I believe it is important to cultivate a “turning attitude.” God wants us to turn our hearts to Him. This morning I read Hosea 12:6: “Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgement, and wait on thy God continually.”
How do we turn to the Lord? It’s not just one turning and that’s it. It’s a habit of continually turning to the Lord in every situation and every moment of the day. This should not only become our lifestyle, but the lifestyle we teach to our children.
• Turning to God in thankfulness for all the good things He does for us and the little blessings of each day. Noticing and acknowledging God for a kind word, smiles from our children, a hug from our husband, the provision of food, a beautiful bird we notice in a tree and so on.
• Turning in repentance when we sin, have a wrong attitude, speak angrily, or whatever. Keeping a soft heart to constantly turn back to the Lord is the same as repentance. Repentance is not only being sorry for our sin, but turning in the opposite direction to follow God’s ways.
• Turning to God’s Word. If our days are full and busy with children and responsibilities, we can place a copy of the Bible on the windowsill in the kitchen, in the bathroom, where you nurse the baby, etc.
• Turning to righteousness. Not sitting on the fence, but turning towards God’s way which is always holiness.
• Turning away from evil, but more than that. Turning away from that which may be permissible, but which is not profitable, and turning to that which is profitable and will last for eternity.
• Turning from the negative to the positive.
• Turning from discouragement and despondency to thankfulness and gratefulness.
• Turning from walking in the flesh to walking in the Spirit.
• Turing from conforming to the pattern of this world and instead fixing our hearts on the real world which is the eternal world.
• Turning our attention to the needs of others instead of only thinking of ourselves.
• Turning from our puny thoughts and understanding to God’s thoughts and ways, which are higher than our ways.
• Turning our hearts to our home and children instead of the passing glory of careers and outside activities.
You may like to print this out and pin it up in your kitchen.
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS
LOOK FULL IN HIS WONDERFUL FACE
AND THE THINGS OF EARTH WILL GROW STRANGELY DIM
IN THE LIGHT OF HIS GLORY AND GRACE.
Apart from our main Above Rubies base in USA, we have 15 other bases for Above Rubies around the world. Our previous Director for Above Rubies in South Africa, lovely Linnie Lues has now retired. Therefore I'd love to introduce to you our new Director in South Africa, Chamonix Boland. Chamonix writes:
Yes, you can. Not in your own strength but by the power of the Holy Spirit.
As Moses wielded his humble rod before Pharaoh, he received resistance, ridicule, and rejection. Yet in spite of this mockery and derision, he wrought mighty miracles--some of the most outstanding miracles the world has ever seen.
It’s amazing, isn’t it, to look out on a New Year that unfolds before us? We have no idea what it will hold. We ourselves enjoyed blessings and extreme challenges last year. What will we face this year? How wonderful that we can face each new day with absolute trust in our Heavenly Father.
I'm a little behind in birthdays this week. It's hard to believe that my little baby, Serene Charis was 40 years old this last week--4th January. Notice the thick flannel "nappies" we used in those days. No disposable diapers then! I folded them on the baby and fastened them with a safety pin. And then washed them each day and hung them out on the line. It was lovely to have the sun naturally disinfect and bleach the "nappies." What an amazing blessing Serene has been to Colin and me, to her beautiful family, and to the whole world! How many more thousands and thousands will yet be impacted by her life?
Where do you go when you need help and support? Where do you go when you don't understand why you experience hardships and problems? We usually resort to people for help, but the Bible tells us the ultimate source--the SANCTUARY.
How does God want us to live in this deceived and evil world? What should our lives look like to the people around us? What kind of a testimony should we have in our speech, conduct, and dress? As I thought about the answers to these questions recently, I was amazed how abundantly God shows us the way. He does not leave us in the dark. I found so many ways God has given us, but thought fifty would be enough for you for a start!
Isn't it the most boring thing in the world to get into a rut? You're stuck. You're going nowhere. This often happens in our marriage relationship. We go from day to day in the same old fashion. We are quite happy with one another and there are no problems. But there's no spice.
I love discovering the rhetorical questions in the Bible. We read in our Bible reading this morning, “Who teacheth like him?” (Job 36:22). Of course, there is none who teaches like God. All wisdom, understanding, and knowledge comes from Him.
I look back on last year with overwhelming thankfulness for God’s great faithfulness and goodness to us.
AN IMPORTANT POST FOR ALL PARENTS TO READ!
Judas Maccabee and his brothers continually fought battles to save Israel and every time they faced armies far larger and stronger than themselves. But their trust was in God.
Hanukkah is also called the "Festival of Lights" because of the relighting of the Menorah. This was a huge thing that happened that day, because the Jews knew that God had commanded the lights in the Holy Place to BURN CONTINUALLY. They were to never to go out--and they had been out for a long time! God said it was a statute that must continue for all generations (Exodus 27:20-21 and Leviticus 24:1-4).
A brave mother watched her son being killed. No, not just killed but cruelly tortured. They cut out his tongue, scalped him, cut off his hands and feet, and then maimed and helpless, fried him alive! In the same manner, they tortured and killed her second and third sons. The third son cried out, "I have received these limbs from heaven, and I give them up for the sake of God's laws." Another cried out, "We are prepared to die rather than
Why do we call this celebration "Hanukkah"? Because "Hanukkah" is the Hebrew word for "dedication." When Judas Maccabee (the hammer) and his army eventually crushed their enemies, Judas and his brothers said, "Let's go up to cleanse and rededicate the sanctuary" (1 Maccabees 4:36). The temple was desolate, the gates burned, and even shrubs were growing in the courts like a forest! But they restored the sanctuary, built a new altar
Are you reading the Scriptures I posted for you? If not, you can still print them off. Go down a few posts and you’ll find them. We loved talking about the Scriptures we read last night, especially how Jesus Christ is the One who lights every person who comes into the world.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God was never reticent to speak the truth, even in the face of death. When he came to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Dedication, he walked in Solomon's Porch (on the eastern side of the temple) and people gathered around him.
We are coming to the end of another glorious Christmas Day as we celebrated family togetherness and the birth of our wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ. As we end our big Christmas Dinner we always have sharing. Whoever wants to may give a toast to someone they want to appreciate or speak of revelation on their hearts. The sharing this year was very insightful. Later in the day, after dessert, we ended with a family concert. We love to give opportunity for the upcoming talent amo
* Jesus didn't come with pomp and ceremony. He came as a babe. Luke 2:12 tells us: "And this will be the sign to you: You will find a BABE wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." Yes, a baby! God chose the One who will rule over all kings and nations to come as a baby. No wonder the devil hates babies, for this is the way Jesus came.