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GWEA Monthly Messages
Happy Mother's Day!
REVEREND GORDON WILLIAMS, MAY 2023
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Mother's Day is a day to remember our wives and mothers. "Husbands, love (agape) your wives as Christ loved (agape) the church and gave Himself for her to make her holy... and blameless," the scriptures instruct us (Eph. 5:25-27). He who loves his wife (agape) loves himself (1 Cor. 7:4). Once while in Ecuador, I was asked to preach on my book, "The Forgotten Key to Christian Marriage,” which emphasizes the four different words for “love”: 1. Philos (friendship) 2. Eros (sexual) 3. Storge (family) and 4. Agape (God’s perfect love). The first three are conditional loves that are constrained by poor relationships. Agape love is unconditional, and Jesus can command it to be done regardless of our feelings. It has the authority to expand the boundaries of the other three types of love by the unlimited number of times a person can forgive someone else - anywhere from 7 to 490 times a day! (Matt. 18:21-22). Our other loves are guaranteed by this "agape love." Agape love compliments the other types of love and never degrades, but always builds people up. It keeps no record of wrongs (1 Cor. 13:5). This love is God's perfect love, which is "poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 5:5). We only exercise agape love after we have received Salvation and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Agape love is defined in 1 Corinthians 13:4–8 and is demonstrated throughout Jesus' ministry. "Honour your father and mother, that it may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth," children are told (Eph. 6:2-3). To sum it up, agape love for our wives and respect for fathers and mothers through the same agape love catches Jesus' attention. As a result, we receive the Holy Spirit's guidance allowing us to be successful in knowing God's plans for our lives. Paul tells us that our homes are mini-churches (Eph. 5: 32) where we learn to do the ministry of the Holy Spirit every day by praying in the Spirit (Eph. 6:18). When we are guided by Spirit-led mothers, we can grow together. Such wives ensure that "you may prosper and be in good health, even as your soul prospers" (3 Jn. 2). "The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world," it is said of Christian women. The mother who rocks the cradle is also the one who helps to shape her children's thoughts and personalities. The moment she picks up her child, she begins to shape his or her future with the love of God. Happy Mother’s Day to all the ladies!
The 15 Ministry Gifts of the Holy Spirit (15 Grace Gifts) are for both men and women. They are distributed by the Holy Spirit, and empower us to do work of Jesus Christ with the evidence of signs, wonders and miracles following (Rom. 12:6, 8; 1 Cor. 12:8–19) . Jesus said, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe" (John 4:48). "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:13)
Have you had your Day of Pentecost - Baptism of the Holy Spirit yet?
If you would like to receive your Day of Pentecost - Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, healing, or encouragement, I invite you come to one of our house meetings or contact me.
Together lets testify about Jesus' grace to our family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances - anyone and everyone! Let's tell them about the signs, wonders and miracles He has done in our lives! And be sure to bless your mother today and everyday!
Yours in Jesus Christ,
 Copyright © 2023. The Gordon Williams Evangelistic Association. All rights reserved
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The Apostle Paul said, "...the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Saviour" (Eph. 5:23). Paul is saying that like Jesus, with His bride (the church), it is the husband's responsibility to make certain that his family, including himself, knows Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord; and receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. The role of the husband is not the boss who has the last word on everything, but he is the one responsible to help guide his family in a right relationship with Jesus. Jesus is our boss and one we need to listen and turn to when we need answers. He is our Shepherd who chases after us when we get lost, and can't find our way: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep" (John 10:11). It is the husband's responsibility to encourage his family to use the Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 12:6-8;1 and Cor. 12:8-10) so that they can all be witnesses (Acts 1:8) for Jesus Christ. It's is upon the husband to develop "worship" (1 Cor. 14:26) in his own home so that when the family participate in a church fellowship, they know how to worship "God in spirit and in truth" (Jn. 4:24). The husband cannot do everything, but must encourage every member of his household to listen to the Holy Spirit (Rev. 2:7) for guidance on how they are to participate. We need Christian parents who have the "fruit of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22-23); who have the character and "mind of Christ" (1 Col. 2:16); who pray together about everything (Eph. 6:18), and who "volunteer" to minister to each other, their families and in the church. "Mother’s Day” is a day when opportunity is given to honour wives and mothers. We are commanded in the Scriptures: "Husbands love (agape) your wives just as Christ loved (agape) loved the church and gave Himself for her to make her holy .....and blameless” (Eph. 5:25-27). He who loves his wife loves (agape) himself (1 Cor. 7:4). There are four different Greek words for "love”: The first is friendship (philos), the second, eros (sexual), the third, family (Storge) and the fourth, agape (God's love). The first three are conditional loves limited by bad relationships. "Agape love" is unconditional and can be commanded by Jesus to minister to others regardless of how one feels. It empowers to extend the boundaries of the other three kinds of love, which are limited to the number of times a person can forgive - forgiving someone up to 7 times and can be extended to 490 times each day! (Matt. 18:21-22) |
