________________________________________________________________________

Today is a special day. For most of us, it's not that it's hard to think of something to say or do for our mothers, but rather that it's so hard to fully express our great appreciation through just one day a year. Anything we do for our mothers pales in comparison with what they have done for us. Mothers deserve anything good that they can get.

The story is told of a worker watching a young mother and a three year old little child in the grocery store one day. Going down the second aisle, the little girl saw some of those little toys that they put there on the ends to tempt little kids and started screaming for it. As the worker watched, the mother said very calmly "Monica, it's going to be alright, we've only got five more aisles to go and then we'll go home." Then they turned down the candy aisle and the little girl started screaming again and this time worked herself into a fit trying to get to the candy. The mother said "calm down, Monica, there are only three more aisles to go and then we'll be home where there are toys." Then passing by the toy section proper, the little girl really let loose a howl and again the young mother didn't even act flustered and the worker heard her say very smoothly "Monica, don't scream, we will soon be home and you can get a nap." When they got to the checkout line, the worker went up to the lady and said "I've been watching you and I've been real impressed with how you have handled little Monica here." To which the lady replied "thank you, but my little girl's name is Heather, I'm Monica!"

My wife and I have already given our mothers their presents. It was just a card this year, but in that card was a sonogram of their birthday presents this year in November. It was the best mother's day present ever. You would have thought that we had given them a million dollars. Because apparently to our mothers, someone else to love and "mother" is the greatest gift. In my case, my mother's baby is having a baby. Fun stuff.

A true mother loves unconditionally. And mothers give generously of many other things too. There is no greater influence in your life than a mother, or mother-like figure. Maybe you are like the Apostle Paul and had someone who was not biologically connected with you to fill the role of a mother in your life (Romans 16:13). You still had a mother that influenced your life tremendously, and you should give thanks today.

I found a little poem that I thought revealed a lot about our attitudes toward our mothers:

Maybe your mother cannot be here with you today. Maybe she lives only in your memory. If so, you still have a lot to be thankful for because your mother has blessed your life tremendously.

________________________________________________________________________

When you turn to the Bible, the blessing of motherhood becomes apparent. The Bible reaffirms what psychologists have said for years and that is that more than any other human relation, a mother strongly affects our lives. That is because mothers teach us the first and important things of life. Mothers teach us our character. When God wanted to raise up a deliverer for Israel, and Moses was born, God did not want his first years spent in a palace with the professors of Egypt, but rather worked a way that Moses could spend the first several years with his own Israeli mother. God obviously thought that a Godly mother could teach Moses greater than the most learned teachers of the day. And despite Moses spending only three to five years with his Hebrew mother and thirty-five to thirty-seven years being trained by the professors of Egypt, Moses never forgot that despite decades of being taught the many gods of Egypt that what his mother had said was true "Hear, Oh Israel, the Lord our God is One Lord." Moses would pen that phrase under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, but from his life it's obvious that it was first taught to him by a godly mother in the first few years of life.

Mothers, never doubt your influence to teach a child what is right. What is placed within them within the first few years will never leave them. They will grow up and have many voices speak to them and many conflicting views bombard their mind, but if they had a Godly mother who instilled in them the scripture and a love for God, it will never, ever leave them! All of Egypt in a lifetime couldn't undo what one Hebrew mother put into Moses in just a few years!

Only eternity will reveal the true magnitude of the influence of a Godly mother! When you study the Early Apostolic Church and the Godly men and women that made it great, you can't help but notice that mothers had a key part of the revival of the book of Acts. We talk of John and James, but their mother was also a faithful follower and supporter of Jesus Christ. There was another disciple named "James" who is known as "James the less" because all we know about him was that nothing is recorded about him. That is, except one thing: the Bible mentions his mother. Obviously the guiding influence in his life to following Jesus was a strong godly mother. When you get to Paul's life and the young man Timothy who would be the top of the next generation of leaders of the Early Church the scriptures are very clear as to where Timothy learned to serve God, for Paul wrote:

Grandfather is never mentioned in scripture and daddy was an unbeliever, but Timothy had had a legacy of faith taught to him by his mother and grandmother! It was the hands of mothers that helped shape the revival of the Early Apostolic Church for generations to come.

We read in our text in Acts, of another mother who greatly shaped the Apostolic Church of Acts, and yet does not get a lot of recognition because of the common name that she shared with so many important people. Her name was Mary and there at least six or seven people in the Bible named Mary, and some of them much more famous than she. I'm not talking about Mary, the mother of Jesus. I'm not referring to Mary Magdalene. I'm not talking about Mary, the sister of Lazarus. The Mary I want to bring to your attention today was known as "Mary, the Mother of John Mark."

