Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

Through the weekly and daily devotionals you can be constantly encouraged in your great role of parenting, the highest career in the nation. You can also stay updated on what's happening with the Above Rubies ministry.

The vision for Meat for Men — UNCOMPROMISING MANHOOD blog is to encourage husbands, fathers and single men in Biblical manhood.

NO MURMURERS IN HEAVEN

NoMurmuringThe children of Israel could not go into the Promised Land until they had been tested and proved. God ordained the wilderness to test and prove His people. They could not inherit the Promised Land without many challenging battles. They could only be won by a people who had learned to keep their eyes on God and to trust Him to give them the victory.

This good land that flowed with milk and honey could only be taken by a people who had learned the right attitudes. They would could not allow pessimism, negativity, grumbling, or complaining to rear their ugly heads. On the contrary, they needed the attitudes of zeal, faith, positive confession, courage, an optimistic spirit, and an obedient and humble heart that waits on God for His counsel and directions.

Joshua and Caleb were the only ones of that entire adult generation that came out of Egypt who made it through the wilderness and into the Promised Land. It was the next generation that went with Joshua and Caleb.

Read 1 Corinthians 10: 1-12:
v. 5-7: But with many of them God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Now these things were our EXAMPLES, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”

ARE YOU PLAYING OR PRAYING?

v. 8-10: “Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.”

ARE YOU A GRUMBLER? A COMPLAINER? NO MURMURERS GOT INTO THE PROMISED LAND!

WILL THERE BE MURMURERS IN HEAVEN? NO. WE BETTER STOP MURMURING NOW!

PLEASE READ NUMBERS 14:26-38. IT IS FOR OUR WARNING.
v. 11, 12: “Now all these things happened unto them for EXAMPLES: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

Hebrews 10:39: “But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

 

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Take The Time...

TakeTimeEnjoy

Take time to enjoy your children today.

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BECAUSE I SAID SO...

BecauseSaidSo

Teach your children to obey.

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BRIGHTEN THE CORNER WHERE YOU ARE

BRightenCornerBright, positive, optimistic men make the best husbands and fathers. A gloomy, pessimistic person who cannot see the bright side of life is very difficult to live with. Who wants to hang around a person who is always down in the mouth, depressed, and negative about everything? I for one would not like to live a single day around such a person, let alone be married to one.

The children of Israel, having left the great oppression and “doom and gloom” of the slavery of Egypt, could not shake the negative mindset. It had become so ingrained into them over the years of their slavery. They were freed from their physical slave shackles, but were still mentally, emotionally, and spiritually slaves to fear and unbelief. All this negativity and unbelief eventually stopped them from entering into the Promised Land.

God did not want this complaining spirit to enter the Promised Land. This attitude of negativity would never enable them to bring down the giants that inhabited Canaan. The strongholds of Canaan could only be defeated by a people with an optimistic belief that with God nothing is impossible.

Proverbs 15:13, 15: “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. . . . All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.”

The Passion Translation says: “A cheerful heart puts a smile on your face . . . When you CHOOSE TO BE CHEERFUL, every day will bring you more and more joy and fullness.”

It’s your choice.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

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RELIGION TODAY...

ReligionToday

Religion today is not transforming people; rather it is being transformed by the people.

It is not raising the moral level of society; it is decending to society's own level, and congratulating itself that it has scored a victory because society is smilingly accepting its surrender.

~ A. W. Tozer

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DOES YOUR WORSHIP REFLECT THE CULTURE?

WorshipReflects

Worship is no longer worship when it reflects the culture around us more than the Christ within us.

~ A. W. Tozer

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GUN BARREL STRAIGHT

GunBarrel

You can be as straight as a gun barrel Theologically, and just as empty as one spiritually.

~ A. W. Tozer

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REVEAL THE HEART OF GOD

RevealGodThe greatest thing you can do as a man is to reveal the heart of God the Father to you children and to mankind.
~ Colin Campbell

Painting by Vickie Wade.

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MOST BAD GOVERNMENT...

MostBadGov...has grown out of too much government.

~Thomas Jefferson

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TWO ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE...

TwoEnemies...Are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first.
~ Thomas Jefferson

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A LIE HAS MANY VARIATIONS...

ALie

"A lie has many variations, the truth none."

~ African Proverb

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QUESTION FOR OUR LIBERAL FRIENDS?

IfCapitalismIf Capitalism is evil and Socialism is the answer, why is the caravan not headed to Venezuela? It's less than half the distance. Liberals, feel free to answer my question.

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AFLAME WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS

AlexTocqueville"I looked throughout America to find where her greatness originated. I looked for it in her harbors and in her shorelines. In her fertile fields and boundless prairies, and in her goldmines and vast world commerce, but it was not there.

It was not until I went to the churches of America and heard her pulpits AFLAME WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS did I understand the secret of her success.

America is great because she is good, and if America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."

~ Alex de Tocqueville (the Frenchman who wrote about democracy in America).

The pulpits of this nation need to be filled again with the uncompromising preaching of righteousness!

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RAISE RESPECTFUL CHILDREN

RaiseRespectfulChildren and adolescents don’t always understand what’s good for them. Sometimes they kick up a fuss about eating a certain food that’s good for them. They do not consider the cost of purchasing the food (and wholesome food is often more expensive than the junk food). They do not consider the work and care the loving mother does to prepare the healthy food. They don’t like it, and therefore they don’t think they should have to eat it! If the parent tries to force them they may bad mouth their parent.

This sort of behavior must not be tolerated, even from an early age. If you do not take the spoon into your own hand and get that spoon somehow into the resisting child’s mouth and keep doing it, along with some appropriate discipline, until you are satisfied that the child as eaten enough you will loose the battle. The child soon learns they can get the victory over you by resisting, crying, and throwing a fit.

Bribing the child with rewards does not teach them good character. Putting the child in a corner or sending them off to their room where they can sulk, pout, and maintain their defiance does not teach them instant obedience.

You must show them that you have the authority, given to you from God, to teach them to submit to authority. This does not show that you do not love them. On the contrary, it shows true love. Proverbs 13:24 says: “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him quickly.”

We know that modern psychology does not accept spanking to be appropriate for the disciplining of children. However, the Bible is much wiser than our present-day mindset when it comes to raising godly children.

I firmly believe that all negative and slanderous speech by our present-day media towards our President is a direct result of bad parenting.

Read Jude 1:8-11. It tells us about those who “despise dominions, and speak evil of dignities.” Much of our main-stream media obviously have never been trained and disciplined at home to respect authority. They mouth off the most venomous, hateful speech without any restraint for the person, let alone the office of president.

We must never encourage a winging, whining, or complaining spirit. Our country is overpowered by it.

It is not only bad attitudes about eating food that need to be disciplined and corrected in childhood but all negative attitudes—selfishness, self-will, self-love, and self-pity. Also disrespect of others, especially older people and those in authority. We must teach our children to genuinely respect parents and grandparents, uncles and aunts, neighbors, church leaders, pastors, employers, teachers, and civil leadership.

Many of our university/college campuses do not respect invited speakers but attack, blaspheme, and shout obscenities at them. This reveals a great failure in the homes where they were parented. They must have been dragged up where every type of negative and obnoxious attitude is accepted and tolerated. They do not bring credit to the nation.

To be continued.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

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IT’S TIME TO TOUGHEN UP

ToughenUpThe armies of heaven are not a bunch of cry-babies blubbering over their hurt feelings!

Christian homeschooling parents must remember that we are raising soldiers of the cross of Christ.

Whenever I read a book or watch a movie about our brave Navy Seals I am greatly impressed by their valor and courage to be able to handle and resist extreme opposition forces. Few who enlist in this training actually survive the extremely rigorous training in order to graduate. Often their trainers yell, scream, and abuse them to check if they can be broken down easily or not.

I think it is sad that there are many Christian families who have not been trained by their parents on how to endure hardship as good soldiers.

2 Timothy 2:3, 4: “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”

Of course, we should kiss and cuddle our babies and little ones. However, as our children grow older, I don’t believe it’s appropriate to continue kissing and cuddling them for every little offense and problem that happens to them. Do we want them to grow up wimps or are training them to be soldiers of the cross?

Have you ever heard of a soldier in training being kissed and cuddled by his commanding offer for every little offence, slander, rebuke, or disagreement that hurts his delicate feelings?

People remain babies even in adulthood by moms and dads who are always sympathizing with their children’s feelings. Children who are raised like this are the chocolate soldiers of this world. They quickly throw in the towel. They quickly melt when the heat comes on.

There is no strong army in this world that could possibly win a battle, let alone an all-out war with chocolate soldiers who have weak constitutions. These delicate chocolate soldiers are best left at home to look after the flower gardens. Better not to enlist them because they do not have the stomach to take the hardships of life, let alone a battle.

