Choose Life - Mother's Day 2010

Choose Life – Mother’s Day 2010
Ps. Venese White

Celebrating Mother’s Day – honouring all women.

Really about relationship, how we live life.

Aware today can be painful reminder – hurt, rejection, disappointment,loss.

John 10:10 (New King James Version)
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Title of message “Choose Life”

Jim’s message last week about movie “Beneath Hill 60” Australian troops- Aussie Diggers in WW1 in France fighting Germans, digging tunnels underneath enemy to blow them up! This they did, great price to save families and nation. Appreciation and gratitude for extraordinary, outrageous and extravagant price paid, loss of precious lives!

We are even more grateful for ultimate sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ- took weight of sin of whole world-to set us free from spiritual, emotional and physical bondage! Gift of Eternal Life, we are able to experience abundant life.

Rom 8:2 “Law of Spirit of life------law of sin and death.”
Every day, every moment, we make choices that bring either life or death.

Deuteronomy 30:14-20 (New King James Version)
14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.
15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; 20 that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”


Moses brought this command from the Lord to Israelites-conditions that they could understand and fulfil-practical realistic- no excuses for disobedience. Clear warnings of curses and death if they turned after other gods and worshipped them. He gave them the choice.

We know from history, the Word - they disobeyed God and were unfaithful to Him, over and over.40 years in wilderness, most died. 1 Cor. 10-OT examples-Israel had redemptive experiences that parallel water baptism, eating and drinking the Lord’s supper, the blessings of the Spiritual Rock they drank from, that followed them- that Rock was Christ!

Vs 6, “Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.”1) Do not become idolaters as some 2) nor let us commit sexual immorality- 1 day 23,000 fell 3) nor let us tempt Christ as some did-destroyed by serpents 4) nor complain-destroyed by the destroyer Vs 11 “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

We can, and I have thought how stupid their behaviour was- but we can be the same in our lives, just as capable of idolatry, rebellion, unbelief, and disobedience-all works of our flesh and sin that bring consequences to our lives and others.

We have the Word, the Blood of Jesus, the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, His empowering grace to help us,- still comes back to choosing life in our thought life, words, attitudes and actions.

Going back to the affects that the past wars had on the generations before us; emotional shutdown and inability for men to bring forth and impart relational wholeness and intimacy to their wives and children.
We are still seeing the affects of that rejection and abandonment in our society today, many need healing from.

Since movie, triggered interest in our heritage- family tree- Jim and I. Sorry didn’t listen more to dear grandmother’s stories of relatives that had passed on.
At time, just names to me. Now so much more, my ancestors have invested and contributed into my life, to who I am today. Praise God for the Godly heritage I have.


I have a special poem written by my great great grandfather,named John Harvey. He wrote it in India in 1877-Titled “ My Jesus”
I love when I am weary,And faint n worn and sad,
To spend an hour with Jesus, whose presence makes me glad.
I love when tried and tempted, beset with doubts and fears,
To thrust my cares on Jesus,
Who wipes away my tears.
I love to be with Jesus, to lean upon His breast,
And hear Him sweetly whisper,
I, I will give thee rest.
Oh, what to me are trials, with Jesus for my friend,
Though all things else are fleeting,
His love can never end.
Should earthly friends prove faithless,
And leave me one by one,
There is one who will never forsake me,
God’s own precious Son.”


I think He knew Jesus, and His love for him. He would never have thought his poem would be read from a pulpit by his great, great granddaughter 133 years later in Australia!
We have all been handed down a baton- some may be dirty and stained-none perfect- nothing the blood of Jesus can’t cleanse or heal, nothing His grace cannot overcome, no curse that cannot be broken from past generations.

Since becoming a grandmother of little Elly, I have a greater appreciation of the power of the generations, and the power of passing on the blessings and life and love God has intended us to. She has a Godly heritage on both Megan and Ty’s side.

I remember clearly all of us praying over her at her birth, and that will continue while we are all alive, that she will fulfil the destiny He has for her. I believe she will bring many into the kingdom of God in her generation!

I am also aware of the incredible responsibility I have in the way I live my life, and what I pass on to her and the future generations—also very expectant of more grandchildren! Also the responsibility I have to many spiritual sons and daughters, as role model, mentor ,—
to be a Godly example. Not talking perfection, but how we need His grace—no condemnation where we have failed, His mercies are new every morning.


This is also true for those who don’t have natural children, so many orphans and spiritual sons and daughters needing love and nurture and guidance in ways of God.

Another really important area of choosing life is in what we speak. Prov. 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit”. We reap the fruit of what we speak. We create with our words, life and blessing, or death and cursing.

So important to speak the Word over situations-and our relationships! Carrie’s power to create life. Rom 4:17 “God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;”This scripture refers to Abraham, whom God had promised that he would be the father of many nations, that he and Sarah would have a son of their own,even though he was100 years old and Sarah’s womb was dead.-- feel this is a word for some people this morning—call forth life to something dead or non existent at present. He is the creator of life!
Rom 4:20
Abraham believed God, “he did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.” We need to stand on the promises He has given us, and not allow unbelief or fear to rob our faith! Paul told Timothy in NT to “fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on Eternal Life.”Paul knew how to walk by faith. Faith comes by hearing the Word, we need to be continually reading and standing on its promises as we grow in our faith—faith mixed with the Word is powerful!

Hebrews 11 contains a whole chapter of the great patriachs who by faith obtained a good testimony!—By faith------- we know many others who had same testimony—Helen- I want same testimony!

Along with faith we need to have hope. Hope means to look with expectation and desire. When we lose hope we want to give up—hopelessness and despair bring death to our soul. In counselling, the main outcome is to restore hope, then they can begin to move forward again.
While we have life and God we have hope here for now and for eternity.
Rom 5:5 “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

I think it’s really appropriate on Mother’s day to finish up speaking on love, God’s love-agape. He has shown us His extravagant love for us, in sending His Son Jesus, to die on our behalf- taking our sin, in exchange for His righteousness, to all who receive Him as Lord and His free gift of salvation.

All we can do and give back is to love Him with all our heart , soul, mind and strength, and to love others as He has loved us--- because of His love we can love ourselves.

Today is all about being in relationship with Him and others---choosing life, to live the abundant life He came to give.

In preparing this message I had such a sense of the fear of the Lord, that He is calling and drawing us to deeper relationship with Him, that will flow into all other relationships, into future generations.

We can say and do lots of things, but if we don’t have love it means nothing.-1 Cor 13:4-8 “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things ,believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

It is only as we love with His love that we can truly honour, respect, submit, obey,-do relationship as He intended us to!