Mother's Day Service

Standing on the Counsel of the Lord

The scripture says:

"The counsel of the Lord stands firm forever, the promises of his heart through all generations."

That word "counsel" is the plan, the advice of God. Our simple prayer point is this: we stand on the counsel of the Lord.

One of the things that came forth this morning — and we've been singing it — is this concept of forever. But I realise as well the concept of eternity. In other words, the words that we are standing on, God ensures that they come to pass. It never fails.

The Word That Does Not Return Empty

Isaiah 55 says:

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven..."

And do not give up. You will not give up. You will not give up. The words of the Lord stand forever over your life. He watches over it to see that it will come to fruition. He watches over it to perform what he intended for it to do.

I stand on things that are eternal. I don't look to the things that may pass away, but I look onto the things that are forever. I look unto the things that are eternal, in Jesus' name.

Faith as an Offensive Weapon

I don't know about you, but I feel like we've come to a point where things feel like they're not dealt with by logic. We're coming into seasons where the things around us don't make sense. How did we get here? How did it become like this? How did this situation grow to be what it is?

I recognise that there are times and moments where what's required is faith. We've been praying heavily for faith in a shielding sense, but now I believe it's time we pray about faith as an offensive weapon. There are situations where what is required is immense faith in God. Your prayer is that by God, this will happen.

The Mustard Seed

Jesus said to the disciples — they were trying to cast out demons —

"If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'From here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Sometimes the things we desire to do with God need to be partnered with more faith in that action.

Praying by Faith Over Every Area

Over all things happening in life at the moment, whatever it is personally for you, pray this morning that by faith it will move. Lift your voice in prayer. It will not move by logic. We're in a time where it's about faith. It's by God that this thing will happen.

We are standing on a God whose words are eternal. So I put my faith in a God who can do the impossible.

• Over my family, it will be by my faith in my God.
• Over my career, it will be because of my faith in my God.
• Over the situations that seem like they won't shift, it's by faith that you can say to this mountain that it will be moved — and it will move.

They will come to you and say, "My brother, my sister, how did this thing shift? How did it move?" And you will stand and say, "It's because of faith in my God."

Scripture says that what you sow, you will reap. But when it comes to faith, what you sow reaps way more than you ever thought or imagined. It will be by faith. The city we will cross over in faith.

The Cloud of Witnesses

"By faith, we understand that the universe was formed at God's command. And without faith, it is impossible to please God. For those who come to him must believe that he is, and he's a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. By faith, Abraham, when called to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he didn't know where he was going."

It was by faith that the people passed through the Red Sea — when the Egyptians tried to do so, they drowned. It was by faith that the walls of Jericho fell.

What more shall I say? I do not have time to tell you about Gideon, about Barak, about Samson, about Jephthah. Can you add your name? I don't have enough time to tell you about Minister Raymond. I don't have enough time to tell you about Aaron.

And your answer will be: by my God. By my God.

A Season of Great Faith

It's a season of great faith. It's a time of great faith. How did the situation become like this? It doesn't matter. By my God.

It was through faith that the men of old conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised. They shut the mouths of lions. They quenched the fury of flames. They escaped the edge of the sword. It was because of their faith.

If you didn't know, we became believers because of faith in him. And it will be by faith that the mountains crumble.

I declare faith over my family. I declare by faith transformation over my family, over my siblings, over my career, over Paniym City. Oh God, increase our faith.

By my God, things move, things change, things shift. By my declaration, by my inspiration, by my God, by my Jesus, I run over. By my God, I leap over a wall. By my God, I run over a troop. By my King, by my God, things change. I'm delivered. I'm set free by my God.

Begin to bless the name of Jesus. Bless him in that revelation you have right now, for he has increased your faith, for he has done wonders, for he has done the impossible.

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Spiritual Motherhood (Pastor Ewa)

Ruth 3:1–5 literally embodies what spiritual motherhood actually looks like:

"Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, 'My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you?...'" And she said to her, "All that you say to me I will do."

When we look at Ruth's story, a lot of the time we love it from the romantic sense — everybody wants to look for their Boaz — but there's a real lesson in what motherhood does for an individual once someone actually submits to it.

