Grapevine Ministries
Messages from the bible to uplift and encourage those that need a word from the Lord, to strengthen their faith. Ps Phillip Barker is an itinerant pastor in Perth, Western Australia.
Grapevine Ministries
Hearts of Love: The Biblical Portrait of Mothers and Faith
The profound connection between heavenly and motherly love takes center stage in this heartfelt message celebrating Mother's Day. Drawing from rich biblical imagery, we explore how Scripture portrays God's care through maternal metaphors—from eagles hovering protectively over their young to Jesus' poignant description of wanting to gather Jerusalem's children like a mother hen with her brood.
Motherhood emerges as a divine reflection, with Proverbs extolling the wisdom that flows from a mother's mouth and Isaiah comparing God's unforgettable love to that of a nursing mother. Through powerful biblical examples, we witness the extraordinary lengths mothers will go to protect and nurture their children—Jochebed defying Pharaoh's decree to save Moses, Hannah's persistent prayers for a child, and the unnamed Canaanite woman whose remarkable faith and humility secured healing for her daughter.
Good morning, good afternoon, wherever you are in the world - Welcome to Grapevine Ministries.
Greetings and salutations, mighty men and women of God. Now, over the next few weeks, due to family commitments, I will be in the eastern states, so we have some guest speakers from People of Destiny and they will be giving you a message on behalf of Grapevine Ministries. So I hope you enjoy these and I will be back with you soon after. I deal with a few things in the natural in relation to my family, but I will say this that you're all loved and appreciated and I know that you are all part of my family and I pray and believe that God will continue to watch over you and you will be blessed by these messages, will be blessed by these messages.
Speaker 1:So, without further ado, I will leave you with Pastor Gary Pratt from Grapevine Ministry. Oh no, no, he's not from Grapevine Ministry. I'm from Grapevine Ministries, he is from People of Destiny. So I will talk to you soon. God bless for now Listening online this morning. We just will talk to you soon. God bless for now Listening online this morning.
Speaker 2:We just want to thank you for being online with us. We want to thank you for Pastor Phil Barker and Grapevine Ministries, and this is a Sunday that we're sharing with everybody everybody out there as well Hallelujah. So, father, we just pray this morning that your Holy Spirit would just move a fresh monster, lord, that you'd have your way in this place, that you would touch every person, and especially all the mums on Mother's Day throughout the world. Lord, let it be a special day for them. In Jesus' precious name, amen, hallelujah. You know we're talking about the resurrection and Christ is risen. Amen, hallelujah. You know we're talking about the resurrection and Christ is risen. You know, I just want to tell you this little story.
Speaker 2:There was a man who took his wife and they went to the Holy Land and took their mother-in-law with them and, as they're over there, they're over there for a couple of weeks and what had happened is the mother-in-law died. So the man went down to the undertaker and he said look, we've got to shift her back home, and how much is it going to cost? And he said well, if you shift her back home, it's going to cost you $5,000. But if you bury her here in the Holy Land. It'll only cost $150. Wow, that's a big difference, he said. Anyway, he said look, I've got to go away and think about it and he comes back. He said no, look, I really think we need to shift her back home. And he said don't you think she'd be better off here, buried in the Holy Land? I reckon she'd really love it. So why don't you want to bury her here? And and she'd really love it, so why don't you want to bury a hare? And well, the man said I heard 2,000 years ago that a man rose up from the dead after three days. And he said I just can't take that chance. That's not real good. On that, hallelujah, we've got to have a sense of humour. Look, it's a day when we really want to honour mums today with us. So what we're bringing this morning? What is Mother's Day in simple terms?
Speaker 2:Mother's Day in an ex-execution is a celebrated time around the world to express respect, to honour and love towards mums. It's an event to honour the contributions of mothers and acknowledging the efforts of what they do and the role in which mothers play in family and society, which they do play an enormous role. I don't think any language can express the power and the beauty and heroism of mothers' love they have for the family. Proverbs 31.26 says this she opens her mouth with wisdom and teaching of kindness on her tongue. Proverbs 31.36 says honour her for all that her hands have done and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. In Deuteronomy 32.11, it says God cares for his people like an eagle hovering over her young. Isaiah 49, 15 says God will never forget his children, like a mother will not forget their nursing child. Proverbs 22, 9 and 10 says God is concerned for his people like a midwife cares for the child that she has delivered, cares for the child that she has delivered.
