, and and Joseph's faith — was now long gone from their history. And the nation of Egypt had become more secular during this time. The new environment had little memory of the God of Joseph, and they had grown beyond that, of of ancient history. It was something that was just a memory, something that was once, was long ago.

You know, ladies and gentlemen, there was a day when our country had tremendous — at one time had tremendous faith in God. You and I, we are living a day and age in which it has all been forgotten and ignored, and the past influence of our spiritual roots has seemingly disappeared. We're living in dangerous times, you and I. We're living in a time when we're having to fight for everything that is pure and right. We're living in a time when people are more consumed with their own feelings, or not being hurtful to anyone else by the way they live. And complete disregard has come against God and his principles, and the morals he set forth for us to live by. Much like you and I today, we're living in a very secular world, just like they were living in Egypt. And they didn't like the growing influence of these believers. So, they they perceived them to be a threat, and decided, we have to do something with them. If we don't, there's a chance they become more powerful. In fact, there could be an enemy that might slip in and decide to join with them, and then they would end up leaving us. So, they decided to put them to work.

We have seen the gradual development in our country, too, against Christianity. And there's little doubt that the pressures of a secular society are making life difficult for God's children. But we are not without hope. For when I read this passage of scripture, it brings me joy. Not for the fact that God's simply going to intervene and make life great and grand for us, but the harder they tried to push them down, the stronger they got. The more they tried to stick them in a corner, the more they had the ability to multiply and become stronger with each other.

And ladies and gentlemen, make no mistake about it: we are headed into the last days. We in this country have never really suffered persecution for our religion. But the day is coming. I'm not being a doomsday prophet. I'm simply stating what I know to be true. In order for a great revival to come, we're going to have to be pushed into that revival. Things are lining themselves up. Pressures are coming. I know it's quiet. You're thinking, "Man, it's Mother's Day, Pastor Kevin. You're preaching a pretty hard line of message right now." Stick with me. I promise, we're going to go around there. But I have to be obedient to what I feel like the spirit is telling me.

I'm speaking today to moms in the room. Moms, you play such an important role in what's going on. God values the position that you are in. You have a unique bond and connection with your offspring. There's something about the power and the bond inside motherhood. Now, are there exceptions to the rules? Yes, there are exceptions to the rules. Not every mom is a great mom. Not every mom did what she was supposed to do. There are always exceptions to the rules. But that does not negate, just because there was an exception, that there's something powerful inside of motherhood. And I believe it there for reason. God put it there on purpose.

Now, instead of what they were trying to do by pushing Israel into a corner and crushing them, their tactics only made them stronger and more numerous. We see in verse number 15: then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives. He's going to tell them, "Look, as they're being born, I need you to step in. I need you to make sure that you take care and kill those babies." But look at verse number 17: "But the midwives feared God." Hey, even folks, there's still some people here living in the world we're in that may not call themselves Christians, but they still fear God. So, the king of Egypt called him for the midwives, and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?" And the midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are lively to give birth before the midwives can come to them." Therefore, God dealt well with the midwives. We'll get that in a little bit.

When Egypt realized they couldn't destroy God's people through intimidation, they became ruthless to try to control them. And there was a progression from harassment to outright legal bans. Pharaoh ordered: all the male babies have to die. And this was the environment that these moms were living in. Mothers, for just a minute, can you go with me? Can you — can you wrap your head around this truth, that there was a day and age which this was actually taking place? And if you gave birth to a male child, the likelihood of him seeing death was imminent. It was there. It was a real reality. They were coming for you. I can't imagine the pressure that was there. But thankfully, God had his hand involved in what was going on. I found it interesting, as I was doing a little bit of study today, that even the midwives had a part to play in that. Did you know that they had unique names? Their Hebrew names — they're the Sephirah was the one's name, and and and Puah was the other one. Their literal translations mean splendor and fair. So, God put fairness and splendor in their life, to help them deliver their babies. Why? Because he's a good God. Because God's always going to have his hand in what's going on, to his people that he loves. Even in the middle of everything that seemed to be going in the opposite direction from what they desired to do, God was still there.