A Mother Seeks Your Security

Naomi says, "My daughter, shall I not seek security for you that it may be well with you?" This statement is the pinnacle of what a spiritual mother is. What a mother does is she seeks security for you.

Naomi isn't Ruth's biological mother, but by covenant, by divine alignment, Ruth comes under the motherhood of Naomi. What was meant to be just a mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law becomes something more — a covenant, a divine alignment that leads to her walking in and being where the Lord actually wishes for her to be.

Spiritual motherhood looks like being under an individual who seeks out:

• Your security
• Your well-being
• That all will be well for you
• That you are in the most opportune position
• That you prosper, you flourish
• Most of all, that you are in alignment with God's will

From Instruction to Destiny

Naomi didn't know that by giving Ruth this instruction, it would lead to Ruth being in the genealogy of Jesus's coming. But her instruction led Ruth right into the will of God.

In Matthew 1:5, we see the genealogy of Jesus:

"Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab. Boaz begot Obed by Ruth. Obed begot Jesse..."

The lineage leads to Jesus Christ. This instruction that Naomi gives Ruth leads her right into the opportune position to be part of the genealogy of Jesus.

When it comes to spiritual motherhood, it's not just about care, concern and tenderness — there's an insight. There's an innate, natural ability for strategy, insight and instruction, that once you heed what is said, you find yourself in alignment. Things begin to fall in place, and you don't understand why, but it's because you're following the order, obeying and submitting under spiritual motherhood.

Honoring the Biological Mother (Pastor Jen)

I want to speak about the significance of still honoring the natural biological mother, although you may have a spiritual mother.

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." (Ephesians 6:1–3)

Often, especially within society today, we see a conflict as to whether people are meant to just listen to their spiritual mother — or if they don't have the best relationship with their biological mother, it's automatically almost dismissed. But this scripture comes with the backing of the Lord.

Honor Even When It's Hard

Regardless of whether you have the best relationship with your biological mother, there must still be a level of honoring her, even if you are blessed to have a spiritual mother or someone mentoring you. It's important to understand there's still a level and degree they have had in the input of your raising, in your journey — whether it has been the most wholesome or you have had moments of trauma or moments of downcast.

The Lord is so intentional about every step we go through. Not to say that all those things necessarily had to happen to you, but there's something about loving the Lord and being able to see the human errors even in our parents when they fall short. Knowing the selflessness and dedication that comes with mothering, there will be times a mother falls short — whether spiritually or biologically.

Being a Biological Mother as a Christian

What does it look like to be a biological mother as a Christian? I can only do this by loving God first.

"These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you... Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." (Deuteronomy 6:1–7)

Loving the Lord is what will allow you to recognise when you need to have patience, when you need to have humility and admit, "Actually, I was wrong. I was wrong for shouting or for getting angry in that moment." Loving the Lord will allow you to rewrite the wrongs that you saw as you were mothered.

Motherhood Begins at Conception

Being a biological mother starts from conception. That automatic feeling of "I need to protect. I need to nurture. I need to remain in strength." Even before I found out we were expecting, something I always used to do was pray over my seed, even when I didn't necessarily have the relationship with God that I have now.

Being a biological mother is someone who understands what it is to love the Lord, but recognises that she cannot do things based off of her own strength — someone who loves the Lord so much that she intends to give her last.

Mary: A Vessel of Obedience

Another key person in scripture is Mary. She was only able to be the vessel that she was because of her obedience and her love for the Lord. Motherhood truly is a gift — and it's a gift from him. Many on this earth are not fortunate enough to be a biological mother. To be able to stand as one is something I don't take for granted.

"Train a child as they should go, and as they grow they will not depart from it."

Raising Children by the Holy Spirit

To be identified as a Bible-believing Christian as a parent, as a mother, is someone who doesn't go by the blueprint of this world, but goes by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

When you are making decisions in your child's life, you're not doing it based off of "this is what I've seen, so this is what I'm going to do." You're doing it based off of "this is what I feel led to do after prayer. Holy Spirit, help me. How do you want me to guide? How do you want me to train my child in this moment?"

Raising Children According to Their Calling

There's more than just raising up a whole and well child — you have to raise up a child according to the calling the Lord actually has over their lives. It's more than just, "Okay, they need to know God, they need to believe in him." How do you foster an environment to ensure that the child you're raising not only believes in God but feels equipped to live up to the calling placed on their lives?

• Mary was raising up the Son of God.
• Elizabeth was raising up a prophet made to make the way for Jesus.
• Hannah was raising up a prophet.

In this house, Paniym City Church, we are not raising up normal kids. We're raising up warriors. We're raising up kids that are going to take this industry, this country, by storm for the glory of God.

Dedicating Them Back to the Lord

In 1 Samuel 1:27–28, Hannah prayed fervently for a child and dedicated him back to the Lord. Yes, the Lord blessed me with Amoris — but we dedicated her back to him. I am the vessel on earth that gets to be her mom, that gets to guide and steward what I believe the Holy Spirit is directing me to do.

Through dedicating her back to the Lord, it's a recognition that the Holy Spirit — God the Father, God the Son, the triune God — is the one who covers her completely from head to toe, the one who guides, directs, and oversees the promises that were spoken before she was formed in my womb.

When I'm praying with her in the morning, when we pray before bed, when she sees us fasting, when she sees us praying — these are things she will naturally pick up and ask why. She may go outside and someone may try to offer her a different truth, but because she has been dedicated back to the Lord, confusion will never rest upon her.

Proactive, Not Reactive

We're in a generation where schools and places are not lauding Jesus the same way we laud him. It's getting very dark. Things like atheism are so acceptable. We actually have to become a lot more proactive rather than reactive, waiting for our children to come back and tell us things.

In Luke, Jesus grew up in wisdom and in stature. He goes into the temple and teaches those who are meant to be teaching him about the word of God. How do we raise up a generation of children that can stand their own ground?

If we look at our actions and how they align with the word of God, that will always dictate where we are going wrong and where we need to continue.

Faith With Works

Minister Raymond touched on this thing called faith — faith as small as a mustard seed. It reminds me of the Shunammite woman who had so much faith that she saw resurrection in her son. When we look at raising up a child, especially within this society, it's about having faith and action and works — that the Lord will not allow there to be deviation from what he intended over their lives. The partnering with the Spirit of God is what allows us to see that come into fruition.

Faith without works is dead. If I have faith that the Lord is going to see her through, I also know that there's a level of stewarding, that by my faith I will see. When your children walk into rooms they're not accepted in, room will be made for them because they are the light. They carry the light.

Ruggedness and Boldness

There needs to be a ruggedness in the way we train and equip our children. There's a level of boldness that other people have in their faith. We need to look to ourselves as the agencies that can create space for them, where their boldness doesn't have to be masked until a Sunday — where they're able to actually say, "I believe in Jesus Christ, and I believe Jesus was the Son of God, and this is the truth," without hesitation and without feeling like there's an automatic attack if they don't conform to society's expectations.

Praying Beyond Ourselves

When we pray — "Let's pray for the land, let's pray for the governmental decisions and the policies put in place" — it's so important that you think beyond yourself and think about the generations that will come.

When I was in school, I could confidently say this was a Christian country. But we don't know where things are leading. Our prayer is that in our proclamation, in our boldness, and in the assertiveness of our children, that light won't be dwindled.

Room for Women to Thrive

There has to be room made for women to thrive. We see it all through the word — how the Lord makes space for women to thrive.

We see it in how God chooses Mary to birth Jesus. If the Lord wanted, he could have caused Jesus to arise out of the dust or the sand of Galilee. But the Lord decided that he would have a woman as a vessel to bring forth Jesus Christ and to nurture him.

Men are the headship, but women help and aid in this sense of alignment, of instruction, of strategy, and of foresight. There's such a heavy grace of foresight on women.

Deborah: A Woman of Counsel

Another example is Deborah and Barak.

"Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. She would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment." (Judges 4:4–6)

The people of Israel would come up to Deborah for judgment — for advice, counsel, all of those things. Women have insight. They are meant for counsel...