Speaker 2:You know, frequently the Bible talks about fatherhood of God, but in Scripture also describes in ways consistent with motherhood. And when you look at Jesus, when he weeps over Jerusalem in Matthew 23, 27, he says O Jerusalem, o Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those ones that were sent to it. How often I would have gathered, you, gathered your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing. Jesus uses the metaphor of a mother hen to express the relationship he longs to have with his children. Mother hen to express the relationship he longs to have with his children. It's a moment when the best analogy at his disposal is one of a mother's care. Mary gives us a first-hand account of the truth that motherhood is not for the weak-hearted. She provides with us many helpful lessons, as the need to trust that God's plans are greater than any potential you see in your children right now. Amen, his ways are greater than ours.
Speaker 2:God's promise to mothers and the children in Psalm 139, 13, 14, it says. It says what is an example of a mother's love? In the scripture, one example is Jochebed, the mother of Moses, according to Exodus 2 to 9, 2 to 9. She loved her baby so much that she defied the king's decree and she hid him for the first three months. When she could no longer hide him at home anymore, she made up a special basket, made it waterproof and sent him down the river on the water where Pharaoh's daughter happened to be there at the time, and we know the story. What all went on from there? Just some characteristics of a godly mother. A godly mother prays and reads the word. She is a mum who has learnt to trust God for every need. If you watch your mums. They are generous, like Elkie with her chocolates this morning. She is so generous to be able to give them out to others.
Speaker 2:They're obedient to the Lord. They are forgiving. They are persistent. If something needs to be done, they keep on working until they complete the job. They are persistent. If something needs to be done, they keep on working until they complete the job. They are servants. They have an orderly life. Organisation skills has to be in order. That's why it's so to model it at home, because kids tend to pick up attitudes and habits from their parents. They need to develop characteristics that will build and enrich their lives. They are a great encourager to their children and to others.
Speaker 2:A godly mother loves unconditionally. Her love is not conditionally based upon the behaviour of her children or their husband, but is given without reservation. By her example, she demonstrates to her children how they too can love at all times. A 15-year-old boy came bounding home into the house after school one day and found his mum in bed, and he asked if she was sick or something. He was truly concerned for his mum. Mum replied well, as a matter of fact, I haven't been feeling that good. The boy replied well, don't worry, mum, I will be happy to carry you down the stairs to the stove. Look after your mums, because they'll only have you one mum. Everybody got that, didn't they?
Speaker 2:I want to read to you a story from matthew 15, 21 through the 28. It tells of a mother that is nameless in scripture and to us, but not to her daughter. She is someone who has moved to great faith and is an example for each of us. This morning we read in Matthew 15, 21, 28,. Leaving that place, jesus withdrew to the region of Pia and Sidion and a Canaanite woman who, from that vicinity, came to him crying out Lord, son of David, have mercy on me. My daughter is suffering terribly from demon possession. Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him send her away, for she keeps crying out to us. And he answered I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. The woman came and knelt at his feet. Lord, help me, she said. He replied. Is it not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs? Yes, lord, she said, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table. Then Jesus said woman, you have great faith, your request has been granted and her daughter was healed.
Speaker 2:That very hour Jesus went into that region of Tyre and Sidon, which were Gentile cities north of Israel to get away from the crowds for a time. However, I believe it was to connect with this Canaanite woman that came to her in that time. It was so we could see this woman's faith being tested and see her perseverance in faith. Her perseverance in faith develops into great faith and her daughter is healed. She is willing to pay the cost. She become humble in the spirit.
Speaker 2:This Canaanite mother is no different from mums of today who desire to see their son and daughters and husbands, family members and others they know to be healed and stop suffering from pain, drugs, alcohol, perhaps some other spiritual issue involving sin. You know mums are nameless heroes with hearts of love. The Canaanite mother was willing to change the reaction of Jesus and his disciples in order to see her daughter healed. At times it may appear like you are being rejected. When Jesus simply saying and wanting to develop you into the person of great faith when you might consider as rejection Just maybe God's perfect timing, look back and you can see his hand in every situation you've been through. Press in, keep praying, keep believing and trust God. You, ladies who have no children, many times you are nameless heroes displaying hearts of love as you go out of your way to care for others that you know.
Speaker 2:Today we want to say thank you for all the things you have done in our lives, for us, amen. I often think of Hannah in the story when you read Hannah. How desperate she was to have a child and she just kept persisting, persisting until God fulfilled that cry in her heart. And that's how God looks after you and me. He's got a love that goes beyond what we could even think or imagine, because he went to the cross for you and me. He did it all that we might be able to stand here today and just bring his glory, his praise for everything he's done, amen. So for every mum out there today, let this be a special day for you. I pray that God's blessing would just bless you. He would bless you going out, he would bless you coming in. In everything that you do, you would be that blessing. Amen, hallelujah. And we want to thank all the listeners out there and Pastor Phil Barker with Great Pine Ministries. We want to thank you for all the stuff you're doing out there.
