Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! … there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life forevermore” (Psalm 133:1-3). Praying together as a family unites the family in the best ways possible. Negative attitudes change when families pray together. Family unity is a blessing beyond compare and praying together will definitely preserve and increase this great virtue.

When the Christian family, for whatever reason, neglects to pray together, the family unity suffers great loss. Individual members become more isolated into their own world. The love, care, and concern for one another quickly subsides.

Families are meant to be a team that pulls together. Families are meant to have common goals and values. If one member suffers, the other members will pull together to help.

Families are somewhat held together by a common DNA. However, without daily praying together, even DNA is not be enough to keep us in the true unity that is deep and meaningful. There is such a thing as shallow unity, but who wants that? I think that multitudes of Christian families are experiencing shallow unity and think this is normal. But, when we pray together prayers of agreement our unity takes on a far greater dynamic.

Be encouraged. Colin

5. There are three principles to be maintained during Family Devotions.

1. PRAYING TOGETHER (each member praying)

The devil will do all he can to stop families from corporate praying.

Prayer is calling upon God to defeat all the devices and attacks of wicked spiritual powers. When families pray prayers of agreement, tremendous forces of God are summoned into action to bring answers to their prayers. There is no need that is too great for God to provide a victorious answer.

I believe that everyone around the table should pray—no exceptions. In this way, each member of the family exercises their highest duty and privilege in life. They are doing their part in the battle of life, not only for themselves, but for others and the nation.

It is at Family Devotions where the art of prayer is learned and developed. It is at Family Devotions where the devil’s plans are weakened.

Encourage short prayers that are to the point, in order to not drag out the time. Long prayers can kill Family Devotions. Long praying should be encouraged for individual praying on your own with God.

Be encouraged. Colin

4. THE RESULTS OF NOT HAVING FAMILY DEVOTIONS.

Hebrews 2:3, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?”

Neglect of Family Devotions will result in adverse consequences. Fathers, we need to understand the consequences that result from not having Family Devotions, such as a spiritually weakened family where the world, the flesh, and the devil begin to exert an ever increasing influence of darkness into the family home.

Instead of the world of God and prayer, TV, the media, computers and all the latest ungodly electronic entertainment rushes in to fill the gap. Most of the homes in our nation are filled with all sorts of substitutes to keep our minds away from God.

Fathers, as true Christian, we should be turning our homes into lighthouses so other homes in our community will see the light and be warned away from the rocks of destruction that are already sinking their ships (homes). What’s the point of having a lighthouse if the lights are not on? Family Devotions are a great source of power to light up your home.

The neglect of Family Devotions has resulted in a huge loss of the prayer of agreement. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why we as a nation have become so weak.

Be encouraged. Colin

Psalm 34:10 says, “The young lions do lack and suffer hunger, but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.”

3. UNDERSTAND THE BENEFITS

If Family Devotions are administered by loving, caring and godly fathers there will be no end to the benefits, just as there is no end to the grace of God toward those who have set their hearts to seek Him. Family Devotions are in a real sense a form of seeking the Lord with all the family involved.

Family Devotions help to bind marriages and families together in the love of God. Where a marriage is breaking up you will find that Family Devotions has long gone out the window.

Family Devotions definitely increases the presence of God in the home and is a strong deterrent to the spirit of arguments, criticism, debate, and negativity. People who suffer from spiritual depression will find it receding as will other forms of spiritual attach.

A greater sense of well-being will begin to be manifested.

Be encouraged. Colin

2. REALIZE THE IMPORTANCE

When the father of the home understands the importance and relevance of family devotions he will be motivated to make it happen. Family Devotions are something that the devil does not like because it threatens his kingdom. Therefore, he does whatever he can to discourage, and finally put a halt to family devotions.

Men, we must be strong in our convictions on this subject. Family devotions are not something we wait to feel good about before we act. They are not to be taken casually with a “take it or leave it” attitude.

Most Christian men have not had strong mentorship on this subject. They have not had fathers who have trained them to see the importance of family devotions. The enemy capitalizes on this in order to snuff it out before we can even establish family devotions as a daily morning and evening lifestyle in our families.

Family devotions must be seen as imperative and absolutely essential to both the physical and spiritual wellbeing of our families (1 Timothy 4:7-8).

Be encouraged. Colin

In this and the following posts, I will share 12 important points for fathers regarding Family Devotions.

1. MEN MUST TAKE LEADERSHIP

Fathers should not fail to exercise their headship of the family regarding Family Devotions. This is where they exercise their priesthood.

Men, in order for your family to take Family Devotions seriously, you will need to maintain order and encourage their attention. As a pastor takes leadership during a church service, so must every father deal with foolishness and inappropriate behavior?

I do not allow eating and drinking during Family Devotions. Phones, TVs, computers, etc., should be turned off to minimize distractions.

