Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

We continue to read of the miracles that happened through Moses’ humble sheperd’s rod. We do not read that the rod was used for the plagues of flies, death of cattle, and boils.

BRING FORTH HAIL
Now we come to Exodus 9:22-26: “And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt. And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt. So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast: and hail smote every herb of the field and broke every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail.”

BRING FORTH LOCUSTS
Exodus 10:12-15: “ And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts . . . And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.”

The locusts “covered the face of the whole earth” so that the land turned black and they ate everything that remained in Egypt. The Bible tells us that nothing like it had ever happened before and would ever happen again!

BRING FORTH DARKNESS
Exodus 10:21-23: “And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand (which included the rod): and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.”

The rod was not used for the final judgment upon Egypt of the death angel smiting the first born in every family, from Pharaoh on this throne to the lowest servant (Exodus 11:1-7).

DIVIDE THE GULF OF AQABA
Exodus 14:15-22: “And the LORD said unto Moses . . . lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea . . . And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.”

Galatians 4:24 proves that Mt. Sinai is in Arabia.

Could there be a greater miracle? And it happened through Moses’ lifting up his rod. Of course, we know that God did the miracle, but God always wants His people to do their part. They must go ahead in faith and take action. Moses, in unbelief, could have wondered how a rod could deliver them in such a tight spot? But he stretched out his hand with the rod anyway. He took the step of faith. And as he did so, God moved with His mighty power.

When we take action, God takes action.

Daniel 11:32: “The people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.”

There’s more yet.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Do not bury your talents and gifts, no matter how insignificant they may appear to you. God has entrusted them to you for His purposes. Consecrate them to God and begin to exercise them for His glory. God loves to bring breakthroughs through the weak and helpless. The world waited to see what God could do through an insignificant rod.

1 Corinthians 1:25-29 says: “The foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath Go chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.”

Just wait and see what God can do with your gifts that He has placed in your hands to bring great breakthroughs. Moses had to let God use his rod so that the miracles could happen. While he used his rod with the wild animals that would attack his flock of sheep out in the desert he was limiting the power of God. God had more in store for Moses’ rod.

The rod of Moses was used to . . .

DEMONSTRATE A MIRACLE
Exodus 7:9: God said to Moses: “When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Show a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.”

BECOME A SERPENT THAT DEVOURED ALL OTHER SERPENTS
12 Exodes 7:10: “Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and his servants, and it became a serpent . . . but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.”

This gospel-hardened, unbelieving world needs witnesses for Christ who demonstrate the miraculous. If it was good enough for Jesus to preach the gospel with miracles to confirm it, why shouldn’t His present-day followers do the same?

TURN THE WATERS NILE TO BLOOD
Exodus 7:17-21: “And the LORD SPAKE UNTO Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and vessels of stone. And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants, and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.”

BRING FORTH A PLAGUE OF FROGS
Exodus 8:1-6: “And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt: and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.”

The Nile River swarmed with frogs. They came into their homes, into their bedrooms and even their beds! They jumped into their ovens and their bowls when kneading their bread! They filled the land and jumped all over the people. Can you imagine it? And all because Aaron stretched out his hand with the rod.

COVER THE LAND WITH LICE
Exodus 8:16,17: “And the LORD said unto Moses, say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.”

The magicians of Egypt could no longer perform any miracles. They had to confess: ”This is the finger of God” (v. 9).

To be continued.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

God can take the simple things that we have in our hands to perform miracles and bring forth breakthroughs for His people.

In Exodus 4:3, 4 God tells Moses to cast his rod on the ground. “And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand.”

This miracle was to be the first breakthrough sign to Pharaoh and his magicians to persuade Pharaoh to let God’s people go.

In so many ways, God’s people are still in bondage to the Pharaohs of this world. Considering what Jesus Christ has done for us at the cross, why are we still in bondage to the world, the flesh, and the devil? The trouble is, we fail to recognize the significance of what God has already put in our hands.

A rod is a very simple and insignificant thing. No one would give a second thought to a rod but with God’s anointing and power He used that simple rod to bring miraculous breakthroughs.

President Donald Trump has been raised up by God to use his hand to restore America’s greatness in the natural. But what’s the point of natural greatness if its not accompanied by spiritual greatness? If the talents and gifts God has put in our president’s hands can restore the greatness of America’s wealth, then surely God is saying to His people today, “What is in thy hand? Cast it down before Me and see what I can miraculously do with it to bring about great spiritual breakthroughs in your life, your family’s lives, and in the United States.”

That same rod that turned into a frightening snake out on the back side of Mt. Sinai would later be thrown on the ground before Pharaoh and his magicians. Although the magicians turned their rods into snakes, Moses’ snake devoured up all their snakes. Moses got his rod back but not the magicians!

Prayer is a rod in our hands. Do you recognize its significance? Have you got a prayer life in your hand? To break through, lift up holy hands in prayer and worship.