What we know about her, we have to glean from between the lines of the verses written about people around her, yet it becomes obvious that she had as much impact on the Early Apostolic church as any other woman and more than many men. Her son "John Mark" would eventually become like a second son to the Apostle Peter and would write the Gospel of Mark. When Jesus earthly ministry was taking place, John Mark was in his early teens. Mary's brother, Barnabas would become well known for traveling on the first missionary journey with the Apostle Paul and introducing Paul to the other disciples. It was also Barnabas who started the sacrificial giving practice of selling land and houses and giving the money to the church to support the revival effort. Mary's husband is never mentioned in scripture and Jewish tradition teaches that she had been widowed at a young age and left to raise John Mark all alone. Whatever the reason, Mary was wealthy with a big house and land outside of Jerusalem, and when her brother sold his land and gave it to the church, Mary the mother of John Mark kept hers, but lent it unselfishly to the church for their use. Her home and garden became a favorite meeting place of the disciples as it had also been a favorite place for Jesus to go to. And it is the use of this land that gives us the most information and telling character of this Mary. Because, you see, you have known about Mary's land and house from just reading the Bible, but you probably just didn't realize to whom it belonged.

In our text, we read about Peter having been cast into prison and scheduled for execution the next day. To make sure that he didn't get away, Herod had him chained to soldiers within an inner prison cell. James had already had his head chopped off and now it seemed as if they were about to lose the Apostle Peter, but then the scripture says:

The church got together and had an all night prayer meeting for Peter's release and God heard their prayer and sent an angel to release him! The Bible says that the angel led Peter out of the inner cell and out of the prison and out of the main gate and then through the city gate before finally leaving Peter to himself. And as Peter pinched himself and realized that God had answered the church's prayer and began to think about where he could find the believers together, we find that he immediately thought of Mary, the mother of John Mark's house.

Peter said to himself "if the church is praying together, then they must be at Mary's house." And sure enough the scripture says that the group was praying there for Peter's release. It is obvious from these scriptures that Mary's place was a favorite place for the church to congregate. It was a dark time in the church, and everything looked bleak but hope was found in the home of a praying mother! Peter was delivered because of the prayers of the church, but we must not forget that it was in the home of a praying mother where those prayers were delivered up!

And so I'm preaching to us today. The gifts of a mother are many and the sacrifices great, but the greatest power that a mother possesses is not in the influence of the early life of her children. It is not in her active involvement in everyday things. It is not even in the honor that men and women will give her. The greatest power that a mother possesses is in her ability to pray. Heaven moves to hear the prayer of a Godly mother. Man cannot invent a prison or a guard system that can bind up what a Godly mother has prayed to be released! When you are in the darkest of situations and there seems to be no hope, it is the prayers of a Godly mother which has the ability to open the light of glory into the situation and for their to be hope! The church needs Godly mothers, but ones that will realize the power that they possess through their prayers!

And so Mary's chief characteristics revealed by the Bible was that she was a woman of prayer and that she had a son. Mary was to be known as a praying mother. And it was her love of prayer that shaped not only the future of her son, John Mark, but also the entire Apostolic Church. When Jesus was in the Jerusalem area, it was her garden that He loved to go pray in. We call that garden the Garden of Gethsemane. The scriptures say that Judas Iscariot knew where to find Jesus despite his leaving the supper early because Jesus always went to this particular garden to pray. That Jesus was arrested in this particular garden was no accident because Jesus obviously enjoyed being there and had often frequented the place. Jesus had been raised in a home with a praying mother and so He felt most comfortable in the garden of a mother who prayed!

In the Gospel of Mark, we find a reference to a "certain young man" who on the night of Jesus' arrest tried to follow from afar off dressed only in his bed clothes:

That certain young man was John Mark, who, as a young teenager, had been asleep in the house next door and was awakened by the noise in the garden next to him and arose to investigate. Only the Gospel of Mark records that detail because only Mark knew it had happened. If young Mark knew what was going on outside, then it would make sense for his mother to have been awakened as well. I have always wondered if that when the disciples could not pray and watch with Jesus even one hour in the time of His greatest need, if there was not a mother in the house, the mother of John Mark, who like her young son realized what was going on and prayed for Jesus that night.