There comes a time in the raising of our children when we must encourage them to toughen up, buckle up, stand up, and stop crying.

When our children grew older, I would tell them if they kept on crying because of a spank, they would get more spanks until they stopped their fussing. I was teaching them to face their discipline like a man. I cannot tolerate winging, whining, griping, complaining children who need to learn what it means to grow up.

To be continued.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

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PARENTING IS TEAM WORK

DadReadingTo enjoy peace rather than chaos in our homes, it is imperative that fathers step up to the plate and take their leadership role seriously.

Many wives have come back from the corporate world to be a full-time mother and home school the children. It can be frustrating and difficult for her to deal with the constant immaturity and defiant behavior of the children. If the father is ou at work and not in the home at the specific time of the trouble, he should take the time when he comes home to find the source o the trouble and lovingly and wisely speak to the child, and if necessary, bring some sort of discipline if the situation is serious enough to warrant it.

Every man should stand by his wife and not side with the children against his wife. If he does not stand by his wife, she will not feel secure and she will feel more frustrated than ever. The situation cannot be allowed to continue. If it is not dealt with quickly the wife will feel trapped, alone, and not loved and supported.

Children need the wise, masculine discipline of an interested and involved father. Parenting children throughout all ages is a mother/father team effort. Believe me, your wife will find it easier to endure the immaturity of the children when she knows that her husband supports her in whatever way she needs him. Not only that, she will love him more for it.

Children need the feminine love and nurture of their mother. However, sons and daughters, on a daily basis, need the masculine encouragement, correction, and if needed, discipline of a loving father.

Regular, daily family reading of the Scriptures, coupled with corporate prayers and a hymn or Scripture worship song provide a basis and anchor for all godly parenting and character training.

When reading the Bible to your children, try to incorporate some good illustrations or examples to assist their understanding of the Scriptures. Always ask questions and try to develop their attention by getting them to share their thoughts on the subject matter. Discussion increases their own input and helps their attention span.

Give them matters for prayer on a small card. This helps them to learn to pray for important matters.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

If you have not already purchased DAILY LIGHT ON THE DAILY PATH Plus Creative Ways to Read God’s Word to Your Children, you will want to have this book in your home.

It is a compilation of Scriptures on a certain theme for every morning and every evening for every day of the year. It is only a small portion, so it is not too long for the family.

This particular book gives you different ideas at the beginning of every month to help make your reading the Bible more exciting and interesting for the children.

You will find it a wonderful resource for Family Bible Reading in your home.

Go to: http://tinyurl.com/CreativeIdeasToReadBible

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ARE YOU PLANNING FOR A HARVEST?

PlanHarvestThe sower sows the seed. The seed is the Word of God? If you sow liberally, you'll reap liberally. Are you sowing God's Word richly and liberally into your children's hearts? You can't get a great harvest without a liberal sowing.

~ Colin Campbell

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PERFECTING THE MAN...

FamilyBibleReading"These guys who fear becoming a father don't understand that fathering is not something perfect men do, but something that perfects the man. The end product of child-raising is not the child but the parent."
~ Dr. Frank Pittman

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ARE YOU LIVING OUT RIGHTEOUSNESS IN YOUR HOME?

LivingOutSpiritualDeep inner peace is directly linked to righteous living. The more we actively promote righteousness, the more we experience greater and deeper inner peace.

Isaiah 32:17, 18: “And the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”

We must teach our children the doctrine of righteousness.

Firstly, the only righteousness that is acceptable and pleasing to God is our full acceptance of Jesus Christ into our lives. He is our only source of righteousness. Without Christ we cannot live lives pleasing to God.

How does this work? When we accept His perfectly righteous Son, Jesus Christ, into our lives as our Savior and Lord He accepts us as righteous and declares us righteous. It is all through His beloved Son (Colossians 2:3).

In Genesis 15:5, 6 God promises Abraham that his descendants will be as many as the stars in the heavens: “And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them and he said unto him, so shall thy seed be. And he believed in the LORD, and he counted it to him for righteousness.”

In Genesis 12:3 God promises Abraham: “In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

In Galatians 3:16 it states that the seed coming from Abraham to bless all the nations of the earth was Jesus Christ and all those who receive Him as their Savior and Lord. When Abraham believed God for the promise of an immeasurable multitude (all the nations of the earth), he was actually believing in Jesus Christ who was the ONE SEED by whom all the nations (by believing in Jesus Christ) would be declared righteous.

Galatians 3:16 (ESV): “Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, ‘And to offsprings,’ referring to many, but referring to one, ‘And to your offspring,’ who is Christ.”

Secondly. The state of being declared righteous must reveal its fruit in our lives so that our homes will experience the peace of righteousness.

How can we have peace with God because we believe in Jesus Christ and yet at the same time not have peace in our homes? The state of righteousness must find its fulfilment in a lifestyle of righteous acts.

This begins right now in our own homes. There are far too many Christians who declare their state of righteousness in Christ and yet their homes, and even their churches, are filled with arguments, disunity, debate, and turmoil.

Love and unity, which we all have in Christ, must be worked out in our homes, families, and churches.

How can we have righteousness and peace in our churches if we do not have it in our families first? How can we have it in our families if we do not have the righteousness of Christ filling up our minds and hearts with His peace?

God declared Abraham righteous, but he lived out his righteousness in his daily life.

Genesis 18:19: “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him and they shall keep the way of the LOD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.”

Abraham’s righteousness resulted in the working out of judgment and justice through all that they did and wherever they went.
1. He COMMANDED his children and household after him.
2. He and his family KEPT the way of the Lord.
3. He and his family executed justice and judgment.
Working out his righteousness would have resulted in great peace, not only in his own home, but in all the homes that believed in God as Abraham did.

Ephesians 2: 8-10: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works (righteous actions), which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Philippians 2:12, 13: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure”.

Be encouraged. Colin Campbell

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FIGHT FOR YOUR FAMILIES

FightFams2IF WE DO NOT USE WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN US, WE WILL LOSE WHAT HE HAS GIVEN US.

Luke 9:26: Jesus said, “For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.”

As Christians, we must highly esteem the value of our homes and families. This is a big political battle. The extreme socialist agenda wants to minimize the importance of home and family. They want women to deny their God-given instincts to mother, manage their homes, and raise the children God Has planned for them.

They want women to be self-centered, independent of men, self-reliant, and nurturing their own career outside of the home instead of mothering their own children in the home.

To encourage and incite women out of the home and into the work place is negative to nation building.

The ultimate aim of communism is to deny all God-given and traditional roles for men and women.

Communism is socialism in its purest and extreme form. Every business and every person, along with all their assets, belong to the government. Every person is put on the same level, and in most cases, receive the same weekly allowance. The only people who benefit more than others are the leaders of the communist party. They make sure they get all the perks and advantages.

All incentive to stay at home, homeschool, and train and nurture future generations in biblical truths is indoctrinated out society.

Communism and all forms of socialism that denies, minimizes, and denounces all Christian traditional and biblical ethics (including home and family) will eventually torture and imprison those who desire to hold on to the biblical values and freedoms.

We have already seen this happening to those who do not support the LGBT agenda.

Communism and extreme socialism are anti-Christ. Millions of God-fearing people who have resisted communism and the socialist agenda have been tortured and put to death. This is still happening in Venezuela, North Korea, and China and is beginning to happen now in many western countries that are giving themselves over to socialist propaganda.

The Democrat party here in the USA is being hijacked right now as we speak. Multitudes of women are being lured away from their homes through the propaganda of socialism which is taught in our public schools and colleges.

We must not take our freedoms and Christian privileges for granted. We must stand up and fight for our families and our homes. If we do not fight and we do not resist we will soon lose all the freedoms that we so easily take for granted.

Nehemiah 4:14: “Do not be afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”

My wife and I have been twice to see that current anti-abortion film, UNPLANNED. It is R rated but we would encourage you to take your young people. We understand why Hollywood made it an R. The liberals do not want the nation’s teenagers to see it.

Isn’t it amazing that a 15-year-old can legally have an abortion without parental knowledge and consent, and yet they don’t want them to see this movie at this age?

The abortion industry is a big money-making business. Planned Parenthood is revealed as an organization that is primarily concerned with women’s health but that is window dressing. The abortion industry’s main provider is Planned Parenthood and they can only survive by increasing their abortion quotes.

Be challenged,

Colin Campbell

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Above Rubies Address

AboveRubies
Email Nancy

PO Box 681687
Franklin, TN 37068-1687

Phone : 931-729-9861
Office Hrs 9am - 5pm, M - F, CTZ