Friday, June 29, 2018

Mamas, Some of You are Being Used by Satan.


Mamas, some of you are being used of Satan and you need to repent. You need to stop doing his work and submit yourselves and your children in obedience to the Lord, and the work of the Kingdom of God. Daddies, I’ll throw you in for good measure, but it’s the Mamas I’ve seen do this the most. I’m going to use some hard words, but you need to hear them, because there’s a lot of emotion to cut through here. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.”


I spoke at a certain Church in the Southeastern US some time ago about our ministry as missionaries among Muslim people, and our work establishing school programs in the Syrian refugee camps. At the end of the meeting, a young woman came forward with tears in her eyes.  Clearly the Lord was moving her. There was a fire in her eyes that I have seen in those who are being obedient to the Holy Spirit. She was a school teacher and wanted to know how she could come and help educate the Syrian refugee children. I started talking to her about coming to work with us in the camps in Tyre.

A woman walked up, her mother, and took her by the arm.  “You aren’t going anywhere, it’s too dangerous, just get those foolish ideas out of your head,” she said, as she led her daughter away. I saw the young woman’s face fall, I saw the defeat and disappointment. In that moment, that Mama had led her daughter away from obedience to God, and robbed her of the blessing of following a call of God.  That Mama was the hand of the devil.  There’s no other way to look at it. I’ve seen others like her, used by Satan to confuse the work of the Holy Spirit.

Mamas have a special place in the family. They guard the youth of their children, and do their best to keep them from any harm.  They nurture them, body and spirit. The love of Mamas done right is pure and selfless. Mamas will fight tigers for their children. It’s a noble and God-ordained role and instinct, until it is used in disobedience. 

Jesus said “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26-27, ESV)

Mama, and I speak now to the Mamas in disobedience, you must first ask yourself if you are a disciple of Christ.  Do you want to be a disciple?  Do you want to obey?  If so then Jesus cuts straight to the point.  You have to obey as though you hate your own life, as though it has no value to you. The value you place on your own life must pale so in comparison to the value you place on obedience to Jesus, that it looks like you hate your life.  Then Jesus calls you to something harder: you must do this also for your children. You must submit them to God in such a radical way that it looks as though you hate their lives.

You must do this also for your children because God did not create them and give them to you for your glory. He did not create them for your amusement, not for your comfort. God created your children for his glory, his work, and his purpose. An unbeliever once commented on how much I must hate my wife and children and how little I must value them, because I took them into a “war zone” in a Muslim majority country. How shameful he thought it was that I would endanger them for “my proselytizing work.” This is what your obedience to God will look like to the eyes of the lost or the spiritually ignorant.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10, ESV)

His workmanship, not yours. His creation, not yours. His good works, not yours. His preparation, not yours,  His walk, not yours. When you take your children away from the purpose of God, you are stealing from God. You are taking for yourself what belongs to him.

What does obedience to God look like?  It looks like following the command and example of God.  Consider how God spoke to Jeremiah about his own calling.



“Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” 
Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.”  
But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 1:4-8, ESV)

Mamas, you should whisper in the ears of your babies that they were created for God’s good purpose. 

Whisper to them that they will be preachers, Sunday school teachers, worship leaders, ministers, missionaries, child care workers, Deacons, Elders, and evangelists.  

When they take their first step, tell them they are going to  the nations for the glory of the Son of God. 

When they are afraid, when they lack confidence, remind them that God is with them always. Urge them to obedience. Urge them toward fearless, loving obedience.

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18, ESV)

Mama, is your love for your child perfect? Tell them to love and obey fearlessly.  If you teach your children fear, then your love for them is not perfect.  It is flawed. It only an emotional instinct and not a God-honoring love.  I urge you today, Mama  to repent. Repent so that your children can know the true joy of living, and if God so desires dying, for the glory of the one true King, Jesus Christ. 

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