Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

We know Jesus' words by heart, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). But, it is not just truth that gives us freedom. It is KNOWING the truth. And this truth of freedom is divinely ingrained in us. Our souls cry for it. They burst open for it.

Because this inherent desire for freedom is God-given, it is another sinister ploy of the enemy to take it from us. Satan hates everything that comes from God. That's why we must guard it with all our hearts. God made each one of us sovereignly, uniquely, and individually. There has never been another person in the universe that is quite like you, and there will never ever be another to come! Each one of your children are also individually unique. God gives each one differing gifts in order to glorify Him. How amazing is our Creator.

And hence this desire for freedom, this desire to be who God created us to be. This is who we are by creation, and also, the privilege we have in this great nation of USA (unless we allow this freedom to be taken from us). We know the words of the Declaration of Independence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Therefore, as Daren Jonescu writes, "The United States became the first nation founded on the premise that men are by nature free, and therefore that the purpose of government is, and must be, only the protection of that natural freedom... The law of the land, unlike the laws of all other lands, is first and foremost a set of clear moral restrictions on government, in favor of individual citizens. The American, then, is the only citizen on the planet who is...functionally superior in political status to his 'government.'"

How long will this last? Especially as we continue to allow our children to be duped by undermining biblical and constitutional fallacies. Once again, we cite John Dewey, the father of public education. He did not believe in the natural rights of individual human nature. He believed that the community precedes the individual. The only freedom the leftists promote is the freedom to use ones gifts to promote the growth of their progressive society.

I end this post today with two more quotes from Daren ;Jonescu, "Why do parents willingly (or reluctantly, for that matter) send their own children--their own future--to socialist reeducation camps? "From my cold, dead hands," they proudly say of their guns. Are not their children worthy of at least so strong a grip?"

"A soul is a terrible thing to waste. A hundred million souls--now we are talking about the difference between desolation and hope."

If they take our guns, we are slaves. What if they steal the minds and souls of our children? How strong is your grip?

Love from Nancy

 

To check quotes from Daren Jonescu, go to www.americanthinker.com and check out the following:

The Case Against Public Education

Ending Progressive Public Education

On Restoring American Individualism

Yesterday I talked about the "slavery of assimilation." I see it again in the words I read this morning in Isaiah 30:1-3 and 31:1 of how Israel wanted to go to Egypt for advice rather than seeking the Lord. They put their strength and trust in the "shadow of Egypt" rather than the Lord God.

We are also doing this as a nation. The majority of this nation are putting their trust in ObamaCare for the care of their bodies. We are coming into the heartrending state of the Jews which Nehemiah wrote about. They had become servants in their own land! And he anguishly called out that those who ruled over them "HAVE DOMINION OVER OUR BODIES... at their pleasure, and we are in great distress." (Nehemiah 9:36-37).

But even more than our bodies, the state already has dominion over the majority of the minds of the nation. And we have willingly handed them over.

The state education and the media programs the minds of the majority of our nation today. I can understand an ungodly people handing over their children's minds and souls to an ungodly education, but I cannot understand, for the life of me, how God-fearing parents can willingly hand over their children to an ungodly system.

John Dewey (1859-1952) is known as the father of our education system. He rejected the concept of God, holding that man has no soul, and denied the existence of God's unchangeable truth. He co-authored the original Humanist Manifesto in 1933 and was a promoter of global government. Consequently we have a public education system today that no longer accepts anything to do with God.

Due to U.S. Supreme Court rulings, in 1962 students were forbidden to publicly pray in school. In 1963 students were forbidden to recite the Lord's Prayer or Bible passages as part of devotional exercises. In 1980 the Ten Commandments were prohibited from being posted on public school classroom walls. In 1985 the observance of "daily moments of silence" were banned from public schools in case students would pray to the true God. In 1992 they banned prayers led by members of the clergy at public school graduation ceremonies. And in 2000, student-led pre-kickoff prayers at high school football games were outlawed!

There must be no vestige of God, prayer, or the Bible! And yet, Christian parents daily send their children to be gradually duped and programmed by this new "progressive" education system.

We have put our trust in Egypt! And what will be the result? "Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion" (Isaiah 30:3).

Love from Nancy

 

I have been recently reading a book by George McDonald and I was taken by a line, "James was one of the many bound up in the SLAVERY OF REVERENCING THE JUDGMENTS OF SOCIETY." I thought of how we can all be hooked in so easily to this state. We so easily assimilate. Unless we are constantly in God's Word to keep in line with His plumbline for living, we instead slide into fitting in with society around us, which is not a godly society, but a humanistic society.

Let's rise up from the slavery of assimilating. Let's stand for what we believe, no matter what persecution. For if not, the consequences are the eventual annihilation of a godly nation.

Love from Nancy

Giving is an attribute of God. "For God so loved the world that HE GAVE..." When I think of God's giving to us, I feel so stingy and tightfisted. God gave His best. Jesus gave His all. Yes, He pours out upon us spiritual gifts, but more than that, He gives us tangible gifts every new day. He just loves to give. Any little desire to give that we have in us comes from God Himself.

Matthew 7: 11 says, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" We love because He first loved us. We give because He first gives to us.

Therefore, in my humble opinion, the more we can give the better. The more we give, the more we are like God. I think we should encourage the spirit of giving, not discourage it.

As parents, we give every day to our children. We give our time. We give love, encouragement, care, food, and clothing. And of course we give our children a godly home in which to grow in the Lord and seek to pour into their lives His Word of truth. But, there is more than the day to day. God loves celebrations and I think celebrations are time to give EXTRA, just because we want to give. As one person stated, "We can give without loving, but we can't love without giving.

Some love to give gifts at birthdays, some at Hanukkah, and some at Christmas and other occasions, but whenever it is, let's give, and let's get into the spirit of giving. Let's give liberally.

The anticipation of giving gifts at celebrations is one of the greatest memories for children.
When our children were growing up, we gave them everything they needed to live and thrive throughout the year. But, when it came to Christmas we loved giving them gifts, and they loved earning; money to give to one another. Now, these gifts were not useless gifts. They were often things they actually needed, or special things they longed for and waited with anticipation all through the year to hope they just might get it at Christmas.

Isn't anticipation the most wonderful thing? There are so many children who have no idea of what it even means today. We are so affluent and children are used to getting something every time they go to the shops. As a child, I can remember the actual pain of anticipation as I waited for a gift at Christmas!

I have never believed in telling our children a lie and so they always knew that Santa Claus was not the spirit of Christmas and he was never included in our celebrations. But, when they were little (as well as the gifts they opened on Christmas morning) we used to put a pillow case of little things at the end of their bed on Christmas night. They knew that these gifts came from us. We would often pop in a few packets of raisins and even an orange, along with some little toys. Later, when asked, "What did you get for Christmas?" they would answer "A packet of raisins!" They remembered that more than some special gift they received! It's not the price of the gift but the joy of receiving a gift.

And did I say "an orange"? Yes, back when I was a child it was an amazing treat to receive an orange at Christmas! Things have certainly changed!~

Now, here I am talking about giving liberally, and yet I am not able to give a lot this year. And yet what I am giving is so exciting. I have been wrapping presents just before I came to type this post. Annie Johnson Flint writes, "For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!" Sometimes I dream of having riches to be able to REALLY GIVE what I want to give. But, to give what we can is still exciting.

I love these words...
Love ever gives, forgives, outlives,
And while it lives, it gives!
For this is love's prerogative,
to give, and give, AND GIVE!

Love from Nancy

Back to our original question, should we give gifts to each other at Christmas or not? Every family has their own convictions, and I know there are many who refrain from doing this, and I respect their opinions. We are all led differently. However, I personally do not believe there is anything wrong in giving gifts. I think God delights in the spirit of giving. I think He loves watching families give gifts to one another. The spirit of giving comes from God.

I think it is sad to take away the excitement, enthusiasm, and anticipation of children giving to their parents and their siblings. Children love to give more than receive and why should we take this God-given instinct away from them?

When our children were growing, we didn't give them money to buy gifts. They had to earn every penny so that it was truly a sacrificial gift from themselves We didn't pay our children for basic household tasks during the year, but at Christmas time we paid them for extra tasks that were not usually on the weekly schedule. It was exciting to get my windows cleaned and other forgotten tasks accomplished. The children earned their money and I ended up with a spring-cleaned home! (My, I could do with them all back at home!). I notice Serene is doing the same thing this week with her children.

The excitement is in the air again this Christmas. Arden sold an old car that was lying around and spent it all on his family. In fact, that wasn't enough. He and some of the cousins found some old heavy machinary for scrap metal lying around the land (how they ever lifted it onto the trailer we can't imagine). They cajoled Granddad to take them off to sell it. It's great to see them earning money any way they can--all for the joy of giving to others. They don't keep one last cent to themselves.

Love from Nancy

I cried out to the Lord, "Lord, please show me what I can do. I don't have time to shop, but I want to give something meaningful. God answered. Colin woke about 2.00 am, accidently sent the light and books flying, and woke me up so I couldn't go back to sleep. Praise the Lord, God gave me time!

I got my paper and pen (which I always have by my bed) and began to write a small poem for Vange and Howard and each of the children that related to their lives. I typed them out the next day and pasted each one in a homemade Christmas card. I also made a big 14" long loaf of sour dough bread, their favorite! I read each little poem out to them and they couldn't have been happier. They appreciated them more than any store-bought gifts. Vange was hugging the bread and pulling off the crust to eat (her favorite part) before anyone else could get to it!

Over 20 years ago we enjoyed our first Christmas in North America. We were staying with my sister, Kate, when she lived in a huge log house in the Cariboo of British Columbia, Canada. We were totally snowed in and also had no money to purchase gifts. Once again we decided to each wrote poems to one another which each one stood up and read out. We still have these poems today and they will outlast transient gifts. (Oh yes, I should mention that they cooked a wonderful meal of venison, a deer which Zadok shot).

In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus also reminds us that how we treat others and how we give to others is how we minister to Him. And don't forget to read Proverbs 19:17.

I'll continue the discussion tomorrow.

Love from Nancy

At a Christmas event on the weekend the speaker quoted that we should not give gifts to one another, but rather give to the Lord. I find this a confusing statement. I know that we should give to the Lord--our time, our talents, and our whole lives. But, let's face it, how do we practically give to the Lord? I believe we give to Him by giving to one another.

Psalm 16:2-3 says, "Thou art my Lord: my goodness extends not to thee; but to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight." How does God see us showing goodness and love to Him? By extending it to His people! When we give to others, we give to God.

Of course I don't advocate spending money you can't afford on expensive gifts that people don't need and that are often for show! Although we all get together on Christmas Day, we have lots of other little traditions in our family. The other night it was our special night with Vange and Howard and the 10 children. I didn't have money or time to purchase gifts, and yet I wanted to give. There's something wrong if we don't want to give, isn't there? I think its miserly, stingy, and boring!

Find out what happened tomorrow.

Love from Nancy

I love the last stanza from Christina G. Rossetti's beautiful song, "In the Bleak Midwinter" which she wrote in 1872. This is the last stanza. My children learned this poem when they were young. You may like to encourage your children to learn it, too.

“What can I give him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd,
I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man,
I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give him—
Give my heart."

Love from Nancy

Not only did Zacharias prophecy at Jesus' birth that He came to bring light, but also Simeon. God had told Simeon that he would not die until He had seen the Messiah! When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to present Him to the Lord, dear old Simeon perceived that this baby was THE MESSIAH for which he had been waiting. He took Jesus up in his arms and proclaimed, "For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A LIGHT TO LIGHTEN THE GENTILES, and the glory of thy people Israel" (Luke 2:26-32). Jesus Christ is "THE TRUE LIGHT, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" John 1:9).

Every new baby is born with a God consciousness, a light from God our Maker. Proverbs 20:27 says "The spirit of man is the candle (light) of the Lord." Have you noticed that when a new baby is born into a family that there is a heavenly atmosphere in the home? There is an "awe" that we only experience with a new babe. I believe we are experiencing a new light from heaven. I think this is why little children are so open to God.

Job 18:5-56 says, "Yes, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine. The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him." What a terrible indictment it would be to have people say, "The light is dark in their home!" I don't want there to be any darkness in my home, do you? I don't want our light to die out. I want the light of Christ to increase.

Let's make room for the light of Christ Jesus to shine into our hearts, into the hearts of our children, into our plan of every day, and into every room in our home. Let's push out any darkness that comes creeping in.

Are you a lighthouse or a darkhouse?

Love from Nancy

The celebration of the Feast of Dedication is over. Now we prepare and look forward to the most wonderful celebration in the history of the world--when Christ, the Son of God, came to this earth as a little baby. We know that this was not the actual time of his birth, but it is the time we remember His miraculous incarnation.

Just as we celebrated that Christ is the Light of the world during Hanukkah, so we continue to celebrate that He is the Light. God spoke through the prophecy of Zacharias that He was sending His beloved Son into the world "TO GIVE LIGHT TO THEM THAT SIT IN DARKNESS and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace" (Luke 1:79).

They had no room for the Light of the World in Bethlehem. Are we making room for Him in our lives? Every time we respond to the moving of the Holy Spirit in our lives and say Yes to God we open up to His light. When we are stubborn, want our own way, and say No to the convicting of the Holy Spirit, we choose darkness.

Dear mother, we must teach our children this powerful principle, too. Every time they say Yes to you and Yes to the Holy Spirit speaking to them they will receive more and more light into their lives. When they are disobedient and say No to you, and No to the voice of their conscience they bring more darkness into their lives.

May we open up MORE AND MORE to the Light and less and less to the darkness. Proverbs 4:18 says, "But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth MORE AND MORE unto the perfect day." Each new day, individually and as a family, ask God to FLOOD YOU WITH HIS LIGHT.

Love from Nancy

We read about a number of Hanukkah celebrations in God's Word.

1) Dedicating the tabernacle for 12 days. Each prince of Israel dedicated the altar for a day each (Number 7:10-11, 84, 88). This was the first dedication we read about.
2) Dedicating a new house (Deuteronomy 20:5). It is biblical to dedicate a new house.
3) Dedicating Solomon's temple which he built for the Lord (1 Kings 8:62; 2 Chronicles 7:5, 9).
4) Dedicating the rebuilt temple when they came back from Babylon--Zerubbabel's temple (Ezra 6:16).
5) Dedicating the rebuilt walls of Jerusalem(Nehemiah 12:27).

And there is one more! You'll never guess!

It is Proverbs 22:6, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." The word "train" is "hanuk," the verb of Hanukkah, meaning "to initiate, dedicate, consecrate." It is not enough to celebrate Hanukkah for eight days. As parents, we are in a FULLTIME HANUKKAH CELEBRATION!

When we understand that to train our children means to dedicate them to the Lord, it gives us new vision. Everything we do is now in the light of dedicating our children to the Lord and setting them apart for His service. It's not a one-time dedication. It is a verb which requires daily action.

When our children are disobedient or don't complete what we have asked them to, we can sometimes be lazy and let it go. But, not if we understand we are daily dedicating them to the Lord. How can we let things go when we consecrating them to God's holy service. We have the responsibility to train and prepare them for Him.

As children get older, they may become more worldly and want to do what other teens are doing. We could think, "Oh that is the stage they are going through." But, not if we understand that we are daily consecrating them to the Lord. We will pray up a storm. We will fight the devil. We will work with our children to keep them on the narrow road that leads to life. We will do everything to save them from the broad road that leads to destruction. WE ARE HANUKKAH PARENTS!

When we "hanuk" our children, it determines how we educate our children. It would be ludicrous to send our children into a an ungodly education system each day when we are daily consecrating them for God's purposes.

As we consecrate our children to the Lord, we recognize that they totally belong to the Lord, for whatever time God has for them on this earth. Above everything else, we know that we are ultimately preparing them for eternity.

Blessings from NANCY CAMPBELL

Without God we live in darkness. He is the one who said, "Let there be light: and there was light" (Genesis 1:3). Jesus is the Light of the world. He is "THE TRUE LIGHT,WHICH LIGHTS EVERY MAN THAT COMES INTO THE WORLD" John 1:9). Every person who is born into this world is without excuse regarding their relationship with God. Every new baby is born with a God consciousness, a light from God our Maker. We have a conscience that knows what is good and evil. This only comes from God.