Jesus was God in flesh come to pay the price for sin, but His flesh did not want to die any more than yours and mine. It was a genuine prayer that He prayed in Gethsemane: "if it be possible let this cup pass from me, but nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done." The battle of Calvary was not won on the hillside where Jesus was crucified, because Jesus had already made up His mind by that time to be obedient to the heavenly plan. The victory was really won in a prayer meeting that He prayed in Gethsemane the night before "nevertheless not my will, but thine be done." Jesus willingly laid down His life but that was because He had subdued the natural fleshly desires in a prayer meeting. It was a real dilemma. Had Jesus not subdued His flesh, then you and I would have never had a chance at salvation. Such was the seriousness of the moment and yet the disciples couldn't even stay awake and pray with Jesus in this important and dark hour. And so I've wondered if young John Mark knew what was going on outside, then surely his mother knew, and if so, could it be that it was the prayers of a mother that helped strengthen Him that night!? Could it be one day that we would get to heaven and realize that it was the prayers of a mother that strengthened the resolve of our Savior in His darkest hours!? I'm preaching to you about the depths and the powers of a praying mother!

Mary, the mother of John Mark, has impacted this church and every one of your lives in a way greater than probably any of you knew when you walked into this place. That is because this church traces it's roots not to the reformation or the Catholic Church but all the way back to the original church of Jesus Christ in the book of Acts! We are an Apostolic Church. That means that the birthday of the Apostolic Church was also the birthday of our church. That birthday was called the Day of Pentecost and before His ascension, Jesus commanded the disciples to go tarry "in Jerusalem" for the promise of the Holy Ghost. Acts chapter 2 records the events of when the Holy Ghost was poured out the first time:

The Holy Ghost was poured out with the evidence of speaking in other tongues and filled with the Spirit, the disciples began to stumble out into the street and a crowd began to gather outside of the house and then Peter stood up and preached Jesus to the crowd and the sermon ended in this most memorable way:

Peter ended that sermon that day with the commandment to the crowd in the street to "Repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ" and then the promise "ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost!" And Peter said that the promise would keep going on generation to generation "even as many as the Lord our God shall call." This is exciting to you and I today because I'm preaching to people who have obeyed Peter's words even in this modern times and you have repented of your sins, been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and have received the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues just as they did back then in the upper room! And so you are a continuation of the book of Acts church! You are a part of the Apostolic church! There were three thousand that repented that day and were baptized in Jesus' name and filled with the Holy Ghost and you have been added to that number! We don't have to trace our roots back to anywhere but the original church of Jesus Christ, the Apostolic church of the book of Acts! Thank God for that.

But let me just remind you of something. The first 120 were in the upper room of a house. The sermon was in the street immediately in front of the house. The three thousand were filled with the Holy Ghost at that same location and were baptized there as well. Where was it? Whose house was it? History provides us the answer: it was John Mark's mother's house! The Holy Ghost outpouring was first poured out, and Peter's message was preached and the first harvest of Grace all took place at the home of a praying mother!

And so I'm preaching to you today! This thing got started in the home of a praying mother, and if it is to continue we need Godly women who will realize the importance of their prayers! We need Godly women who will say "if daddy does or not, I will pray for my kids." But not just for your kids, but God needs you to pray for His kingdom. The pastor needs your prayers. There are those who are bound up by the things of this world who need the prayers of a praying mother! Maybe your mother didn't pray, but you can change that for your children! There is power -- great power in the prayers of a Godly mother!

Jesus is comfortable and drawn to the home of a praying mother! Just one mom. Just one home. Just one son. But the impact would be great! No father around. No fame or glory. Just a mother who knew how to pray and only eternity will reveal the influence that she had on the church of Jesus Christ even today! The Holy Ghost and God's Grace came to the world through the home of a praying mother!

________________________________________________________________________

The contrast of a home with a praying mother with that of the home that lacks such a woman is startling in scripture. In our other text, we read of a praying mother, Hannah. She was praying before she even had children. The scriptures say that Hannah was barren and that she was "vexed" in that her husband had two wives and the other wife was producing children for him easily. The scripture records that when the husband went to the temple to give his yearly sacrifice that Hannah went with him and that she prayed for a child and prayed so fervently that the priest, Eli, thought that she was drunk and rebuked her for it. When he realized that she was not drunk, but just desperate for a child, he spoke to her that the Lord would give her this child. Sure enough, in due time Hannah had a son whom she named Samuel and she determined that after he was weaned, she would give him back to the Lord for His service.

And so it was that young Samuel ended up living in Jerusalem at the temple with the man of God, Eli. His mother only saw him a few times each year and every year she would bring him a new coat to replace the one that he had outgrown. This little Samuel would hear the voice of God and become the great prophet Samuel who would be the greatest leader of Israel between Moses and David. He would grow up to rule fairly and justly and please the Lord. Samuel would eventually anoint David as King of Israel.

This is startling only because Eli had two biological sons named Hophni and Phineas who were the exact opposite of Samuel. They too had been raised around the house of God by Eli and they too had learned of the things of the Lord. But they were evil. They would steal parts of the sacrifices that people brought to the Lord and eat them for themselves. They committed fornication in the very temple courts. They had a complete and total disregard and respect for God and His Word and for authority and so God decided to kill them in judgment and to give the lineage of the priesthood to young Samuel.

Here's the point: Both Hopni and Phineas and the young boy Samuel had the same father figure in their life -- Eli. Both had the same man of God in their life. Both had the same environment in which to grow up in. Both had access to everything that God had to offer. But the difference is that Hopni and Phineas' mother is never mentioned in scripture. She is never found around the temple. She is never referred to in the story. We don't know where she was. But the contrast with Samuel's mother, Hannah, is obvious. In the five short verses that we read as our text, it is mentioned of Hannah praying or asking of the Lord four times! She prayed before she had a baby. She prayed during the time of weaning. She prayed afterwards. The same father figure. The same situation. The same opportunities and yet Hophni and Phineas die God rejects and Samuel becomes one of the greatest prophets that ever lived. The difference? A praying mother!

And so I'm preaching to you about the power of a praying mother. It provided a change of the priesthood of Israel to a Godly man. God spoke directly to the son of a praying mother. King David who would be "a man after God's own heart" was anointed by the son of a praying mother. Hophni and Phineas die and pass from the pages of history never more to be remembered, but the prayers of a Godly mother changed the course of God's people for the better forever! There is power in the prayers of a Godly mother!

________________________________________________________________________

I close with this:

They say that truth is stranger than fiction and as crazy as it may sound, everything that I have read seems to indicate that this story actually happened! The story is that of Peter Richley.

You've never heard of Peter Richley, but he really lived and lived to tell of the strangest tale and to be what some of his day would call the "luckiest man in the world." It was the year of 1820 that these wacky events took place and they took place at sea where Peter was traveling on a ship. The strange events is that the ship that Peter Richley was traveling sank, and yet he survived and was rescued by another ship. By some strange twist of circumstance, before this ship would get to port, it sank also.

Luckily Peter survived once more and was rescued again by another ship. But this third ship sank also.

Believe it or not, this third ship sank and Peter miraculously survived and was rescued by another ship.

I told you that truth is stranger than fiction, for crazily the fourth ship sank also and again for the fourth time Peter was rescued. By this time Peter was probably vowing that if he ever got to land, he would never travel by ocean again, but he would not have had long to vow this prayer because -- yes, you guessed it -- the fifth ship sank also and Peter was finally rescued what would thankfully turn out to be the last time by an ocean liner ship called The City of Leeds. This ship was from England and was bound for Australia and just happened to be traveling along in the very lanes where Peter's ships had sank.

The crew of The City of Leeds gave Peter dry clothing and then the ship doctor gave him an exam and pronounced him fit and then asked an unusual request.

"There's a lady on board who booked passage to Australia," the doctor explained. "She's looking for her son who disappeared ten years ago. She's dying and she's asking to see her son. She knows everybody on board and since you're the only newcomer, would you pretend to be her son?"

His life had been saved by such miraculous means that Peter would have done anything that they asked him to do, so he followed the doctor below deck and came to the cabin of the lady. There on a small bed lay a frail woman with silvered-hair. She was obviously suffering from a very high fever. Deliriously, she was crying out: "Please God. Let me see my son before I die. I must see my son."

The doctor nodded to Peter and stepped aside but to his amazement, Peter Richley began to weep uncontrollably because he realized for the first time why he had not died in the multiple ship wrecks. There was no pretending necessary because the woman on the bed was none other than Sarah Richley who had prayed for 10 years that she would one day be reconciled with her son, Peter.

The ship's doctor watched on in amazement as the young man fell down by the bed and embraced the sick woman. "I'm here, mom. I'm here. It's me, Peter!" Within days the fever broke and the woman awoke to find her answered prayer sitting beside her bed.

Never underestimate the power of a praying mother! It may have been one month or ten years and you may feel as if your prayers have gone unheeded. It may seem as if the object of your prayers are just suffering one situation after another, but be assured that God hears the prayers of a Godly mother. Don't stop praying! Your children need you. The Apostolic Church needs you. The ministry needs you. This world needs you! We need the power of a praying mother in our lives! And only eternity will reveal the tremendous effects of such a prayer. We need Godly women to embrace motherhood, but more than that we need Godly mothers to embrace prayer. There is power like no other in the prayers of a Godly mother!