I do not allow several discussions to go on at the same time or children to converse amongst themselves. Foolish jesting about spiritual matters should be discouraged. There is a big difference between laughing when something is purely funny and foolish joking which borders on sacrilege.

Everyone should be gathered together and not all over the place. I do not allow anyone in our home to skip devotions unless there is a good reason. Guests in our home are expected to be part of our Family Devotions, too.

Be encouraged. Colin


In this and the following posts, I will share 12 important points for fathers regarding Family Devotions.

1. MEN MUST TAKE LEADERSHIP

Fathers should not fail to exercise their headship of the family regarding Family Devotions. This is where they exercise their priesthood.

Men, in order for your family to take Family Devotions seriously, you will need to maintain order and encourage their attention. As a pastor takes leadership during a church service, so must every father deal with foolishness and inappropriate behavior?

I do not allow eating and drinking during Family Devotions. Phones, TVs, computers, etc., should be turned off to minimize distractions.

I do not allow several discussions to go on at the same time or children to converse amongst themselves. Foolish jesting about spiritual matters should be discouraged. There is a big difference between laughing when something is purely funny and foolish joking which borders on sacrilege.

Everyone should be gathered together and not all over the place. I do not allow anyone in our home to skip devotions unless there is a good reason. Guests in our home are expected to be part of our Family Devotions, too.

Be encouraged. Colin

Men, as important as it is for our homes to be filled with an atmosphere of godliness, it is even more important that our own lives to be filled with an atmosphere of heaven.

2 Corinthians 2:15 says “For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ.” The J. B. Phillip’s translates it, "We Christians have the unmistakable ‘scent’ of Christ.” Surely, not only our houses should have this unmistakable scent of Christ, but we ourselves should be oozing the fragrance of Christ.

This scent comes through prayer. Jesus said, “Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer?” (Mark 11:17). Men, we will smell like Christ when we claim our bodies to be houses of prayer.

Be encouraged. Colin

Jesus said, “My house shall be called the house of prayer” (Matthew 21:13).

Family Devotions will increase a godly atmosphere in your home.

Men, what sort of atmosphere do you want in your home? I believe every home contains a certain atmosphere. You can walk into a home and sense the presence of evil, worldliness, tension and stress. Or, you can walk, into a home and become aware of peace, love, purity and godliness.

Home indeed, should, and can be “Home, sweet home.” Home should be a place where you can relax and enjoy the godly atmosphere.

We know in our hearts that heaven contains an amazing godly atmosphere. There will be no computers with ungodly wisdom and knowledge. There will be no TVs pumping into heaven a spirit of worldliness. There will be no questionable literature tainting the atmosphere.

Heaven will be filled with an atmosphere of worship and prayer. In the same way, I believe that every Christian home should be rich with atmosphere of worship, prayer, and the power of the living Word of God.

Be encouraged. Colin

For the last five days we have been emphasizing the importance of Family Devotions as it relates to the parenting revival into which God is calling His people. We must never underestimate the power of the praying family. Jesus said, “For where two or there are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20) This Scripture relates to the prayer of agreement in the previous verse, “Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:19)

This Scripture teaches that even a small family can accomplish mighty things through the prayer of agreement. How much more a larger family!

Children do not have a problem with agreeing with Daddy and Mommy in matters of prayer.

Today, as agreeing families, we all need to pray that Obama Care will be struck down in its entirety and that the constitution will be completely upheld. Praying families who agree together could see this happen. What a victory families can participate in.

God delights to use the things that are weak and despised to bring down the mighty and the proud (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).

Be encouraged. Colin

Acts 18:24-25 “And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord.”

How did Apollos acquire this knowledge of the Scriptures?

Deuteronomy 6:7 says, “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou rises up.”

When we read this Scripture we cannot help but realize that God regarded His Word as being of paramount importance to the health, wealth, and prosperity of His people. They were to bind the Word on their hands and keep them close to their eyes. They were to write them on the walls of their homes as well as their gates.

God intended the families of Israel to be saturated with His Word. This would make them to be a very special people, different from all the other nations of the earth. The nations of the earth would say of them, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law?” (Deuteronomy 4:6-8).

Unfortunately, Israel did not have the indwelling Holy Spirit to enable them to obey all these commandments and so they often failed.

Today, we need to be filled with all of Jesus’ teachings and commands as well as being filled with His Holy Spirit even as Aquila and Priscilla taught Apollos.

Be encouraged. Colin

“And that thy days may be prolonged” (Deuteronomy 6:2)

“When thou sittest in thine house” (Deuteronomy 6:7)

The God who created us, and blessed us with a wife and family, as well as innumerable other benefits desires that we will constantly talk and overflow with His goodness, in a very natural way, wherever we are. Not only does God desire this for our own benefit, but also for the benefit of our children, our wives, and whoever comes into our home.