It matters that we trust God. It matters, moms, that you trust in God. 100 years from now, there will — there's a lot of stuff that we think about that's not going to matter. It's not going to matter what kind of car you drove. It's not going to matter what, how much money you had in your bank account, or what kind of clothes you wear. But your life will be the better by the impact you have in your children's life. There's something about you, mom, that you have the ability to do things that other people can't do, when it comes to your children. I'm thankful for godly mothers.

There's little doubt that we live in a day and age where there is a battle going on for our children. I know it's quiet. I know I'm not preaching a, uh, one of these cart rolling messages up here, and got everybody standing on their feet. But I'm still preaching truth today. We are in a battle for our children. And no one plays a more critical role in that battle than mom — you do. You play a very important role in that. This is not time for, for, for you to sit back and take it easy. This is time for you to be diligent in doing what you need to do, for your future children and grandchildren. Moms, you are important. I need you to know how important you are, moms. There — there's something so important about the role of motherhood. Something so powerful about that position. You shouldn't take it for granted, and you shouldn't take it lightly. And I don't care if your kids are two, 22, or 82. If you're still in their life, you have influence. You have the ability to do something that is uniquely gifted to you by the almighty creator. You are their mother. You play an important part.

I want you to look how the battle changes. We're going to go to chapter 2, verse number 1. And a man of the house of Levi went and took as a wife the daughter, a daughter of Levi. So, the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him 3 months. Now, I need you to know, this is after a declaration had been come from Pharaoh, that said every male child was to be thrown in the river. Literally, if they found a newborn baby boy, they would take that out of your hands and throw it in the river. Now, it's under this that we see this story taking place. Verse number 3: but when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, and dabbed it with asphalt and pitch, and put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river's bank. And his sister stood off, far — a far off — to know what would be done with him.

We see here a mother. We know her name is Jochebed. She found a way to trust God, and still be obedient to the Egyptian law. And in doing so, she was able to save her newborn son. By law, you had to throw your boy in the river. She did her best to keep it quiet that she had this child. But about 3 months in, he he was to the point that it was no longer able for her to do that. So, she stepped out in faith, and trusted that God was going to help her in this process. She made, to the best of her ability, a little, a little basket — a little, little ark — out of bulrushes. She, she, she put some pitch around it, to help make it waterproof, as the best of her ability. And then she followed through with the Egyptian law. And she went out to the river, and she put her son in the water, and sent him on his way. Sent Tamar down the river, to kind of keep eye and watch over what was going to happen to her little boy. Technically, she obeyed the law, and put Moses in the Nile. But she honored God in preserving the life, and keeping the family influence very nearby. Jochebed believed that God would somehow save her son, if she did everything that she could do, being his mom. And, and for me, there's a good lesson for you and I here. We need to expect a supernatural intervention from God, when we have done all we can do. God didn't step in and ask her to do anything miraculous at this point. He was simply just saying, "Be obedient, follow him."

And I'm speaking to some mom today, that you feel like the task of motherhood is too overwhelming for you to see it accomplished. God's never going to ask you to do anything other than what you have the ability to do. But whatever you have the ability to do, mom, I'm asking you to do that, please. You have the ability to pray for your children. You have the ability to pray for your children. Oh, come on, center point. You have the ability to pray for your children. You may not can provide them with a million dollars. You may not can give them all these things. But you can, at some point, get down on your knees, and you can call their name out before the almighty God. You have the ability to plead that precious blood that was shed at Calvary, over your children. You have the ability to call their name out in prayer. You may not can do everything, but you can pray.

Our children have a free will. Our examples to live godly lives will at least give our children the best chance for choosing God. We cannot control every circumstance. Jochebed was not afraid of Pharaoh, any more than the midwives had been afraid of him. Because a godly mom knows how to stand against the evil. A godly mom will not be afraid to stand up against what comes against her family. A godly mom will know that God is fighting for her, and fighting for his children.