The Scriptures are a powerful rod which God has placed in our hands. Do you know them, and do you use them? Is the Bible in your hands daily? Keep it before your eyes and heart to get a breakthrough.

What about the unique gifts and talents God has put in your hands? Are you using them for your own benefit, or for breakthroughs in the lives of those around you? Consecrate them to God for a breakthrough. Many members of our families desperately need spiritual breakthroughs.

To be continued.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

1 Chronicles 14:11 (NLT) tells how David and his troops defeated the Philistines. What was David’s confession?

“‘God did it!’” David exclaimed. ‘He used me to burst through my enemies like a raging flood!’” So they named that place Baal-perazim (which means ‘the Lord who bursts through’).”

Evidently, the breakthrough God gave to David against the Philistines was like a major bursting forth through a breach in the wall of a large dam. God burst forth upon David’s enemies in some way that resembled the mighty gushing forth of waters.

David uses the words “by my hand (KJV).” Obviously God used the hand of David to accomplish this miracle.

I believe God loves to bring breakthroughs through the hands of His people. Yes, God can intervene on our behalf with His own arm. However, He loves to exercise His power through His chosen people. And David was that man.

We, God’s creation, also have the privilege of working with God to deal with our enemies who are also God’s enemies.

When God has a problem with this world He looks for a man through whom He can exercise His judgment, His rule, and His power. If He can’t find a man, then as a last resort, He makes bare His own holy right arm.

When God looked down from Heaven upon the great oppression of the children of Israel in Egypt, He found a man called Moses through whom He could work.

Ezekiel 22:30 says: “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: BUT I FOUND NONE. Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them: I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God.”

I believe it is wrong for us to not offer ourselves to God, that He, by His grace would use us in some way to get the needed breakthrough that we so desperately need.

To be continued.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Can I solicit your prayers? I am so grateful for our president in all that he is doing for our nation and standing strongly for life and for that which is right.

However, since he shared about his DEAL OF THE CENTURY, which although gives to Israel, it also takes land away from Israel, some of the West Bank and part of Jerusalem. This is very serious because God plainly says in Joel 3:2 that He is going to bring judgment on the nations that DIVIDE HIS LAND! No one can get away with diving the land of Israel, which is God’s land.

I have therefore written a short email and a longer letter to the president. Could you please pray that he will receive the message of this letter and will understand the implications of giving up land for peace?

You may also like to email the president also and encourage him to never give away one inch of Israel’s land.

I am emailing this letter to you so you can pray with me about this important matter. I will send it in three segments so you don’t have to read it all in one day.

Thank you so much.

~ Colin Campbell

Dear Mr. President:

May I present to you my concerns regarding THE DEAL OF THE CENTURY.

Firstly, I want to thank you profusely for your unwavering support for little Israel (so small as far as land mass is concerned and yet so large as far as political and spiritual influence). The whole of our Judaic/Christian value system has its roots and foundations in the land of Israel.

When we make a deal with Israel, in a sense, we make a deal with God’s chosen land. Since God, in His sovereignty decided to make Israel and the city of Jerusalem His special place of residence, who are we to dispute or contend with Almighty God?

When God made a covenant with Abraham regarding the land of Israel, He spoke of the literal land (Genesis 12:1 and 17:8).

Genesis 12:3 He says: “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” God has promised to bless the nations and their leaders who bless Israel.

Thank you, Mr. President for placing our American Embassy in Jerusalem. This was indeed a great encouragement to Israel who desperately need our encouragement.
Thank you, Mr. President for your strong heartfelt support for this little nation, so despised by so many of the powerful nations of the world, and yet at the same time so dearly loved by God.

Mr. President, I remember that soon after you were inaugurated, you showed great friendship to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (which Obama never did). You also mentioned you would not interfere with their struggle with the Palestinians but that you would support Israel.

God blessed your presidency because of this, and this blessing has been miraculous, given the short time of only three and a half years. Contrary to world opinion, you are blessing Israel by endorsing their right to build up and restore certain areas of the West Bank. I am sure that you have Israel’s best interest at heart.

The real truth is what the Holy Bible says, not what mortal man says. And the truth is that the whole of the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) belong to Israel (even if Israel is willing to give portions of it away to the Palestinians to keep in favor with the world) and maybe save themselves from a few less rocket attacks.

Sad to say, the Palestinians hate Israel with a dreadful hatred and thus bring upon themselves the judgment of Almighty God.

To be continued tomorrow.

~ Colin

Despite all the highly commended good works of the church at Ephesus, they had allowed a great problem to occur. They needed to repent quickly or else they would lose their candlestick from being regarded by the Lord as a true church (Revelation 1:20 and 2:4, 5).

Revelation 2:5: “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent.”

This was more than just a problem. It was a sin from which they had to repent. Problems do not always necessitate repentance. However, sin always requires godly sorrow and repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10).