Proverbs 20:27 says "The spirit of man is the candle (light) of the Lord." Have you noticed that when a new baby is born into a family that there is a heavenly atmosphere about the home? There is an "awe" that we only experience with a new babe. I believe we are experiencing a new light from heaven. I think this is why little children are so open to God. Recently I watched little 3-year old grand-daughter sing all day about how Jesus is in her heart and how she loves God.

Why then do many walk in darkness? The answer is in John 3:19-21. We are all born with a light from God, but we can either push back the light or open up more and more to the light. It is a privilege for children to be born into a home where parents love God. These children have an opportunity to open up more and more to the light. In an ungodly home, the light with which they are born can be gradually extinguished.

I believe that every time we say Yes to God and obey the prompting of His Holy Spirit within our hearts, we will experience more light in our lives. Every time we say No to God and are disobedient to the Word, we accept darkness. Teach your children this principle, dear mother. Teach them that saying Yes to you and Yes to God will bring them to more and more light. Teach them when they say No to you and No to God's ways, their minds and hearts will cloud with darkness.

Job 18:5-56 says, "Yes, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine. The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him." I don't want it to be dark in my home. I'm sure you don't want it to be dark in yours either. Let's open our hearts and minds more and more to the light of God. Begin each day by praying, "Lord, please flood my mind and heart with your light, today."

Love from Nancy

Judas Maccabee and his brothers were continually fighting battles to save Israel and every time they faced armies far larger and stronger than themselves, but their trust was in God.

Listen to Judas' confession on one occasion... "When all his followers saw the host coming against them, they said to Judas, 'How can so few of us fight against so many? Besides, we have had nothing to eat all day, and we are exhausted.' Judas replied: 'Many can easily be overpowered by a few; it makes no difference to Heaven to save by many or by few. Victory does not depend on numbers; strength comes from Heaven alone... Heaven will crush them before our eyes. You need not be afraid of them.'"

I know that you, too, often face dilemmas that loom much bigger than you can handle. Don't focus on your difficulty. Look to God. He is your Strength. He is your Source. He is your Sufficiency. He will always do what you cannot do. When we try to handle our problems we usually make a mess of the job. Put them in God's hands for He knows what is best to do.

Victory does not come by intelligence or fleshly strength. It only comes from God. Just as God delivered the Maccabees over and over again as they faced insurmountable armies, so God will deliver you as you trust in Him. Make sure you have the right confession. Don't confess your problems; confess your trust in God. It's the way to victory.

Love from Nancy

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 were 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).

How did they keep the lamps burning day after day, year after year? God said they had to attend to the lamps every morning and every evening. They had to trim the wicks and pour more oil into the lamps, the oil speaking of the Holy Spirit. Once a day was not sufficient. It required attention two times a day to keep the light burning

This is a type for our lives today. When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, He fills us with His light, but it is very easy for the light to go out. There are many temptations, deceptions, and evils around that dim our light. To keep the light burning, we must tend to them every morning and evening. We need to do this individually and as a family.

A powerful way to keep God's light burning in every member of our family is to have Family Devotions every morning and evening. Each time we come together as a family, read the Word, and spend time in prayer, we relight our lamps. If we fail to do this, our light will go out very quickly.

How big is the flame in your family? We are not meant to be a flickering light, but a great light. If your flame is only smoldering, get back to God's "morning and evening" principle. It's the only way that works. Let the light in "the holy place" of your temple and your home shine for all to see God's light.

Love from Nancy

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! But, 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 sin against our ancestral laws" (2 Maccabees 7:2, 11).

Because they would not bend and turn from God's laws this dear mother watched as Antiochus tortured he fourth, fifth, and sixth sons the same way. The mother had only one son left, her beloved youngest. Antiochus tried to influence the mother to save his life. He promised he would make him rich and prosperous and even a political advisor. She obliged by turning to her youngest son saying, "Son, pity me who carried you in the womb nine months, nursed you for three years, nurtured you, and brought you into this stage of life with care. I beg you, child... Don't fear this killer but prove worthy of your brothers. Accept death so that in God's mercy I should recover you with your brothers" (2 Maccabees 7:27-29). She watched her last son die before she was put to death herself.

This mother was a nurturing and caring mother. But, she had a vision for her children beyond this earth. She raised her sons to fear God rather than man. She raised them to stand for truth, no matter what the consequences. She raised them to see beyond this earth to the endless life of the heavenly.

May God help us to be courageous mothers. May He save us from raising wimpy, mediocre children who are seduced by the humanist trend of an ungodly society. May He anoint us with the mighty power of God to raise children who will have the courage to stand for God and for truth, no matter what persecution they face. (You can read the whole story in 2 Maccabees chapter seven).

Why do we call this celebration "Hanukah"? The reason is that "hanukah" 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 and the gates burned. But they restored the sanctuary, built a new altar with unpolished stones (because the altar had been desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes), brought in the Lampstand, the Altar of Incense, and the Table of Showbread, and offered sacrifices." So they celebrated the rededication of the altar for eight days" (1 Maccabees 4:56).

How does this affect our lives? God no longer lives in the Holy of Holies in the temple, but in our bodies, which are the temple of His Holy Spirit. In fact, we are not just the temple of the Holy Spirit, but the "naos" which is the Holy of Holies (1 Corinthians 6:19 and 2 Corinthians 6:16). What an indescribable truth!

Our "naos" may not be desolate, but it is very easy for us to allow things to come into our lives which grieve the Holy Spirit and spoil and dirty our temple.

It is a lovely idea to have a rededication of our temples one night during Hanukah. Choose which morning or evening you would like to do together as a family. Explain to your children about it, and then ask each one of them to confess to the Lord anything in their lives that grieves the Holy Spirit and to rededicate their body temple to the Lord. This includes mom and dad too, of course.

When we have all dedicated ourselves individually, then the father can rededicate the whole family to be living sacrifice to the Lord and to be set apart for His purposes (Romans 12:1-2). I pray that the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily as you experience this dedication service in your home.

Love from Nancy

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 was walking in Solomon's Porch (on the eastern side of the temple) and people gathered around him.

Jesus knew the Jews would be remembering more than the rededication of the temple and the lighting of the Menorah again. They were remembering the great victory over Antiochus Epiphanes, but also how he lifted himself to be god over them. It was Antiochus himself who added "Epiphanes" to his name, which means "God manifest" which was utter blasphemy to the Jews.

In the midst of this thinking Jesus boldly and publically declared, "I and my Father are one (John 10:30). In other words, He confessed that He was God, which of course, He was! This was too much for the Jews who, remembering Antiochus Epiphanes the evil blasphemer, took up stones to stone him (John 10:22-33).

It was no coincidence that Jesus chose this timing to speak these words. Everything about Hanukkah speaks of standing up for truth even in the face of danger.

May we never cringe to speak the truth, no matter what the consequences.

Love from Nancy

Today is the first day of Hanukkah, or the Feast of Dedication as it is called in the New Testament (John 10:22-23). It is a festival of lighting candles for eight days to remember the dedication of the temple and the relighting of the lampstand which God commanded should never go out (Exodus 27:20-21).

It all happened because of a very brave family. At this time in history Antiochus Epiphanes ruled over Israel and commanded all Jews to renounce their way of life, practice pagan observances, and live like the Greeks. He erected the "abomination of desolation" in the temple. Many Jews assimilated to avoid persecution and being killed. BUT NOT THIS FAMILY!

Mattathias was a godly older man with five brave sons--John, Simon, Judas (known as Maccabeus), Eleazar, and Jonathan. When the officials came to their town of Modein, they tried to get Mattathias to influence the people of his town to turn away from God. Listen to his reply, "Mattathias answered in a LOUD VOICE: What do I care if everyone in the king's entire kingdom turns from their own religion and starts obeying his laws? MY FAMILY AND I WILL ALWAYS KEEP THE PROMISES OUR ANCESTERS MADE TO GOD. WE WILL NEVER GIVE UP OUR FAITH OR DISOBEY EVEN ONE OF GOD'S LAWS. WE WILL NOT OBEY ANTIOCHUS!" (1 Maccabees 2:19-20).

When a cowardly Jew stepped forward to obey the king by offering a sacrifice, Mattathias was so furious that he rushed over, killed the man, destroyed the altar, and killed the official who ordered the sacrifice. He and his sons then ran to the hills leaving everything they owned behind. But, thus began the bravery of the Maccabee family to conduct continual battles against the enemy and eventually deliver Israel and Jerusalem.

We don't face being killed for our faith today. But, we do face subtle indoctrination to succumb to the Satan's plans and give in to humanist, progressive ideology. Will we be those who give in or will we have courage, individually and as families. to stand for God, even if no one else is standing? The Scripture says, "Let God be true, but every man a liar" (Romans 3:4).

Love from Nancy

I have prepared Scriptures for us to read at our Family Devotions each day during this week of the Festival of Lights. I will post them here for you too in case you would also like to use them. Because this celebration remembers the rededication of the temple and the relighting of the menorah, the Scriptures are about God who is the light and how He also wants us to be His light in this world.

Feel free to use the Scriptures in the way that best fits your family. You may like to take half of them at Family Devotions in the morning and the other half in the evening. If you have older children, it's a lovely idea for each one to have their own Bible and give a Scripture for each one to read aloud--and to share what they feel God is saying through the Scripture. If you have little ones, you may only want to take one Scripture from the list.

And don't forget to ask your children questions as you read the Scriptures. This is how you learn and receive enlightenment from the Scriptures together.

Day 1
God is the Source of Light and gives Light
Genesis 1:3-5
Exodus 27:20-21; 40:24-25; cf. Leviticus 24:1-4; Numbers 8:1-3
Exodus 13:21; Nehemiah 9:12,19
Psalm 36:9
Psalm 104:1-2
1 Timothy 6:16
James 1:17

Day 2
Jesus is the Light of the World
Isaiah 9:2, cf. Matthew 4:12-17
Luke 1:76-79; 2:27-32
John 1:4-9,cf. Job 18:5-6; Proverbs 27:20
John 3:19-21
John 8:12
John 12:44-46
Acts 26:22-23

Day 3
Shine the Light of Jesus to the world
Proverbs 4:18
Isaiah 58:6-8, 10
Isaiah 60:1-2
Matthew 5:14-16
Luke 12:35
Philippians 2:14-15

Day 4
God's Word is our Light
Ezra 9:8
Psalm 19:7-11
Psalm 119:18, 105, 130
Proverbs 6:20-24
Ephesians 1:17-18

Day 5
Walk in the Light
Psalm 89:15
Isaiah 2:5
Romans 13:12-14
2 Corinthians 4:4-7
1 John 1:6-9
1 John 2:8-11
Ephesians 5:8-20

Day 6
Out of Darkness into Light
2 Samuel 22:29 (Psalm 18:28)
Isaiah 42:16
Isaiah 50:10
Acts 26:17-18
1 Corinthians 4:5
1 Thessalonians 5:5
1 Peter 2:9

Day 7
Living in God is living in Light
Psalm 4:6
Psalm 27:1
Psalm 37:3-6
Psalm 43:3-4
Psalm 112:4
Micah 7:8

Day 8
God is the Light of Heaven
Isaiah 24:23; 30:26
Isaiah 60:19-20
Revelation 21:22-25
Revelation 22:3-5

For this coming week I will continue to tell stories and insights regarding the Feast of Dedication. Stay tuned and don't miss each day.

Love from Nancy

The Psalmist said, "I LOVE THE LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, THEREFORE WILL I CALL UPON HIM AS LONG AS I LIVE" (Psalm 116:1-2).

If we love the Lord, what will be our response? We will call upon His name. We will be continually crying out to Him. Did you know that the early Christians were known as those "who call upon the name of the Lord"? (Check out Acts 9:14, 2; 1 Corinthians 1:2 and 2 Timothy 2:22).

If we are families that love the Lord, we will take time to gather together and pray and call on the name at least once each day, don't you think? Let's not get too busy that we don't make time for what is most important.

And if you don't have a desire to call upon His name, ask Him to revive you. Asaph, the psalmist cried out, "Revive us, and we will call upon your name" (Psalm 80:18). We know we are need of revival when we don't have a desire to pray.

Love from Nancy