The best time to share with our family the truths of God’s Word is when we gather around the family meal table, which is morning and evening in our home (breakfast and supper). This is when we are all sitting down together.

God not only desires us to do this good thing, but commands us to do it in order “that thy days may be prolonged.” The reading, sharing, and teaching of God’s Word, coupled with prayer, praise, and worship is life extension stuff! This will do more for the health of you and your family than all the nutritious food you could give them.

Family Devotions are a Life Extension Program, unequaled by anything.

Be encouraged. Colin

“And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children” (Deuteronomy 6:7)

As fathers, we need a new and fresh revelation, and revival, on what it means to be diligent, especially with Family Devotions and prayers around the morning and evening meal table.

I believe the spirituality of the family, and the church, can be gauged by the exercise of discipline in time spent sharing the Word and praying together. The more we teach God’s Word to our children, the stronger believers they will grow up to be. The more we pray and worship together, the greater His presence will be felt and known, not only in our homes, but in all areas of our lives.

Men, we must beware of taking God’s Word for granted and becoming too casual in the exercise of Family Devotions (as well as personal devotions, of course).

There is something wrong when we are more diligent about eating our food for physical nourishment than we are for eating the Word of God for our spiritual nourishment.

There is something wrong when we are more diligent about our family’s personal hygiene (such as showering and brushing teeth) than we are about our family’s hearts and spirits being washed with the water of the Word.

There is something wrong when we are more diligent about our family’s regular education than we are about their spiritual education.

Be encouraged. Colin.

“The father to the children shall make known thy truth” (Isaiah 38:19). Men, the Bible is very clear that it is the primary responsibility of fathers to make God’s Word known to their children.

Deuteronomy 6:6 says, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart.” Christian fathers should have God’s Word, first of all, in their own heart. The heart is the center of our affections. May each one of us ask the father in Heaven for a much greater love and affection for God’s Word. If the Word is not in our own hearts and affections we will not be able to effectively teach it to our children.

God is calling the fathers of this generation to be men who have God’s Word in their hearts (Isaiah 59:21). I love to pray and read the Word a lot. I find it a great way to get God’s Word not only in my head, but most importantly, deep down in my heart.

Men, we definitely, and without a doubt, need this revival of God’s Word in our own hearts so we can effectively pass it on to our children.

To be continued.

Be encouraged. Colin

The fourth parenting revival is FAMILY DEVOTIONS. Sharing God’s Word and praying together on a daily basis around the family meal table is a vital part of this parenting revival.

Men, we must not miss this most important aspect of revival prior to the return of Christ. It is a vital part of everyday fatherhood that we cannot overlook.

Unfortunately, most Christian fathers are not doing this, resulting in a huge spiritual disconnect in the most important education fathers are to give to their children.

I am sure that most Christian fathers would readily agree that we should be good providers for our family with housing, food, clothing and education. Fathers would agree that we should spend time playing without children doing fun things with them, but what about providing food for their souls and spirits?

Sadly, most Christian fathers do not open God’s Word on a daily basis to their children, or pray with them. Most fathers think that going to church once a week is sufficient.

No wonder we need revival.

Be encouraged. Colin

I believe it is most unfortunate that Christian groups or churches who regard themselves non-Catholic could not wholeheartedly stand up with the Catholics against the Obama grand slam against them to pay for birth control to their hired workers.

The Catholic Church does not believe in any form of birth control other than NFP (Natural Family Planning). The only reason why Evangelical churches supported the Catholic stand against Obama Care and its pressure on church organizations is that we all believe the federal government has no rights to force churches to do anything against their moral convictions.

However, Evangelicals do not support the Catholics on their stand against birth control, i.e., contraception and sterilization, although they support their stand against abortion.

I thank God that this issue with our current administration is causing some Evangelicals to rethink their position and examine it in the light of God’s truth.

Be encouraged. Colin

When Christians take family planning into their own hands, they cease to build the house. When the Anglican Church in England (Episcopal in USA) at the Lambeth Anglican Conference of Bishops in 1930 opened the door a tiny crack in order to accommodate extreme situations in birth control, i.e., sexual diseases of genetic rarity, this crack turned into a landslide of contraception amongst Protestant churches. I took only 30 years from the time contraceptives were legally allowed to the legalization of abortion.

We now live in a time when the demograph of western nations is under serious threat. According to population scientist Theodore Lakish it takes three children per family to stabilize a population and four children to increase the population. This takes into consideration infertility, the fact that some may not marry, fatalities (either infant or adult), and homosexuality which does not contribute to population growth.

We must not take fertility for granted. Our western Christian culture is now under serious threat.