Falling from our “first love” or failing in “enduring love” is a very serious situation. It disqualifies us from calling ourselves a church. At least, from God’s perspective, although not necessarily from man’s perspective. I am sure there are many churches that call themselves legitimate and are proud of their good works. However, from Heaven’s perspective their candlestick has been removed long ago. How sad is that!

“First love” according to Scripture: First love responds to the first and second commandments:

Mark 12:30, 31: “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy HEART, and with all thy SOUL, and with all thy MIND, and with all thy STRENGTH, that is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”

To me, first love is related to the first and second greatest commandments concerning the length, depth, height, and width of our love for God and our neighbor. Even though the second commandment is regarding our love to our neighbor, Jesus says that the second is like unto the first.

Jesus told a story in Luke 10:29-37 to explain who is our neighbor. To the Jews he was a man going down to Jericho who fell among thieves and was stripped of his clothes, wounded, and left half dead. The priest and the Levite would not help him. Only the Good Samaritan, who was not a Jew, would help him. The Good Samaritan met the conditions of what it means to love one’s neighbor as one’s self.

In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus clearly explains that when we show love to the needy, we are showing it to Jesus who is God.

There will come a day when Christ will judge all the nations of the world and divide the sheep from the goats. The sheep represent those who are humble and listen to His voice. The goats are proud, intelligent, and listen to their own reasoning.

Jesus said that . . .
He had been hungry and the sheep gave Him food.
He had been thirsty and the sheep gave Him drink.
He had been a stranger and the sheep took him in.
He had been sick and the sheep visited Him.
He had been in prison and the sheep came to Him.

We clearly see that first love has first works.

1 John 4:20, 21: “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”

Beware of sectarianism which divides the churches and hinders brotherly love from enduring.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

1. They labored in good works. They were not behind, neglectful, or lazy regarding good works. Jesus Himself labored long hours in the ministry to meet the needs of the people. The Apostle Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 2:9 that he, along with the others who worked with him, labored night and day because they would not be chargeable to anyone.

2. They were patient. Patience is a good work. There are many times in life when we are called to wait and be patient with people and circumstances. How easy it is to face the test of patience.

3. They would not tolerate evil. To not bear those who are evil is also a good work. They refused to tolerate evil people. They obviously excommunicated themselves, perhaps because they exposed the evildoers and denounced them. There is far too much tolerating of evil in the church today.

4. They examined the church eldership that called themselves apostles, but they found to be liars. Jesus also commended this as a good work. By doing this they protected the church from those who call themselves apostles (who expected to preach in the pulpit and get offerings of money) but were false and spoke false doctrine.

They did all the above works for the Lord’s name sake and did not faint. This testimony of the Ephesians church was pretty amazing compared to church standards today.

But it was not good enough!

To be continued.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

The agape love that God sheds abroad in our hearts (Romans 5:5) is an enduring love which enables us to endure whatever we have to face in life. God’s love for us never fails.

Lamentations 3:22, 23: “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

Romans 8:35-39: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ, shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” Paul continues giving a whole list of hardships. However, he states that he is persuaded that there is nothing in Heaven or earth that can stop God from loving us.

Therefore, we must ask ourselves the following questions:

• Why do we cut off one another?
• Why do many Christians separate themselves from one another?
• Why are many Christian families are at war with one another?
• Why are many Christian marriages either in a state of tension, stress, arguments, and fightings with each other?
• And why do so many, sad to say, end up divorced?

Where is the enduring love that God, through Christ, has shed abroad in our hearts? It is obvious that so much of the church knows very little about enduring love.

The simple truth is that God has given freely to each one of us all of His enduring agape love, but we for the most part, are still operating in our own fallen, selfish, conditional love. Our human love falls far short of the endurance of God’s love.

As new creatures in Christ, we must learn how to live in the enduring love of God. Only then can we reveal to the world, the church, our own spouses and families, the true “enduring all things” love of Christ.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

The love that believes all things is the same love that hope all things. What has believing all things and hoping all things got to do with the love that God sheds abroad in our hearts? The answer is that believing and hoping all things has everything to do with God’s love dwelling in us.

The truth is that God’s love is the antidote for all things, all situations, and all people throughout all generations.

This great love is the motivating force behind the great commission to “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:19, 20).

God’s love for all things, His belief for all things, His hope things is not exclusive; rather it is inclusive of all mankind.

God’s love motivates the belief of all things that every created human creature can be saved; that all mankind can have an eternal hope burning inside their hearts; that hope is an anchor, both sure and steadfast, that enters beyond the veil into the immediate presence of God’s glory (Hebrews 6:19). God’s love in us is not selfish. It is not exclusive, but all-inclusive to all mankind.

God’s love gives freely to all mankind a system of belief that all things are possible with God. His love provides all mankind who exercise this belief a hope which is more solid than any man-made anchor. This hope, according to the Scriptures, is indescribable, beyond our wildest imagination.

Isaiah 64:4: “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, Oh God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.” Read also Psalm 31:19; Psalm 107:8, 15, 21, 31; and 1 Corinthians 2:9).

To be continued.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell