Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

1 Peter 2:2 says: "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby."

Just as healthy growing children have good appetites, so we must always be increasing in our appetite for righteousness. Growth is a healthy thing in young people. Shoes and clothes quickly become too small. It's a good thing!

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). I believe the filling is dependent upon the extent of our hunger and thirst. The first filling of the Holy Spirit followed a ten day continual prayer meeting of hungry, thirsty people.

Without doubt they needed much more than their natural gifts and talents to fulfill the great commission of making disciples for Christ in all nations. Their Messiah had just been put to death by a hostile, devil-inspired, religious people because He proclaimed the truth. They would proclaim this same truth and knew they would face the wrath of the devil. They knew they needed to be filled with the promised power of the Holy Spirit if they were to see an evil world converted to a salvation of righteousness. They hungered and thirsted for this power that would enable them to lead nations to Christ.

Today we continue the series, THE BEAUTIFUL ATTITUDES which I was writing to you before leaving for Europe.

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6).

We cannot call ourselves Christians or a follower of God if we do not agree with Him. A true Christian agrees with God's judgments and decisions. God has clearly made known His judgments on homosexuality, let alone gay marriage.

Men, to those who want to defend their acceptance of homosexual marriage on the basis of Scripture where Jesus states in Matthew 7:1, "Judge not that ye be not judged" does not mean that we should not judge between right and wrong. We all make judgments every day regarding what we should do or not do. If we should not judge , why do we present oral arguments before nine judges at the Supreme Court?

The devil believes and trembles at God's Word.
How is that Christians believe and yet don't tremble?
(Isaiah 66:1-2).

~ Colin

ince coming home from our speaking trip in Europe I have been very busy catching up on many things needing my attention. I am now back to writing for MEAT FOR MEN.

I felt that our time in Hungary, Ukraine, Poland, The Netherlands, and Belgium was anointed of the Lord and the message of encouragement to have and raise the godly seed was hopefully accepted. All these countries have very low birth rates and churches desperately need the vision as to why they need to resist the tide of humanistic opinion. They do not in any way take into account God's mandate to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, subdue, and take dominion (Genesis 1:28). These European nations are halving themselves within the space of approximately 30 years and without immigration of Islamics and other non-Christian cultures they will quickly become extinct. It's just a matter of time which is quickly running out.

It takes men of backbone to speak the truth.

Men who are wishbones wish that things were better. They wish they had the prosperity of past years. They wish God would answer their feeble prayers. They wish that someone else would speak up for them.

But they themselves will not lift a finger or a toe to make a solid stand for truth.

IT'S HIGH TIME FOR MEN WITH REAL BACKBONE TO SPEAK UP FOR TRUTH.

~ Colin Campbell

Now is NOT the time for coffee and tea gatherings or prayer breakfasts where we do more talking and breakfasting than praying. Now is not the time for levity, laughing, joking and telling funny stories.

Now is the time for us to take military action in the spirit realm.
Now is the time for us to pray as families for those who are being downtrodden, beaten, and persecuted.

NOW IS THE TIME TO GET SERIOUS AND ARM OURSELVES TO DO BATTLE.

~ Colin Campbell

Men, if we have no zeal, we are like gasoline without octane. What man wants to drive a car that has no "get up and go"? Come on! Sluggishness is definitely something we men cannot stand when it comes to driving cars or working any kind of machinery, including computers.

Some may thank that zeal sounds a little fanatical, but the truth is that most of us could do with a bit more of it! Some, a lot more of it!

True zeal spurns compromise, especially when it comes to principles. Jesus acted with zealous fanaticism to cleanse the house of God. John 2:17 tells us that it was zeal that motivated his actions.

If it's okay for communists, socialists, progressives, and Islamics to be zealots, what about Christians?

The Greek word for "zeal" is zecos meaning "heat, ardor, fervent mind." It's most important for us men to be zealous for our families, our homes, our principles, our work or career, and most important of all, our service to God. A man without zeal will tend to be overly casual. He will be a "moocher" (Do you know this word? We use it in New Zealand and Australia for loitering about aimlessly.)

A man lacking zeal is like trying to drag around a heavy weight. He has no spring in his step, no oomph in his personality, no twinkle in his eye, and no passion for anything. He is like a dead man walking. He is a bore to be around, a fire without heat, a drag on society. This is not the man being created into the image and likeness of God (Romans 8:29).

THE DEVIL CREATES ZOMBIES. GOD CREATES MEN WITH FIRE IN THEIR BONES.

Zeal knows no apathy. It deplores laziness and slackness. It believes in creativity, enthusiasm, and a job well done. Zeal cannot tolerate sitting around and accomplishing nothing (mooching!)

Zeal loves motivation. It rejoices in challenges. It will fight for what is right.

Seven times the Bible mentions God possessing and acting with zeal. Zeal is a great motivator. If God uses it to get things done, so should we. Isaiah 9:7 says, "The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Proverbs 28:1: "The righteous are as bold as a lion."

God Himself is bold. He despises fear and cowardice. The nation desperately needs bold men and women who will raise bold children for our present and future battles against all that is godless and unrighteous. We must be bold enough to defy all our enemies right to their proud haughty faces.

It's wrong for men to sit back and let their wife take all, or most of the family responsibilities.

Men should help when needed. They should give godly advice and discipline when needed.

They should also take their responsibility to lead the family in daily Family Devotions.

~ Colin Campbell

God looks for men who will deny themselves the easy road, especially if the easy road includes the lusts of the flesh and yielding to temptations. Everything is acceptable on the easy road, as long as it makes you feel good and requires no moral resistance. Homosexuality is okay on the easy road, as is divorce, abortion, drugs, sex, alcohol, and witchcraft.

Matthew 7:13-14 says: "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth until life, and few there be that find it."

"God looks for men who will stand out from the crowd--men who will not be crowd lovers, crowd blenders, crowd pleasers, or crowd followers, but men who will dare to be different (2 Chronicles 16:9)."

~ Colin Campbell

Men who do not have "spark" are bland and boring. Their eyes are dull and lifeless. They have no oomph in their personality or spring in their step.

We know how bad it is when we keep pulling the rope to start the engine of the lawnmower but there is no spark. You feel like throwing the wrench at it! No woman should marry a man like this and no one should ever hire such a man.

Men, if we are going to be men of courage, we must speak up for what's right when the opportunity presents itself. If you have got any truth in you, for goodness sake, SAY IT! Do not hide truth behind closed doors.

Edmund Burke wrote, "All it takes for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing."

"Marriage is not about me. It's about us. The "me first" mentality is the main reason why so many marriages fail."

~ Colin Campbell

"Marriage is a journey that requires directions. These directions are provided in God's Word, coupled with prayer and listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit who indwells us."

~ Colin Campbell

One of the greatest acts of courage in the Bible (and of course there are many) was displayed by Jonathan, King Saul's son in 1 Samuel, chapters 13-14. In 1 Samuel 13:5-7 we read, "And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horseman, and the people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude... When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits."

Joshua 7:11-12 says, "Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed thing from among you."