A Mother’s natural love and the love of the our spiritual Father meet in these moving passages - Wednesday 7-29-2020 opening testimony

A Mother’s love and the love of the Father-

In Matthew 20 we witness the power of a natural mother intertwined with the spiritual Father…A moving scenario with a remarkable outcome..

Matthew 20/20

Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. 21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.

22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?

They say unto him, We are able.

23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

The mother of Zebedee’s children was Mary Salome who witnessed the crucifixion of Christ.. Zebedee was thought to be a wealthy fisherman. Their sons were to be known as James and John , Disciples of Christ…

24 And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. 25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great… exercise authority upon them. 26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;

27 and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28 even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Every Christian is a minister. Not every Christian is a pastor, but every Christian is to be a minister. That means you use your talents and gifts to make a contribution in life, to be a giver, not a taker.

What does it mean to be a servant? A servant is devoted and helpful follower or supporter. There are numerous ways to in which one may be a servant unto God ... The idea of servanthood is to humble yourself, submit to God, and meet the needs of others. It is not about receiving money or some type of reward but about giving of yourself.

He that is greatest among you.--Literally, the greater of you. The words admit a two-fold meaning. Either (1), as in Mark 9:35, they assert a law of retribution--the man who seeks to be greatest shall be the servant of all; or (2) they point out the other law, of which our Lord's own life was the highest illustration--that he who is really greatest will show his greatness, not in asserting it, but in a life of ministration. The latter interpretation seems to give on the whole the best meaning.

God . . . has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others” (Ephesians 2:10 TLB).

God did not put you on Earth just to live for yourself. He wants you to make the world a better place!

Every time I hear somebody say, “I live for the weekends,” I want to say, “Then what then would be your purpose”?.... If you’re not fulfilling your purpose, you’re missing the whole point of life.



Ephesians 2:10 says, “God . . . has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others” (TLB).

The Bible uses these kinds of phrases around 58 times: “Love one another.” “Care for one another.” “Pray for one another.” “Encourage one another.” “Help one another.” “Counsel one another.” “Support one another.” And on and on the list goes. It is the mutual ministry of every believer in the family of God to minister to every other believer in the family of God. That’s the way God meant for it to be.

The truth is, serving God by serving others is not always easy. Sometimes you’re going to get discouraged. So what do you do when you start to get discouraged? You remember two things.

First, you remember that you’re going to receive a reward that’s going to go on for eternity. The Bible says that God “will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers” (Hebrews 6:10 NLT). You’re greatest reward will be In heaven.

Second, you remember that God sees and will acknowledge even our smallest acts of brotherhood. Nothing is insignificant when you serve God. None of it will be in vain. “Keep busy always in your work for the Lord, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord’s service is ever useless” (1 Corinthians 15:58 GNT).

I conclude this evening only with a question..

Would you characterize yourself as more of a giver or a taker in the family of God?

Prayer - 

Father guide us in the humble ways of righteousness. Shine your light on our path as we walk through our journey of life may we walk in a way pleasing to you. 

We pray for the soul of our departed brother Allen Michaels and for his family may their grief be mitigated by your love… 

We ask that we who struggle be granted strength and we who need healing be granted healing, should it be your will. 

We ask for wisdom as we interact with or intercede for others; may our judgment follow the example of Jesus… 

Bless our bible study and grant us the sight to clearly discern your word… 

We ask these things in Jesus’s name.. 

Amen