When I was a young man, the house we lived in, that I grew up in — it was a ranch style house, and all the bedrooms were on one end of the house, down a long hall. And I happened to share a wall with my mom and dad's bedroom. I could hear my mom praying on the other side of that wall. I'm going to tell you, nothing brings brings down hellfire and damnation in your sheets, like hearing your mom on the other side of that wall praying, when you know you've been misbehaving. But I thank God that I had a praying mom. I thank God that I grew up in an environment where I felt God's presence in my life. I thank God that I had godly grandmothers in my life, that I got to hear them pray. I could hear those voices. I can still hear them in, in my ears now. And I'm speaking to some mom in this place. I'm trying to tell you how important it is that your children hear you pray. Please listen to me. It's important that your children hear you pray. It's important that your children hear you pray. Mama, it's important that your children hear you pray. If they've never heard you pray, it's okay. It'll feel a little bit weird the first time, if it's been a while. I know, I know all those things. But listen to me, mama: it's important that your children hear you pray. Mama, it's important that your children hear you pray. They need to know that voice in their life. I'm not going to move off this point, till I feel like we are understanding. Mama, it's important that your children know what you sound like when you are praying. It's important that they hear those prayers going up. Because there will come a time in their life when they will cherish that moment, that they know their mama was praying for them.

And I'm speaking to some young mom right now. Don't be dismissive just because they're little. There's no better time to start praying than today. Than today. Let them hear your voice. Let them know what it sounds like. It's important. Don't dismiss it. I'm telling you, this is something that absolutely cost you nothing. But there is no way to measure the impact of prayer in your child's life. I'm living proof. And I stand here today, because I had a mama that prayed. Oh, there were other people that prayed for me, but I had a mama that prayed for me. I have a mom that still prays for me. Please understand, mom, how important it is that you pray.

I can only imagine, as Jochebed stands on the edge of the bank — I can only imagine, as she is sending her child out in there. I — I'm a father, I'm not a mother. And I know we, we have attachments to our kids. And there's — but there's a special bond between a mom and a child. I, I can't even get my head around how difficult that had to have been, to, to simply let it go, and watch it float. And you have no idea, no idea, where he's going to end up being. But I love when God is God. And I love when God shows up.

We see verse number five of the second chapter: then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maids walked along the riverside. And when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. And when she opened it, she saw the child. And behold, the baby wept. And she had compassion. She had compassion. Why? Because our God is good. There's no doubt in my mind that Jochebed had been praying: God, you know, you know where he is. Please just let somebody have compassion on my son. And we read here, she had compassion on him. And he said, this is one of the Hebrew children. Now, she could have instantly drowned that child. Her dad is the Pharaoh. The law said Hebrew boys are to be drowned in the river. There is a moment right here that gets skipped over so easily, if you read through fast and you don't comprehend, in a moment, that life and death are hanging in this moment. But she had compassion. She identifies what's going on, but she had compassion.

Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter — Tamar was just down the river. She comes running up. She sees what's transpiring, what's taking place. She says, shall I go and call a nurse for you, from a Hebrew woman, that she may nurse the child for you? And Pharaoh's daughter said, go. So to the maiden went and called the child's mother. Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, take this child away, and nurse him for me, and I will give you wages. Do you see how wonderful God is in this moment? This mom, who's standing on the bank just a few minutes before this, having no idea what's going to happen to my child — God, I don't know what's going to take place. I'm just praying, Lord, that you keep your hand upon him. And then a few minutes later, she's being summoned. Hey, Pharaoh's daughter would love for you to take care of this child. Would it be possible for you to nurse him, and I'll pay you for your time? Because that's how our God works.

I'm speaking of some mom. You may be giving up hope, thinking your child's too far gone. Please listen to me today. He hears your prayers. God had a plan to rescue her son. He put him in Pharaoh's daughter's hands. The state would sanction his life. But Jochebed was enlisted to supervise his early development. The best I could research and tell, in all likelihood, Moses spent his first five years with his own mom. The most formative years of a child's life is with his mom. And in my mind — you can't convince me otherwise — he heard his mom pray. He heard his mom tell the stories about who he was, and how valuable he was, that he belonged to God. He heard his mom teach him of God's goodness, and God's mercy, and God's grace. All the time, she had the ability there, and she was being protected by the very government that was trying to kill him. She was being paid by the very government that was trying to kill him. And she was pouring in to that child. She must have read him the stories. She must have repeatedly told him that he was not an Egyptian, but he belonged to God. She prayed. She was there. She talked about the promises. She talked about all the things that were there before him. She instilled in Moses a faith so strong, that although he was raised in an Egyptian school system the rest of his childhood, he chose to live for God. In fact, we know this because Hebrews 11:24 says: but faith, by faith, Moses, when he became the age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Why is that important? Because there was a mama who put good stuff in him. Choosing rather to suffer the affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. Esteeming the reproach of Christ great riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he looked to reward. He did not talk like an Egyptian, or walk like an Egyptian. He instead was becoming a man of God. Moses learned what was the most important thing in life from his real mother. The legacy of Moses' life and ministry must be directly credited to, credited to, Jochebed. Cuz she was pouring good stuff in him.

And I'm here to tell you today, in this message that I know is not a normal message we have — but I'm here to tell you, mom: Jochebed was the one that defeated Egypt. Jochebed was the one that defeated Egypt, long before — long before Jochebed defeated Egypt, with God's help. Before Moses ever marched in as a deliverer, Jochebed had defeated Egypt. Jochebed had did it. She did it while she was nursing that baby. She did it when he was a young child. She did it by putting those good things inside him. She did it by telling him the story. She did it by telling him who he really was. She did it by pouring herself into that boy. You have no idea. I don't care how old your children is. If you continue to have influence in their life, you have the ability to change and alter the course of history, mom. There is power in motherhood.

When we come to the end of our lives, no success will matter as much as the spiritual success of living for God. When they were reading the will of Henry J. Heinz — the wealthy distributor of the famous 57 varieties line — when it was read, it found to contain the following confession. And I quote: looking forward to the time when my earthly career will end, I desire to set forth, at the very beginning of this will, the most important item in it, a confession of my faith in Jesus Christ as my savior. I desire to bear witness to the fact that, throughout my life, in which there were unusual joys and sorrows, I have been wonderfully sustained by my faith in God, through Jesus Christ. This legacy was left to me by my consecrated mother, a woman of strong faith. And to it, I attribute any success that I have obtained. I'm telling you, moms: there's something powerful about you. There's something powerful about you.

We read the story about what Israel had to go through, all the suffering that was there. But because there was a mom who was dedicated to raising her son — because there was a mom who was willing to to go against the grain, so to speak, and to even fight the system — there was a Moses. Now listen to me. We all know this. If you've been around church at all, we know how the story went. There came a day when Moses tried to, tried to do things out of turn. He tried to take things into his own hand. He ended up killing a man. He ended up drifting away from God. He spent 40 years on the backside of a desert, tending sheep. But there was still something in him, that when God spoke — something had been placed inside of him a long time ago. Something his mama spoke in him, that when God spoke, in a burning bush, he was drawn to it over there. As he began to speak to him, he didn't think much of himself. And it took God reminding him who he was. And in my mind, God was replaying the words that Jochebed had spoke over him when he was a child. You can't convince me any other way. I feel like God was simply repeating all the promises, and everything that Jochebed had said over Moses is, all those years. And I feel like something unlocked inside of him in that moment. And he realized that, hey, I do have a calling in my life. I do have something that I'm supposed to do. And it, because of what his mom had done years ago, he went in and marched into Pharaoh, and declared, let my people go. And God used him mightily.

I'm here to tell you, and say it again, as I end this message today: it was Jochebed that defeated Egypt. It was that mama who stood up and said, this is my child. As long as there's breath in me, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure this boy knows who God is, and that he is loved. That he knows the promises. That he's not going to be an Egyptian. That he is a Hebrew. He may have to go over into that culture. He may have to live in that world for a little while. But we're not of that world. We belong to something else. We have already had promises spoke over us. We already had things that have been set in motion. And if you don't lose sight of all these things, Moses, there's going to be a day when you're going to do something great for the kingdom of God. I'm telling you, Egypt fell, because there was a mama who refused to, to, to bow down to culture and society. Who was willing to stick through when nothing else made sense, because she believed and trusted that God would save her boy.

Will you stand with me? We are in a battlefield in our society. The battle is our witness. But I'm here to tell every mom in this place: a godly mom can help defeat secular society that we live in. It can help us defeat it. A godly mom can overcome the strongest of influences. I'm going to tell you something. I fought to stand in this pulpit while ago. I have had the beginnings of a migraine headache in that last song over there. I couldn't even see my iPad when I started preaching. I'm facing a resistance in this place right now. And in the name of Jesus Christ, I take authority in this place. God, your will will be done. There is a strong spiritual fight against the home. This is not just me having preacher rhetoric. I'm telling you, there is a strong fight against the home. But I know a God who fights for us. I'm just looking for a couple of mamas who maybe buy into what I've been preaching today. That you have more power than you realize. You have more power than you realize.

I know the days of traditional family units has really gone out the way. And that it doesn't mean that you are are less than, if you don't come from a traditional family unit. If you're blended, if you're single parent, whatever the case may be. All of that — none of that matters. I'm telling you, God loves it all, and wants to work through it. But there's a fight going on. There's a fight.

I want to do this right now. I just — I feel this in the Holy Ghost. If, if you are a mom in this place, will you please remain standing? Everybody else sit down for 1 second. If you are a mother — you have more powerful — whoo! See my — you are more powerful than you realize. I'm going to speak a blessing in your life right now. God sees you. He sees every tear. He knows everything you think about yourself and your children. But I'm here to tell you, those dark things that you have in your mind are robbing joy from you in this place. Put those out of your mind, and turn your focus on to him. Allow him to do a work in your life that only he can do. Speak the name of those children. Speak the name of those children. Speak the name of those children. Speak it out every day. Speak it out. Plead his blood over those children. There is power in that. There is spiritual authority in that. You have the right to do this. You have the right to do this. You have the right to do this. Even if you're not where you need to be, God will still honor the prayer you pray for your children. Listen to me. Even if you're not where you need to be, he will honor that prayer for your child. So mama, stand in authority, and allow God to do a work in your family. Allow him to do a work that only he can do, in your family.

Jesus, we are here at the end of this message today. God, I've been obedient to your word. I've preached what you've given me. God, I pray right now for a holy boldness to come over every mother that is in this place. Everyone who is listening to this message right now. Lord, I pray that they would feel that strength come inside of them. God, that they would have the ability to pray with your authority, for their children. God, they're going to fight. They're going to fight, but they're going to fight a good fight. They're going to fight on their knees. They're going to fight claiming your name over their children.

I'm going to open this altar up and pray. If you're a mother in this place, and you need strength for a fight, you're going to praying for your children — I invite you to come. Don't be embarrassed. We're just going to pray for you, for strength. If you want to come, I'm going to pray over you. I'm going to try my best to get to every mom in this place. I invite you to come. If you, on a personal level — doesn't matter if you're mom or not — but you need something from God today, I'm going to pray for you as well. This altar is open. They're going to start singing for just a minute. We're going to hold you long. I know there are things to do afterwards, and places to go. But I cannot dismiss this service without giving an opportunity for somebody to strengthen their position in the Lord. So I invite you to come. Church, it's prayer time.