Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

Men, God has called us to be men of goodness. We must apply ourselves to show goodness and mercy towards all our loved ones, not just once in a awhile, but "all the days" of our life. The great Shepherd daily provides for us in so may different ways. As we daily abide in Him, He constantly answers our prayers and provides us with our daily bread.

We can do good things to our own families in a thousand different ways. It is a good thing to just look at your family, every day, with love in your eyes and smile at them. It is good to speak lovingly and kindly to your wife and family on a daily basis. It is a good thing to be ever ready to encourage them regularly. It is a good thing to sympathize with them when they need it. It is a good thing to just be there for them when your presence can bring a sense of security and well being.

We must be good men with an ever ready shoulder to cry on and ever ready to be a good listener.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Psalm 23:6 says, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."

Men, as under shepherds of the Great Shepherd, each one of our families should have the same testimony as the Psalm 23 sheep experienced. The word "surely" is a very positive word and means, "Without doubt, most certainly, you can bank on it as a fact" that "goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."

The question we may ask is, Why are so many Christian families torn apart and so far from the above standard? The reason is that many fathers, through ignorance of the truth as well as sub-standard role models or mentors, have lost the art of fathering. They have no vision of being shepherd fathers characterized by the Psalm 23 Shepherd. Without doubt, biblical fatherhood is all about shepherding God's sheep with goodness and mercy.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Ephesians 5:18 says, "Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

The Holy Spirit responds to us in the atmosphere of prayer, praise, and worship. Singing the truths of Scripture is indeed a form of speaking to one another. As we vocally worship Jesus Christ, we also minister to one another. This in turn encourages others around us to do the same.

The Holy Spirit came in power at Pentecost in the midst of a wonderful unified prayer meeting (Acts 2:1-4).

After being persecuted the disciples did not complain. Instead they prayed. And what happened? The place was shaken and they were all "filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness" (Acts 4:31).

Prayer, praise, and worship will create an atmosphere in your home where the whole family can be filled with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit-filled life will make us dangerous to the devil and very useful to God. If we are not filled with the Holy Spirit we become pushovers, weak, and easily defeated.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

In John 7:38-39 Jesus said, "He that believed on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive.)" The fullness of the indwelling Holy Spirit is the main reason for this "running over cup" experience.

Men, as fathers it is important that we who claim to have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, should be manifesting this overflowing cup experience, especially for the sake of our wives and children. It is only when our cup is overflowing that others will be blessed. It is not good that we retain the blessings of God to ourselves.

Our Heavenly Father has not kept the blessings of His kingdom to Himself but gives over and over again, despite all our unworthiness. We often sing Annie Johnson Flint's hymn...

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

Fathers, we must also set this same example of overflowing goodness so that our children will follow in our steps.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

"My cup runneth over" (Psalm 23:5). This cup represents the lifestyle of the sheep of this great caring Shepherd. The "running over" cup speaks of the abundant blessings that are experienced in the cup life of this sheep.

Men, our great Shepherd has more than enough blessings for each one of us, as well as our wife and family. He does not want us to have anything less than a "running over" cup experience. It reflects negatively on His ministry of being a Good Shepherd when we, His sheep, are "down in the mouth," morbid, unfulfilled, sick, and diseased instead of running over with the joy of the Lord.

As fathers and shepherds of our families it is most important that we take stock of ourselves and our families to see whether or not our cups are empty, half full, or running over. One of the great reasons why the sheep in Psalm 23:5 experiences an over flowing cup is that the anointing was daily poured on its head by the great Shepherd.

Acts 154:32 says "The disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost." Is this the testimony of your family life?

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

2 Corinthians 2:15 says, "For we are unto God a sweet smelling savor of Christ." Real men can be rugged and sweet at the same time.

Exodus 31:23 sys, "Take unto thee principle spices (the best spices), of pure myrrh . . . and of sweet cinnamon . . . and of sweet calamus . . . and of cassia." The point is that our Lord Jesus Christ is anointed with the best spices and we are also anointed in Him with these best spices.

Cinnamon and calamus were sweet spices. Because of this, we of all people, should be the sweetest for our Lord Jesus Christ is most sweet.

Psalm 34:8, "O taste and see that the Lord is good."

Psalm 19:10, "The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb". The reason God's judgments are sweeter than honey is because they are anointed with this sweet anointing oil for Exodus 30:26 tells us that the ark of the testimony which contained the law had to be anointed. This anointing is not for unbelievers, but only for God's people who were priests.

The whole world desperately needs sweet, yet manly fathers. This anointing makes it possible. Father, you are the priest of your home and your wife and children should be blessed by your sweetness.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Fathers, we need to be so strongly anointed as shepherds of our families that the anointing will flow down from us to anoint the heads of each one of our children.

In Exodus 30:22-33 we are told about the composition of the original anointing oil, along with special instructions of how it was to be used. We can learn much from this concerning the anointing of the Holy Spirit that was upon our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ, who was typified by the Old Testament High Priest, Aaron, as well as his garments which typified the whole priesthood.

The Levitical priesthood typified all New Testament believers who are called priests and kings in Revelation 1:6.

Psalm 133:2 mentions the precious ointment (anointing oil) upon the head of Aaron that ran down upon the beard and upon the skirts of his garments. We are told in Colossians 1:18 that Christ is the head (Great High Priest) of the body (the church, the general priesthood represented by the High Priest's garments). When the body is dwelling in unity the anointing oil flows down from the Head of the High Priest, over his beard and down to his body garments.