Be encouraged. Colin

The first mandate given to man to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth was given as a BLESSING FROM GOD to man, not a negative burden to be despised by man. Genesis 1:28 says, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them…”

However, Satan who hates the multiplication of the likeness and image of God through the medium of redeemed man does his best to distort this truth through lies and fears.

Albert Mohler writes in his article, “Widespread use of the Pill has led to “serious consequences” including marital infidelity and rampant sexual immorality. In reality, the Pill allowed a near-total abandonment of Christian sexual morality in the larger culture. Once the sex act was severed from the likelihood of childbearing, the traditional structure of sexual morality collapsed.” I whole-heartedly agree.

However, he goes on to say that contraception is acceptable as long as it is not abortificiant as most Pills are. I utterly disagree.

The reasoning that he gives is basically the same reasoning that the Anglican Lambeth Conference gave on August 14, 1930 which opened the door for millions and millions of babies to be aborted through the Pill and other abortifacient contraceptives. The assembled Anglican bishops broke with the previously unanimous Christian doctrine (Protestant and Catholic) that contraception was considered to be the “murder of future unborn children” and allowed unnatural birth control devices and practices. Their statement in Resolution 15 is worth repeating since it is historic…

“Where there is a clearly felt moral obligation to limit or avoid parenthood, the method must be decided on Christian principles.” I think this is the deception. What Christian principles can we use as excuses to null and avoid being fruitful and multiplying?

The statement continues… “The primary and obvious method is complete abstinence from intercourse (as far as may be necessary) in a life of discipleship and self-control lived in the power of the Holy Spirit.” I think they knew that these words sounded spiritual in order to cloak the deception, for one might as well be unmarried than to be married and abstain from the marriage act. No one, as proved by history, has followed this abstinence teaching! It would be impossible. There had to be an easier way out… and here it comes!

“Nevertheless in those cases where there is such a clearly felt moral obligation to limit or avoid parenthood, and where there is a morally sound reason for avoiding complete abstinence (This same argument is used for abortion, e.g., the health and life of the mother which could be anything from schizophrenia to a headache) the Conference agrees that other methods may be used, provided that this is done in the light of the same Christian principles.”

What Christian principles can be used to override what God has already stated?

Be encouraged to side with God. Colin

This subject is being revisited by American politics and is causing evangelicals to rethink their position. A recent article I received states that Christian couples are not ordered by Scripture to maximize the number of children they could conceive. The author states that a couple who marry in their early twenties could have 15 children and goes on to say that this level of reproduction is not mandated in the Bible.

My answer to these statements is that we either believe the Bible or we do not believe the Bible. I believe that Genesis 1:28, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” was the first mandate given to man. This is supported and reiterated again in Genesis 9:1, 7.

The author of this article obviously has fears regarding larger families. He is trying to provide a way out for unwanted pregnancies so a Christian couple can enjoy sex without the fear of pregnancy.

Christians need to get a new mindset about birth control and let God take control.

Psalm 127:1 says, “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in van that build it.”

We need to have a new mindset to overcome the fears of pregnancy. This fear is not of God. Oh how ignorant we are on seeing children from God’s perspective!

Be encouraged. Colin

Christians are not ever meant to limit the size of their families.

Applying the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” to our lives, it means that we make our own decisions about what is good and what is evil without any real reference to what God has to say about it. In this sense, we have become our own god. We have knowledge about what God says about certain things, such as being fruitful and multiplying, but in the end, all that really matters is what we judge as right and wrong. We listen to the humanists about conserving our natural resources rather than listening to God who looks for the godly seed to fill the earth.

The recent “Christian” article wrote, “We are not in Eden now” meaning that it’s okay to apply situational ethics to this subject. Obviously, if situational ethics was the truth, the children of Israel should not have been multiplying during slavery in Egypt. But, Exodus 12:12 says, “The more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew.”

Exodus 1:7 says, “The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was FILLED with them.” The situational ethics Christians of this day would most likely have sided with Pharaoh.

There is always room and need for more and more of the godly seed, as opposed to the ungodly.

Be encouraged. God will provide. Colin

It’s bad enough to have to put up with the propaganda and fear-mongering from the atheists of this world who seek to influence us away from multiplying the godly seed (Malachi 2:15). How heartbreaking it is when we have to listen to the same propaganda from most of our church leaders.

The “tree of the knowledge and good and evil” is full of the fruit of human wisdom and reasoning. It is full of demonically inspired knowledge and wisdom to deceive man into trusting in his own science and education in order to save the planet and make earth a supposedly better place to live. Our modern colleges, and even many churches (sad to say), are full of the fruit of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” How prideful we have become.

The contrast to this tree is the "tree of life" which encourages us to draw from God’s wisdom and knowledge. This tree promotes utter and complete dependence on God which implies a closer walk with God.

Be encouraged. Colin