Anointed fathers raise anointed children. As shepherds, we anoint the heads of each of our children as we walk together in unity.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

"The one concern of the devil is to keep the saints from prayer. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray."

~ Samuel Chadwick

Why don't we pray more?

I will now continue my series on Biblical Fatherhood.

Psalm 23:5 says, "Thou anointest my head with oil." The Bedouin shepherds of the Middle East evidently anointed the heads of their sheep, possibly to stop parasites and ticks or as a healing balm for wounds caused by the sun or insects.

Men, As God's shepherds, we also need to have anointed heads. We also need to anoint the heads of our family. The head is the place where we think and from where we speak, see, and hear. Therefore, it is imperative that our heads are anointed with the oil of the Holy Spirit.

If the enemy of our souls can invade our heads, he can effectively destroy our usefulness for God in this world. It is the anointing that the devil cannot stand. The anointing provides us with protection and power.

To be continued.

Be encouraged,

Colin Campbell

Our Christian homes must become the educational centers where the whole family is forever learning what it means to rejoice in the truth.

Men, we must make our homes the bastions of truth. We must  make our homes a place where we nurture the love of truth until it becomes a blazing and all-consuming fire.

The home is the true foundation of the nation where, from the womb to adulthood and even beyond, we teach our children to be lovers of the truth. We magnify truth and rejoice in it.

Our homes desperately need role modeling fathers and mothers who so love the rejoice in the truth that our children, as well as our neighbors, will be affected by it.

~ Colin Campbell

We Christians are New Testament priests and kings unto God (Revelation 1:6). As such we are privileged, with our families, to eat at God's royal table just as Mephibosheth, the crippled lame son of Jonathan was privileged to eat at King David's royal table until he died (2 Samuel 9:3-8).

Fathers, when we read the Scriptures and pray and worship together at the conclusion of every family meal, we turn our ordinary table into a royal table where we dine with the King of Kings and Lord of lords.

~ Colin Campbell

Keep your minds CLEAN AT ALL TIMES! It is one thing to say we believe in love that "thinks no evil" but it is quite another thing to role model this love before our family.

Evil thoughts can not only be thoughts of anger, resentment, and retribution, but also thoughts of impurity, lust, envy, jealousy, and selfishness. Evil thoughts can be triggered by what we watch, read, or listen to. For these reasons we must be careful about the company we keep, the movies we watch, and the literature we read.

Our friends and acquaintances may think a movie is harmless, but the truth is, the love of God that is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit "thinks no evil."

Men who call themselves Christians, but watch porn, whether occasionally or frequently, cannot role model God's love to their wife and family. They are deceived if they think they can for they have adulterated and diluted the pure love of God that "thinks no evil." God's love flows only through CLEAN HEARTS AND MINDS that have not been defiled by the evil of lustful pornographic movies or literature.

Men, we dare not fool ourselves. Our wife and family deserve the best from us.

~ Colin Campbell

Being a peacemaker is not easy! It requires much patience. You have to hear both sides of the story and it often takes time for hardened hearts to soften. The peacemaker must always keep a humble attitude otherwise he will not gain a listening ear. Sometimes drastic measures have to be taken, but it should always be as a last resort. You can't be a good peacemaker if you are impetuous and rush into making a decision without taking time to think the matter through.

If things have been out of order in your marriage or family life for any length of time, do not expect things to change too quickly. Begin Family Devotions on a daily basis and encourage each family member to pray. Praying together helps to bring peace to your home but don't be disappointed if it takes time. When you start an exercise program you would be crazy to believe that you will reduce your unwanted weight overnight.

To bring peace to a troubled marriage takes time, work, earnest desire, as well as a teachable and humble spirit. It may cost the peacemaker a lot in order to bring true lasting peace. Colossian 1:20 tell us that Jesus "made peace through the BLOOD OF HIS CROSS." If it cost our Savior, the greatest of all peacemakers, His own precious blood in order to bring us into peace with God, should not we men who have found this peace be prepared to sacrifice our time and effort to bring peace to our marriage, home, family, neighbors, and nation?

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

"Satan trembles when he sees

The weakest saint upon his knees."

~ William Cowper

One of the biggest enemies of fathering children is anger. It results in much damage to the psychological and spiritual lives of wives and children.

No wife or children should have to walk around on egg shells in the home because of fear of upsetting the husband.

Shouting, bad language, extreme facial expressions, slamming doors, and pounding fists should never be the testimony of a godly husband and father. It destroys godly role modeling.

~ Colin Campbell

"The worst sin is prayerlessness."

~ Peter Taylor Forsyth

Proverbs 4:18 says, "But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day."

Are you walking in the MORE AND MORE pathway? Does your face shine? Are your children's faces shining MORE AND MORE? Or, are they somewhat clouded with shadows of darkness?

It's your responsibility to lead them MORE AND MORE into the light.

~ Colin Campbell

"Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance; it is laying hold of His highest willingness."

~ Richard French

Fathers, there is only one thing in all creation that resists darkness and that is the light. Both forces are at war with one another.

Jesus said in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world" and in Matthew 5:14 He says to us, "You are the light of the world."

As far as God and heaven are concerned, there is no other true light apart from His people. If we do not shine brightly, gross darkness will increase. Shine your light, first in your home, and then when you go out into your workplace.

~ Colin Campbell

Fathers, do not abdicate your responsibilities to your own flesh and blood. Be careful not to speak too harshly to them. Don't be too critical of them. Seek to be their best friend. Kind and loving words always win the day.

~ Colin Campbell